Santa Susana High School

Senior Project AP English 12 2016

The Vietnam War

Jessica Hoang
AP English Literature and Composition (H5495)
Pamela Bradley
18 November 2015

Hoang

The war is connected to my family, which is partly the reason why I chose this topic. My
father and grandfather both served in the Vietnam War as young men. They were both drafted in
Vietnam to fight for the South. I was actually born in Vietnam and lived there for about three
years. Now that I am in America, I am disconnected from my culture and as each day goes by, I
become more and more Americanized. The only connection I still have is when I would visit
every summer to see my fathers side of the family. I was always so fascinated by the rapid
change I saw each year I came back. It had me thinking about Vietnams past and what hardships
the country had to endure in order to reach this point. This project would help me learn more
about my heritage and culture.
Not only would this help with my self-identity, but also convey my passion for history. I
have always been fascinated with learning about history and how a civilization develops into
what it is today. This project gives me an opportunity to be creative and learn about material that
I am interested in. In order to present all of this information on the war, I will be creating a
website that is organized and entertaining. This will be a difficult task because the only
knowledge I have of this matter is a website I was required to create in English. My knowledge
of the war is also brief because teachers would often teach the war in a day combined with the
Korean War. I did not gain much information on the subject matter and would have to research
immensely in order to produce enough data to input into my website.

The basis of the website is the research on the war. The Vietnam War was a struggle
that lasted for about 20 years and still affects thousands of people today. It was a war that
involved North and South Vietnam against each other. The North was communist while the

Hoang

South wanted a republic that was not corrupted by communist influence. The North was
backed by communist China and the Soviet Union, while the South was supported by the
United States. The Vietnam
War was part of a larger war between the United States and the Soviet Union. This war
served as a proxy war between the two global superpowers and was part of the Cold War.
The war started towards the end of the Second World War after the Allied forces defeated
Japan. Seizing this opportunity, Ho Chi Minh decided to create a government called the National
Liberation Committee of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh was a strong individual who traveled the world
and found the solution to the Japanese problem. He believed the key to Vietnams independence
is Communism (Tran, Echoes from the Past: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the
Vietnam War). Ho Chi Minh raised support and chased out Japanese forces, giving Vietnam its
independence. But shortly after they gain their freedom, the French decided to take back
Vietnam with the help of British forces. Although under French control, Vietnam was regarded as
free. The Vietminh (Ho Chi Minhs army) did not accept these terms and instead decided to
take back their country. During this time the North and the South were split based on different
preferences on government. While the North was mainly Communist, the South was republic.
To battle Communism, the South president( Bao Dai) and France signed an agreement
called the Elysee Agreement that pledged that the French would help build an anti- Communist
army. In 1953, France gave Laos its independence and shortly after, the Vietminh took over Laos.
While France was delivering supplies, the Vietminh prevented the shipment to arrive in the
Battle of Dienbienphu (Nelson, A Vietnam War Timeline). In order to prevent further conflict
in Indochina, all the worlds powers came together in Switzerland to discuss solutions, which is

Hoang

also known as the Geneva Convention. At the Geneva Convention, Laos and Cambodia are set
free, while Vietnam is split into North and South (Digital History, Overview of the Vietnam
War).
Meanwhile in the south, Diem wins the election and becomes the President of the
Republic of Vietnam. While the South is being trained by the US, the north are rapidly preparing
for battle. At this point in 1960, the US is becoming more and more involved in this war. They
believed if they win the war, they could prevent communism and build a democracy in Vietnam
(Tran, Echoes from the Past: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Vietnam War).
Communist activity is increased in South Vietnam and 400 South Vietnamese officials are killed.
The North creates Group 559 who begins to move weapons along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Although Vietnam is divided, in 1960 an army called Vietcong was formed in Hanoi, which is
also known as the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam. Vietcong were southerners who
supported the North and helped battle against their own people (Nelson, A Vietnam War
Timeline). As Diem gained more and more support, he started to abuse his power and waste the
money that was given to him by the United States. He became a dictator that harmed anyone that
opposed him and did not follow instructions from the United States. (Hanna, Patriotism, Peace
and Vietnam: A Memoir). With permission from the United States, the South Vietnamese military
overthrew and killed Diem.
After an attack on the USS Maddox, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution,
which allowed President Johnson to wage war against Vietnam without a official Declaration of
War. At this point, more and more troops are being sent to Vietnam. The first real battle of the
Americans and the Vietnamese was at Ia Drang Valley. Following this battle, teach-ins are

