http://www.vietnamwomensmemorial.org/pdf/iwest.pdf
Monday, May 9, 2011
The Role of Nurses
Woman nurses played a huge role during the Vietnam War. Early in 1963, the Army Nurse Corps, the ANC, launched Operation Nightingale, an extreme effort to send nurses to serve in Vietnam. Most of these nurses who volunteered to serve came from primarily working or middle class families with military service in their history. These nurses often had to live in tents under bad conditions due to heat, humidity, bug infestations and noisy. They worked six days a week, expect during emergencies in which everyone worked. During the TET Offensive, of January 1968, nurses described that they slept if and when they could. "Nurses gained respect not only for their technical skills but also for their independent clinical judgements." states West, an Army Nurse Corps historian. I think this gaining of respect stuck with woman for the years to come and motivated them to continue to do jobs that were traditionally considered to be meant for men only. Woman had always been so limited to doing domestic work such as staying home, taking care of the children, cooking, and cleaning.
As I have stated earlier in this blog, education is crucial.
American popular culture has helped to further the negative stigma associated to veterans of the Vietnam War and the American public treatment of those veterans.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) has worked tirelessly to bring additional substance to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial by helping to create an interactive educational center at The Wall. Now the information gathered for this project will be available to our nation's school through the assistance of The History Channel.
It is true that due to the controversial nature of the Vietnam War many of it's returning veterans were met with controversy and conflict upon returning home. However it is important to be aware of the millions of men and women who returned and worked toward increased awareness of veteran's needs. The veterans of the Vietnam war are responsible for much of the work towards understand post traumatic stress disorders and the treatment which is being used to help our soldiers return from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars today.
Educating our nations youth on the mistakes made as well as all the wonderful achievements of our nations veterans is of vital importance to our future. We continue to grow as a nation from the lessons of our past.
http://www.vietnamgear.com/Article.aspx?Art=177
American popular culture has helped to further the negative stigma associated to veterans of the Vietnam War and the American public treatment of those veterans.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) has worked tirelessly to bring additional substance to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial by helping to create an interactive educational center at The Wall. Now the information gathered for this project will be available to our nation's school through the assistance of The History Channel.
It is true that due to the controversial nature of the Vietnam War many of it's returning veterans were met with controversy and conflict upon returning home. However it is important to be aware of the millions of men and women who returned and worked toward increased awareness of veteran's needs. The veterans of the Vietnam war are responsible for much of the work towards understand post traumatic stress disorders and the treatment which is being used to help our soldiers return from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars today.
Educating our nations youth on the mistakes made as well as all the wonderful achievements of our nations veterans is of vital importance to our future. We continue to grow as a nation from the lessons of our past.
http://www.vietnamgear.com/Article.aspx?Art=177
Five Names to be added to The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
A special ceremony was held yesterday to honor five service men who's names are being added to The Wall. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund continues to work towards indentifying all those who served and gave their lives as a result of the war in Vietnam.
Some of the ongoing work is that of status change to the names on The Wall. The search for remains of those missing in action continues to this day and is a testament to the level of respect the American people have for the men and women who serve our country.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is visited by over 3 million people annually and helps to bring a better understand of the war and those who served in it.
http://www.vietnamgear.com/Article.aspx?Art=180
Some of the ongoing work is that of status change to the names on The Wall. The search for remains of those missing in action continues to this day and is a testament to the level of respect the American people have for the men and women who serve our country.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is visited by over 3 million people annually and helps to bring a better understand of the war and those who served in it.
http://www.vietnamgear.com/Article.aspx?Art=180
The Wall That Heals
The Wall that Heals is a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, more commonly known as The Wall. It is a half-scale replica of the memorial that is transported throughout the United States. It has also visited Canada and Ireland.
The Wall That Heals gives millions of Americans a chance to honor and remember all the men and women who served in the Vietnam War. Both the traveling memorial and the original monument are tributes to those who served, died, as well as those who are still missing from the Vietnam War. These are not monuments to the war, they are monuments to the people.
The Wall That Heals travels on a flat bed truck along with a traveling museum and visitor's information center. Education is so incredibly important. Continuing to educate the public on the importance of supporting our troops is crucial. The treatment of the returning veterans of the Vietnam War is a stain on our countries history. The museum that is connected to the traveling wall was created using the more than 150,000 left at The Wall. These displays help identify and presonalize the over 58,000 names found on the memorial. 1200 of those are soldiers who are still missing in action.
The healing process is ongoing for many who served in the Vietnam War or those who lost loved ones and friends. The Wall That Heals is not only a wonderful tribute but also a way for people who can not travel to The Wall.
http://www.vietnamgear.com/Article.aspx?Art=179
The Wall That Heals gives millions of Americans a chance to honor and remember all the men and women who served in the Vietnam War. Both the traveling memorial and the original monument are tributes to those who served, died, as well as those who are still missing from the Vietnam War. These are not monuments to the war, they are monuments to the people.
The Wall That Heals travels on a flat bed truck along with a traveling museum and visitor's information center. Education is so incredibly important. Continuing to educate the public on the importance of supporting our troops is crucial. The treatment of the returning veterans of the Vietnam War is a stain on our countries history. The museum that is connected to the traveling wall was created using the more than 150,000 left at The Wall. These displays help identify and presonalize the over 58,000 names found on the memorial. 1200 of those are soldiers who are still missing in action.
