The American Journey: Reconstruction to the Present

"The Vietnam War"

Introduction
In this chapter you have read about the gradual buildup of American forces in Southeast Asia that led to the Vietnam War. Fighting far from home in a place many of them had never heard of before, American servicemen and women did their best to contain the spread of communism. President Eisenhower had declared that if one country in Southeast Asia fell to communism, others would soon topple, one after another, like a row of dominoes. When the war ended and veterans returned home, most did not find the hero's welcome they had expected. In this activity, you will take a closer look at the geography, key battles, and returning veterans of the Vietnam War.

Destination Title: The Vietnam War: Learning to Care, Caring to Learn

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Directions
Start at the Vietnam War: Learning to Care home page.

• Read the poem.
• Scroll down and click on Geography in the first table that you see. Read the information.
• Click back to the table of topics and click on Returning Vets. Read the information.
• Click back to the table of topics and click on Key Battles. Read the information.

1			Describe the location of Vietnam.
2			What problems existed in the Mekong Delta region?
3			Why were many Vietnam veterans not given a hero's welcome upon their return to the United States?
4			Which battle caused American public opinion to turn dramatically against the war?
5			Choose one key battle and write a summary of the battle and its significance in the war.