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Discovering The Vietnam WarKnowing Those ImpactedWhats Important?Statements

Table of ContentsDiscovering The Vietnam War 2Knowing Those Impacted 3Whats Important? 5Statements 6References 7

Discovering the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War may have seemed like a small battle to some but it effected many lives, some among those that I call family. In this overview, we will go over some important events that happened during the war.The War could be said to have started in the year 1969. Richard Nixon had become the new President of United States and he sought to make compromises and help those he felt needed it.North Vietnam and South Vietnam were in a civil war with each other and the Americans took the side of the South. South Vietnam was continually attacked with the stronger military that North Vietnam had including the aid from the Viet Congs. U.S. Marines were killed in Viet Congs process to attack those in South Vietnam. This is when Nixon was determined to help out the South and threatened North Vietnam.It had seemed like the war was getting bigger even though it wasnt U.S.s war but before the year nearly passed over thirty thousand Americans had been killed. The next months were spent with President Nixon fighting to compromise with leaders in North Vietnam asking them to pull out of South Vietnam only to be stone walled.During this time, Nixon had been caught making secret threats and demands to Vietnam although he had advertised his use of peace to Americans.In the next year, students all over the country were protesting against U.S.s involvement in the war. During this time, American students were shot and killed while protesting leading to over 400 colleges shutting down (The History Place 1999).By the year 1973, the Paris Peace Agreement was further looked at. President Nixon had told the Thieu-Ky regime to sign the Peace Agreement in order to receive any further aid. This lead to a finalization of the Paris Peace agreement but didnt lead to an end to the war. (Brigham 1999)The next year, President Nixon is in the process of being impeached because of the Watergate scandal in which his resignation follows. Now President Gerald Ford takes on the role in trying to stop the war. South Vietnam is still slowly being overridden and in the last year of the war, United States pulls out all their troops and Saigon is surrendered unto the Viet Cong ending U.S. involvement completely on April 30, 175. (The History Place 1999).

Knowing Those ImpactedAfter finding out more information about the war, I sought to see the views of others that were actually involved and present during the time. One person was my very own mother, Nancy. Nancy is currently 61 years old and residing in Southern California. She lives with her husband and two out of four of her children. She has three sons and one daughter. Her extended family are all in Vietnam. She has three sisters and four brothers. Of her siblings, only two are still alive to this day. Her parents have also passed.Nancy was only 16 when the war had started. She wasnt well aware of anything that was really happening but she knew her father wasnt with her. It wasnt that he died, but he had left to fight the war. This was a huge impact on her life because she had seen how distraught her mother was and only 3 years after she had experienced the same thing with her partner. Both her father and partner were stuck in North Vietnam with little chance to cross back into South Vietnam without being harmed. She had felt her father abandoned her to participate in a war that they didnt want happening. When her partner decided to also leave, she continually felt betrayed. It had seemed like everyone that was supposed to mean something to her left.Day after day she saw the struggle in her mothers eyes. Her mother tried very hard to care for their family while caring for others. They had what was considered a lot of money in their town. Her mother, my grandmother, would use her own money to buy food and help supply different families with essential needs. This had taught my mother many values she still holds today.The luxury of having delicious food was hardly existent. Nancy had described a normal meal as being 95% rice and a small portion of meat or fish. Perhaps the portion was even smaller at times or they had to substitute meat with vegetables. They flavored their food with large amounts of salt so it had seemed like they werent just eating plain steamed rice. One bite of meat was supposed to be enough for a whole bowl of rice. Vendors on the streets were still existent, just because a war was going on in their own home, people didnt stop living their lives because their life before already was a struggle. Nancy had felt like because of the war too, they had little chance to advance in the world like America. Their sewage system was terrible and unless you were rich, you had to bathe outside. At times, many of the neighboring kids would just bathe together playing naked on the streets. This was normal. Even families with bathrooms bathe outside because of how natural it was.Nancy said they had bathrooms in their own homes but it was often looked upon as weird to bathe at home. School wasnt the same and during this time there wasnt really time for it at all. Eventually when the war ended, her father was able to return home but things werent the same. She had felt tension with her father in resentment that he left her mother although her mother had forgiven him. Throughout Nancys time with him, she spent it ignoring him and pretending like he didnt exist while he tried very hard to cherish and spoil her.Her relationship with her partner had ended and she started a new relationship with the person who is my father today. Only shortly after their relationship, my mother had escaped Vietnam with my father and part of his family to America. The trip wasnt easy because Vietnam had no real resources to travel all the way to America. Their technology was far behind and you had to resort to broken down boats that crammed people on. Many of the captains felt a huge priority in doing this to make enough money for their family that they couldnt during the war. This lead many citizens to be cheated on their trips of their natural rights.The reason for this was because captains tried to fit so many on their boats in trade for money that they hardly ever had enough supply for passengers for the whole trip. The food was rationed to their own families or themselves while people died on the boats and were tossed off.The story of my mothers trip to America was dangerous. She couldnt live in a country that was so broken down and in a city that felt like a prison to their own people. During her ride, the boat had broken down twice in the middle of nowhere. It had seemed like she was going to die but luckily they were not far from Malaysia where the country took in their boat, provided them with more food and helped fix the boat. It seemed like they didnt go that far but due to their bad luck, they received good luck. Days after, Nancy had arrived into America with her first newborn son. She lived in Hawaii for a year where she got pregnant again and had her second son in California. It seemed like her life was beginning to turn around but it hadnt. Because she had to run away from Vietnam, she had lost any physical contact with her family there and it was hard having the money to call them. Any extra money she had, she had sent over to help her family.As the years passed, she had to deal with different members of her family passing without having the ability to go and mourn at their funerals. Two among which were the most important people in her life, her mother and her father. After her fathers passing, she had regretted how she had treated him and understood he was a prisoner of war and had wholesomely loved her mother.Nancys life would never be the same. She had left her old to start a new but it had seemed like she had no choice in the matter.

