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The Things They Carried Day 3. Aim: What was life like fighting in Vietnam? . The Man I Killed/Ambush . Close Reading: page 119, page 122, page 127 What is the background of the Vietnamese soldier that died? Why does the Vietnamese soldier enlist in the army? (Viet Cong)
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The Things They Carried Day 3 Aim: What was life like fighting in Vietnam?
The Man I Killed/Ambush • Close Reading: page 119, page 122, page 127 • What is the background of the Vietnamese soldier that died? Why does the Vietnamese soldier enlist in the army? (Viet Cong) • Why does Tim O’Brien fight? Why does he kill the Vietnamese soldier? • How are these perspectives different from what the US government states as a reason to go to war with Vietnam?
Style • What happened to the little girl’s village?
Did not know who the enemy was… • Who are we fighting? North or South Vietnam? • Guerilla hit and run tactics • Used to jungle environment • Booby traps “bouncing betties” and “toe poppers” • Use of elaborate tunnels • Withstand air-raids • Can launch surprise attacks • Ho Chi Minh trail
General Westmoreland’s Strategy • Cannot discern friend from foe • War of Attrition (decline in numbers would lead to a demoralizing of Vietcong) • Use of land mines • Carpet-bombing of North and South Vietnam (2X more than Europe and Asia in WWII) • “free fire zones:” everyone considered an enemy • Napalm: gas-based bomb set fires • Agent Orange: leaf-killing • Search and Destroy missions: uprooting civilians, killing livestock, burning villages
In the Field • How does Kiowa die? Who is to blame?
Officers vs. Privates • Officers: volunteers, college educated, ROTC • Privates: draftees • Led to “fragging,” disobeying orders, AWOL (absent without leave), army desertion (89,000 by 1971)