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Historical Background

In 1954 North Vietnam defeated the French colo-nial administration and set out to unify Vietnam under a single communist regime. The North Viet-namese, and their southern allies called the Viet Cong, modeled their new regime largely after that of the Soviet Union. South Vietnam, with the help of the United States, fought to prevent the imple-mentation and spread of communism in Southeast Asia.

The United States occupied Vietnam in small num-bers starting in the 1950s. President John F. Ken-nedy continued to support Eisenhower’s “domino theory” and increased America’s involvement in South Vietnam. However, the U.S. did not send combat troops into Vietnam until 1965. The con-flict in Vietnam aroused fears surrounding com-munism that manifested during the Cold War. Vi-etnam represented a strategic battle against the spread of communism for the United States.

America’s involvement in the Vietnam War proved to be controversial and the outcome of the War is still a topic of debate today. The draft and civil rights issues during the 1960s caused Ameri-can citizens to question the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Many believed that America needed to shift its focus on the social injustices at home. Propaganda and public demonstrations became a tool to both support and protest the war effort.

By the time America pulled out of the war effort in 1973, over 3 million people died and South Vi-etnam found themselves deserted and weak. North Vietnam succeeded in creating a communist re-gime less than two years after the end of the Vi-etnam War. With the exception of Cambodia and Loas, communism failed to spread throughout Southeast Asia as America feared.

Suggestions for Teachers

Before starting the lesson on the Vietnam War, provide students with a visual representation of the location of North and South Vietnam.

Using the primary sources in the following pages, define key figures and events of the Vietnam War. Prompt students to connect the events and contro-versies surrounding communism and the war effort with the rhetoric and events of the Cold War.

Using these primary sources, students will gain in-sight into both the American and Vietnamese pro-spective of the war and communism.

The last page of primary sources can be used to de-bate the effectiveness of America’s occupation in Vietnam as well as the results of the Vietnam War on a global scale.

Teaching with Primary Sources — MTSU

PRIMARY SOURCE SET: VIETNAM WAR

Vietnam [2001]

Additional Links

Political cartoons depicting controversies of the Vietnam War

Stories from Vietnam Veterans

Airmen in the Vietnam War

Oral interviews with Vietnam Veterans

The Vietnam War: One Veteran’s Experience

PBS Battlefield: Vietnam

Songs about the Vietnam War:

DaNang Lullaby & Jolly Green

Library of Congress:

New York Times article on Vietnamization

NORTH AND SOUTH VIETNAM

Vietnam: A Country Study [1943] Students can browse Vietnam: A Country Study for images like the ones above. Images within this work depict life in Vietnam before and after the War. Students can gain insight into Vietnam’s struggle for independence from France and their relationship with the United States. The book also contains infor-mational text that covers the Tet Offensive, Nixon and Vietnamization, the bombing of Cambodia, and the legacy of the Vietnam War.

Vietnam demarcation line and de-militarized zone. [1957]

War Experience

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Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson standing among group of Vietnamese soldiers and Ameri-cans during a visit to Saigon, South Vietnam [1962]

B Battery, 7/11 Artillery, 105 mm howitzers fire mission, FSB Maury [1968]

Larry Schwab was drafted while interning as a medical student. Click here to read about his struggle to participate in a war he did not fully support while also saving the lives of his fellow soldiers.

13 TFS Panther Pack, Marion Anthony Mar-shall located front right with panther [?] Marion Anthony Marshall was a navigation pilot and POW during the Vietnam War. Click here for insight into his experience as an African American in the military.

Poem: "What? Why?" [?] This poem was written by Nurse Captain, Rhona Marie Knox Prescott, during the Vietnam War. Have students discuss what this letter can tell us about some veterans’ experiences during the war. How might being a nurse in Vietnam influence your attitude towards the war? How might her gender and status during the war effect her outlook?

War Experience

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Diary of William M. Barner, ca. [1966-1967] Students can navigate their way through William M. Barner’s emotions and reactions to the Vietnam War and his struggle to cope with life back home.

"Silent Night" Christmas menu and pamphlet [?]

Memoir: “We Regret to Inform You” [1966] The following memoir was written by Lieutenant Commander Larry Michael Jordan’s wife regarding the day she found out about her hus-band’s death in Vietnam.

Soldier sketching [1961-1975] Carl Fordahl was an illustrator and combat artist during the war. Students can browse some of Fordahl’s sketches here. Have students use the images for creative writing prompts or primary source analysis. How does the imagery in the sketches change over time? What information can we gather from Fordahl’s sketches regarding his time in Vietnam?

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Protest and Controversy

Anti-Vietnam war protest and demonstra-tion in front of the White House in support of singer Eartha Kitt [1968]

Large crowd at a National Mobiliza-tion to End the War in Vietnam direct action demonstra-tion, Washington, D.C [1967]

Let the people vote on war [1970]

Crowd of people holding candles, including African Americans, at a march at night to the White House, lead by Coretta Scott King as part of the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam which took place on October 15, 1969 [1969]

The End of the Vietnam War

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Richard M. Nixon, head and shoul-ders portrait, facing front. [Between 1969 & 1974] For more on Nixon’s presidency click here.

