Vietnam: More Than Just Lives were Lost (1075 hits)
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Submitted by Thomas R. Sorrell - sorrelltr.at.hotmail.com (View user info) at 2007-07-26 13:06:37 EDT
I was recently asked by my 20th Century History Professor to interview someone about their experiences during either World War 2, Korea, or Vietnam. I chose Vietnam, and asked my mother about her experiences. The result was (is) the 2,000-plus words below. Too few of us ever sit down with our parents and ask them about their experiences before we were born, and that is a mistake that can't be undone once they're gone (obvious statement alert!). It's surprising how eager they might be to share their thoughts when you ask them. For instance, I took seven pages of notes from Mom, and I really only skimmed the surface of the topic. I could have gone into much greater detail in my line of questioning, but due to time constraints I was unable to do so. Still, it's an interesting topic, and I wanted to share it with everyone on here. Enjoy.
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In 1968, The Doors released a song entitled "Five to One." One of the notable lyrics in that song reads, "The old get old and the young get stronger. May take a week and it may take longer. They got the guns, but we got the numbers. Gonna win, yeah; We're takin' over." Though many people have debated the exact meaning of the song, the one thing that remains crystal clear is Jim Morrison's message. "It's either us or them, and we're not backing down." Morrison's lyrics reflect the culture change that arose in the late sixties. What had once been a nation unified against a common enemy had degenerated into a shattered mess of cynicism. The gap between generations widened, and the overall mistrust of government still experienced to this day began to take hold. It was not always this way, however. When President Lyndon Johnson ordered the bombing of North Vietnam in 1965, many citizens of the United States believed their country was doing the right thing. But when did the perception change? And more importantly, why did it change? What were the events that set in motion the anger and frustration felt by the masses about a conflict half-a-world away? In an effort to recreate the events which transpired to gain a better understanding of the situation, I spoke with Barbara Lyninger, my mother, about the events leading up to, during, and immediately following the war.
Barbara Lyninger was a fifteen year old high school student when Vietnam was thrust into public consciousness. "I had heard of Vietnam before, and I knew we had advisors over there, but it wasn't until I was about fifteen or sixteen that it became more than just a location on a globe," she said. "What really brought Vietnam to my attention were the pictures from the war correspondents." One picture, however, stood out more than the rest. "There was a picture in Life Magazine of a young American man with dark hair wearing green camouflage. The man was crawling to a buddy who had been shot. I used it in a poetry project for school with the poem 'I Have a Rendezvous with Death,' " she recalled.
But what about the rest of the country? What about her family? What did they think of the war? "At the beginning, people seemed to agree with it," she stated. "I know everyone in my family did. My brother Mark was in the navy during those early years, and he thought we were doing the right thing as well."
Mark Holweger was stationed on the aircraft carrier Bon Homme Richarde in 1968. During moments of downtime he frequently wrote letters to his family back in Ohio. These letters usually contained a few witty remarks or his feelings of frustration regarding the protests on college campuses ("They should all play in traffic."), but every so often he would speak of his job on the ship: plane captain. As a plane captain, he was responsible for a single plane in the squadron. It was his duty to ensure mission readiness of the aircraft, and he had grown somewhat close with his pilot as a result of the mutual respect for the other's work. After one flight, however, his plane did not return. It had been shot down over Vietnam, and Mark's letter home provided the first personal moment of the war for Mrs. Lyninger. "He wrote that the plane he was in charge of was shot down," she said. "That was when it became more personal for me. I actually knew of someone, albeit indirectly, who had died in the war. It was no longer just anonymous strangers on a distant battlefield, but someone I had read about in my brother's letters." She was eighteen years old at the time, and was about to begin her education at the Middletown, Ohio branch of Miami University.
On October 15, 1969, there was a protest scheduled in many locations across the country. This event was known as "The Moratorium," or "M-Day" for short. The goal of The Moratorium was "to show the Nixon Administration that large and growing numbers of Americans want out of the Viet Nam as fast as possible" (Time Magazine - October 17, 1969). Mrs. Lyninger, however, did not participate. "I thought they were wrong," she replied when asked why she decided not to protest. "At that point I still thought, 'We need to be there to help those poor, defenseless people. Communism (is) trying to take over.' "
Her beliefs would soon take a drastic hit. Because she attended a local branch of Miami University, Mrs. Lyninger attended class with many veterans who had returned from fighting and had enrolled in school. When she spoke with them, she was surprised at how many were against the war, yet she still sensed resentment amongst them for the students who participated in the protests without knowing what was really going on. After speaking with these veterans, however, she too began to rethink her initial impressions. Their stories, along with various news programs she watched had changed her mind about the people she had once believed needed help. She recalled, "The more I learned about Vietnam, the more I believed they were not defenseless people fighting communism, but opportunists who seemed to be playing both sides. I know that was not true about all of them, but it certainly seemed that way."
