Recommended Books "The Vietnam Wars" by Marilyn Young. This begins with the French. It's a relatively short book that covers a broad period of time. Recommended as the first history book you should read. "A Bright Shining Lie" by Neil Sheehan. A view from inside the War. Shoots down many of the myths that you will hear repeated over and over again. "The Perfect War" by James William Gibson. Analyzes the military approach to Vietnam. A unique perspective on the military assumptions and practices that blinded the military machine to the obvious. "Who Spoke Up? American Protest Against the War in Vietnam 1963-1975" by Nancy Zaroulis and Gerald Sullivan. The title says it all. "Home From the War: Learning from Vietnam Veterans" Robert Jaty Lifton. Lifton helped start the first rap group. He helped Vets to begin the process of healing themselves. And, finally 3 books about Vietnam's effect on our culture, how we've tried to come to terms with it. "The Legacy: The Vietnam War in the American Imaginiation" Edited by D. Michael Shafer. "Warrior Dreams: Paramilitary Culture in Post-Veitnam America" by James William Gibson. "Echoes of Combat: The Vietnam War in American Memory" by Fred Turner (just published). *Above Books recommended by Paul Rosenburg (Rosenburg) Poetry I Remember By Joseph Kolodziejksi: 6 May 2000 All Rights Reserved edited by RTC I remember Coming home in '68: after the Tet offensive I remember Going to a peace rally: not as a participant I remember Hearing chants of Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh! I remember  Seeing Viet Cong flags Being waved enthusiastically I remember They were anti-war: like cheerleaders are anti-football They were cheerleaders for the other side The side that was killing Americans I remember  They were anti-violent as they threw rocks at police And set fire to campus buildings I remember They were for freedom of speech Unless you disagreed with their party line even slightly Then they shouted you down I remember Thinking the only things missing Were brown shirts and Swastikas I remember They were for the workers But sneered when they saw one with an American flag On his hard hat I remember They hated capitalism But stampeded back to college to get their MBAs and BMWs And become tax accountants and stockbrokers As soon as the draft was over I remember The deafening silence when the fighting was over And the many South Vietnamese people who were then killed In the name of peace I remember The thousands who risked starvation and drowning On flimsy and overloaded boats and rafts Who risked robbery, rape and murder at the hands of pirates To escape the glorious People's Republic And the heroic forces of the People's army And, I remember No one protested for them Posted by Richard Coogan (Coogan) http://www.swiftvets.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=189080

Reviewed Movies Platoon This movie brought home to me the horrors of war. The destruction that can come from friendly fire as well as from the enemy. This was a very graphic movie. I would recommend this movie to anyone that is trying to get a glimpse of what the veterans of Vietnam went through. I am sure that this movie doesn’t even scratch the surface of what actually happened, but it is an opportunity to see what could have happened and help gain an appreciation for our Vietnam Veterans. Charlie Mopic I would not recommend this movie to anyone that is looking for a good war movie to watch. This movie gave me an appreciation for the way that our soldiers lived in Vietnam. They needed to be constantly aware of their surroundings. The war that they fought was a game of cat and mouse. We Were Soldiers We were soldiers was a very emotional movie. I would recommend this movie to anyone that is trying to gain a glimpse into what every Vietnam vet went through. It also gives you a little bit of an understanding into where the media got all of their skewed information from. They arrived after the battle was over and never saw what our soldiers actually went through. This is probably not as accurate of a portrayal of the actual facts as Charlie Mopic but it will definitely make you appreciate your men and women in uniform. Other Suggested Vietnam War Movies -Apocalypse Now -Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam -The Deer Hunter -Full Metal Jacket -Hamburger Hill Many others can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/warmoviedatabase/mvietnam.html