Cambodia: A Country Study [1987] The following passages describe the bombing of Cambodia in 1973 by the United States. The book contains more information on Cambodia, com-munism, and the effect of the Vietnam War. For another resource on the bombings in Cambodia click here.

Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, half-length portrait, standing behind a podium, speaking at a press conference [1975]

South Vietnam, pre-1975: Ex-

tract/ Paris Communiques on

Vietnam Cease-Fire 13 June

1973 [June 1973]

CITATIONS

Teachers: Providing these primary source replicas without source clues may enhance the inquiry experience for students. This list of citations is supplied for reference purposes to you and your students. We have followed the Chicago Manual of Style format, one of the formats recommended by the Library of Congress, for each entry below, minus the access date. The access date for each of these entries is July 5th, 2017. Central Intelligence Agency, Creator. “Vietnam” Map 2001. From the Library of Congress, Geography and Map Divi-

sion Washington, D.C. https://lccn.loc.gov/2002630432

Cima, Ronald J, Author. “Vietnam: A Country Study” Online Text. 1989. From the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. https://lccn.loc.gov/88600482

Central Intelligence Agency, Creator. “Vietnam demarcation line and demilitarization zone” Map 1957. From the

Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division Washington D.C. https://lccn.loc.gov/89695318 Marshall, Marion Anthony, owner. “13 TFS Panther Pack” Photographic Print. From the Library of Congress, Amer-ican Folklife Center. http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.10760/album?page=1 “B Battery, 7/11 Artillery, 105 mm howitzers fire mission, FSB Maury” Photographic Print. May 5, 1968. From the Library of Congress, American Folklife Center. http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.23979/enlarge?ID=ph0007001&page=1 O’Halloran, Thomas J., photographer. “Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson standing among group of Vietnamese soldiers and Americans during a visit to Saigon, South Vietnam” Film negative. May 12, 1962. From the Library of

Congress, Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. https://lccn.loc.gov/2011661233

Knox Prescott, Rhona, creator. “Poem: What? Why?” 196?. From the Library of Congress, American Folklife Center http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.01146/pageturner?ID=pm0004001 Barner, William M., creator “Diary of William M. Barner” Between 1966 & 1967. From the Library of Congress, American Folklife Center. http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.89316/pageturner?ID=pm0001001 “We Regret to Inform You” memoir. April 13, 1966. From the Library of Congress, American Folklife Center. http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.54025/pageturner?ID=pm0021001&page=1 “Soldier Sketching” photographic print. 196?. From the Library of Congress, Ameican Folklife Center. http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.11738/enlarge?ID=ph0003001&page=1 Westmoreland, W.C., “Silent Night: Christmas menu and pamphlet” pamphlet. 1966. From the Library of Con-gress, American Folklife Center. http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.25749/enlarge?ID=pm0058001&page=2 Leffler, Warren K & O’Halloran, Thomas J., photographers. “Anti-Vietnam war protest and demonstration in front of the White House in support of singer Eartha Kitt” Film negative. January 19, 1968. From the Library of Con-

gress, Prints and Photographs Division Washington D.C. https://lccn.loc.gov/2010646065

Cambridge, creator. “Let the People Vote on War” silkscreen print. 1970. From the Library of Congress, Prints and

Photographs Division Washington D.C. https://lccn.loc.gov/2015647227

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O’Halloran, Thomas J., photographer. “Crowd of people holding candles, including African Americans, at a march

at night to the White House, lead by Coretta Scott King as part of the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam which took place on October 15, 1969” Film negative. October 15. 1969. From the Library of Congress, Prints and

Photographs Division Washington D.C. https://lccn.loc.gov/2014647906

Leffler, Warren K., photographer. “Large crowd at a National Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam direct ac-

tion demonstration, Washington, D.C” Film negative. October 21, 1967. From the Library of Congress, U.S. News

& World Report magazine photograph collection. https://lccn.loc.gov/2015647173

“Richard M. Nixon, head and shoulders portrait, facing front” Photographic print. Between 1969 and 1974. From

the Library of Congress, Miscellaneous items in high demand. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/96522669/

O’Halloran, Thomas J., photographer. “Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, half-length portrait, standing behind a

podium, speaking at a press conference” Film negative. November 10, 1975. From the Library of Congress, U.S.

News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection. https://lccn.loc.gov/2012646606

“South Vietnam, pre-1975: Extract/ Paris Communiques on Vietnam Cease-Fire 13 June 1973” memorandum.

June 13, 1973. From the Library of Congress, Manuscript and Mixed Material Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/

powmia/pw029987/

Ross, Russel R., creator. “Cambodia: A country story” online text/image. 1990. From the Library of Congress,

Federal Research Division. https://lccn.loc.gov/89600150

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