The 1968 Tet Offensive displayed how leadership and its inability to properly analyze the battlefield can ultimately reshape a war and inspire the political landscape. Many analytical flaws caused the Tet Offensive to become a negative turning point in the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. A main example of this is how the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the People’s Liberation Armed Forces (PLAF, or more commonly known as the Viet Cong) used deception as a tactical advantage. This had a profound effect on the American military leadership’s ability to properly assess the NVA’s intentions leading up to Tet. In addition, poor planning and cooperation with allied agencies caused many Americans to view the Johnson Administration with distrust and questioned the legitimacy of US involvement in Vietnam.…
At public briefings, colloquially given the name “The Five O’clock Follies”, reporters were handed official information packets which were the “official word on the day’s events”. It was said these stories were carefully worded because “anyone could get their hands on these” and could be sold to the Vietcong and their sympathizers (Steinman 33). But, it is just as reasonable to believe that these briefings were about control of information.…
Food is presented as a direct reflection of a person’s wealth in Vietnamese culture. Limited in other forms of power, women like Aunt Tam can rely on materialistic objects, such as food, in order to display their wealth and earn respect. This is evident as one of the guests at the feast exclaims, “What a pleasure this evening has been. A sumptuous meal followed by such spellbinding stories. This is a blessing from heaven.” The use of words with strongly positive connotations, such as “sumptuous” and “spellbinding” displays the great degree of appreciation and thus importance that food has on Vietnamese culture. This idea is further emphasised with the reference to the Gods and ancestral beings through the use of the word “heaven”. Another example of food reflecting the idea of wealth is when another guest says, “A sticky rice flavoured with rose-apple juice! Why, it’s exquisite.” Aunt Tam responds to the compliment, “Oh please, will you stop it?” The use of the word “exquisite” again highlights the importance of food and its inherent effectiveness in delivering praise. The way in which Aunt Tam replies, almost rehearsed and clichéd, suggests that there was an unspoken expectation of praise and therefore respect in the original intention of the feast. The undeniable connection between food and wealth reflects the material-focused culture of Vietnam.…
The Tet offensive began January 30 1968. The battle was one of many during the Vietnam War. There were many countries involved in the war; one side was Viet cong and North Vietnamese against the South Vietnamese and the United States with their allies. The battle got its name from the Vietnamese New Year, called Tet; it was when the first major attack took place. There were many minor attacks throughout the battle. Most of the attacks caused the U.S. along with their allies to lose power over states, they quickly reassembled and fought right back gaining back control. The U.S. inflicted many casualties upon the North Vietnamese. A particular battle, the Battle of Hue had lasted for several months and the North Vietnamese particular took full control of this battle, executed thousands. The victory had a strong effect on U.S. government; the public were shocked not thinking the enemy was capable of such a victory. The public showed zero support for the government, putting them in a situation where they had to negotiate to end the war.…
The Vietnam War was considered one of the longest foreign wars that the United States fought in, up until the Afghan War. Like most wars there is many events that occur during them and for the Vietnam one event that stood out was the Tet Offensive. The Tet Offensive was an attempt for Vietnamese communist to gain back control and cause a wedge between the U.S. and the South Vietnamese. To develop a better perspective of the Tet Offensive, it would help to Know the Vietnamese communist perspective, What the Americans were being told, an individual who experienced it and how it still affects us today. Developing an opinion that is not solely based off biased information we need to hear what happened from many different perspectives.…
Enveloped in a state of domestic and international crisis, 1968 America was divided. The Tet Offensive ended the country’s feint hope that the war could be over soon, and racial tensions left many Americans either feeling ignored or fearful for their lives. Constant protest and riots concerning race and the Vietnam War brewed a feeling of insecurity in the country. The feelings of intense nationalism and American pride seemed to have dissolved in the wake racial conflict and Vietnam. The American virtues of freedom and equality seemed to fall wayward, and the government did not act like it was any concern. The dirge of protests concerning Black Power, the Vietnam War, and civil rights were nearly unacknowledged by Lyndon Johnson. The people…
How is Vietnamese culture any different from American culture? Some people wonder how Vietnamese and Americans are different besides their race. Well, Vietnamese culture is different by their ways of showing affection/greeting, celebrating different holidays, clothing, food, and housing.…
B. Identify the time of year it is celebrated, plus the symbols and/or foods used during the celebrations?…
In many Asian cultures, mental illness is stigmatizing; it reflects poorly on family lineage and can influence others' beliefs about the suitability of an individual for marriage. It is more acceptable for psychological distress to be expressed through the body than through the mind. Little is known about what underlying beliefs and values Vietnamese-American parents may adhere to from Vietnamese culture that may significantly impact their views of children’s mental health, but there is some information on general mental health. More traditional Vietnamese Americans view mental illness as due to harmful sprits or punishment by gods and individual or family misdeeds in a past life (McKelvey, Baldassar, Sang, & Roberts, 1999) or a manifestation…
During my fifth year in elementary school, my family and I took a trip to Vietnam for the holidays. It was fascinating to experience the culture my parents were born and raised in firsthand, and even more astonishing to realize just how different the Vietnamese culture was compared to the American culture. Christmas is a prime example of how these two cultures are very dissimilar: not only decoration-wise, but also in the belief of a certain jolly old man, and the way families in each culture spend Christmas Eve and Christmas…
`The Hmong New Year is a cultural celebration that occurs annually, in the months of November and December, in areas where large Hmong population exists. In this speech, I am going to share the three main components that make up the celebration of Hmong New Year, such as the culture of the food, tradition clothes, and the activities that are involved.…
There are significant holidays to every country. Holiday is define as a day free from work that one may spend time to relax, especially a day on which custom or the law dictates a stopping of general business activity to honor or celebrate a particular event. In religious term, it is a holy day. For example, American people celebrate holidays such as, Thanksgiving and Christmas, Hispanics celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and for Vietnamese people, we celebrate a very important holiday which is the Vietnamese New Year.…
Vietnam has a rich culture that has been shaped by many different civilizations throughout history. Through many long struggles, the Vietnamese people have created their unique culture. Thanks to these particularities, there are many national celebrations in Vietnam such as Vietnamese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Huong Pagoda Event. Besides Vietnamese New Year, Killing the Inner Insect Festival is the second most significant celebration of Vietnam. It is one of the most interesting celebrations in Vietnam because of its name special, the myth behind it, and two traditional types of food associated with it.…
The Vietnamese lunar New Year festival, Tet Nguyen Dan, is the most significant holiday taking place within the first three days of the New Year. The nearer New Year comes the more excited and enthusiastic people are. In general, preparation for Tet starts one week before New Year's Day.…
Seasonality is also marked in Japan by serving sweets associated with particular season or holidays. The Doll Festival is minor holidays on March 3rd. Families with girls display elaborate sets of…