“War has a damaging effect on all those involved” Do you agree?
I agree with this statement whole heartedly, the text’ Dear America’ edited by Bernard Edelman, demonstrates the damaging effect of the war in depth. The compilation of letters writer by soldiers serving in Vietnam to family and friends home in America establishers the varying effects war has on the people involved. I will outline the significant cases.
War is both brutal and brutalising, its dehumanising influence can bee seen in the way which the Vietnamese are described as ‘gooks’ or ‘dinks’. Louis E. Willet reflects on a battle, after which ‘a lot of guys did asshole things and didn’t think anything of it at the time – then later on realised it’. After the battles is when they get the time to reflect, then feel a great sense of guilt for their actions, some of which will haunt and damage them for the rest of their lives.
The populations of both North and South Vietnam suffered greatly as a result of the war and may of the letter writers describe this suffering with sympathy. ‘Collateral Damage’ would be the correct term for this as many non-combatants died, were injured and many children orphaned as a result. The Americans presence was supposed to be helping the people of South Vietnam, while at the same tome the presence has damaged the country and its people. Bruce McInnes writes of children who ‘are orphans as a result of the assistance we have given to their country’.
Soldiers in Vietnam referred to the United States as ‘the world’, suggesting that Vietnam was an alien place. It was a frighteningly unfilmiliar country for Americans who served there. Many things such as the history culture and landscape had never been experienced by the Americans before. This made it even harder for the soldiers as it is very detrimental to their mental health, having to endure extreme loneliness and homesickness exacerbated by the foreign surrounds. This damages the soldier’s sense of wellbeing and the long to be in a comfortable place again. ‘I take your picture out quite often and just look at it’, writes Allen Paul ‘because it’s such a relief from this pitiful place to see such a beautiful being.’
The family and friends at home also have to be mentioned as the war has many detrimental effects on them as well. The family and friends of Vietnam soldiers and personnel back in the United Stated had a strain on them since day one of that person leaving; once he /she left they had to facet the harsh reality that they may never see their loved one again. They would lose sleep dreading the moment someone knocks on their door and tells them that your son/daughter, brother/sister has been killed. The only link they have with the soldier is by letter, so they could even go months years or even forever without seeing or speaking again.
The way Edelman has compiled the letters written by soldiers in Vietnam has given a strong understanding of the war and its damaging effects of those involved by also demonstrating that even the people who were meant to be assisted suffered the effects. This brings about the irony of the Vietnam War.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Student Practice Response
Practice SAC: War has a damaging effect on all those involved. Do you agree?
The Vietnam War has had damaging effects to all of the people involved with it; would they be American or Vietnamese soldiers or simply innocent civilians who know someone in the war fighting somewhere. These damaging effects are not only short term, but also long term effects that will affect them for the rest of their lives.
The people who were the most affected by the war were offcourse, the soldiers. Both American and Vietnamese troops have suffered physical, mental, and emotional scars. In ‘Dear America’, we have read the letters of the people who have been fighting at the front. Deaths and injuries were a constant topic in it. Friends who have died, people who gets themselves blown apart, or just a short paragraph describing how it feels like to be under heavy bombardment. These are all evidences of how damaging the war could be.
It has been described in the letter of how infantrymen have a great bonding with each other. An American soldier had said in his letter that the men over there were like brothers, because they all share the same experiences. Comradeship has been well established among the soldiers. To lose a friend during a mission is heartbreaking for any-one who knows that person. The anguish and despair can create a different attitude like hate, for example, and could change a man’s life.
Many of the soldiers who fought in Vietnam and came home alive have a physical scar obtained through fighting. A few of the possible physical damages are amputated hands or legs, scarred faces, shrapnel wound, etc. Continuing to live will be quite a challenge for many of these soldiers as jobs will be hard to find with their disabilities. These people will never be able to live like what they used to be.
Relationships were also broken because of the distance created by the war. 2Lt. Fred Downs for example has always written to his wife but it still wasn’t enough and the marriage gave up. Any man will be hurt emotionally by this outcome, and this was a usual situation for many American soldiers who came home after the war.
People back in America have also suffered damages from the war, though not as bad as the soldiers. The Americans were split into two opinions, on wether they should be fighting or not. A situation concerning a shootout at one of the colleges resulting to a number of deaths and more wounded. The cause was the war. This only shows us that the war also did influence the people back in their homeland.
War has damaging effects to all of the people involved in it. Soldiers at the front or civilians at the back, all of them have had experienced scars due to the war would it be physically, mentally or emotionally.
The Vietnam War has had damaging effects to all of the people involved with it; would they be American or Vietnamese soldiers or simply innocent civilians who know someone in the war fighting somewhere. These damaging effects are not only short term, but also long term effects that will affect them for the rest of their lives.
The people who were the most affected by the war were offcourse, the soldiers. Both American and Vietnamese troops have suffered physical, mental, and emotional scars. In ‘Dear America’, we have read the letters of the people who have been fighting at the front. Deaths and injuries were a constant topic in it. Friends who have died, people who gets themselves blown apart, or just a short paragraph describing how it feels like to be under heavy bombardment. These are all evidences of how damaging the war could be.
It has been described in the letter of how infantrymen have a great bonding with each other. An American soldier had said in his letter that the men over there were like brothers, because they all share the same experiences. Comradeship has been well established among the soldiers. To lose a friend during a mission is heartbreaking for any-one who knows that person. The anguish and despair can create a different attitude like hate, for example, and could change a man’s life.
