Vietnam
Preparation for the Viet Nam session on December 15, 2017
Viet Nam: Past and Present
Almost everyone over the age of 60 has a Viet Nam story. Some went to war there. Others served in the armed forces during the war, but not in Viet Nam. Most stayed out of uniform but found their lives shaped and deeply affected by the war, some as vocal opponents of it. For so many who came of age while the war raged, Viet Nam was one of the great navigational hazards in their lives.
And so it has been for the United States. We hear much talk, even now, about the “lessons of Viet Nam.” But what are those lessons? How has the legacy of Viet Nam shaped the American role in the world and the American response to events? How did the war, and the deep opposition it caused, affect our public life and our politics?
And what of Viet Nam itself? What has become of this country in Southeast Asia where nearly 60,000 Americans and more than 2 million Vietnamese lost their lives in a decade of war? What is the legacy of that war for the 95 million people who currently inhabit Viet Nam?
That war did not simply go away when it ended; it has had lingering effects on many of us. What are those lingering effects? As you look back over your life, how was it touched by the war in Viet Nam and the national upheaval that accompanied it?
There is much to discuss. All are welcome. Everyone has a story. It’s time to reflect.
Here are some short readings you might find helpful in preparation.
Those who want to dig deeper might find these books of interest.
Almost everyone over the age of 60 has a Viet Nam story. Some went to war there. Others served in the armed forces during the war, but not in Viet Nam. Most stayed out of uniform but found their lives shaped and deeply affected by the war, some as vocal opponents of it. For so many who came of age while the war raged, Viet Nam was one of the great navigational hazards in their lives.
And so it has been for the United States. We hear much talk, even now, about the “lessons of Viet Nam.” But what are those lessons? How has the legacy of Viet Nam shaped the American role in the world and the American response to events? How did the war, and the deep opposition it caused, affect our public life and our politics?
And what of Viet Nam itself? What has become of this country in Southeast Asia where nearly 60,000 Americans and more than 2 million Vietnamese lost their lives in a decade of war? What is the legacy of that war for the 95 million people who currently inhabit Viet Nam?
That war did not simply go away when it ended; it has had lingering effects on many of us. What are those lingering effects? As you look back over your life, how was it touched by the war in Viet Nam and the national upheaval that accompanied it?
There is much to discuss. All are welcome. Everyone has a story. It’s time to reflect.
Here are some short readings you might find helpful in preparation.
- "Vietnam: The War That Killed Trust" by Karl Marlantes in "The New York Times," Jan 7, 2017
- "Vietnam War" on "Wikipedia"
- "Reflections on the Vietnam War" Council on Foreign Relations panel discussion on April 27, 2015
- "Draft Classifications during the Vietnam War" on "Called to Serve Vietnam"
- "Remembering Curt Chase" from the "50th Reunion Yearbook of the Bowdoin Class of 1965" via the "Hingham High School Class of 1961" website
Those who want to dig deeper might find these books of interest.
- Stanley Karnow, Vietnam: A History (Penguin, 1997)
- G. Calvin Mackenzie and Robert Weisbrot, The Liberal Hour: Washington and the Politics of Change in the 1960s (Penguin, 2008)
- Karl Marlantes, Matterhorn (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2010)
- Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam (Vintage, 2009)
- Harry G. Summers, On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War (Presidio Press, 2009)
- Đặng Thùy Trâm, Last Night I Dreamed of Peace: The Diary of Đặng Thùy Trâm (Broadway Books, 2007)
- James Wright, Enduring Vietnam: An American Generation and its War (Thomas Dunne, 2017)
~ G. Calvin Mackenzie
November 17, 2017
November 17, 2017
General Information:
- "Vietnam" in the CIA's "World Factbook"
- "Vietnam country profile" on "BBC News," Oct 30, 2017
- "Vietnam" on "Wikipedia"
Articles:
- "Vietnam, in a Bind, Tries to Chart a Path Between U.S. and China" by Hannah Beech in "The New York Times," Nov 11, 2017
Maps:
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