How it Relates to the NHD Theme
Reaction
The Hawks and Doves conflict relates to the reaction theme of National History Day because of how the citizens of the United States reacted to the Vietnam War. The activities around the Vietnam War caused a significant reaction with the American people because many Americans believed that the government was needlessly wasting the lives of both American soldiers and Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian citizens. While the Doves were most concerned with lives being lost, the Hawks were most concerned with containing the growth of Communism in the area. Neither side did a very good job of trying to address the other's concerns and consequently, there was a great reaction to the Vietnamese war and unprecedented demonstrations and protests around the country. I believe that many lessons have been learned due to this conflict and that we have become a better country through the process.
How the War Affects the U.S. Today
- There is more honest and open communication between our armed forces and the U.S. people
- We have learned that our war tactics in Vietnam did not lead to success and have changed them accordingly
- The draft was discontinued and we now have an all volunteer military
- People have learned that they should not blame the soldiers for implementing an unpopular government military policy
- We learned that we needed to upgrade our military weaponry in order to survive in different environments such as jungles and deserts