Name:______________________________________________________________Date:_______________Period:____________The Vietnam War

PartA:Directions:Readthepassagebelowandanswerthequestions.Besuretoanswerincompletesentences.

Questions:1.DiscussthereasonstheVietnamesewenttowar.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2.DiscussthereasonswhytheUnitedStatesbecameinvolvedinVietnam.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3.Whydoyouthinkthatpeople(bothU.S.andVietnamese)sawthewarassomethingbad?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________PartB:Directions:Lookatthepicturesandanswerthequestions.Makesuretoanswerincompletesentences.

In1954,thecountryofVietnamwasdividedintotheNorthandSouth.However,fightingsoonbeganinSouthVietnamduetoSouthVietnamwantingtoremainnon-Communist.NorthVietnamfoughttotakeoverSouthVietnamtocreateoneCommunistnation.TheHoChiMinhTrail-namedaftertheleaderofNorthVietnam-ranthroughneighboringcountries.TheUnitedStatesfearedthatCommunismmightspreadthoughtSoutheastAsiaandbegansendingmoney,supplies,andadvisorstoSouthVietnam.PresidentLyndonJohnsonsentAmericansoldierstofightthere.Asthewarwenton,manyAmericansoldierswerekilledwhilefightinginVietnamandtheanti-warmovementintheUnitedStatesgrew.Peopleheldmarches,sanganti-warsongs,andwrotelettersagainstthewartopoliticians.In1973,PresidentNixonfinallywithdrewthelastoftheU.S.troopsfromthearea.TheNorthVietnamesewonthewarandVietnambecameacountryunderCommunistrule.In1982,theVietnamVeteransMemorialwasbuiltinWashingtonD.C.tohonorAmericansoldierswhofoughtinthewar.

TermstoKnow:Communism:aonepartygovernmentinwhichthestateownsallproperty.

4.HowdoyouthinkthispictureshowsdifferentopinionsofAmericansaboutthewar?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PartC:Directions:ReadtheletteractuallywrittenbyanAmericansoliderfightinginVietnamtohiswifeandanswerthequestions.

6.Whoisthesolider(Stan)writingto?____________________________________________________________________________7.HowdoeshedescribeVietnam?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8.WhatdoesStanreallywant?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9.HowdoyouthinkStan’swifereactedtoreceivingthisletter?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________PartD:

5.HowdoyouthinkthecitizensofVietnamwereaffectedbythewar?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Roberta, May 25, 1968 Today is probably one of the worst days I have ever lived in my entire, short life. Once

again we are in contact with the North Vietnamese, and once again many soldiers were killed. The losses have totally hit home, as my best friend, in this horrible miserable place was shot and killed. He was only 22 years old and was going home on June 1st to meet his wife in Hawaii. I feel that if I were only a half a second sooner pulling the trigger, he would still be alive.

Strange how short of a time a half a second is; the difference between life and death. This morning we were talking about how we were only 2 years apart in age, and how we both had gotten married before coming to this place. You know, I can still feel his presence as I write this letter and hope that I am able to survive and leave this horrible place behind.

If there is a place called Hell, I am sure this is it, we must be the Devil’s workers doing his dirty work. I just keep asking myself how so many people with so much to live for keep dying. I just hope their death is for a reason.

I look forward to the day when my duty is done. I should be able to make it home in time for our anniversary. I have spent enough time in this place, where I should be able to pick when I get to come home. I promise I will do everything necessary to make sure that I make that date, and I hope tomorrow is quite. We will be going to a 30-day base camp, so I will hope to write you a letter then. Please do not worry about me, I will take care of myself and look forward to the day I am able to be with you again. Love, Stan

Directions:ReadtheletterwrittenbyPresidentLyndonB.Johnson,andanswerthequestions.

FromPresidentLyndonJohnson’sSpeechatJohnsHopkinsUniversity(1965):

9. WhatreasonsdoesPresidentJohnsongiveastowhyAmericansareinVietnam?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PartE:DO NOT DO PART E!!!!!!!

