The Things They Carried Tim OBrien QuickWrite For
The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien
Quick-Write: For the next minute, answer this question the index card. • What do you know about the Vietnam War? • http: //www. history. com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnamwar-history/videos/vietnam
The Vietnam War • Started between communistic North Vietnam and their Viet Cong versus South Vietnam and their principal ally – The United States.
The War Began. . • In 1954 after leader Ho Chi Minh came into power • He fed off of the existing tension between two economic super powers – The U. S. & Russia • Ho Chi Minh was elected leader of Vietnam, which had previously been under control by both France and Japan.
U. S. Involvment • JFK wanted to keep ahead of the game. • He increased troops in South Vietnam • 9, 000 troops by the end of 1962 • 800 troops by the end of the 50 s • We helped Vietnam out of fear of the “Domino Effect” that if one Asian country fell to communism, many others would follow.
U. S. Involvement (Continued…) • After JFK’s assassination, and an overthrow in government, South Vietnam was left vulnerable. • Gulf of Tonkin – Vietnamese torpedoes attacked two US Destroyers • Johnson signed an retaliatory plan into motion, which called for the bombing of targets in Northern Vietnam, thus putting us into the war officially.
The Draft • The military was able to recruit 80% of the troops needed • The other 20% came from a government issued draft • The draft, among other things, led to a huge rift in our country. • http: //www. history. com/topics /vietnam-warhistory/videos/dodging-thedraft
Nixon and “Vietnamization” • Nixon attempted to remove troops little by little, but total removal of American troops was demanded by Northern Vietnam. • While Nixon spoke of peace, American troops slaughtered a village of 400 unarmed civilians in My Lai in 1968…which kind of makes it hard to negotiate.
Did you know… • The war officially ended in 1973 when America and Vietnam came to a peace agreement. • Americas “official involvement” spanned from 1968 -1973. • “Whether they were volunteers or drafter, 1 out of every 10 soldiers died in Vietnam. ” (History. com) • More than 3 million people were killed, including the 58, 200 Americans. - American casualties in Vietnam were the fourth largest
Who’s Tim O’Brien? • Born in Austin, Minnesota in 1946. • He graduated with a Bachelor’s in political science from Macalester College in 1968. • He was drafted into the Vietnam War in 1968.
O’Brien (continued) • O’Brien served from 1969 -1970. • He was sent home with a Purple Heart after being hit with shrapnel.
O’Brien (continued) • O’Brien lived through the events he writes about. • He writes exclusively about his experiences during the Vietnam war, despite many writers not discussing it after the war’s end.
O’Brien’s Writing Style • Stream of Consciousness writing • Writing that is similar to your thoughts • Writing whatever comes to mind • Unreliable Narrator • Your narrator is leaving out key details.
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