Vietnam Era

[commander 0]

Dear CA members,

I have a request for any member that was 18 or older during the time of the Vietnam War. For my history class I was assigned to collect at least 10 interviews with people who were 18+ during the war. I know for sure that there are members from that time period and I will respect your decision if you do not wish to share. All that is needed is to answer the questions posted below in a couple sentences each. Once finished you may post them in this topic or PM me. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

 

Name:___________________

Gender:___________

1) How old were you during the Vietnam War?

2) Where were you during the war?

3) How did the war affect your life?

4) How did you follow the progress of the war?

5) What is your most vivid memory of the war?

6) What was your attitude towards the war? did it change as the war went on?

7) Did you know anyone who served it the war? What did they say about it?

8) How did you feel when the US withdrew in 1973?

9) Why do you think that the US failed to win?

10)What conclusions and lessons were you able to draw from the war?

11)What are your feelings about the war today?

12)Was the US a Hero, Villain, or Fool?

13)Are there any similarities between Vietnam and Iraq and Afghanistan?

14)What was your best memory of the war?

 

Thank you and Much Appreciated,

Aaron Lieberman

"commander"

Edited March 12, 2009 by commander

[+Typhoid 231]

since the Vietnam War was over a decade - question #1 is somewhat vague, as is 2.

 

how soon do you need this?

Edited March 12, 2009 by Typhoid

[commander 0]

I need them by the end of march. we only got the assignment this week. Question 1: if you were 18 at any point during the war. Question 2: What were you doing (at school, job, training Nam)

[xrearl 27]

You want a email ? I would hate to let everyone know what a old man I'am

[commander 0]

Sure, send to aaron.lieb@yahoo.com

[xrearl 27]

Sure, send to aaron.lieb@yahoo.com

Your email address will not work!!!!!!!

[commander 0]

thats odd, is it typed correctly

[Guest ruhzyo]

thats odd, is it typed correctly

No dot's in yahoo. Perhaps you intended an underscore.

Edited March 14, 2009 by ruhzyo

[commander 0]

no its a dot, thats how its entered when i login. no one else seems to have any probs

[commander 0]

C'mon is anyone out there, please

[+Jug 99]

Dear CA members,

I have a request for any member that was 18 or older during the time of the Vietnam War. For my history class I was assigned to collect at least 10 interviews with people who were 18+ during the war. I know for sure that there are members from that time period and I will respect your decision if you do not wish to share. All that is needed is to answer the questions posted below in a couple sentences each. Once finished you may post them in this topic or PM me. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

 

Name:___________________

Gender:___________

1) How old were you during the Vietnam War?

2) Where were you during the war?

3) How did the war affect your life?

4) How did you follow the progress of the war?

5) What is your most vivid memory of the war?

6) What was your attitude towards the war? did it change as the war went on?

7) Did you know anyone who served it the war? What did they say about it?

8) How did you feel when the US withdrew in 1973?

9) Why do you think that the US failed to win?

10)What conclusions and lessons were you able to draw from the war?

11)What are your feelings about the war today?

12)Was the US a Hero, Villain, or Fool?

13)Are there any similarities between Vietnam and Iraq and Afghanistan?

14)What was your best memory of the war?

 

Thank you and Much Appreciated,

Aaron Lieberman

"commander"

I was 18 Plus during that era:

 

Name:Tim Lyle

Gender:Male

1) How old were you during the Vietnam War? in 1965 I was 18

2) Where were you during the war? 65-70 in college. 70-71 in USAF pilot training. 71-72 Instructor Pilot T-37B

3) How did the war affect your life? No options coming out of college. Draft number was 2. I had already joined the AFROTC unit and was headed into the military anyway. There was a war on, how could I not join up and get in a few licks.

4) How did you follow the progress of the war? It was all over the news. I never understood the protests and protesters. Always considered them a bunch of cowards and wondered how they would explain to their children that their country was at war and they 'chose' not to participate.

5) What is your most vivid memory of the war? Being spit upon by a hippie in downtown Columbus, Mississippi, in my dress blues. I was so stunned I didn't do a thing which is in and of itself amazing because six months earlier I was playing football at Auburn and would have kicked his young ass in a most physical manner. Of course by then I was an officer and gentleman and conducted myself, for the most part, like one.

6) What was your attitude towards the war? did it change as the war went on? I suppose I was one of the naive ones who believed that we could win. As the war dragged on, that expectation dwindled and dissappeared. I think the biggest casualty of the war was the relationship betwen the American public and the military. It had always been close, but the politicians were not willing to take credit for their actions, so they just let the military be the scapegoat. At the time it was popular, but most people of that era nowdays recognize and place the credit where it should rest.

7) Did you know anyone who served it the war? What did they say about it? Mostly my service mates and they, pretty much, felt the same way that I did. They felt like the country who had sent them off to war had deserted them when all they did was volunteer to sacrifice their life for that country. Not exactly the payback they deserved.

8) How did you feel when the US withdrew in 1973? Glad and sad. We left so many behind. Better that there wouldn't be any more.

9) Why do you think that the US failed to win? The US never lost a fight in the Vietnam war. The politicians felt they could be better soldiers that the professionals and they dicked it up. Overall, we just got tired of a hopeless war, declared victory, pulled up the stakes, and came home. The other side and some of our own side have claimed victory, but the victory didn't have anything to do with the fighting.

10)What conclusions and lessons were you able to draw from the war? Probably the same as everyone else. Civil war is civil war and not necessarily communist aggression. There are some places, quite a few actually, where vast superiority in war-makeing is not enough. Politicians have to have as much backbone as the soldiers they send out to fight or you won't win anything. Senior Bush told the military when to start and when to stop in Desert Storm and limited his participation to keeping him informed (unlike Johnson). Junior Bush, pretty much did the same thing in Iraqi freedom, but who expected a 21 day war. He was not ready for what is called peace in that region. In both cases, the Commander-in-Chief let the highly trained professionals do what they do. Something that the leadership in the Vietnam era would not do.

11)What are your feelings about the war today? Sadness. A lot of good young men died for their country. Those who returned faced a hostile public. They must be feeling the pride in our country's treatment of our returning Iraqi and Afganistan veterans. A lingering longing for the same treatment they didn't get, but pride in the fact that it is now recognized that their treatment was just wrong.

12)Was the US a Hero, Villain, or Fool? No comment.

13)Are there any similarities between Vietnam and Iraq and Afghanistan? We have finally realized that committment to the use of arms is not a rheostat that you gradually increase hoping the change the hearts and minds of the enemy. It is pure hell and you unleash the tiger in all its fury or you keep it in the cage. Any other way is doomed to failure.

14)What was your best memory of the war? The dignity of those who returned to a thankless public and still maintained their professional attitude, no matter how bad it hurt.

Edited March 23, 2009 by Jug

[commander 0]

Thank you so much