In early 1970, Mrs. Lyninger had moved into an apartment in Oxford, Ohio, and had begun taking classes at the main branch of Miami University. In April, events were set in motion that completed her overall change in perspective and impacted the beliefs of nearly everyone in the nation. On April 30, 1970, President Richard Nixon announced on national television that the United States was invading Cambodia (www.chnm.gmu.edu/hardhats/cambodia.html.). "It seemed like an escalation of the war for no apparent reason," she said. "Students just poured out of their apartments and met up on campus. There were speeches, chanting, yelling, and other things going on."
Miami University was not the only college campus that saw a protest following this announcement. The next day, students at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio held an anti-war protest. Events quickly got out of control, and the protest turned into a riot. The next day, the mayor of Kent declared a state of emergency, and requested that National Guard soldiers be dispatched to help restore order, which they did with canisters of tear gas. Tensions remained high throughout the city, and two days later, on May 4, 1970, emotions reached a boiling point. As the students returned to protest, the soldiers again fired tear gas at the demonstrators. Because of the wind direction, however the tear gas had little effect. In fact, it only seemed to add to the hostility and anger of the mob. Some of the protesters threw the canisters back, while others chose to throw rocks. Many more lobbed verbal insults at the soldiers. After several minutes of total chaos, twenty-nine of the soldiers opened fire on the crowd. As a result, four students lay dead, with nine more wounded (www.ohiohistorycentral.org). "It was unbelievable," Mrs. Lyninger stated. "We were used to protests and things happening in more liberal places like Berkley and Columbia, but Kent State in Ohio? It was like, 'This just has to stop. The whole country is being torn apart!' "
News of the Kent State incident quickly spread across the country. The fallout of the shootings caused more tension and unrest, and hundreds of colleges were shut down for several days as a result. Miami University was one of those schools. "They closed down college campuses throughout Ohio," Mrs. Lyninger said. "So I went back home and talked to my parents. I was surprised to find out they were now very much against the war. They were very patriotic Americans with one son in the navy and one a veteran, and their change of beliefs was shocking. If people like my mom and dad were going against it, then (I) knew it was no longer just an angry youth cause."
In 1972, George McGovern ran for President on the Democratic ballot. The main plank in his platform was peace, and Mrs. Lyninger was a firm supporter. She had never been particularly interested in politics and had never worked on a political campaign, but she felt so strongly in her beliefs about Vietnam she decided to donate her time to his. "I distributed flyers, bumper stickers and other information at different events and festivals," she said. "(McGovern) was going to get us out of the war, and (if that happened) guys my age would quit dying for something that wasn't worth dying for. At least in World War II the men died for a reason, but (Vietnam) ... was senseless." When it came time to cast their votes, Mrs. Lyninger, her parents, and many of her friends voted for McGovern. It was not enough, however, as McGovern "suffered a 60% - 38% defeat to Nixon — at the time, the second biggest landslide in American history, with Electoral College totals of 520 to 17" (www.wikipedia.com: George McGovern).
One year later in 1973, the United States withdrew from Vietnam for good. "I remember seeing scenes of the helicopters leaving with people trying to jump on thinking 'What a disgrace,' " Mrs. Lyninger commented. "We tucked tail and ran, but really what else could we have done? It served no purpose to continue, but what happens to those people when we leave?" In spring of the same year, she watched a news program showing P.O.W.'s returning home to their families. "I remember watching the families reunited and crying. What a waste of these guy's lives."
The situation in Vietnam, however, was much more than a military and political blunder. According to Mrs. Lyninger, it was an event that severely divided a nation and forever changed the way people perceived the world around them. "It seemed that for the first time, it became an 'Us vs. Them' world," she said. "Before that, like during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the height of the Cold War, the country seemed to be united. Vietnam just tore us apart." When asked to elaborate on the "Us vs. Them" comment, she replied, "This sounds hokey, but it was almost like the end of innocence. Old people seemed not to trust or like young people and vice versa. The whole 'Don't trust anyone over thirty' thing...I don't remember that before Vietnam. People became cynical. They no longer trusted the government or other people."