The healing process is ongoing for many who served in the Vietnam War or those who lost loved ones and friends. The Wall That Heals is not only a wonderful tribute but also a way for people who can not travel to The Wall.
http://www.vietnamgear.com/Article.aspx?Art=179
Sunday, May 8, 2011
"The means to an end"
January 27, 1973 was a day for all those involved that could not come soon enough. That was the date that the Paris Peace Accords produced an "Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam". The two main representatives involved in the negotiations were the U.S. National Security Adviser Dr. Henry Kissinger and Lê Ðức Thọ of Vietnam, both men were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for reaching the agreement. Basically the negotiations produced these main points(1):
1) A ceasefire would be in effect as of January 28, 1973 at 8 am Saigon time. As soon as the ceasefire was initiated U.S. and its allies would begin their withdrawal, which was to be completed in sixty days.
2) All U.S. POW's would be released and allow safe passage home.
3) Negotiated would take place between the two South Vietnamese parties to reach a political settlement regarding the ability of the South Vietnamese citizens to decide how they would partake in the future of the region through free and democratic elections.
4) The reunification of Vietnam was to be carried out step by step through peaceful means.
It was most unfortunate that it took five years to reach the outcome that the Paris Peace Accords produced because who knows how many lives could of been spared, saved, and needless incidents averted on both sides. 1968 was when the negotiations began and there were numerous delays from both sides that neither side was willing to work out till 1973. But thankfully a decision was reached although the lessons learned from Vietnam will never be forgotten nor will the men and women who gave their lives in the war.
1) A ceasefire would be in effect as of January 28, 1973 at 8 am Saigon time. As soon as the ceasefire was initiated U.S. and its allies would begin their withdrawal, which was to be completed in sixty days.
2) All U.S. POW's would be released and allow safe passage home.
3) Negotiated would take place between the two South Vietnamese parties to reach a political settlement regarding the ability of the South Vietnamese citizens to decide how they would partake in the future of the region through free and democratic elections.
4) The reunification of Vietnam was to be carried out step by step through peaceful means.
It was most unfortunate that it took five years to reach the outcome that the Paris Peace Accords produced because who knows how many lives could of been spared, saved, and needless incidents averted on both sides. 1968 was when the negotiations began and there were numerous delays from both sides that neither side was willing to work out till 1973. But thankfully a decision was reached although the lessons learned from Vietnam will never be forgotten nor will the men and women who gave their lives in the war.
This is a photo is known world wide for being awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1964. As you can see it is a picture of a self-immolation, one of many that took place during the Vietnam war. The man in this picture, Thích Quảng Đức, is a South Vietnamese monk and is the most famous of all those who partook in similar acts. He was protesting against the persecution of Buddhists by the U.S. supported Diem administration. In the U.S. there were two men that protested in the exact same way, there was Norman Morrison on November 2, 1965 and one week later Roger LaPorte. Both men had separate reasons for their actions, Morrison was a Quaker who was outraged at a bombing of a village in Vietnam, and LaPorte was from the Catholic Worker movement who was against the war and all wars.
Now, some people might think that these types of protests were a bit extreme and done in poor taste but they were highly effective at getting their causes noticed. President Kennedy commented on the monks' self-immolation, "no news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one."1. That was a statement coming from the leader of the free world and it gripped him enough to go public with that thought.
1.Jacobs, Seth (2006), Cold War Mandarin: Ngo Dinh Diem and the Origins of America's War in Vietnam, 1950–1963, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield,
http://copycateffect.blogspot.com/2008/11/another-self-immolation.html
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Johnson's Promise
A huge part of Lyndon B. Johnson's campaign to the presidency was the promise, if he were elected to office, he would not send ground troops to Vietnam. Almost immediately after taking office and being sworn in, Johnson and his administration decided to relocate U.S. soldiers to South Vietnam which marked the just beginning in a long, dragged out ordeal. By the end of his term in March of 1986, Johnson readdressed the nation and owned up to his broken vow "With America's sons in the fields far away, with America's future under challenge right here at home, with our hopes and the world's hopes for peace in the balance every day, I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes or to any duties other than the awesome duties of this office." Johnson concluded, "Accordingly, I shall not seek...another term as your President." (L.B.J.)
It just goes to show that no matter who you are or what position of power you hold, people will say and do things that the majority wants to hear. Johnson wasn't the first nor was he the last to make promises that he couldn't keep, or that he pledged upon in their campaigns and never followed through with. It's just how messed up political battles are waged. We all know it happens and we still buy into this system that continuously lets us down. I realize that not everyone can be reached or made happy, but if you make promises and are in a position to do something about it then I believe they should keep their words and follow through on their vows.
It just goes to show that no matter who you are or what position of power you hold, people will say and do things that the majority wants to hear. Johnson wasn't the first nor was he the last to make promises that he couldn't keep, or that he pledged upon in their campaigns and never followed through with. It's just how messed up political battles are waged. We all know it happens and we still buy into this system that continuously lets us down. I realize that not everyone can be reached or made happy, but if you make promises and are in a position to do something about it then I believe they should keep their words and follow through on their vows.
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