World War II and Vietnam have both been invoked over recent years as evidence for why the United States should or should not fight overseas wars
World War II and Vietnam have both been invoked over recent years as evidence for why the
United States should or should not fight overseas wars. The former war, arguably America’s
most popular conflict, is remembered as “The Good War,” while the latter war is still viewed
today as the nation’s worst military defeat. WWII veterans returned to tickertape parades, while
Vietnam veterans were often met with scorn – and not always from younger Americans. It has
taken almost fifty years for some Vietnam veterans to receive their due. Compare the two
conflicts, charting how and why the U.S. became involved in these foreign wars. Provide at least
3 turning points in America’s involvement in each war? What were the highest and lowest
points of support for WWII and Vietnam? Address how American citizens expressed their
support or opposition to each conflict. How did the generation gap factor into these differences?