It's amazing how similar this situation is compared to the current political and global climate. At one point while interviewing Mrs. Lyninger, I stopped to ask her a simple question. "Do you ever just watch the news and think you've traveled back in time?" Her response was immediate, "Yes I do; all the time. What a senseless mess it is, and how are we going to get out of it?" Like Vietnam, we were led to war under false pretenses. As the generation before us, we went from being united against a common enemy to being split down the middle into two distinct factions: those for the war and those against it. Worst of all, there seems to be no end in sight, despite growing anti-war sentiments throughout the country. Luckily there has not been a repeat of the chaotic violence breaking out in protests...yet. One wonders, though, how much longer until the growing frustration at the policies of our leaders again drives us to such a response? Only time will tell.
User Reviews
Submitted by Val (user info) at 2008-04-23 20:00:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
could you like, do me a favor and... oh, i don't know. COME BACK HERE.
Submitted by iacobus (user info) at 2008-02-08 17:08:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2007-08-17 14:21:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2007-07-27 08:32:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Well then next time I'll make sure that instead of following instructions I'll go all out and interview people like Robert McNamara and others who were more active. Your approval is THAT important to me. Seriously.
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2007-07-27 02:43:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
a snapshot of time based on a 15 yr old non-participant and a navy semi-participant?
wow man!!! that's some deep research you got there
selecting only two people, both armed with chronological suitability as their only value,
leaves nothing that's worth my time to read
Submitted by Tom (user info) at 2007-07-26 23:45:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Damn Canadians.
Submitted by Director (user info) at 2007-07-26 22:15:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm surprised I haven't read this before now.
I was in a war once. I will never, ever, fight for any government, ever again, no matter what the consequences.
Submitted by i_can_get_you_a_toe (user info) at 2007-07-26 22:00:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Maddog (user info) at 2007-07-26 21:52:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Blatant Viet Nam linkwhore here:
http://www.ubersite.com/m/78475
Submitted by Judoka (user info) at 2007-07-26 19:44:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2007-07-26 16:36:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2007-07-26 15:36:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
all this debate would never exist if u guys weren't so fucking gung ho.
u got ur war...stfu pls
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Who took over Caul's computer? Acronyms? "Please"? This is not the pissed off Canadian I once knew.
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2007-07-26 15:36:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
all this debate would never exist if u guys weren't so fucking gung ho.
u got ur war...stfu pls
Submitted by no1hasdis (user info) at 2007-07-26 15:04:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
WTF? I'M NOT READING ALL THAT
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2007-07-26 14:18:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You should have titled it "The Doors' Lead Singer Hit My Mom In the Face With A Water Bottle".
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2007-07-26 14:08:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
It's like I said, I just skimmed over the surface. The point of it is the first hand statements of someone who lived through that era regarding a few of the key points.
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2007-07-26 13:50:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
You missed some glaring differences.
We were in Vietnam from the 50's on, it didn't hapopen over night. And the pictures that electrified vietnam era america could be seen nightly months after we went into Iraq. But if you are going to compare the two don't leave out Reeducation Camps which are probably pleasant compared to what would happen in Iraq.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2007-07-26 13:42:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
It's funny, the "Only time will tell" line isn't in the finished product that I turned in. Eh. Oh well.
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2007-07-26 13:42:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Now ask your mom about her experiences with me.
Yeah I said it.
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2007-07-26 13:40:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2007-07-26 13:37:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Hey...this isn't about sports, music or Shlongy.
So I lost interest.
Fast.
Submitted by Lucifer_Industries (user info) at 2007-07-26 13:30:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Wow I actually stopped reading halfway through the last paragraph, and missed the total cop-out line "Only time will tell." used in conclusion. That would have changed things a bit as that totally deflates your entire piece. Oh well.
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2007-07-26 13:23:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Yea, I know it's weak. I sat down and wrote that last night from 5:30 to 7:30, and by the time I got to the conclusion I was sick and tired of writing and just wanted to end it. It uh, it was due today, so I didn't really have time to go back and mess with it. I tend to procrastinate.
Submitted by ChaosJester (user info) at 2007-07-26 13:17:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Interesting read, even if I don't necassarily agree with it...
Still, you ended the essay really, really weakly.
FYI, don't ever, Ever, EVER end something with 'only time will tell'. It's like the literary version of French Warfare...
Submitted by Lucifer_Industries (user info) at 2007-07-26 13:16:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Excellent and interesting. If I didn't have to go wash my ass out in the shower, I'd probably have more to say. Nice writing.
Malone