Many of the soldiers who fought in Vietnam and came home alive have a physical scar obtained through fighting. A few of the possible physical damages are amputated hands or legs, scarred faces, shrapnel wound, etc. Continuing to live will be quite a challenge for many of these soldiers as jobs will be hard to find with their disabilities. These people will never be able to live like what they used to be.
Relationships were also broken because of the distance created by the war. 2Lt. Fred Downs for example has always written to his wife but it still wasn’t enough and the marriage gave up. Any man will be hurt emotionally by this outcome, and this was a usual situation for many American soldiers who came home after the war.
People back in America have also suffered damages from the war, though not as bad as the soldiers. The Americans were split into two opinions, on wether they should be fighting or not. A situation concerning a shootout at one of the colleges resulting to a number of deaths and more wounded. The cause was the war. This only shows us that the war also did influence the people back in their homeland.
War has damaging effects to all of the people involved in it. Soldiers at the front or civilians at the back, all of them have had experienced scars due to the war would it be physically, mentally or emotionally.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Student Practice Response
'War has a damaging effect on all those involved.' Do you agree?
In the text “Dear America”, edited by Bernard Edelman, he has put together hundreds of letters to and from home by the soldiers serving in Vietnam to their family and friends back at home in America. Throughout this text of letters it is shown that “the war has a damaging affect on all those involved.” It is seen that the war not only has a damaging affect on the American soldiers, but also the Vietnamese society and the friends and family of these soldiers serving in Vietnam and also the American society.
The letters home to America from these serving soldiers showed a great deal of “damaging affects” on their lives from the war. The letters show the devastation that the war has caused and show their loneliness and home sickness a great deal and their suffering of brotherhood when one is killed in action. These letters show a lot of courage and bravery through the way in which their soldiers handle their life experiences in Vietnam but the prejudice and discrimination between these soldiers and countries shows the damaging affect of those involved in the war and their need to write back to America out of concern for their loved ones back home. Allen Paul shows the damaging affect on his life from this quote saying “honey, I have never been so scared in all my life”, after he was involved in a full force attack by the Viet Cong.
This war also had a damaging affect on the soldiers loved ones back home in America. The suspense of not knowing whether or not your husband and the father of your children has been killed in action today or has survived. As you could just imagine the overwhelming of these soldiers partners and family when they receive a letter from their loved ones which shows they have survived another day or week in the war of Vietnam.
Both the Vietnamese and American societies also experienced the damaging affects of the war. As the war was held in Vietnam their country was invaded by these American soldiers and many Vietnamese soldiers were killed which also has a damaging affect on their familles and their society, and showed their increased amount of suffering. The American society also had a damaging and negative affects in the way in which they judged and treated the returning soldiers. As the American soldiers were not seen as hero’s they where not fairly treated on their return by the suffering of putdowns and criticism of their own society.
The overall damaging affect had an impact on the lives of all those involved in the Vietnam War. The devastation caused by the war was not justified by the reasons that the soldiers were there. The soldiers felt the need to write these letters out of concern for their loved ones and the way in which the soldiers handled and overcome their life changing experiences is now respected due to this text of letters edited by Bernard Edelman that showed the horrendous “damaging affects of all that were involved”.
In the text “Dear America”, edited by Bernard Edelman, he has put together hundreds of letters to and from home by the soldiers serving in Vietnam to their family and friends back at home in America. Throughout this text of letters it is shown that “the war has a damaging affect on all those involved.” It is seen that the war not only has a damaging affect on the American soldiers, but also the Vietnamese society and the friends and family of these soldiers serving in Vietnam and also the American society.
The letters home to America from these serving soldiers showed a great deal of “damaging affects” on their lives from the war. The letters show the devastation that the war has caused and show their loneliness and home sickness a great deal and their suffering of brotherhood when one is killed in action. These letters show a lot of courage and bravery through the way in which their soldiers handle their life experiences in Vietnam but the prejudice and discrimination between these soldiers and countries shows the damaging affect of those involved in the war and their need to write back to America out of concern for their loved ones back home. Allen Paul shows the damaging affect on his life from this quote saying “honey, I have never been so scared in all my life”, after he was involved in a full force attack by the Viet Cong.
This war also had a damaging affect on the soldiers loved ones back home in America. The suspense of not knowing whether or not your husband and the father of your children has been killed in action today or has survived. As you could just imagine the overwhelming of these soldiers partners and family when they receive a letter from their loved ones which shows they have survived another day or week in the war of Vietnam.
Both the Vietnamese and American societies also experienced the damaging affects of the war. As the war was held in Vietnam their country was invaded by these American soldiers and many Vietnamese soldiers were killed which also has a damaging affect on their familles and their society, and showed their increased amount of suffering. The American society also had a damaging and negative affects in the way in which they judged and treated the returning soldiers. As the American soldiers were not seen as hero’s they where not fairly treated on their return by the suffering of putdowns and criticism of their own society.
The overall damaging affect had an impact on the lives of all those involved in the Vietnam War. The devastation caused by the war was not justified by the reasons that the soldiers were there. The soldiers felt the need to write these letters out of concern for their loved ones and the way in which the soldiers handled and overcome their life changing experiences is now respected due to this text of letters edited by Bernard Edelman that showed the horrendous “damaging affects of all that were involved”.
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