Vietnam Reading

Jack Smith
What challenges does Jack Smith face as a soldier in Vietnam? (a bulleted list is fine)
Jack and his friends had no kind of military experience.
They walked straight into an ambush.
They had to deal with the possibility of actually being killed
There was a lot of fear and anxiety.
Booby traps and a “pig” was set.
They had to see dead bodies of the enemies.
Many of the wounded were being killed by merciless enemies.
The hard was as hard as gravel.
Bombs and napalm was dropped.
The everlasting thought of the war and the effect it has on you as a person.

How does Smith’s attitude toward war change?
In the beginning Jack Smith wanted to join the army to grow up. Joining the army was a trend and a common thing to do. He stated that he had a romantic notion about the army and war. As the war continued he didn’t realize what he had gotten himself into. He found that the army was a very dangerous and breathtaking experience. The bombs, bullets, death , blood and explosions where all factors that led to him detesting the war. He even went as far to becoming misanthropic. His attitude of the war went from wanting a new adventure in his life to seeing the blood of his friends being shed.

I Feel Like I’m Fixing To Die Rag
This song by Country Joe and the Fish became one of the first protest songs of the Vietnam Era.

Read the lyrics to the song, and then respond to the following:
What is the song asking the “big strong men to do”?
He’s asking all the big strong men to join the army because the US has gotten into a “terrible jam.

… the “generals” to do?
He’s basically asking them to kill the red which is referring to the Communists.

… “Wall Street” to do?
They are asking Wall Street to supply the army with tools of trade. By doing this they are praying that the they won’t drop an atomic bomb on the US.

… “mothers” to do?
Asking mothers to allow their sons to go to Vietnam.



Write down four specific lines from the song that display sarcasm, cynicism, or anti-war sentiment.
1. And it’s one, two, three, /What are we fighting for?/ Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn.
2. Whoopee! We’re all gonna die.
3. Well, come on Wall Street, don’t move slow,/ Why man this is a war au-go-go.
4. "So put down your books and pick up a gun, / We're gonna have a whole lotta fun."