Some Cannot Forget :: essays research papers

The Vietnam War Purpose: To illustrate my view on the Vietnam War. Audience: Anyone with an interest in the Vietnam War. Some Can't Forget I awaken and bolt upright in bed, my heart racing and sweat beginning to bead on my forehead. My chest heaving with ragged breaths, I try to figure out what startled me out of sleep. Then I hear it: The terrified scream of my father piercing through the eerie silence. My heart skips a beat and I shuffle my feet under the covers, letting them fall off the bed and land on the carpet. I start to push myself up, but then hear my mom's voice slowly drift down the hall as she tries to awaken and comfort my father. "It's okay. You're home. You're okay. It's over." A sigh escapes my lips and I lay back in bed, pull the covers to my neck, and desperately hope to fall back asleep. Another nightmare of the Vietnam War. I could never in my wildest dreams even begin to imagine having to experience something with such controversy and horror. But my father was there and it is still with him today, almost thirty years later. As most people know, there was an extreme amount of debate over the Vietnam War. There were protesters in the streets and marching on the White House lawn, preaching about peace and civil rights. Young men were fleeing to Canada to escape the draft, while others freely volunteered to join the service. Even though the war was in Vietnam, the fighting spirit could be found all over in the cities of the United States. I understand the opposition to the war, because technically it wasn't even our fight. It was, after all, within the country of Vietnam. But the reason we intervened was because the South Vietnamese government asked us to fight the communism that was trying to take them over. While most people knew this, I don't think they fully understood it or even cared. All they knew was that people they loved were being sent off to a foreign country to die. One thing that I really don't understand is the way that the Vietnam veterans were treated after they returned home. These soldiers were fighting for our country, doing their duty to serve and protect. They were not the ones who started the war, so why should they be blamed for it?