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How and What to tell the young
This goes out to one and all.
It should generate some interesting discussion and points of view. "When was the last time you were in Vietnam?" one of my students asked in class. "This morning!" I replied. He stared at me like I was crazy. Has this ever happend to you? I teach a Vietnam History course in both high school and college. It becomes very interesting at times. I am teaching about my life and they are learning history. Remember that point - It is interesting history taught by someone who was there, but it is still just history to them. I am including a sylabus that is used at college and a course outline that is used in the high school. Tell me what you think, what should be added?, what should be changed?, and what's available that I don't have or don't know about?. I am always looking for ways to improve the course, add to the course, and ways to make the course relative to my students. Vietnam: A Time of Turmoil and Change WHI250/200 ? History & Political Science Winter Session 2002: January 2 ? 17, 2002 Caldwell College, Caldwell, New Jersey Instructor: Mr. Wilkens Room: 6203/ New Academic Building Phone: 973 - 584-1200, ext.: 693 (Voice Mail) FAX 973 - 584 -7584 Email cwilkens@caldwell.edu cwilkens@roxbury.org wilfam@worldnet.att.net Office Hours: 4:15 to 5:15 PM or during class breaks and after class in the Student Center ? Room 4144 Course Description: The purpose of WHI250/200 will focus on two different groups of people that had the experience of living through the Vietnam Era. The first group, known as the ?baby boomers?, came of age during the 1960s and the early 1970s. This group lived through and participated in every major event of that turbulent time. The second group is the new generation, which could be called the ?ERA Kids?. They were born during the 60s and went through their formative years in the 70s. To the ?Kids? Vietnam is just recent history, a tumultuous age that the ? Boomers? created. The course will examine the war and how it affected both generations and both opposing cultures. It will compare and evaluate the conflicting values, moral judgments, and political decisions that affected the Vietnam Generation in a time of turmoil and change. Required Textbooks: Text: Starr, Jerold M., Ed.; The Lessons of the Vietnam War; 1991. Reader: O?Nan, Stewart; The Vietnam Reader; 1998 Optional Reading List: Edelman, Bernard, Ed; Dear America: Letters Home from the War; 1986. Truong, Nhu Tang; A Vietcong Memoir: An Inside Account; 1985. Santoli, Al; Everything We Had: An Oral History; 1981 Walker, Keith;A Piece of My Heart: The Stories of 26 Women in Vietnam;1985. Lang, Daniel; Casualties of War, A Novel; 1989 Course Objectives: ?To place the Vietnam Conflict within the chronology and history of the Cold War Era and to assess whether or not Vietnam was necessary. ?To understand those factors that lead to the US decision to enter the conflict and to describe the goals established by the Eisenhower/ Kennedy/ Johnson/ Nixon administrations for bringing the hostilities to an end. ?To explain who fought in the conflict and the strategies used during combat actions. ?To assess the value of technology on the battlefield. ?To speculate on the legality of the Vietnam Conflict. ?To examine the historical, political, economic, and social impact of the Vietnam Conflict on America and the American people. ?To describe and explain the costs of the Vietnam conflict both to the nation as a whole and to the American people personally. ?To recognize the Vietnam Conflict for its unique qualities and place in history by comparing it to the 1991 Gulf War. ?To speculate on the lessons and value of history of the Vietnam Conflict on American foreign policy now and in the future Attendance: ?You are responsible for all material presented in class, including announcements about course procedures. Exams, quizzes and homework often include questions and material presented only in class, so performance on these indirectly reflects attendance to the course. ?Caldwell College awards credit hours based on number of hours completed in class. (45 hrs = 3 credits) Evaluation: ?Examinations: There will be one exam worth 25% of the course grade. The exam will be announced in class at least one week before the end of the course. ?Moral dilemmas: Issues involving moral/ ethical choice/ critical thinking activities will make up 20% of the grade for the course. ?Film Critiques: Written discussions of films will makeup 25% of the grade. ?20% of the grade will be based on homework and quizzes. You will have daily assignments involving course material presented in class. Quizzes will be given on an irregular basis. ?Class Participation: This will count 10% of the overall grade. ?All exams and homework must be completed in order to complete this course, regardless of lateness. Unexcused lateness course work will lose 10% of its points for each weekday that it is late. Late assignments can be turned in at my mailbox. Arrangements for ?excused lateness? must be made in advance and approved by the instructor. Course grades will be assigned as follows: ?A: 94% ? 