Conflict with Two Faces: The War in Vietnam

The conflict in Vietnam has become one of the most analyzed and controversial events in American history.  In its early years, conquest in Southeast Asia was supported with patriotic fervor. Many county youths enthusiastically enlisted saying, “It was the easiest decision of my life.” By the late sixties and early seventies, the tide of public opinion had turned away. What caused these changes and how did the reversal affect or reflect the views of the public? Relying upon the experiences of men and women from Cumberland County we will look at the technology and culture of the war while exploring reactions from enlistees, draftees, hippies, and squares to the Tet Offensive, military strategy, media coverage, and peace rallies. These voices may shed light not only on the past but on how memory of historic events is shaped and remembered in popular culture.

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