Hoang

occurring all over the US in opposition to the war. As the American people began to see the
deaths increase, the more opposition occurred. They saw the war as unnecessary and a waste of
money( Mondowney, Vietnam War: Domestic Opposition). In 1966, Americas B-52 bombed
North Vietnam for the first time and South Vietnam takes over Danang and Hue. Johnson meets
with the leader of South Vietnam( Nguyen Cao Ky) and agrees to help the South defeat the
North. In 1968 a series of battles were set off. The first was the Northern Tet Offensive. The
North attempted to capture several cities and provinces, but their plan fails and the South
recaptures all of the territories. In February The US and the Southern Army attempt to recapture
Hue, which was captured in the Tet Offensive. This Battle lasted for twenty-six days and had a
devastating affect on the inhabitants of the city. Later that month, American troops did the
unthinkable. They marched into My Lai and murdered innocent people. Later that year, President
Johnson gave into the pressure and announced that he wouldnt be running for re-election.
In November of 1968, Richard Nixon was elected president. His first act was an
operation called Operation Breakfast, which involved bombing Cambodia without the
knowledge of Congress or the American citizens. This was an attempt to annihilate Communist
supply routes in Cambodia and weaken the North. Later that year, the Secretary of Defense
announces that the US will decrease involvement in the war in a policy called Vietnamization.
In attempt to enforce this policy, Nixon decreases the troops by seventy thousand. By 1973, the
end of the draft is announced and the end of the war is looking to be near. In 1975, the North
captures Phuoc Long Province, Hue, and most importantly, Saigon. As Communists take Saigon,
President Ford announces the end of the war (Nelson, A Vietnam War Timeline).

Hoang

The war had a devastating affect on all the countries involved. It was the longest war ever
recorded in American history and was the most opposed by the American people. Almost sixty
thousand Americans and two million Vietnamese citizens lost their lives in the war effort (Digital
History, Overview of the Vietnam War). Even today, Americans still question why America
ever got involved in the war. First and foremost, it was a huge blow to the citizens that liked to
perceive America as the most powerful and undefeatable country in the world. Americas
reputation was destroyed once the Communists took over the South and they accepted their loss.
They could not stop Communism in Vietnam and lost one the proxy wars in the Cold War. This
also faltered the relationship between the American people and the government. The Vietnam
War was the most opposed war in America and Congress took slow precautions to pull troops
out. The presidents involved in the war carried out acts that were not known to the people or
congress and acted on his own. The war also put America in debt considering the one hundred
sixty seven billion spent. This caused inflation and decreased living standards that lasted thirty
years.
Another long-term affect of the Vietnam War was the affect it had on the veterans.
Usually, veterans are welcomed home as heroes and receive compensation for their services, but
in the case of the Vietnam War, many veterans were shunned and received no financial help. The
media perceived them as ruthless killers in various films and television shows. Veterans and their
family received almost nothing for their service in the war. No medical or education benefits
were rewarded and the veterans struggled to find jobs after the war. Many veterans were already
poor and uneducated, which made it increasingly difficult for them to survive ( Sitikoff, The
Postwar Impact of Vietnam). But the most devastating affect on the veterans was PTSD also
known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This disorder caused vivid flashbacks and insomnia.

Hoang

Many would describe the person as off in another world. They would zone out or act violently
towards a certain action that reminded them of the war. Although many Americans have moved
on, many veterans are left stuck in the past. The trauma of the war destroyed their lives and made
it difficult for them to adjust back to normal living. They received no praise or help for their
experiences after the war. The veterans felt unappreciated and forgotten, which caused
readjusting even more difficult. Even today veterans are still affected( Hochgesang, Lawyer,
Stevenson, The Psychological Effects of the Vietnam War).
America was not the only country that was largely affected by the results of this war.
After Saigon fell, North Vietnam took over and Communism consumed Vietnam. They changed
the country name to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and made Hanoi the new capital. The
Northerners decided to punish the former government and military officials of the South by
placing them into re-education camps. These camps resembled prison camps and many died
due to the harsh conditions. Many Southern Vietnamese citizens tried to escape from Vietnam by
fleeing to America. Although Vietnam is yet unified, in many ways, the country is still split
between North and South.
In order to create a physical product and input all this information, knowledge of how to
create a website is required. For this project, Weebly will be used in order to present and
organize this information. The first step to creating a website is making an account. The great
thing about Weebly is that it allows an unlimited amount of free website creation. But for a
professional project, buying Weebly pro is necessary in order to unlock all features. Then after an
account is created, the focus of the site must be decided. In regards to this project, a site would
be the best fit. The next step is important because it regards the overall appearance of the