100% A- 90 - 93% ?B+: 87%- 89% B: 84% - 86% B-: 80% - 83% ?C+: 77% -79% C: 70% - 76% ?D+: 67% -69% D: 60% - 66% ?F: below 60% Academic dishonesty will result in a course grade of ?F?. Daily Reading Schedule: Day 1: An Introduction to Vietnamese History, Geography, and Culture Lessons: Introduction to Vietnam: Land, History, and Culture, pages 1 ? 8 Articles on Vietnamese Culture and History Film: Vietnam: Land of the Ascending Dragon Vietnam: A country not a war Roots of War Day 2: The French in Vietnam Lessons: Land, History, and Culture, pages 9 ? 28 Reader: pages 1 ? 13 Film: First Indochina War Seeds of War Day 3: Vietnam: The necessary war? Lessons: America at War in Vietnam Reader: pages 13 - 46 Film: Dien Bien Phu The Ugly American Day 4: America Takes Charge Lessons: Who Fought the War for the US? Reader: pages 53 ? 88; 107 - 113 pages 115 ? 149; 279 - 296 Film: America?s Mandarin/ Uneasy Allies Why Vietnam? LBJ?s message to America CBS News: The World of Charlie Company Full Metal Jacket Day 5: Search and Destroy the enemy Lessons: How the US fought the War in Vietnam? Reader: 297 ? 388; 439 - 496 Film The Anderson Platoon The Faces of War The Flight of the Intruder Platoon Day 6: The Case of My Lai - 4 Lessons: When war becomes a crime Reader: pages 257 ? 278; 457 - 503 Film: Platoon Full Metal Jacket Casualties of War Winter Soldier Reports Frontline: My Lai Revisited Deer Hunter Apocalypse Now Day 7: Hawks Vs Doves: Taking Sides Lessons: The War at Home Reader: 539 - 612 Film: Vietnam: The war at Home Homefront USA Vietnam: Choosing Sides We can change the World Medium Cool Day 8: Literature about the War Lessons: How the War was reported Reader: pages 389 - 439 Film: Full Metal Jacket Hamburger Hill 84 Charlie Mopix Dateline Saigon Day 9: The Legacies of War Lessons: The wounds of war and the process of healing Reader: pages 613 - 674 Film: The Fall of Saigon Born on the Fourth of July In Country Coming Home Rambo Day 10 What was learned from the Vietnam War? Lessons: Lessons from yesterday for today Reader: pages 675 ? 693 Film: Legacies of the war Thanks of a Grateful Nation A Bright Shining Lie Heaven and Earth Final Examination This course outline is for the Senior Elective course at high school 17 weeks and a final exam. COURSE OUTLINE - THE VIETNAM EXPERIENCE I. Vietnam: An Introduction A. The Land 1. climate 2. geography 3. population B. Names for Vietnam 1. Viet 2.Nam 3.Annam 4.Tonkin 5.Cochin China 6.Vietnam C. Vietnam and the Outside World 1.China 2.Portugal 3.The Netherlands D. The French in Vietnam 1.By 1860 the French were well on their way to controlling Vietnam 2.French control the area until 1940 3.Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese nationalism 4.Japanese in Vietnam during World War II 5.1945 - start of 1st war for independence 6.Dien Bien Phu 7.Geneva Conference II. America's Commitment to the War (1954 - 1965) A. Geneva Accords of 1954 1.North and South Vietnam 2.1956 elections B. The Diem Regime Begins 1.Ngo Dinh Diem 2.Diem's referendum 3.harsh and authoritarian rule 4.creation of the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) C. Early American Involvement 1.firm American Backing for Diem 2.1961 - President Kennedy sends 18t American military "advisers" and increased military aid D. Diem Regime In Trouble 1.Diem's advisers 2.Buddhist opposition to Diem 3.loss of American confidence 4.military coup and assassination of Diem E. South Vietnamese Instability 1.no government survives without American support 2.1964 - Tonkin Gulf Resolution 3.1965 - strategic bombing of North Vietnam 4. emergence of Nguyen Van Thieu and Nguyen Cao Ky III. The United States Takes Charge (Escalation 1965-1968) A. President Johnson goes to War 1.1st United States ground troops 2.the war expands B. Military Strategies 1.United States 2.South Vietnam 3.North Vietnam C. The Continuing War 1.Operation Rolling Thunder ? the bombing of North Vietnam 2.War Strategies a.Phoenix Program (1967) b.pacification c.free fire zones d.search and destroy missions e.defoliants 3.United States firepower 4.General Westmoreland commands U.S. troops 5.Tet offensive (January 31, 1968) 6.My Lai massacre Hue massacre D. The Search for Peace 1.President Johnson announces halt to bombing of North Vietnam and decision not to seek another term in office 2.opening of peace talks in Paris IV. Mr. Nixon Takes Over (1968 - 1975) A. Vietnamization 1.?honorable? end 2.increasing reliance on South Vietnamese troops 3.morale problems with American troops B. Military Action During The Period 1.invasion of Cambodia 2.Laos incursion 3.The Easter offensive and American reaction 4.North Vietnamese army takes over burden from weakened Viet Cong C. Military Stalemate and Diplomatic Breakthrough 1.by fall of 1972 there was a military stalemate 2.President Nixon?s. dilemma a.Henry Kissinger negotiates a cease-fire agreement b.The Thieu government resists D. The Paris Accords 1.North Vietnamese troops could remain in place 2.Viet-Cong recognized by the U.S. and South Vietnam 3.United States would withdraw troops 4.U.S. permitted to continue military aid to the Thieu government 5.North Vietnam to release all U.S. POW's E. North Vietnamese Victory 1. constant violations of the accords 2. U.S. Congress acts to stop re-involvement of U.S.A. 3.South Vietnamese government on its own 4.North Vietnamese initiative of 1975 5.April 30 - 1975 - Saigon falls V. The War At Home A. Early Resistance To The War 1.teach-ins begin - 1965 2.U.S. Senate questions the war - 1966 3.anti-war demonstrations and marches begin in 1965 B. Dissent Increases after the TET Offensive 1.more and larger demonstrations 2.Eugene McCarthy, Robert Kennedy, and Hubert Humphrey C. The Nixon Years 1.Nixon elected, resistance continues 2.500,000 march on Washington - 1970 3.students killed during protest against Cambodia incursion 4.Pentagon Papers published 5.last U.S. combat soldiers leave Vietnam - 1973 D. Vietnam And The Arts 1. music a. "Eve of Destruction" - Barry McGuire b. "7 O?clock news/Silent Night" Simon & Garfunkel c. "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag" - Country Joe McDonald d. "Ballad of the Green Berets" - Barry Sadler e. "An Open Letter To A Teenage Son" - Victor Lundberg f. "Okie From Muskogee" - Merle Haggard g. "Draft Dodger Rag" - Phil Och h. "Give Peace A Chance" - John Lennon i. "Who'll Stop The Rain" - Credence Clearwater Revival j. "I Saw It on TV' - John Fogerty 2. films a. Coming Home b. The Green Berets C. The Deer Hunter d. Apocalypse Now e. Platoon f. Hamburger Hill g. Born On The Fourth Of July h. Full Metal Jacket 3 literature a. The Thirteenth Valley - John M. DelVecchio b. The Green Berets - Robin Moore c. The Quiet American - Graham Green d. The Short-Timers - Gustav Harsford e. Fields of Fire - James Webb, Jr. f. First Blood - David Morrell 4. audio-visual materials a. Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War a thirteen part series that gives an excellent overview of the period b. Vietnam: A Television History a thirteen part documentary that provides a wide range of archival footage combined with interviews of combatants from both sides. (a very controversial series) c. The Vietnam War with Walter Cronkite a production of CBS television news, an interesting series that documents the war from the ?news? viewpoint about the war. d. Various other videos and documentaries on specialty issues and individual topics e. The Impact of Media a video that discusses and critiques various viewpoints on the war. VI. The Legacy Of Vietnam A. The Plight Of The Vietnam Veteran 1. less than hero's welcome 2. residual effects of war - PTSD 3. Agent Orange and resulting court case 4. Vietnam Memorial 5. New Jersey Vietnam Memorial B. Vietnam Today 1. independent 2. poor/ hopes for the future 3. a country in search of itself 4. a healing ground for veterans 5. a new relationship with the United States Ending comments - I would appreciate your views, your comments, and your suggestions. cwilkens/ 716 MP BN/ Saigon 1967-68 |
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#2
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Dang
Sounds like a tough course ! You mentioned Geography --- excellent topic which the late (late to what ?) Colonel Summers (former editor of Vietnam magazine) did a solid work up on in one of his books at the very begining --- I'll try to find the title ( kind of like an Encylcopedia of the War).
