The Vietnam War: History, Learning, and Leadership

Tricia Edwards

Reprinted from the OAH Magazine of History
16 (Winter 2002). ISSN 0882-228X
Copyright (c) 2002, Organization of American Historians
 

At each meeting of "Interpreting the Past," my colleagues and I shared personal views and perceptions of historical events and listened to guest speakers who shared their own, usually controversial (and sometimes offbeat), views of history. We read texts that juxtaposed conventional historical views with less traditional ones and analyzed documents from the event or time period in question. Topics of discussion ranged from the mystery of Stonehenge to Custer's Last Stand, from Leonardo da Vinci to racial discrimination in Scottsboro, Alabama. At each meeting, the class would establish what we collectively believed was the historical truth about the individual or event in question. Then we would examine documents, look at works of art or artifacts, read texts, listen to guest speakers, and more often than not arrive at new conclusions about history. Certainly, neither my colleagues nor I always accepted the views of the historians whose work we read or to which we listened. But by examining historical topics in a more comprehensive way, we learned that what we had taken to be historical "fact" (and therefore "indisputable") often represented just one, albeit popular, version of history. It was a great lesson in the value of examining more than one side of an event and looking beyond traditional teachings.

I left this class excited about history and, more importantly, wondering why most of us learn only one version of America's great past. While it is impossible to teach students all sides of every event in history, it is clear to me that we must encourage them not simply to memorize what a textbook tells them or to take what one author states as the only account of a historical event. Instead, we must teach students to examine different views of an event and to think critically about what they read and what they are told, so that they may come to their own conclusions about history. By reading various historical perspectives, learning about the experiences of different individuals and groups, and being exposed to primary sources like documents, works of art, and oral histories, students gain a more well-rounded view of history. At the same time, they also learn to respect viewpoints and ideas that differ from their own, to articulate their positions clearly, and ultimately to make better decisions for their own—and the nation's—future. Indeed, this one graduate course did much to shape my views on history education and made me realize the importance of actively engaging students in the study of the past.

Today, as a professional educator, I see first hand how effective this sort of education can be. As the program director for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (the nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 1979 to build a national memorial to Vietnam veterans and whose mission today is to educate about the effects of the Vietnam War), I encourage educators to teach their students about the Vietnam era using a comprehensive, balanced approach that draws on a variety of resources.

Using this educational methodology, the Memorial Fund developed a curriculum titled Echoes From The Wall: History, Learning and Leadership Through the Lens of the Vietnam War Era. In October 1999 the curriculum was distributed cost-free to the country's 27,000 public and private high schools. In April 2001 a modified version of the curriculum was sent to each middle school. The kits include two books of essays on the war and The Wall; two posters that chronicle the Vietnam War era and the history of the Memorial; a Veterans of Foreign Wars combat chronology; a video; and a teachers' guide that includes background information, lesson plans, activities, and appendices with documents, bibliographies, and a glossary (1).

The purpose of these materials is three-fold. First, we want students to learn the dates, facts, and figures relevant to the Vietnam War. (When did the war start? When did it end? Who led which side? Where did it take place?) From a 1999 survey, the Memorial Fund learned that less than one-third of students aged twelve to seventeen are taught about the Vietnam War and, more surprisingly, less than 60 percent can correctly identify the continent on which Vietnam is located. (Thirteen percent said Europe, while another 3 percent answered North America.) Indeed, the amount of education that students receive on the Vietnam War is dismal, particularly when we consider that the Vietnam era was the most divisive period in the nation's history since the Civil War.

Second, we hope that the curriculum materials will help students to understand, though not necessarily agree with, the views of the various participants in the war. The materials take a comprehensive and, most importantly, balanced look at all sides of the era. The lessons in the teachers' guide are broken down into six different modules, each of which examines a different perspective. Units include "Escalating Involvement in the Vietnam War," "Conflict on the Home Front," "Those Who Served," "Vietnam and the Vietnamese," "The Wall as Healer," and "The Legacy of the Vietnam War." By examining these diverse views, students can make their own determinations about the Vietnam War and what action they would have taken had they lived through that era. By examining a variety of resources, they can form their own opinions about whether or not the United States was justified in sending troops to Vietnam, whether the war was "good" or "bad," who was "right" or "wrong," and how and why the Vietnam conflict affected American culture so profoundly.

Finally, Echoes From The Wall aims to teach young people about those who served in the war, either with the military or as civilians. By examining the role that soldiers and others played in the war, students not only gain a respect and understanding for service, but also learn valuable lessons in character and leadership. The curriculum points to both good and bad examples of leadership and asks students to compare incidents from the Vietnam War with situations in their own lives. For example, in the module "Those Who Served," students are asked to analyze the My Lai massacre, a 1968 incident in which U.S. troops burned a Vietnamese village and fired their weapons at unarmed Vietnamese civilians. Students first examine the events and discuss how the massacre at My Lai happened. Why did soldiers participate in the killings? Why did others refrain? Who were the leaders in this situation? Were they effective? Students then apply these same standards of leadership to their own lives. Have you ever done anything wrong because of peer pressure? Would you defend someone who was being bullied by others? How can a leader--whether national, local, or within your own school--affect your behavior positively or negatively? By relating past events to their own lives, students see the relevance of history and understand more clearly the issues faced by those involved in the war.

