Note to Veterans on Vietnam memorial

Dear veterans,

I'm sure the war was extremely tough for you, and coming back wasn't any vacation either. I want you to know that I have an enormous respect for you. You were brave and strong. You realized you shouldn't try everything in order to get out of the war. You were a great group of young men and women, and I wish you were alive today, and didn't have to fight in that horrible war.

-Tom Ulricson

what I'm looking forward to

IN this unit I'm looking forward to learning about the Vietnam and Korean wars.

Jack Smith by Ron Steinman
9 pages - complete by Wednesday May 23

What challenges does Jack Smith face as a soldier in Vietnam? (a bulleted list is fine)
-his friends died
-there were bad conditions
-doesn't know the meaning of the war
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How does Smith’s attitude toward war change?
At the beginning, he thought war was like a game, and didn't really realize what could happen to him if he fought. He was eager, but at the end he became more experienced and not as ignorant about war.


I Feel Like I’m Fixing To Die Rag by Joe McDonald
2 pages - complete by Wednesday May 23

This song by Country Joe and the Fish became one of the first protest songs of the Vietnam Era. Read the lyrics to the song, and then respond to the following:

What is the song asking the “big strong men to do”?
It's asking them to fight.
… the “generals” to do?
Stop the domino effect
… “Wall Street” to do?
Contribute to war effort
… “mothers” to do?
push their sons to join the militaryy
Write down four specific lines from the song that display sarcasm, cynicism, or anti-war sentiment.

We're gonna have a whole lot of fun
WHoopee! we're all gonna die!
To have your boy come home in a box.
the only good commy is the one who's dead

Times of Change for tuesday

A Dubious Crusade by James A. Warren
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22
Look up both words in the title of the short essay. What do they mean?Dubious: A doubtful or hesitant fight.Crusade: An agressive advancement for an idea, or cause.Relate the title to the reading. What is Warren saying? How do you think this will relate to the rest of our study if Vietnam?The title basically considers the Vietnam war to be America's hesitant fight for democracy. Warren is saying that Vietnam was the most contrversial even in American history. We will learn that there are two sides to the conflict.
History by Thuong Vuong-Riddick
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22
What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?His theme is that there is so much unneccessary conflict. The overall theme is war.
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution … by Goldberg
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22
What is the main thesis of the essay?That some people opposed the resolution at the start.What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?A US naval ship was attacked without provocation, and Johnson asked Congress if he could send troops to the area.What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?People like Fulbright speaking out against Johnson.How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?They both show how there can be opposition to America's choices

10 facts about Korean War

10 Facts about the Korean War that every American should know:

• Northern Half was communist, southern half was democratic, and north attacked
• Soviet Union ordered, aided, and controlled North Korea
• The UN's troops defended South Korea under MacArthur
• Chinese thought U.S would come after them next, and helped North Korea
• Truman took MacArthur's command because the General wanted to use atomic bombs.
• A truce was declared in 1953
• North Korea remained communist and hostile
• US troops stayed in Korea after war ended
• War didn't really end until 2 years after truce
• Korea divided up after WWII at 38th parallel

Martin Luther King Jr. Blog

Why does the author feel that whites owe King the greatest debt?
The author thinks that whites owe King the greatest debt because he freed them of a century old racial curse. He helped us begin to become more accepting of others, and better people.
Was King "the right man at the right time"?
King was a man who stood up for his beliefs, and was a great speaker. He did everything in his power to give the battle for civil rights a final push towards racial freedom.
Would King be upset with the current use of his most often quoted line? Why or why not?
I don't think King would be upset that people always quote the start to his "I Have a Dream" speech because it is used around the world for inspiration. Listening to that speech makes us better people.

Would you have been able to use civil disobedience and non-violence?

I think that I would be able to use civil disobedience and non-violence because I would have to. At times I would want to fight for desegregation, but I would try my best to do it peacefully. If someone came after me or stuck dogs on me, I would fight back. Before that, I wouldn't get mad, I would just use civil disobedience. I might get myself in jail, but when I get out, I would break the law again. If I were confronted, and people started to try to fight me, I would fight back without doubt. But most of the time, I could use civil disobedience, and non violence because it was very neccessary.