Whats Important?

Why is it so important to know all of this? Why is it so important to know how its impacted peoples lives? It seems that people have forgotten the large impact a war can have someone. Many of these historical events are all but history in classrooms today but the effects are continually throughout ones lifespan.It was just last year this year that Nancy had lost another brother. He died of cancer but she had no ability to travel back home for his funeral. Her government doesnt welcome her nor is it easy to have the money to travel last minute. Shell always remember how she couldnt go home to see her mom one last time. She will always remember how she treated her father, feeling like he had a choice in war. She will always remember how she couldnt see her brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, because a war took her from her home.The life choices that were made for her effect her even 45 years later. She is happy with her four children, but will always feel like they will never fully understand her past. It had seemed shed been telling her story for 45 years but she still hasnt told it all with that time.I think its important for us to remember that history isnt just history. We need to remember that those around us could be victims of the past and even present. Today, we are in another war yet everyone goes about his or her day as if nothing is happening. There are those around us that are losing different family members to another war. It may seem like we have no power to make a difference, but one person may suddenly become two, then 10, then 100 and eventually millions. While we idle sit by, children are being born into a life where at 50, they will still be effected by what their peers will consider history. Its time to make a stand and fight against a future we dont want.

Statements

After my interview with my mother, I gave brief information about the Vietnam war as well as her life to different people I met around my school and work and here are a few statements they have.

I didnt realize what an impact this had on so many people. To think that this was apart of one of my roommates family everyday life even til today when it had happened so long ago, it makes you think. Melissa, Age 21

I kind of understand and relate to this on a whole other level. My grandparents were victims of war and although my parents were never directly affected, you see their worries. Thomas, Age 24

I dont know how I feel about this. I think people should put things in the past. Its all about healing and not letting something control your life and thats what I think. Emiko, Age 24

I think Nancy was a brave woman. It may not seem like she had a big part of the war but I admire her for all she went through. I couldnt imagine being forced to lose my family even if it was to have a better life for myself. She gave up a lot to be where she is and she should feel strong for that. Sarah, Age 20Its kind of crazy. I cant grasp my mind around it and it makes me think about my own family. I wonder if my grandma has certain resentments. You think people are ok but they never really are. Oscar, Age 19

Im a big advocator for stopping war. I dont think theres any reason for it at all and the very fact that we are in one now is outrageous. Especially with all news of lies that were hidden from us years ago. How do people still support having their families thrown into a cause built on lies? Jeffrey, Age 22

Its sad how we support war based on propaganda and the media. If theres one thing I wish we could do, is not be swayed by a mob and judgmental of those who oppose war. Sam, Age 21

References

Brigham, R. (1999, January 1). Battlefield Vietnam: A Brief History. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/history/

Nancy Le (personal communication, December 5th, 2014)

The History Place - Vietnam War 1969-1975. (1999). Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/index-1969.html