
The Vietnam War is known to be the most controversial war that America has ever been involved in. It was a war that was widely considered unwinnable. It was a time when young men were drafted and sent to an unknown land to fight a war with no rhyme or reason. This was the public opinion of the Vietnam War. Most Americans at the time had never even heard of the country Vietnam. This would soon change once America became involved in the conflict. Media had forever changed Americans’ opinion on war. Gruesome film of the Vietnam War aired on television which changed the public opinion on the war creating a large majority of disapproval for the war. Through reading historical context of the Vietnam War, it is evident that the majority of American citizens at the time were not in favor of the war.

Vietnam was split into two after political differences; North Vietnam which consisted of the Viet Cong, communists, and South Vietnam which consisted of citizens trying to keep democracy in Vietnam. American President, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated leaving presidency and the Vietnam conflict in the hands of Vice President, Lyndon B. Johnson. America declared war on North Vietnam after the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 where the Viet Cong attacked United States Naval vessels. After a unanimous vote in the House and 82-2 vote in the Senate, President Johnson declared a war on North Vietnam. Within two years, over 200,000 American troops were sent to Vietnam. Throughout the war, operation “Rolling Thunder” was used to bomb villages in Vietnam. These bombing raids were constant throughout many years of the war. By 1967, many social leaders protested the war, including Martin Luther King Jr.. He spoke against the draft and wanted an end to the violence. After the new year in 1968, the Tet Offensive occurred where North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers surprised United States forces and took over many key cities. Americans were able to recapture most of the cities taken over. This was a huge turning point in the war. Many Americans took a psychological toll because they realized that the war was far from over. The next month American troops entered the small Vietnamese village of My Lai. United States soldiers killed innocent men, women, and children; they burnt the village to the ground. Once word spread, American opinion had drastically changed. Soon after disapproval of the Vietnam War had risen, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that he would not run for re-election. In the months afterwards there was chaos in the United States after two public figures, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, were assassinated. Protests sparked around the country and a violent encounter between police and protestors occurred in the streets of Chicago during a Democratic convention. The convention was aired on the television where the nation watched violence spark in American cities, creating an even bigger concern for an end to the war. Demonstrations became bigger and disapproval grew. Nixon becomes elected president after a close margin. More local demonstrations occurred, injuring many Americans back home. In 1970, Kent State University protesters were open fired upon. Four students were killed and many were injured. More distrust occurred between the American government and American citizens after the Pentagon Papers were published. The Pentagon Papers gave detail into secret military involvement in Vietnam. Even after the Pentagon Papers and Watergate scandal, Nixon wins reelection. He then signs a cease-fire and soon puts an end to the draft. The last Americans leave in 1973. This was the last direct involvement from United States troops.

Democratic peace arguments were a huge influence in wartime opinion. John Mueller, an American political scientist, argues that the amount of casualties often reflects the opinion on war. When the marginal value of casualties rise, public opinion for the war decreases. Americans feel that the war is not worth the amount of deaths. Unlike wars in the past, media and statistics had made it obvious how many men were dying in the war. Every day on the news, citizens in America could see people getting injured and coming home in caskets. They would hear the numbers of fallen soldiers on the television and radio. This greatly swayed public opinion and disapproval for the Vietnam War. As these numbers rose, more and more American citizens opposed the Vietnam war. This created a division between the American government and many American citizens. People watched the daily news as thousands of soldiers were dying and injured. The media greatly affected the public opinion during the Vietnam War.

Another reason why public opinion of the Vietnam War changed was the draft. Young men were forced to go to Vietnam to serve in the military. This did not go over well with many men and their families. Some fled the country and moved to countries like Canada. Others served and were negatively affected from the war. Soldiers either died or were severely wounded both physically and mentally. Many family members and soldiers opposed the war because of young men being forced to fight in a war that they did not believe in. Most of the men in the war were poor and did not have any choice. Men from the ages 18 to 24 who were physically and mentally able were considered for the draft. Men who were full time students in college were exempted from the draft. This is why many wealthy people did not go to war; they could afford to go to college to escape the war. The less fortunate young men who could not afford school were drafted and sent to Vietnam.

Public opinion of the Vietnam War is seen in the excerpt from, “The Things They Carried,” in many ways. It seems obvious that one character, Ted Lavender, had the same popular opinion on the Vietnam War as many did back in the United States. Ted Lavender carried around tranquilizers with him because he was scared. This shows that he did not want to be at war and did not choose to come to Vietnam. He also carried 6 or 7 ounces of premium dope, relating to how much he really cares about what he is fighting for. He has no will to fight the war and is not concerned with winning the war; he just wants to leave Vietnam. This is similar to American troops thoughts after the Tet Offensive. Troops realized that this war was longer than expected. Many had lost hope and wanted an end to the war. Another character Kiowa, carried an illustrated New Testament and moccasins. Kiowa represents many different identities that were negatively affected in the war. The moccasins indicate that he is a minority. The illustrated New Testament shows that he may not be very educated. Kiowa was also from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This represents many people who were drafted to go to war. Men from the inner cities tended to be minorities and were poor. They had no escape when they were drafted to go to war. Lieutenant Cross also showed how public opinion of war was changed during the Vietnam War. He carried around pictures and letters from his crush back in the United States. This shows that he wants the war to be over, just like most Americans during the war. Martha, Lieutenant Cross’s crush, greatly portrayed public opinion of most Americans at the time of the Vietnam War. She had never supported Lieutenant Cross and all she ever had to say was to take care of himself. This is similar to many people in the United States. They did not support the troops at the time. Some were more radical and even protested against troops coming home.

War is horrific. Americans realized this through media during the Vietnam War. This changed American perspective on the war and caused disconnect between the United States government and American people. Reading in depth about the history of the Vietnam war gives context to what the characters in “The Things They Carried” felt during the war, both physically and mentally. Public opinion was changed based on many influences that negatively affected American society.

