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On Teaching High School Students About the Vietnam War

By Joan Davis

One of my students from last year ran up to me in the hall and asked excitedly, "Ms. Davis, did you see the story about Hugh Thompson in the newspaper?" This made my day. Not only did he remember our unit on Vietnam and the mock trial we did about My Lai, but he was excited to see the recognition, although belated, that a real Vietnam veteran hero deserved. Learning about Vietnam made a difference to him and his understanding of our country's history.

I have taught United States history for ten years in a Chicago suburban high school. Though the community is a predominantly white, conservative town, I have been fortunate to work in a progressive social studies department that has given me great freedom to teach what I feel is important using my preferred method of instruction. As a Sixties activist and veteran of the antiwar movement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I clearly believed when I started teaching that Vietnam must be taught thoroughly and that certain lessons from that war must be shared with my students. I tell this to my students at the beginning of the unit so that they understand my perspective from the start. Social studies teachers - and all teachers - should share their beliefs with their students and not pretend to be teaching some supposedly "objective" history. All teachers have a point of view. Our textbooks and other resources we choose to incorporate in our courses are not ideologically neutral. On the other hand, we should not be afraid to expose our students to alternative views as they struggle to develop their own understanding of history.

Over the past ten years certain aspects of teaching about Vietnam have changed, while others have remained the same. Students are still extremely interested in learning about Vietnam. This is especially helpful since many students consider required US history to be one of their worst courses, having suffered through watered-down US history classes in the earlier grades. Students still come into the class with a lack of information or a great deal of misinformation concerning Vietnam. Students still have relatives who were involved in some way with Vietnam, although in ten years it is starting to become ancient history to students who have a very short historical perspective. What has changed is that students no longer come in with a strong anti-communist bias. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, students today have only a vague understanding of the Cold War ideology that permeated the interpretation of history. This makes teaching the war somewhat easier because there are fewer preconceptions of what this conflict was about.

Teaching Vietnam needs to be put in a broader perspective, and I feel that the topical approach to history that I use helps. Students have been exposed to US history in the earlier grades, and rather than creating a course that seems to be a repeat of what they already have been taught, I use a thematic approach. Through earlier units students have already been exposed to the concept that much of what is good about this country has come from people assembling to demand their fair share of the so-called American Dream. Through a study of Native American issues, the labor movement and the civil rights movement, students have an understanding that, by the 1960s, people were demanding that their government fulfill its mission of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" for all its people. They are somewhat aware that during this tumultuous time the Vietnam conflict broke out and made people even fight even harder.

I find that a minimum of three weeks is needed to teach Vietnam in any depth. Teachers may not have the freedom to spend this much time on Vietnam, but, based on my experience, I think there is far more freedom than many teachers assume - especially new teachers. Generally, there is an assigned textbook and a general outline of content, but within the four walls of a classroom very few eyes are watching what you do. If students are learning and positive feedback is being received, teachers must take the risk of teaching what needs to be taught, and clearly that is Vietnam. If teachers look critically at what is taught in the course of the year, most will be able to find areas where material can be omitted. Within the context of Vietnam, many lessons can be incorporated that address broader US history issues. I strongly feel that less than three weeks can give students a taste of the conflict, but one which will not remain with them for very long.

What can be covered in just three weeks? There are thousands of resources to use in teaching Vietnam. If a teacher has had little study of this period, I would recommend Marilyn Young's The Vietnam Wars. Although it is fairly dense, it is extremely readable and full of material that could be excerpted for the classroom. The chapter on Vietnam in Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States is an excellent summary to start with to get an overall perspective (and highly praised in the very popular movie "Good Will Hunting"). Clearly, the better-educated the teacher, the better the instruction will be. The assigned textbook may or may not be helpful. We recently adopted The American Odyssey (written by Gary Nash), and its chapters on Vietnam are excellent.

Apart from the necessary written information, Vietnam must come alive to the students. This can be done by using excerpts from the PBS multi-volume documentary, "The Vietnam War." Joe McDonald's (of Country Joe and the Fish) "The Vietnam Experience" is a 30-minute music video that works as a great opener to the unit, combining footage of the conflict here and abroad with powerful music. "The War at Home" documents the antiwar movement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison while incorporating it within a broader perspective. Feature films certainly are effective, but it is often difficult to decide which to use. I have found that "Platoon" works well in the classroom and raises many of the important questions that students need to discuss. Outside assignments such as book reports or movie reviews are also a way to increase information without taking time from class.

I also involve students in a mock trial of My Lai to determine the guilt or innocence of Lieutenant Calley. This activity culminates with a viewing of the documentary "Remember My Lai." As mentioned previously, when Hugh Thompson was recently awarded the Soldier's Medal several of my former students were really excited and knew why he deserved it. Students can also be encouraged to raise money for the My Lai Peace Park and to realize that activism is still very much needed today. If there is a Vietnamese community nearby, ties with that community could be developed.

The most important teaching tools have been the personal accounts of veterans and activists who have come to school and shared their stories. I have worked with several teachers to do a full day in-school field trip (we call it a "teach-in") in which we brought in speakers to tell their stories. Since I am a member of VVAW, I am fortunate to have personal contacts with excellent speakers, but don't be afraid to access your students' resources. Often fathers or other relatives are willing to come in and seldom do they paint an untrue picture of the conflict. Of course there are always people with their own agendas, but those people are becoming fewer and fewer. People might not have a developed political perspective, but if their stories are honest they are always very powerful. Including interview assignments is another way to encourage that stories are shared. I invariably have students who did not know their fathers were in Vietnam until they asked. With distance from the conflict, some are now ready to share their experiences with their children.

If a variety of resources are used, teaching about Vietnam will be exciting to your students. There is one problem to be aware of, especially when young people today are so cynical about the world, and especially about our government. As they learn about the dishonesty of the US government in developing its aggression against Vietnam, and its dishonorable dealings with protesters and veterans, this cynicism can be increased. This is not what we as social studies teachers want to see happen. Emphasis must be placed on the courageous actions of the Vietnamese people and those at home who protested the unfair policies. This long and determined struggle helped change the course of history. This emphasis will hopefully serve to combat cynicism and increase students' desire to be part of changing what is still wrong with this country's uneven record in affording a just and fair society to all. Teaching about Vietnam will hopefully empower students to realize that they can do something useful. They may rethink their career choices and/or link up with other young people to work around issues in their community. While not all students will take up the call, none will if there is not an attempt to teach them what they can do to make a difference.

Joan Davis is a high school teacher and member of the Chicago chapter of VVAW.

Veterans' Day, Chicago, 1977.