Vietnam Essay -- essays research papers

Prior to the start of our study of the Vietnam Era, I thought that I knew quite a bit about the Vietnam War and the overall time period. But after listening to some guest speakers and reading Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, I discovered that I knew hardly anything, and that most of what I did know was pretty much insignificant. These past weeks were not only extremely educating, but it was also very interesting. I learned more than I ever thought I would, mostly through the people that know it best, those who lived through it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most important thing I learned about Vietnam and the time period in which it took place, is that it was so confusing. It seems as if nobody really knew what was going on or what they were supposed to be doing. It also seems that even the people who fought in the war didn't believe that our presence was right. They knew nothing about the terrain, the Vietnamese culture, or even how to fight the North Vietnamese. And when they thought that they had things somewhat under control and that they could kind of anticipate the North Vietnamese, the NVA changed everything with the TET offensive. So they ended up pretty much knowing nothing about anything.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The war not only hard on the soldiers, but it was also hard on their loved ones. The hardest thing for those who were left behind was the waiting and the not knowing. Wives and parents didn't know whether their loved one were alive or dead...