Dear America Analysis

Dear America, a book containing numerous letters home from the Vietnam soldiers, reveals the mindset and the true emotions of the men and women who served from 1966 to 1971. Being away from home in an unfamiliar territory, the initial reaction of the soldiers, who endure hardships and distresses of many kinds, is fright. As time passes, the dread of what is to become of them develops to hopelessness and misery. The letters from the U.S. soldiers are a clear, collective representation of many of the feelings embodying their personal experience of the entire war period, ranging from early discomfort to later fear, and ultimately to desperation. One can understand the emotional and physical state of the soldiers by reading about their discomfort
Been thinking of buying a car and just riding around the country to see what there is and forget the Army.”(Dear America 75)
The dread and anxiety about losing a friend or a ship or even your own life was heartbreaking. This fear for some even consumed the soldier’s lives after the war if they survived. Many suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome. As time dragged on, the soldiers finally came to realize the reality of the true ugliness and pointlessness of the Vietnam War. As the war progressed, the soldier’s letters became cries for help. One helicopter pilot, who was the last official American to die in the Vietnam War, questioned why he was there,
“I could tell you about how real the fear was that I felt…I learned something…oh, that’s the wrong way to say it. I was given something, as a result of this trip – the answer to the question: Why did I come? It isn’t very easy for me to even tell myself what the motivation was to come here…I have been seriously considering – in regard to this uncertainty – simply leaving the Air Force. I don’t think it has much to offer me any more…I went into this thing searching for something. I have it now…” (Dear America