PartF:

Wearetherebecausewehaveapromisetokeep.Since1954everyAmericanpresidenthasofferedsupporttothepeopleofSouthVietnam.Wehavehelpedtobuild,andwehavehelpedtodefend.Thus,overmanyyearswehavemadeanationalpledgetohelpSouthVietnamobtainitsindependence.AndIintendtokeepthatpromise.

Wearealsotheretostrengthenworldorder.AroundtheglobefromBerlintoThailand,arepeoplewhosewell-beingrests,inpart,onthebeliefthattheycancountonusiftheyareattacked.ToleaveVietnamtoitsfatewouldshaketheconfidenceofallthesepeopleinthevalueofanAmericancommitmentandinthevalueofAmerica’sword.Theresultwouldbeincreasedunrestandinstability,andevenwiderwar.

OurobjectiveisintheindependenceofSouthVietnamanditsfreedomfromattack.WewantnothingforourselvesonlythatthepeopleofSouthVietnambeallowedtoguidetheirowncountryintheirownway.Wewilldoeverythingnecessarytoreadthatobjective.

Directions:ReadabouttheVietnamWarMemorialandanswerthequestions.Besureyouanswerincompletesentences.

VietnamWall:

10. WhodidtheUntiedStatesjoinwithintheVietnamWar?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________11. WhowastheUntiedStatestryingtostopfromunitingthecountriesunderCommunism?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________12. WhatistheVietnamWallmadeof?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________13. Describewhatiscarvedinthewallandwhythiswascarvedthere.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________14. Whattypesofthingsdopeopleleaveatthewall?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________15. Whathappenstoalloftheobjectsthatareleftbehindatthewall?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

InvolvementbetweentheUnitedStatesandVietnambeganinthelate1950s.TheUnitedStatesjoinedforceswithSouthVietnamtotrytostopCommunistNorthVietnamfromunitingthecountry.Atfirst,theUnitedStatesonlysentadvisorsovertoVietnam.Later,inthemid1960s;theU.S.becameinvolvedincombat.Aftermanyyearsandmanydeathsbybothsides,thewarhadendedwiththeUnitedStatesretreatingfromVietnamandSouthVietnamfelltoCommunistNorthVietnamin1975.

In1979,therewasagroupofVietnamVeteransoftheUnitedStateswhogottogetherandcreatedtheVietnamVeteransMemorialFund,withitspurposetopayforbuildingamonumentthatwouldhonortheAmericanswhodiedduringtheVietnamWar.Thememorialfundneededadesignforthememorial,soanationwidecompetitionwasheld.AnyadultAmericancouldenteradesigninthiscompetition,andover1,400entrieswerereceived.Amongthoseentrieswasonebya21yearoldcollegestudentnamedMayasYingLin.

Manymemorialsincludestatuesofpeople,Maya’smemorialdidnot.Instead,Mayadesignedaveryunusualmemorial.Itwouldbetwobig,black,polishedstonewallsthatwouldmeetintoa“V”.OnthewallswouldbethenamesofalltheAmericanmenandwomenwhohaddiedinVietnam,aswellastheunknown.Inall,over,58,000nameswouldbecarvedonthewalls.Maya’swallwasbuiltandopenedin1982.

ManyofthepeoplewhocametovisitMayaLin’sVietnamVeteransMemorialleavelittlethingsinmemoryofthesetheyknewandlost.Sometimestheyleavealittlepieceofasoldier’suniform,likebootsorahelmet.Sometimestheyleavearmymedalsorfamilyphotographsorflowers.Othertimes,theyleavelittlenotes.Hereisoneofthenotesleftatthewall:

“JustwantedtoletyouknowIloveyou,brother.StilltalktoCathyandyourbabies.Theyhavegrownandareproudofyou…Ialwayswatchoverthemforyou.I’llseeyousoon.JustthoughtI’dletyouknoweverythingisokay.”

Eachnight,parkrangersfromtheNationalParkServicescollecttheobjectsleftonthewall.Theseobjectsarecatalogedandputintostorage.Theybecomeapartofthemuseumcollection.TheSmithsonianInstitutioninWashington,D.C.hasanexhibitforthepublictoviewmanyoftheseobjects.