Beau |
#3
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I want to take that class!
Love the tough interesting ones myself..looks like a wonderful outline.
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Mongol Dai! |
#4
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Great outline for the course. Take a day to make it personal - tell them your story, bring in another vet, maybe one of their Dads to tell his story and answer questions. Keep up the good work
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#5
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Interesting
You had a student who ask when were you last there. To him Vietnam is a geographic location. It seems that to you, and to many of us Vietnam is an emotion or perhaps a whole host of emotions. I suppose my answer would have been 9/9/69 and last night.
Under the heading of ?legacy? it might be interesting to point out Operation Desert Storm - what we learned. But also the movie Black Hawk Down - we forgot. Of course that might have something to do with Presidents, but far be it from me to talk politics. I too would love to take the course. Stay healthy, Andy |
#6
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Looks great to me!
Having also taught in a College. Though I didn't teach on your subject. I would invite in some Vietnam Vets in and let them tell their stories. You have your opinions and ideas. Invite Andy down from Mass. I know he would do an excellant job. Let the students pick their minds.
Keith |
#7
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I haven't seen all the movies
you've listed as part of your "curriculum"---But, if you're attempting to have your students "understand" the factual accounting of the Vietnam War. Then I would most certainly eliminate "Platoon" and "Apocalypse Now" from your list of subject for their visual (and emotional) consumption. Most of each of these films is nothing more than hogwash at Hollwoods grandest! Some of each had parts which were somewhat accurate, but most of it was PURE Hollywood bull$hit.
I just started reading a new book by "Hack" (Col. David Hackworth, USA-Retired), entitled "Steel My Soldier's Hearts", that I am so far (I'm in the fifth chapter) very pleased to describe as absolutely accurate in his accounting of the tactics, terrain, and conditions endured by his Battalion (4th of the 39th Infantry Brigade) and my old Division (9th Infantry) in the Meking Delta---I was in the 2nd of the 60th Brigade not far from his AO---. I'm not a big fan of "Hacks" (especially his politics)---but, he DOES have a "knack" for compiling and describing events of that war extremely well and was (as I've been told by those who served under him) an effective and outstanding combat line officer. Anyway, it'd sure as hell beat watching those two films I mentioned before for "accuracy"! Welcome aboard,
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Gimpy "MUD GRUNT/RIVERINE" "I ain't no fortunate son"--CCR "We have shared the incommunicable experience of war..........We have felt - we still feel - the passion of life to its top.........In our youth our hearts were touched with fire" Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. |
#8
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That's
"Mekong"---not "Meking", sorry my fingers sometime get faster than my grey matter.
"Meking" is what I try and convince my wife I am---but she don't really buy any of it, ya know what I mean??
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Gimpy "MUD GRUNT/RIVERINE" "I ain't no fortunate son"--CCR "We have shared the incommunicable experience of war..........We have felt - we still feel - the passion of life to its top.........In our youth our hearts were touched with fire" Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. |
#9
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From time-to-time I teach night school at the Community College level but nothing so dramatic your topic; Physics and Math actually. But one thing I find that works every time is to associate the student with the topic being discussed. I begin every Physics class semester with the guarantee that I?m going to tell them about the things they are already experts on, but I?ll use a slightly different language. By example, they may know the term miles per hour very well but if we discuss angstroms /microsecond I assure them that it?s the same meat, different gravy, etc., on and on.
Same deal with you class I suggest. Right up front, if you can define the usual VN serviceman in student?s terms and get an identity and empathy thing going you?ll have a very attentive class I do believe. Fair seas, Bill |
#10
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I agree with Gimpy regarding the historical accuracy,or lack thereof,of your reading list and selection of films.It would be imperative that you expose Hollywood`s role in this.I would suggest adding "We were soldiers once...and young" by Gen.H.G.Moore and Joe Galloway.Keep up the good work...Lest we forget.
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A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. ~Thomas Jefferson Peace,Griz |
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