The Vietnam War Era

The Vietnam War is one of Americas most controversial wars. United States' casualties during the war exceeded fifty-eight thousand. The ten year conflict was our third deadliest conflict in history. The United States spent over $140 billion to fight a war which was never truly declared by congress. Communism was not contained and once again our cold war containment policy had failed. At home controversies surrounding the war raged as demonstrations, peace rallies, and draft dodgers became common place. Presidents struggled with the decision of keeping troops in Vietnam or pulling them out. Veterans returned home with scars of their time spent in the jungles of Vietnam. The American public gave them everything but gratitude for their involvement in the war. Television brought home gruesome images of the war in action keeping America glued to the TV. All of these events signify a time of great change for America. We were looking to prove ourselves to the world to show that we could contain communism. We failed miserably.

The following pages have been written by students at Lake Washington High-school, Kirkland, Washington. Each student created a page that helps to explain the changes which took place during this trying time in our history. Topics covered in the following pages range from Vietnam, Nixon, and Watergate to Carter and Ford. The 1960's and 70's, both domestic and foreign policy. Of course Vietnam is only a part of what had happened during this time, however it influenced much of what America has done and has become since then. Enjoy the following pages on the Vietnam War Era.

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