Rolling Thunder Vietnam War

Words: 1303
Pages: 6
Open Document
The Vietnam War was without a doubt the most controversial war the United States had taken part in to that point in the nation’s relatively short history. By the time America had entered the war, the McCarthy-istic hatred of communism had begun its decline, and many Americans were left wondering why it was necessary to enter the war. The population of American soldiers fighting were also disproportionately lower-class, leading to an even more negative public view of the conflict. Finally, to stick the nail in the coffin, America ultimately ended up on the losing side of the war, leading to a unique dilemma: How can the nation properly memorialize a war that was lost? Although this question was incredibly contentious at the time, it can be argued …show more content…
Perhaps one of the largest forces of opposition to this slow change is Rolling Thunder, named after a 1965 bombing operation against North Vietnam. Even though Al Gore spoke of obtaining the “...truth about every single POW/MIA” at the Commemoration, there were still veterans that felt that the nation was unjustly neglecting those who had died or been imprisoned during the Vietnam War. As such, in 1988, over 2500 people rode their motorcycles to the Vietnam Wall to demand a full accounting of POWs and MIAs, an event that continues to this day. Rolling Thunder has also been successful in advocating for or co-authoring legislation relating to POWs/MIAs and veterans’ rights, such as the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, which prevents protests from occurring within a short distance from a cemetery without express permission from the cemetery superintendent or director. Like how change occurs over time, so too does the healing process. Many of the veterans and families who lived through the Vietnam War are still alive, and the memories of that time are still fresh in their minds. This was put on full display during the memorial’s 25th anniversary. Speakers acknowledged the initial controversy behind memorializing the Vietnam War, told stories of their experiences in the war as soldiers and nurses, and all thanked Scruggs for his efforts in creating the memorial. Many audience members became emotional as the speeches continued, and veterans said the ceremony deeply stirred
Show More

Related Documents: Rolling Thunder Vietnam War

Vietnam War Essay

The Vietnamese were controlled by France from 1859 until the defeat of France in World War II. The French had lost their power and Vietnam gained independence But, the French would not give up without a fight. They still wanted control over Vietnam. The only way they could do this was to fight for the land The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was fought between France and Vietnam. Dien Bien Phu was the name of the city that the battle was fought in; therefore, you get the name of the battle. The Vietnamese…

Words 1030 - Pages 5

President Johnson: A War Monger

that President Johnson was a totally war monger but he was one to a certain degree, but that was not the only thing he was. During his presidency, he did great things to the citizens. Sometimes his plans did not go as smoothly as he wanted. He did things what, he believed was the right things in the war in Vietnam. In that time period, citizen of the United States believe that he was a war monger. They protest against being in the war in another nation. But this war started way before Johnson became…

Words 550 - Pages 3

415 Week 4 Assignment

junior to senior ranks up to the President of the United States of America. There are several levels, but for this assignment were are only looking at six levels. While looking all the way up the chain of command from the Marine infantry man in Vietnam to the President of the United States. We are going to correlate the understanding of Rules Of Engagement (ROE) with the limited was ideology and it assumptions as seen through the perspective and experiences of the following six levels. These levels…

Words 2360 - Pages 10

What Was The Geneva Convention 1954

1954, which temporarily separated Vietnam on the 17 parallel, dissatisfied the Northern and Southern Vietnamese governments ( Gifford 9). Fearing the influence of the North, South Vietnam called on the U.S government for assistance. This conflict was seen as an opportunity for the U.S government to prevent a communist Southern Vietnam from becoming reality. In 1954, the United States starting supporting Ngo Dinh Diem, the new prime minster of Southern Vietnam, who feared the North and disagreed…

Words 329 - Pages 2

Vietnam War Research Paper

The Vietnam War The Vietnam War was one of the most traumatic events in American history. Many Americans still contemplate about the war in the 21st century, and Historians still debate about it. The Vietnam War was fought between communist Northern Vietnam and the government of Southern Vietnam. The North was supported by communist countries such as the Soviet Union. The South was supported by anti-communist countries, primarily the United States. The United States lost the Vietnam War. It lasted…

Words 344 - Pages 2

Essay about US Involvment Gradual Escalation Google Classroom

Information to help you work out how much the US were involved in Vietnam 1. 1950-52 US spend more than $50 million dollars on technical and economic assistance. They provide seed and fertiliser to try to increase agricultural production. They also introduce health programmes 2. 1952 US set up the MAAG to be sent to Vietnam to aid in the training of the Vietnamese National Army (VNA)– an army of Vietnamese people fighting for the French. They provide bombers, tanks and weapons for the VNA to use…

Words 1094 - Pages 5

Essay on Vietnam War

Failure in Vietnam The Vietnam War was one of the most controversial and bloodiest wars in United States history. This war was unique, because it was the first war that media outlets covered it to an extreme, bringing graphic images of the war to homes across the country. The question many historians will ask about this war is how could the U.S, the most powerful military in the world, lose despite winning every major battle? That is where this essay will go into how a defeat in Vietnam started all…

Words 1672 - Pages 7

Vietnam War Negatives

The Vietnam war was a very confusing situation because people didn't know what to believe. There were definitely both positive and negative aspects, however most were negative. The United States didn't want other nations to fall to communism due to the domino theory, but was it worth bombing and killing civilians or worth soldiers fighting for a cause and no being acknowledged for what they did. The worst part was that while all this was going on, the government wanted people to believe this was…

Words 630 - Pages 3

Vietnam War Impact

borders. War, justifiable or not, is one of the most defining reflections of human violence. It is a descent into chaos and destruction. Despite the consequences of war, almost every generation since the birth of the United States has been involved in a war, however, the American people have not supported all of these wars. With the outbreak of the Vietnam War in the 1960s, the antiwar movement exploded, exposing a deep division within society. Controversial government policy during the Vietnam war evoked…

Words 1869 - Pages 8

Vietnam War Research Paper

The Vietnam War causes started at the end of World War II. Vietnam is a strip of land on the eastern part of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Before the war Bao Dai was the emperor of Vietnam from 1926 to 1945. A French colony called Indochina which includes Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia had been controlled by the Japanese during World War II because in 1940 the French surrendered their control to Japan. Ho Chi Minh then created the League for the Independence of Vietnam, also called Viet…

Words 1058 - Pages 5