Hoang

website. After the site pops up, a theme option pops up and there are several different themes to
choose from. The next thing that pops up is the website domain option. In order to make it more
official, it is necessary to select a personal domain. Then finally, the website editing page is
opened. There are a variety of elements that can be dragged and dropped onto the website. Some
features that can be added are text boxes, images, slideshows, maps, videos, audio, and etc. The
best part of the website is the multiple pages that can be added. Because of this, information can
be organized and easily navigated. Weebly allows the user to easily build a website with a variety
of options to make the website unique and personal ( Weebly, Help Page), ( Wiki How, How
to Create a Website With Weebly.com).
I researched about the Vietnam War because I will require this information in order to fill
up my website. My whole topic is on the War and I would need to know what happened in order
to write about it. The war is a long, complicated matter that needs to be divided into several
sections on the website. This website would not be possible without the information researched.
Visualizing on how the website will be organized, one section will include the causes of the war,
another will be the aftermath of the war, and the last one will be the effects of the war on the
countries involved. All the battles can all be on one page in several different subsections of the
page and a brief time line could be put on another. The most difficult part of this is the
organization of the information and choosing the most important facts to include. To ensure there
is enough information for each section, more research would be required in each section.
Credibility is also an important factor in checking if the information is accurate. I would need to
go on multiple scholarly websites to ensure that the information comes from a credible source.
To prevent plagiarism, I would properly need to cite the sources and give credit to the rightful
owners.

Hoang

I researched the topic of how to create a website in order to complete my physical

product. I would need this information to be able to start on building my website. It provides
step-by-step instructions on how to start and design the website. This is very useful considering
my very little amount of experience with websites. I only ever built one website and it was a
enjoyable experience to be able to create my personal site. If I had more time on the previous
website, I would have made it even better. But due to this opportunity, I am able to enact my
interest and go all out.
There could be many problems concerning a website. An important factor to websites is
exposure. If a website is not known and does not show up on Google, it is not considered
successful. Another factor to anticipate is technical difficulties of the site. This could cause the
entire website to crash and be deem unviewable. A way to ensure that the project was completed,
screenshots of the website should be saved onto a folder. Other than the anticipated problems, the
website should run smoothly with all of the research done.

Hoang

10

Works Cited

Barringer, Mark. "The Anti-War Movement in the United States." Modern

American
Poetry. N.P. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
Duc Tran, Echoes from the Past: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of
the
Vietnam War, Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History4, no.1.
Web. 02. Nov. 2015.
Google. "Get Your Content on Google." - Search Console Help. Google. Web.
17
Sept. 2015.
H, Richard. "First Steps." Weebly Help Center. Weebly. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.
H, Richard. "Intro to Content Elements." Weebly Help Center. Weebly. Web.
03
Nov. 2015.
Hanna, Peggy. "Overview of Vietnam War, Swarthmore College Peace
Collection." Overview of Vietnam War, Swarthmore College Peace
Collection. Ed. Anne Yoder. Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Web.
02 Nov. 2015.
Hochgesang, Josh, Tracy Lawyer, and Toby Stevenson. "The Psychological
Effects of
the Vietnam War." The Psychological Effects of the Vietnam War. Ethics
of Development in a Global Environment. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.
Google. "Get Your Content on Google." - Search Console Help. Google. Web.
17
Sept. 2015.
Mintz, and McNeil. "Digital History." Digital History. N.p. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraID=18&smtID=1>.
Mondowney, Geri D. "VIETNAM WAR: DOMESTIC OPPOSITION." The Internet

Hoang

11

Encyclopedia of International Relations. N.P. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.

Nelson. A Vietnam War Timeline. Modern American Poetry. N.p. Web.
02 Nov. 2015.
Sitikoff, Harvard. "The Postwar Impact of Vietnam." Modern American Poetry.
N.P. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.

