The Sixties: The Revolution of a Generation
The Sixties: The Revolution of a Generation
Back then you could see the fear in young men’s eyes and how they were overjoyed to return to their homes and to their friends and family. This was a very important time in American history also known as the 1960’s that can vary depending on the topic. There are moments from both Martin Luther King and resident Kennedy’s assassination, to African Americans pushing further for equality with riots and fights with police. Among other things but one of the most important is without a doubt the America’s involvement I the Vietnam War. Back the at the beginning it seemed to have gained traction but turned to be just a waste of time defending a nation that didn’t even want Americans involved in the first place. We sent thousands of troops overseas because we were simply afraid of communism spreading and eventually leading to the shores of the United States. There was nothing to fear and no reason to send so many of our young brave men to die for no just cause.
The Vietnam War was considered one of the most senseless wars in the history of the United States. We were in the middle of it say in the 1962- 1967 or so when people began to protest about ending the war and bringing the troops home. Research shows that about 20,000 casualties were reported in Vietnam involving American troops so far. Mainly college students started protesting about it how there simply sending them over to die when they should have pulled out long ago. Riots break out in nearby college communities and cities across the United States demanding that they bring them home. Also that others were sending letters to the president asking for them to return their troops home or at least explain to them why they ae still fighting in Vietnam.
I have actually read those letters sent to him from nearly half a century ago and they are pretty interesting because they tell him that they want their kids back for various reasons that vary from simply being out of danger to outrageous ones like keeping some shunned from the rest of the world. There was something even more shocking however and that’s the governments reasons they sent back to the families of those troops. For example, one letter from Ms. Nelson in San Diego, CA asks why her son was deployed into Laos in Vietnam. Former post Commander John R. Betts make mentions of how some of those responses included “protection of vehicles” and “suspicious vicinity activity” and others mentioned in letters sent to parents including Ms. Nelson’s. Parents who received these letters acted in outrage and some of them even joined protests taking place both on the streets and on campus to voice out their opinions to Congress and the president.
Everyone knew that by this point that we couldn’t win the war no matter how many troops we sent there. Then the President finally chose to remove all the American troops back home a couple of years later in 1975. Though it took them so long to finally remove all our troops we will never forget those great moments of American history. People demanding that there soldiers be returned even though it was either violent or non-violent. College students being beaten down by police for wanting their friends to return to finish their education and have a normal life. From either becoming great men or starting families with the ones they love. The Vietnam War is one of the most infamous in U.S. history that should never be repeated again without a just cause. Hopefully that day will never come to pass but until then never forget the event that happened during this era of change.
