The Vietnam War: A Learning Experience

 

Phote courtesy from: http://www1.shore.net/`vietnam/

 The Vietnam War started in 1950 during the Truman administration and lasted through the Nixon administration. The United Stated spent $140 billion on the war and 58,000 Americans were killed. For the first time in history, it felt as thought Americans had failed to achieve a goal they were sent out to do and that was to preserve a separate but independent, noncommunist government in South Vietnam. The communist leader, Ho Chi Minn was trying to prevent other countries from reestablishing its former mastery over Vietnam. A lot of the American leaders favored Vietnamese Independence. The U.S. continuously sent aid to France and during 1955 and 1961 nearly $1 billion in U.S. aid was sent. The war was fought to end the spread of communist nationally. A larger part of the war with Vietnam also raised the risk of a military clash with China. Because of the many conflicts, Americans slowly reduced U.S. involvement, but increased the bombing. In 1973, U.S. and North Vietnam signed the Paris Peace Agreement withdrawing all remaining U.S. troops from Vietnam. In 1975, North Vietnamese troops and tanks converged on Saigon and the war was over.
 It was the year1967. My cousin Hamp McDowell was only eighteen years old when he joined the army to help in the Vietnam War. Mr. McDowell was willing to tell about his experience of the war and how he felt about the whole situation. When asked how he felt about the war and did he know what he was getting himself into he clearly stated," I was young and dumb but I wanted to make a change somehow so I decided to help out, even though I knew nothing about what was going on or why. I still felt it was the right thing to do."

 

Photo taken by another soldier during before the war of Mr. Hamp McDowell.

 

Photo courtesy of: http://www1.shore.net/`vietnam/

 When the war first began he did not know whether he was going to die or what to do when he got hit or anything, but he stuck in there to the end. The only thing he was thinking during the war was how to stay alive and not to lose hope. He was in his early stage of life. He hadn't really had a chance to enjoy life as a teenager. "I was just a young child with a lot of questions." As the war was going on, he did not know why they were fighting or if they were fighting for a good cause. He has many injuries from the war. He lost sight of his left eye, head wounds, gun shot wounds to chest and arms, and scrap metal wounds from many different explosions.

 

Photo courtesy of: http://www1.shore.net/`vietnam/

 

Photo courtesy of: http://www1.shore. net/`vietnam/

  Now looking back and talking about the war, he understands why the war was fought. He clearly stated, "It was useless and a lot of lives were lost. We were treated horribly and were called baby killers." Mr. McDowell's perspectives have not changed. "I do not believe in voting but I do believe in defending my country for a good cause." Since the war he has matured a lot and it made him look at life differently, but it did change him. After the war was finally over, he went to drinking and doing drugs. It took him nearly twenty years to get his mind back together. His mother was very supportive of him and helped him through his problems. As the years went by, he stopped drinking and doing drugs and went on with his life, but the war was still fresh in his mind.index.html  

For further information about the Vietnam War click on some of the following sites:

Vietnam War vwiphome.html

The Vietnam War History

Vets with a Mission