Times of Change 2

Jack Smith by Ron Steinman
9 pages - complete by Wednesday May 23

What challenges does Jack Smith face as a soldier in Vietnam? (a bulleted list is fine)
he lost all of his friends in battle, he wasn't well-trained, he didn't have any combat experience, his officers didn't have any combat experience

How does Smith’s attitude toward war change?
at the beginning, he thought it would be an easy way to grow up, everyone joined the army to become a man, at the end, two words could me used to describe his attitude "War Stinks"


I Feel Like I’m Fixing To Die Rag by Joe McDonald
2 pages - complete by Wednesday May 23

This song by Country Joe and the Fish became one of the first protest songs of the Vietnam Era. Read the lyrics to the song, and then respond to the following:

What is the song asking the “big strong men to do”? fighting in the war

… the “generals” to do? going out and winning the war, killing commies

… “Wall Street” to do? supplying the army

… “mothers” to do? sending their sons to Vietnam

Write down four specific lines from the song that display sarcasm, cynicism, or anti-war sentiment.

"The only good commie is the one who's dead"

"Woopee! We're all gonna die!"

"Be the first one on the block to have your boy come home in a box."

"So put down your books and pick up a gun, we're gonna have a load of fun."