Vietnam Draftees

A detailed Summary of Vietnam Draftees

The Vietnam War was the subject matter of many debates during the 1960's and the 1970's. War advocates and anti-war activists voiced their opinions all throughout the nation about our country's involvement in Vietnam. People from all walks of life spoke out about the war, from politicians to hippies, making it clear that everyone had their own view on the war, although, not everyone agreed with one another on the decisions and outcomes that were made for our country. Demonstrations and rallies were being held everywhere, from the White House to the streets, either supporting or protesting America's involvement in the Vietnam War. One of the main causes of debate came from the issue of drafting Americans into the war whether or not they chose to go into battle in Vietnam. People felt strongly about the issue because those who were drafted were forced to leave behind whatever future they had planned for themselves to fight for their country. Activists were against the idea since they felt that American involvement in Vietnam was inadequate in helping end the war and they felt the United States was involved for the wrong reasons. Others felt that it was our duty as Americans to serve in the wa

John F. Kerry, a Vietnam veteran turned U.S. senator, addressed a speech on April 22, 1971. The Testimony before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee was made on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) organization. Kerry mostly spoke about the Winter Soldier Investigation hearings that described to the public everything that the veterans had seen and participated in during the war, and a call for an end to the conflict. Throughout his speech, Kerry speaks about the many details that America should know about the war that the media has been withholding from the public. Kerry also lightly touches upon the subject of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew's reaction towards those who don't comply with the draft. Kerry quotes Agnew by saying that "some glamorize the criminal misfits of society while our best men die in Asian rice paddies to preserve the freedom which most of these misfits abuse" (892). Kerry goes on to say that "we in no way consider ourselves the best men in this country; because those he calls misfits were standing up for us in a way that nobody else in this country dared to" (892). Kerry believed that the men who decided to leave were the real heroes because they stuck up for veterans like himself and they were the ones who were smart enough to not comply with the draft and instead protest American involvement in Vietnam. He goes on to state, "[those] who have died would have returned to this country to join the misfits in their efforts to ask for an immediate withdrawal from South Vietnam" (892). Although it was patriotic for the veterans to participate in the war, they felt that the courage shown by the American youth illustrated real heroism.

Kerry, John F. "Testimony before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (April 22, 1971)." Negotiating Difference: Cultural Case Studies for Composition 1996: 890-897.

r. Regardless of what your attitudes were towards the war, many others felt the same way and shared an equal point of view, therefore, those who strongly followed their beliefs were the ones to speak out and educate others about their perspectives. Among those who voiced their opinions were such Americans as Tim O'Brien, an army

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Approximate Word count = 1482
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Category: History