Category Archives: Week 7: Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a great tragedy that impacted the American psyche for a multitude of generations. The lasting impact of this foreign debacle has informed foreign policy decisions in the half-century since first involvement. However, while elites in the Foreign Policy establishment have pushed this rhetoric, they were not the ones who sacrificed theirContinue reading “The War on the Working Class”

Christian Appy describes the Vietnam War as a “working-class war” because most of the soldiers came from poor or working-class families. The draft system made it easier for rich people to avoid fighting by going to college or finding other ways out. Many of the soldiers who fought were from blue-collar backgrounds, and a largeContinue reading “Vietnam War Soldiers”

The Vietnam War, fought from the mid 1950s to the early 1970s, was an unpopular war at the end but had many people from around the country enlisted to fight. Christian Appy argues that Vietnam was a “working-class war” as a good portion of those who fought in the war were part of the working-classContinue reading “Not only at home. Soldiers also Unhappy with the War they fought in.”

Americans in Combat

Appy argues that Vietnam was a working class war because the conflict disproportionately impacted poor people. Appy states, “Roughly 80 percent came from working-class and poor backgrounds. Vietnam… was a working-class war.” The conflicted funneled in men from working-class jobs especially because their peers typically went to college and were then exempt from the draft.Continue reading “week 7 Vietnam”

ABB Christian Appy states that Vietnam was a working-class war because by facts most of the people that participated in the war come from working-class backgrounds. While the rich ones found a way to avoid the service. Many enlistees had lower levels of education as college studnets were likely to avoid service.  In addition toContinue reading “The Burden of War: Who Takes It?”

Christian Appy argues that Vietnam was a “working-class war” because the war was fought disproportionately by men from working-class and poor families. Appy argues that “roughly 80% came from working-class and poor backgrounds,” unreflective of the general United States population (251). Additionally, of those that fought in the war, soldiers from lower class backgrounds diedContinue reading “The Class Divide in Combat”

Looking at the soldiers who fought the Vietnam war we see a pattern of class division in the American military. We can see this by examining the demographics of the average soldier in Vietnam. The war was fought by the new generation of baby boomers who were just ending their teenage years, as a resultContinue reading “Class Divisions: Then and Now”

Christian Appy argues that the Vietnam war was a “working class war” because 80 percent of those enlisted came from working class or poor backgrounds (251). Appy believes the reasoning for this is that working-class young men were directed towards military enlistment, as young men from the upper classes were sent to higher education. Additionally,Continue reading “Working Class Vietnam”

Of the 2.5 million enlisted men in Vietnam, roughly 80% were from working-class and poor backgrounds (Appy). In contrast, World War II witnessed virtually all young, able-bodied men enter the service—with class status being an irrelevant factor. Personal connections to the military permeated society “regardless of class, race, or gender” (Appy). However, the Vietnam warContinue reading “Good Mooorning, Vietnam (and all working-class soldiers)!”