Vietnam

Prior to the start of our study of the Vietnam Era, I thought that I knew quite a bit about the Vietnam War and the overall time period. But after listening to some guest speakers and reading Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, I discovered that I knew hardly anything, and that most of what I did know was pretty much insignificant. These past weeks were not only extremely educating, but it was also very interesting. I learned more than I ever thought I would, mostly through the people that know it best, those who lived through it.

The most important thing I learned about Vietnam and the time period in which it took place, is that it was so confusing. It seems as if nobody really knew what was going on or what they were supposed to be doing. It also seems that even the people who fought in the war didn't believe that our presence was right. They knew nothing about the terrain, the Vietnamese culture, or even how to fight the North Vietnamese. And when they thought that they had things somewhat under control and that they could kind of anticipate the North Vietnamese, the NVA changed everything with the TET offensive. So they ended up pretty much knowing nothing about anything.

The war not only hard on the soldiers, but it was also hard on their loved ones. The hardest thing for those who were left behind was the waiting and the not knowing. Wives and parents didn't know whether their loved one were alive or dead. Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst was the only thing they could do, while the soldiers were just trying to stay alive. Soldiers were always looking for something to hang on to. They had to forget about their families and the world they left behind into order to survive. In a place they knew absolutely nothing about, they were so scared. They were scared of what they saw, but also of what they couldn't see, which was usually the scariest thing of all. They were scared to make friends, for fear of suffering loss. They were scared of not making it home. But then again, even after the war was hard. Soldiers kept on having flashbacks, many became violent. The war changed everyone, and their families had to pay the price.

The war inspired many of the surviving soldiers to do things. Some wrote books, some wrote poetry, and some wrote music about their experiences in Vietnam. The war also inspired some people to do one of the most rewarding things they could possibly do, which is to teach and not