Bibliography

Barringer, Mark. "The Anti-War Movement in the United States." Modern

American
Poetry. N.P., 1999. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
Duc Tran, Echoes from the Past: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of
the
Vietnam War, Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History4, no.1,
April. 2014. Web. 02. Nov. 2015.
Google. "Get Your Content on Google." - Search Console Help. Google, 2015.
Web. 17
Sept. 2015.
H, Richard. "First Steps." Weebly Help Center. Weebly, 2015. Web. 03 Nov.
2015.
H, Richard. "Intro to Content Elements." Weebly Help Center. Weebly, 2015.
Web. 03
Nov. 2015.
Hanna, Peggy. "Overview of Vietnam War, Swarthmore College Peace
Collection." Overview of Vietnam War, Swarthmore College Peace
Collection. Ed. Anne Yoder. Swarthmore College Peace Collection, Nov.
2007. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
Hochgesang, Josh, Tracy Lawyer, and Toby Stevenson. "The Psychological
Effects of

Hoang

12

the Vietnam War." The Psychological Effects of the Vietnam War. Ethics
of Development in a Global Environment, 1999. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.
Google. "Get Your Content on Google." - Search Console Help. Google, 2015.
Web. 17
Sept. 2015.
Mintz, and McNeil. "Digital History." Digital History. N.p., 2015. Web. 02 Nov.
2015.
<http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraID=18&smtID=1>.
Mondowney, Geri D. "VIETNAM WAR: DOMESTIC OPPOSITION." The Internet
Encyclopedia of International Relations. N.P., 2000. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
Nelson. A Vietnam War Timeline. Modern American Poetry. N.p. 2015.
Web.
02 Nov. 2015.
Sitikoff, Harvard. "The Postwar Impact of Vietnam." Modern American Poetry.
N.P., 1999. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
Anderson, David. The Military and Diplomatic Course of the Vietnam War. Modern American
Poetry. Oxford Up, 1999. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
The involvement of the US in the Vietnam War was the largest yet. The US spent a large sum of
money on this war, even though no war was officially declared. About millions of Americans
were drafted and served in the Vietnam War. Although all this effort was put in, they ultimately
could not stop Vietnam from becoming communist.
David Anderson is a professor at Illinois State. The publisher, Oxford University Press only
prints academic credible information. The site is also .edu which is created for educational
purposes and are used by universities. But this document is biased due to the fact the author is
American and already has a view on the subject matter.
Benton, Janet E., and Toni Fuss Kirkwood-Tucker. "The lessons of Vietnam: using
literature to introduce students to the Vietnam War." Social Education 66.6 (2002): 362+.
Student Resources in Context. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
The Vietnam War is one of the most debated topics in history classrooms. In order for
students to understand history, they must understand it on a global scale. America is

Hoang

13

shaped by its global events, mostly including wars. If children do not fully understand the
Vietnam war, they are missing a piece of history.
Tucker and Benton are both known professors of education and social studies at Florida
Atlantic University. This was found in Gale, which has credible information that is used
throughout various schools. This article is biased because it is based off of opinions of
two professors. It seems well researched by the various sources that are cited, which are
also credible sources.
Boyden, Caroline. How to design a good website. lscr.berkeley. College of Letters & Science at
the University of California, Berkeley, 2005. Web. 12 Sept. 2015.
A good website is not focused on primarily appearance. The information has to be accurate and
thoroughly presented. A website has to be visually appealing, organized, accurate, and accessible.
Boyden is a web developer on UC Berkeleys campus information Service and Technology
division. She is an expert in this field and can be trusted. The website is .edu, which is used by
colleges and provide well researched information. This information could be slightly biased
seeing as though this is opinion based.
"Communists Win the Vietnam War: April 30, 1975." Global Events: Milestone Events Throughout
History. Ed. Jennifer Stock. Vol. 2: Asia and Oceania. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2014. Student
Resources in Context. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
The Vietnam War had a large impact on all that were involved. Vietnam was a small country that
was ruled by France, but as time passed, the Vietnamese people wanted to be free and
independent. The North split and became communist ruled, while the South became a republic.
Although the South received help from America, communism took over and American efforts
were wasted.

