Thania Castillo
5th Block
Baskir M., Lawrence, Strauss A. William, “The Wounded Generation: The Twenty-Seven Million Men of Vietnam”. Lawrence M. Baskir was a federal judge for the United States Court of Federal Claims after being nominated by Bill Clinton. William Strauss was an American author, historian, playwright, theater director, and lecturer. Baskir and Strauss’ second book, Reconciliation after Vietnam, was said to have influenced Jimmy Carter to issue a blanket pardon to Vietnam draft resisters.
This essay focuses mainly on the “new generation”, or the generation after World War II, who weren’t prepared for the tragedy they were going to have to withstand. It covers the Vietnam War era, and it primarily keeps the subject on the generation who is being affected by the war. Specifically the young men of this time were the ones who were on the road to being drafted. Both authors in this essay are explaining and presenting how the United States, as a whole, felt about even being involved in the war and how the majority of the members of the young generation avoided being drafted. The parents of the “new generation” were the ones who had to deal with depression and war, they expected their kids to not have to go through none of that, but turns out they became the Vietnam generation. The new generation grew up knowing of the draft. There were many mixed feeling about being drafted, some hated the idea and others looked forward to doing service, but when the Vietnam War came about there was no escaping the draft. Even though a good amount of young men were needed in the fight, the draft sparked a “survival of the fittest” attitude towards all potential recruits. This generation didn’t look at fighting for their country as something to be proud of, but more of a misfortune. Going to Vietnam and risking your life made you a “sucker” and most of America grew resentment in the fact that they were involved in Vietnam. Doing whatever you could to avoid going to Vietnam was
