The Way We Saw It VIETNAM -Our Longest War- Part 2 An illustration and art resource based on MindSparks, copyright 2001

This activity on the Vietnam War relies on photographs, editorial cartoons, and internet resources as a basis for your self-directed study. As you advance through the slides, be careful to read each of the descriptions for the photographs. At times you will be directed to print worksheets with questions to answer based on the information within this slide presentation. The completed worksheets will be due as instructed. At other times you will need to access specific websites to gather additional information; they are linked with the slides so you will not need to close this presentation. Be sure to ask if you have any questions. Unless directed otherwise, advance to the next slide by clicking on the mouse.

Lesson Four Lesson Four Click the black text box for the questions/worksheet for this lesson Print the worksheet Return to the slide presentation Lesson Four Lesson Four Click the black text box for the questions/worksheet for this lesson Print the worksheet Return to the slide presentation

By 1968, US officials had been speaking for two years about a “light at the end of the tunnel” in Vietnam. Victory was supposedly in sight. Then came the Tet Offensive. It was a military defeat for the Vietnamese communists, but it also forced millions of Americans to see the war was far from over. Mistrust of the government skyrocketed, and anger about the war polarized the nation. Anti-war protest scenes like these dominated news reporting.

Anti-war protest scenes like these dominated news reporting. Many sympathized with the police,seeing the protesters as longhaired agitators rebelling for the sake of rebelling. But others sympathized with the protesters, seeing them as draft-age young people exercising their rights in the face of strong-arm tactics by the police. Both sides had ample evidence to back up their views.

Millions of Americans were having doubts about the war, but few agreed with the small radical fringe so active in the anti-war movement. After 1968, the key radical student group, Students for a Democratic Society, adopted an increasingly Marxist rhetoric. Students at Columbia University and elsewhere took over administration buildings. At the University of Wisconsin, protestors blew one building up, killing a researcher.

Many radicals were not simply opposed to US involvement in the war; they openly favored a communist victory. A few even worked directly with North Vietnam against their own country’s forces. American actress Jane Fonda looks through the sight of an anti- aircraft gun while on a visit to North Vietnam. To many Americans, she seemed to be celebrating the capture or death of her own nation’s pilots. Click the photo to connect to a website for questions #2-5.

But radical protest was not the only form of protest. A growing number of well-known and well-respected figures in American life were voicing their displeasure with war. One of the most outspoken was the famous pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock, shown here in 1965 leading a march to the UN to demand a cease-fire in Vietnam.

Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 1968 on one issue—the the Vietnam War was morally wrong. He lost the nomination. However, his campaign gave a huge boost in credibility and legitimacy to the growing anti-war movement. Answer question number 6 on the worksheet.

As American involvement in Vietnam deepened, the US used a military draft system known as the Selective Service to meet its troop needs. Once a month, every draft board in the US received instructions from the federal government to select a set number of draftees for conscription (enlistment) in the armed services. The boards then contacted eligible draftees to arrange medical exams. Those who failed were classified “4-F”, which means ineligible for military service. Those who passed were assigned to the US army. The draft became one of the most intense issues of the war.

Many draftees used a variety of strategies to evade induction, many of which were legal. In fact, approximately 16 million men—about 60 percent of the total number of draft able men who became eligible during the war—avoided military service by legal means. Student Deferments. The most popular strategy for evading the draft was to enroll in college or university. Critics claimed it was unfair to men from working-class or poor backgrounds. Medical Exemptions. Failing the military exam would exempt a person from the draft. Guard or Reserve Duty. Part-time volunteer service in the National Guard or Army Reserves was popular, but competitive. Young men from wealthy or politically connected families were frequently able to make special arrangements for inclusion.

Were where they during Vietnam? Barack Obama – elementary & high school John Boehner - high school & college Harry Reid – attorney & state assembly

Conscientious Objectors. People who refused to fight in war because of their religious or moral beliefs. Leaving the Country. Many draftees avoided the draft by fleeing the country—particularly to Canada (which was neutral during the war).

Draft Resisters. Outright defiance against the draft and war by refusing to register for the draft or burning their draft cards. Enlistment. Since most of the draftees were assigned to the Army, many men enlisted in other branches where they could be more selective in their duty assignments.

End of Lesson 4 Turn in complete worksheet.