day 3

• the draft was used during the war. men 18-25 were draft eligible. exemptions: mentally, college, and physical disability
• About 80% of people sent to Vietnam were apart of lower income levels
• as a result, the war was “ a rich man’s war, but a poor man’s fight”
• 10,000 Women served in Vietnam mostly as nurses
• Tet Offensive: a new year for Viet. attack by the Vietcong in more than 100 South Viet cities. this attack lasted more than a month
• after this offensive, about 60% of people wanted to leave the war
• Walter Conkrite: major news anchor in our country with millions of followers. he publicly stated the war wasnt willable.
• When Johnson heard Conkrite he said, “If I’ve lost Walter, then it’s over. I’ve lost Mr. Average Citizen”
• Robert Kennedy: JFK’s brother

  served as JFK’s attorney general. ran for president in 1968. he was in LA giving a campaign speech, in a hotel ballroom, while leaving the building from the kitchen, he shot and killed
• Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian immigrant was charged with killing Robert Kenned. protests continued across many college campuses.
• In Kent State University in Chicago, the national guard was brought out to stop the protests, as a result 4 students were killed
• 1968 Election: Nixon won

  Republican: Richard Nixon

  Democrat: Hubert Humphrey

  Independent: George Wallace
• Nixon overruled a plan to withdraw our soldiers from Viet and called it “Vietnamization”
• Henry Kissinger: Nixon’s security advisor helped Nixon with “Vietnamization”
• Nixon wanted to leave Vietnam and wanted integrity. “Peace with Hoover”
• many people were against withdrawal from Vietnam, but Nixon believed he had the support of the silent majority
• My Lai Massacre: small city in south viet. Lieutenant William Calley ordered his soldiers to kill over 200 women and children and later went to prison for his action.
• Search and Destroy:

  a process where leaving a city we would destroy it
• Pentagon papers: official government documents, that provided evidence to the government lying about Vietnam, that were made public
• 58,000 soldiers died in Vietnam, 313,000 injured and 15% percent of soldiers that returned suffered from PTSD
• many were very depressed, handled by drug & suicide.

  In 1981, the Vietnam war memorable was dedicated in washington, all 58,000 names were included
• War Powers Act: stipulated that the president must inform Congress within 48 hours before sending forces into a hostile area