Abdul Haq

Ms. Johnson
English 10 H
9 May 2011
Period 5
Team 8
Board Discussion # 3
The three stories The War Escalates, Dear Folks, and Declaration of Independence from
the War of Vietnam all revolve around the Vietnam War. Soldiers in each story were to serve, to
protect and to fight for justice and to fight to be equal. The universal concept for the soldier is to
kill thy enemy. Secondary and primary sources can be seen though the bias eye and may be
thought as accurate or wrong. Even though some may argue that the primary source can be false
and biased. Similarly one can see with all three short stories connection with Tim O’Brien and
his story “Where Have You Gone Charming Billy?”
In the secondary presence of The War Escalates, the reader can see the different events
from the Vietnam War. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution was when Secretary of Defense Robert S.
McNamara advised the U.S military of their commitment for prevention of a Communist win.
The Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution which gave the president to take “all necessary
measures” (Holt 634). There were U.S Forces in Vietnam and the troops were made up of more
than 2 million Americans. “The most vivid images of the war show soldiers facing the hardships
and terrors of battle. Some confronted the enemy in well-defined battles in the highlands” (Holt
636). They were describing the affects from the secondary perspectives since they were not there
at the actual event. The reader assumes the credibility that the story could have some flaws but
overall trusts enough to use as a source.
In Dear Folks by Kenneth W. Bagby wrote a letter to his parents of the perilous event in
Vietnam. The letter indicates in the beginning there were people dying around him. Then he
discusses how he helps in rescuing his fellow soldiers. He then states close to the end of the letter
that “I sat beside a tree and looked at it, and hoped I would never see the day it would be torn
down and destroyed” (Bagby 638). He was depicting on whether that war was going to be the
end of the world or not. Thus one can see that a primary person has a different view during their
pieces of literature. Even though one can see how credible the person is writing in their point of
view.
In the Declaration of Independence from the War in Vietnam by Martin Luther King is
seen through his speech on the U.S’s involvement with Vietnam. As throughout the speech he is
getting through by saying that we should not be involved in the war. He discusses reasons one by
one with how its destructive to Vietnam, manipulative of its people, and considerate of its
soldiers. As said in his speech, “If we do not act…shameful corridors of time reserved for those
who possess power without compassion, might without morality and strength without sight” (Jr.
639). Martin Luther King, a credible source, has been getting to the nation to see his plea of help
and reason.
All three short stories have been seen showing the examples, actual events, speeches that
have been seen with this one common story of Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy? The
story revolves around Private Paul on his time during the Vietnam War. All the soldiers were
seen as “Ag-ile, mo-bile, hos-tile” (O’Brien 621). These three stories were either primary or
secondary sources. These stores are credible sources that can be trusted for future use.