Vietnam War Primary sources

Vietnam War: Primary Sources presents thirteen full or excerpted documents from the Vietnam War era. These documents range from notable speeches that mark important points in the conflict to personal diaries and letters that reflect the hopes, dreams, fears, and experiences of ordinary soldiers and civilians. Some of the selections discuss highly personal issues, such as a young American's agonizing decision whether to report for military service or a Vietnamese girl's decision to join the Viet Cong. Others chronicle major events associated with the Vietnam War, like the Tet Offensive and the 1970 killings of four student protesters on the campus of Kent State University. Further, the works included in this volume present a wide range of perspectives on the conflict. For example, some entries provide insights into the feelings of Americans who served in Vietnam-including soldiers, nurses, and prisoners of war-while others provide a glimpse into the motivations of dedicated antiwar activists. Included are excerpts from civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1967 antiwar speech at Riverside Church in New York City; President Richard M. Nixon's 1969 "Silent Majority" speech; Le Ly Hayslip's memoir about growing up in a wartorn Vietnamese village; and Admiral James Stockdale's memoir about his years in a Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp.