1. An Enduring Impact on American Culture
VIETNAM
An Enduring Impact
on American Culture
Upper right photo: “Student protesters Marching Down Langdon St.” by uwdigitalcollections is licensed under CC BY 2.0

2. South Carolina Social Studies Standard 7-5: The student will demonstrate an understanding of international developments during the Cold War era.
Learning Objective: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the significant cultural changes that have taken place in America as a result of the “Vietnam Experience”.

3. US Involvement: 1950 – 1973
“The Vietnam War Communist Supply Line (Ho Chi Minh Trail) “ by manhhai is licensed under CC BY 2.0

4. Percentage who agreed with war
Month
Percentage who agreed with war
August 1965
61%
March 1966
59%
May 1966
49%
September 1966
48%
November 1966
51%
February 1967
52%
May 1967
50%
July 1967
October 1967
46%
December 1967
February 1968
42%
March 1968
41%
April 1968
40%
August 1968
35%
October 1968
37%
February 1969
39%
October 1969
32%
January 1970
33%
April 1970
34%
May 1970
36%
January 1971
31%
May 1971
28%

5. 8,744,000 GIs were on active duty during the war (Aug 5, 1964 - March 28, 1973).

6. 3,403,100 (Including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the Southeast Asia Theater (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, flight crews based in Thailand, and sailors in adjacent South China Sea waters).

7. VOLUNTEER OR DRAFTEE?

8. 25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees. (66% of U. S
25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees. (66% of U.S. armed forces members were drafted during WWII.

9. From 1948 until 1973, during both peacetime and periods of conflict, men were drafted to fill vacancies in the armed forces which could not be filled through voluntary means. The draft ended in 1973, and the U.S. converted to an all-volunteer military. The requirement to register with Selective Service was suspended in April It was resumed again in 1980 by President Carter in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Registration continues today as a hedge against underestimating the number of servicemen needed in a future crisis.

10. ROLE PLAY You have just received in the mail notification that you are to report for your physical in order to be classified by the Selective Service. Being drafted is now on your doorstep. What would you do?

11. STUDENT #1 You are 18. You will graduate from high school in a few days. You have been admitted to an Ivy League university for their fall semester. What are you going to do?

12. Student #2 You are 19. You dropped out of high school over a year ago
Student #2 You are 19. You dropped out of high school over a year ago. Last summer you had a job with a landscaping company, but you have been unemployed since then. What are you going to do?

13. Student #3 You are 22. You just received your diploma from a state university (BA degree in Psychology). You have no solid job offers that. What are you going to do?

14. Possible Options: a. enlist in the branch of service of their choice instead of waiting to be drafted in the army b. wait to be drafted in the army, yet hope your lottery number will be high enough so as not to be called c. try and get into the Reserves d. try and get a conscientious objector status e. try and get a medical deferment f. leave the United States and move to another country g. refuse to go, burn your draft card and suffer the consequences in the United States

15. Would you consider it to be “unAmerican” to refuse to participate in a war you thought to be immoral or unjust?
“Kent State University Massacre” by Cliff1066 licensed under CC BY 2.0

16. Would you consider it to be “unAmerican” to refuse to participate in a war in which the United States was deliberately attacked on their own soil?