The Vietnam War Essays - Vietnam War, Tet Offensive, South Vietnam

The Vietnam War Essays - Vietnam War, Tet Offensive, South Vietnam The Vietnam War The United States made the right decision in joining the war efforts of the South Vietnamese. The only mistake was that the U.S. should have done everything in its power to win the war as quickly as possible. The U.S. was obligated by the Truman Doctrine to contain communism. Truly the best way to contain it would be to defeat it. This war was a person changing experience. With all the horrible pain and gore the soldiers had to see and endure, they could never be the people they once were. Supporters and protesters back in the U.S. were causing chaos. The Doves and the Hawks, the Doves against the war and the Hawks supporting the war, divided a country. In the face of death, the brave men of the military of the United States fought on to make the world a little better for everyone. The United States had a clear advantage. Their military, weaponry, and combat skills were superior. If not for the North Vietnamese knowledge of the terrain and guerrilla tactics, the war would have possibly been a short one. However, the U.S. government only sent what they felt to be adequate manpower to contain communism, not to defeat it. They wanted to keep the loss of lives down, and keep the Doves as happy as possible. If only they had sent a massive force into enemy territory, they could have bombed the North Vietnamese thoroughly and invaded their country with extreme force. This would have the potential to end the war more quickly and save American lives, and the success of the victory. The Truman Doctrine was first set forth by United States President Harry S. Truman in 1947. The immediate objective of the policy was to send U.S. aid to anti-Communist forces in Greece and Turkey, but it was later expanded to justify support for any nation that the United States government believed was threatened by Communism during the Cold War period, in this case, the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War took its toll on the American soldiers. When they returned home, they were different people. They didn?t look the same, they didn?t act the same, they weren?t the same. Some could not hold on to their sanity in light of what they had seen and been through. In order to take the soldiers minds off the horrors all around them the U.S. command brought in boatloads of toys for the men to play with, everything from go-carts to violins. There was surfing, sailing, and miniature golfing. Almost everyone got a chance to spend a day or two at the beach pretending that he wasn?t in Vietnam. Large bases had Olympic size swimming pools and air-conditioned libraries, softball fields, and basketball courts. Even the toughest of bases had a net and a volleyball.1 The men also tried their best to keep their minds off the war. A soldier could requisition from Special Services enough musical instruments to form a band or maybe the army band would entertain. If they were too far out in the boonies, with a little ingenuity and a few raw materials a man could rig up a washtub bass and make his own music. In the earlier days of the war, U.S. military personnel on leave in Saigon could put on civilian clothes and play tourist. Even after the 1968 Tet 1 Combat Photographer p. 61 attacks it was possible to enjoy sightseeing, shopping, and carousing in Saigon, but the city was a much more tense place. In the early day it was also fairly common for American serviceman to live in civilian housing, often with a Vietnamese girlfriend. After the Tet Offensive, (the attack on Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, and some provincial capitals by Communist troops on January 30, 1968.) this was largely prohibited, but some servicemen managed to continue the arrangement with the tacit approval of their superiors. Near the big Tan Son Nhut air base there was a street known as ?Soul Alley? where a number of black soldiers lived with Vietnamese women and commuted to their jobs on the base. The war was taking so long because the U.S. was only trying to contain the enemy, the soldiers needed something to improve moral. One of the major American imports to Vietnam was the visiting celebrity. The stars would be fitted with jungle fatigues, briefed by the brass, and flown all around the country to visit firebases and hospitals where they would shake hands, sign autographs, and pose