Times of Change- first three readings

A Dubious Crusade by James A. Warren
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22

Look up both words in the title of the short essay. What do they mean?
Dubious means uncertain, or doubtful. A crusade is any aggresive movement towards the destruction, defense, or advancement of an idea.
Relate the title to the reading. What is Warren saying? How do you think this will relate to the rest of our study if Vietnam?
Warren talks about how questionable the Vietnam war was, and how it helped nothing but communism. It relates to our study of Vietman, because it's important to realize that Vietnam was an undeclared war that we lost to the communist cause that The Truman Doctrine swore to contain and end.


History by Thuong Vuong-Riddick
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22

What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?
He/she is saying how incredibly unreasonalbe these circumstances are for the Vietnamese. They had been at war for centuries with countries helping them, then attacking them, then losing to them, and this cycle will repeat until the end of time.


The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution … by Goldberg
2 pages - complete by Tuesday May 22
What is the main thesis of the essay?
That the Vietnam war was controversial.
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
What president Johnson thought had to be done after U.S. ships were attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin.
What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?
He has no real evidence, only the thought that President Johnson lied about the Gulf of Tonkin, only to get troops sent into Vietnam to start the war.
How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?
It helps the controversy of the war, how it was started for no big important reason.

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)


How does Smith’s attitude toward war change?



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”?

… the “generals” to do?

… “Wall Street” to do?

… “mothers” to do?

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