Hoang

14

This source was from Gale, a academic research site full of credible information. Although this
was not published the time of the war, it contains accurate information. This source was well
researched which was shown by the various links cited. This is more on a biased scale because
the author was American.
Google. "Get Your Content on Google." - Search Console Help. Google, 2015. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
Do you want your website to be searchable on google? Well some ways to do that is to submit
your website to google itself. This could be found on google support under get your content on
google.
Google is a well known search engine that a large sum of people use. Some complications with a
website is getting it to be known and finding it. Although google is not a trusted site, this topic is
directly tied to google, which makes it acceptable to use a google support page. This is a non
biased informational page.
Kennedy, John F. "Letter from John Kennedy to Ngo Dinh Diem, December 14, 1961." Gale U.S.
History in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2015. Student Resources in Context. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
Kennedys involvement in the war escalated as he sympathized for South Vietnam. He tries to
warn the Southern leader, Diem, about the dangers of North Vietnam in a letter. The president
also offers help to the Republic of Vietnam to maintain their freedom.
This is a primary source from President Kennedy during the time of the war. Primary sources are
as close and accurate as one can get to retrieving information from other time periods. Gale, the
source in which this document is located in, is a trustworthy site that is used in schools. This
could not be biased due to the fact that this is a primary source.
Mening, Robert. HTML5 Beginners Guide. Website Setup. February 10, 2014. Web. 17 Sept.
2015.

Hoang

15

Traditional websites use HTML and Javascript, but as technology advances, new and better
programs are created. This program is known as HTML5, which has been used by many
companies to build their websites. This is a simple and easy guide on how to use it.
Mening is a full time web developer who has helped thousands with the help of his website
guide. He majored in media and marketing at Malmo University, which shows they are an expert
in their field. Although this site is .org, Robert is a credible author that has been cited by
professors at universities. This seems largely factual, but biased due to the fact he uses and
enjoys the program himself.
National Security Council (NSC). "LBJ's Decisions for War." The Vietnam Era. Woodbridge, CT:
Primary Source Media, 1999. American Journey. Student Resources in Context. Web. 17 Sept.
2015.
The decision to send troops to Vietnam was a largely controversial topic among Americans. They
had to incorporate factors such as the foreign involvement from China and the progress of the
Vietcong. Many strategies were planned out in case of full US involvement in the war.
This is an official primary source of the National Security Council. This document was notes
taken during the time of the meeting back in 1965, discussing the decision to send more troops in
Vietnam. This document could not be biased because it was notes and not someones personal
article. The source in which it came from, Gale, is a trusted website that is used by educational
facilities.
National Security Council (NSC). "LBJ's Decisions for War." The Vietnam Era. Woodbridge, CT:
Primary Source Media, 1999. American Journey. Student Resources in Context. Web. 17 Sept.
2015.

Hoang

16

The decision to send troops to Vietnam was a largely controversial topic among Americans. They
had to incorporate factors such as the foreign involvement from China and the progress of the
Vietcong. Many strategies were planned out in case of full US involvement in the war.
This is an official primary source of the National Security Council. This document was notes
taken during the time of the meeting back in 1965, discussing the decision to send more troops in
Vietnam. This document could not be biased because it was notes and not someones personal
article. The source in which it came from, Gale, is a trusted website that is used by educational
facilities.
OHaver, Tom. How to Make a Web Page. TerpConnect. The University of Maryland, 21 June
1995. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
The process of building a website is not as difficult as perceived to be. There are many short cuts
in the process and the use of a system called HTML makes this easier. Websites are meant for
one's own personal preferences and design to easily share information.
Tom O'Haver is a professor at The University of Maryland. This site is .edu, which is used for
educational purposes and only come from colleges. This is a well researched site because of how
detailed each section is. The source is slightly biased because the professor seems to make it
easier and less complicated than it is.
Sitikoff, Harvard. The Postwar Impact of Vietnam. Modern American Poetry. University of
Illinois, 1999. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
Although South Vietnam was defeated by North Vietnam, America had the largest impact.
America was known as the superior country, but after that defeat, many countries lost respect for
the once almighty America. It stirred turboil among Americans because they had involved

Hoang

17

themselves so deeply into the war. The war not only destroyed spirits, but also the economy. A
constant reminder of this is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC.
Sitikoff is a part of the Department of English at University of Illinois. This site is .edu, which is
a university website and is trustworthy. This site is a overview of the impact and does not go into
detail. The article contains factual information as well as opinions, which makes it slightly
biased.