thedrifter
03-08-07, 11:30 AM
A humbling anniversary
Adam McGillen. He can be reached at amcgille@student.umass.edu
Posted: 3/8/07
What does today mean to you? Is it just another Thursday loaded with long, dull classes and daydreams of the endless possibilities this weekend holds? Probably.
Is it just another cold, windy day that leaves you wishing you had never left the warm embrace of your bed? Probably.
Or is it a day for remembering sacrifices and heroics that shaped the generation before ours?
Forty-one years ago today - March 8, 1966 - 3,500 American Marines landed in South Vietnam, the first ground combat troops to set foot in the paddies. Three years later, over half a million Americans were serving in Vietnam, fighting the war against Communism.
The Tet Offensive. The Kent State shootings. The My Lai Massacre. There was a draft, and students just like us had their numbers called. Some donned fatigues and served, some burned their draft cards, and some ran to Canada. Soldiers marched in muck, students marched in protest, and both stepped in the line of fire. All were brave in their own right.
America was torn.
Comparisons of the Iraq debacle to Vietnam are numerous. Both wars garnered support from the people through deceptive media portrayals, which amounted to pro-war propaganda - playing on the fears of the average freedom-loving American. Service members laid down their lives in both wars - 58,000 in Vietnam, and the current total in Iraq stands at 3,175. Civilian casualties (estimates range from 900,000 to approximately 4,000,000 dead) marred the cause in Vietnam; just as many today exclaim the growing civilian cost of America's occupation of Iraq (approximately 60,000 dead).
Ultimately, in a war like Vietnam, the ambiguity of the objective prevents a clear-cut victory. In Iraq, America has achieved the overthrow of Saddam, but how do we strive for "victory" now? We should withdraw our troops, but we'd risk leaving Iraq in a messy civil war. We should win the war, but we should not wreak any more damage upon the people of Iraq. We should take vengeance upon the terrorists, but we should not become vengeful terrorists ourselves.
America is torn.
In remembering America's involvement in Vietnam, the most significant lesson to take away is the value of open debate. In no way is criticism of America and her actions un-American. For a democracy to function at its highest levels, its constituents must always be revolutionaries striving to change their world for the better. Refuting an American-led war does not mean you do not support our troops, but rather that you are fighting your own war for the sake of all the soldiers who serve you.
We, the people, are the true commanders-in-chief, and it is our responsibility to decide what is best for the soldiers who so selflessly dedicate their lives to serving us and protecting the rights we hold so close. As Americans, we are bound to our military - it acts on our behalf, speaks to the world with our voice, and reaps what we sow. To pass blame onto inept leadership is to shuck that responsibility. We may not have elected Bush in 2000, but we certainly re-elected him in '04. As voting-age Americans, we must all work hard to be informed, seek truth, and come to terms with what we feel is the best course of action for our military. It does not require tactical training, just a respect for human life.
There is nothing more American than feeling strongly about your own opinion and fighting for American lives. If we all recognize our duty, demand more than non-binding resolutions to voice our opinions, and vigilantly seek a righteous course for our loyal men and women in camouflage, never will a soldier's life be lost in vain. We can all find something to march for.
So tonight, if you are participating in the regular Thirsty Thursday festivities around UMass, take some time to raise your Dixie cup or shot glass and toast the 3,500 Marines who landed in Vietnam exactly 41 years ago today. Remember the sacrifice they made then, and the sacrifice many soldiers, some of them your classmates, are making today.
And never forget that their service for you is not free; you have a duty to serve them as well.
Adam McGillen can be reached at amcgille@student.umass.edu.
Ellie
Adam McGillen. He can be reached at amcgille@student.umass.edu
Posted: 3/8/07
What does today mean to you? Is it just another Thursday loaded with long, dull classes and daydreams of the endless possibilities this weekend holds? Probably.
Is it just another cold, windy day that leaves you wishing you had never left the warm embrace of your bed? Probably.
Or is it a day for remembering sacrifices and heroics that shaped the generation before ours?
Forty-one years ago today - March 8, 1966 - 3,500 American Marines landed in South Vietnam, the first ground combat troops to set foot in the paddies. Three years later, over half a million Americans were serving in Vietnam, fighting the war against Communism.
The Tet Offensive. The Kent State shootings. The My Lai Massacre. There was a draft, and students just like us had their numbers called. Some donned fatigues and served, some burned their draft cards, and some ran to Canada. Soldiers marched in muck, students marched in protest, and both stepped in the line of fire. All were brave in their own right.
America was torn.
Comparisons of the Iraq debacle to Vietnam are numerous. Both wars garnered support from the people through deceptive media portrayals, which amounted to pro-war propaganda - playing on the fears of the average freedom-loving American. Service members laid down their lives in both wars - 58,000 in Vietnam, and the current total in Iraq stands at 3,175. Civilian casualties (estimates range from 900,000 to approximately 4,000,000 dead) marred the cause in Vietnam; just as many today exclaim the growing civilian cost of America's occupation of Iraq (approximately 60,000 dead).
Ultimately, in a war like Vietnam, the ambiguity of the objective prevents a clear-cut victory. In Iraq, America has achieved the overthrow of Saddam, but how do we strive for "victory" now? We should withdraw our troops, but we'd risk leaving Iraq in a messy civil war. We should win the war, but we should not wreak any more damage upon the people of Iraq. We should take vengeance upon the terrorists, but we should not become vengeful terrorists ourselves.
America is torn.
In remembering America's involvement in Vietnam, the most significant lesson to take away is the value of open debate. In no way is criticism of America and her actions un-American. For a democracy to function at its highest levels, its constituents must always be revolutionaries striving to change their world for the better. Refuting an American-led war does not mean you do not support our troops, but rather that you are fighting your own war for the sake of all the soldiers who serve you.
We, the people, are the true commanders-in-chief, and it is our responsibility to decide what is best for the soldiers who so selflessly dedicate their lives to serving us and protecting the rights we hold so close. As Americans, we are bound to our military - it acts on our behalf, speaks to the world with our voice, and reaps what we sow. To pass blame onto inept leadership is to shuck that responsibility. We may not have elected Bush in 2000, but we certainly re-elected him in '04. As voting-age Americans, we must all work hard to be informed, seek truth, and come to terms with what we feel is the best course of action for our military. It does not require tactical training, just a respect for human life.
There is nothing more American than feeling strongly about your own opinion and fighting for American lives. If we all recognize our duty, demand more than non-binding resolutions to voice our opinions, and vigilantly seek a righteous course for our loyal men and women in camouflage, never will a soldier's life be lost in vain. We can all find something to march for.
So tonight, if you are participating in the regular Thirsty Thursday festivities around UMass, take some time to raise your Dixie cup or shot glass and toast the 3,500 Marines who landed in Vietnam exactly 41 years ago today. Remember the sacrifice they made then, and the sacrifice many soldiers, some of them your classmates, are making today.
And never forget that their service for you is not free; you have a duty to serve them as well.
Adam McGillen can be reached at amcgille@student.umass.edu.
Ellie