Echoes From The Wall also offers ways to incorporate primary sources into the classroom, an approach that, again, makes history more immediate for students. The appendices in the teachers' guide include government documents like the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act of 1973, letters written by soldiers, poetry, and song lyrics, all of which help students understand the political and social climate, both in Vietnam and at home. Echoes also includes two books, Why Vietnam Still Matters and Voices From The Wall, which contain original essays about the war, The Wall, and the effect that they have had on those involved in the event. Students can compare and contrast these short essays in order to gain insight on the many views of the Vietnam conflict and its effects. Essays by musician Country Joe McDonald, former Senator and presidential candidate George McGovern, Pittsburgh Steeler and Vietnam veteran Rocky Bleier, and speeches by Colin Powell, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan mix with the writings of lesser-known Americans to help tell the story of the war and its lasting legacy.

Indeed, those who fought in and lived through the Vietnam War are one of the greatest resources for understanding what happened during that tumultuous period. Often, it is hearing a story from a veteran that makes a connection with students and allows them to understand more fully what happened during this time period. The Echoes From The Wall teachers' guide includes guidelines for inviting guest speakers to share their experiences (2). Prepared by the Amherst, Massachusetts-based Veterans Education Project, a group that trains veterans to speak to students, the guidelines explain that "many . . . students are bored by 'history' [but] are moved by having a speaker who 'was there.'" The directions go on to explain how to effectively integrate oral histories into a curriculum and offer tips for finding the right speaker, screening potential speakers, preparing your class, and even dealing with resistance from administrators or parents. Though setting up a speaker's program is time intensive and requires careful preparation, the educational value for students is tremendous.

After a semester-long study of the Vietnam War and hearing veterans speak to their class, students from Raleigh, North Carolina's Millbrook High School were deeply affected by the stories they heard. "I felt something no book has ever given me or ever will, and that is pride," wrote one student. "I am proud to say I am an American." Another student learned that "no matter what the obstacle, never lose your faith and beliefs," while another wrote, "I am amazed at the willpower of anyone in combat, and I gained a definite respect for veterans." Perhaps the most poignant response was from the student who wrote, "Not only have I learned more about the Vietnam War than I ever thought possible, but I also have learned many life lessons, such as the importance of history and being an active citizen" (3).

These sentiments were echoed after this same group of students visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Using activities like those presented in the Memorial Fund's Echoes From The Mall: A Field Trip Guide, the teacher once again engaged her students in the learning process and helped them to gain a broader understanding of the war through their visit (4). Students looked up names of family members on The Wall, made name rubbings, laid a wreath, and held a candlelight vigil to honor soldiers from their community whose names are inscribed on the Memorial (5).

The Wall makes no political statement about the Vietnam conflict, but instead helps students to grasp the human cost of war. As they read the names of the more than 58,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam, or see others searching for a name, placing a note, or grieving for a friend, students see first hand the impact the Vietnam War had, and continues to have, on the world. After his visit to the Memorial, one student described a striking realization:

"The sudden thought of what it must be like to live in a non-democratic country made me put things in perspective. I then realized how good my life is. Over 58,000 people died for the democracy I live in. [As I] passed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the final time, I gazed at this magnificent symbol and said a silent 'thank you'."

This student, like his classmates and many others, has learned more than simply the who, what, when, and where of the Vietnam War. He has learned that there are many different views on Vietnam and that the war profoundly affected those who lived through it--both as individuals and as a nation. Just as important are the less tangible things that he and others have learned: the value of service, the importance of sound leadership, and what it means to be a responsible citizen.

Although as educators we may think of them simply as seventh graders or as high school seniors, today's students will be tomorrow's business executives and public leaders. They will take part in making decisions that affect the world's economy and political arena, and they will influence the health and well being of our nation's communities. By actively engaging students in their history--by analyzing primary sources, listening to oral histories, discussing different views, and visiting places of historical importance--students not only learn the facts of history, they also gain respect for others, an understanding of leadership, and a sense of civic responsibility. As we educate students about our nation's past, we must challenge them to build integrity, character, and self-esteem and help them to become responsible citizens, capable of leading the nation to a brighter future.

1. The high school curriculum includes the Vietnam episode from CNN's award-winning Cold War series, while the middle school edition comes with To Heal a Nation, the 1988 made-for-television movie about Jan Scruggs and his efforts to build The Wall.

2. The guidelines can be found in Appendix 3 of the guide, or at <http://www.teachvietnam.org/>.

3. To learn more about the Millbrook High School class, visit <http://www.wcpss.net/community_in_the_classroom/vietnam/>.

4. Echoes From The Mall field trip guides are available from the National Park Service Kiosk at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial or by faxing a request on school letterhead to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund at (202) 393-0029.

5. This type of instruction can be conducted at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., or at one of the traveling walls, like the Memorial Fund's The Wall That Heals.

For more information about Echoes From The Wall or other Memorial Fund programs, please contact the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund at (202) 393-0090; or at <vvmf@vvmf.org>.

Tricia Edwards is the program director for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, the organization authorized by Congress to build a national memorial to Vietnam veterans. In this role, she develops and manages educational initiatives aimed at educating young people about the effects of the Vietnam War. Prior to assuming this position, she served as director of education at the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Wilmington, Delaware, and is also a former teacher. She holds a B.A. from Hollins University and a Master's degree from the University of Delaware.