Ho Chi Minh, a communist Vietnamese revolutionary leader, returned to North Vietnam in 1959. This started the Vietnam War, which lasted from 1959 - 1973 when the U.S finally withdrew. More than 3 million people were killed; half were Vietnamese civilians. About 58,000 Americans were killed and over 300,000 American soldiers were injured. (Vietnam War Statistics). Ho Chi Minh's goal was to establish the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and to rid Vietnam of French and Japanese occupiers. The French were not willing to give up their colonies easily. This started a war between the French and Vietnamese. For years, Ho Chi Minh tried to get the U.S to help him but the U.S stood strong with its Cold War foreign policy of containment, which meant preventing the spread of Communism. Ho Chi Minh tried to give the U.S military intelligence on Japan but the U.S still denied him. As the fighting between the Viet Cong and the South Vietnamese continued, the U.S. sent additional advisers to help South Vietnam. When the North Vietnamese fired directly upon two U.S. ships in international waters, on August 2 and 4, 1964, the United States created the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This resolution gave President Johnson the authority to act on further involvement. In March of 1965, President Johnson sent the first troops to Vietnam. (The History of the Vietnam War). In 1968, my grandfather was drafted, trained, shot, and discharged. The story of my grandfather's survival follows.
Russell E. Sherman was nineteen years old when he was drafted into the military. He was stationed for eight weeks in Fort Jackson, Columbia to complete basic training. His day started with a five a.m. run. When he got back to his barracks he was expected to start cleaning, even though no amount of cleaning would ever be able to satisfy the Drill Sargent. The routine after the platoon got done running was that they had to clean their boots so that they could go out and march but once you were done marching you had to clean your boots once again just to complete other drills.
I feel that this is especially true with regard to my grandfather, who recently passed away. ... My grandfather was a strong, courageous fighter. ... When my grandfather married my grandmother, he also took on the responsibility of raising four teenagers. ... Diagnostic tests confirmed that my grandfather had Stage IV aggressive lymphoma. ... My grandfather became so weak that he could not eat or talk. ...
As they entered the hospital, my grandfather felt very dizzy. ... This was the case for my grandfather. ... My grandfather was unconscious the whole time. ... My grandfather's brain was injured irreversibly. ... Bryn Mawr brought my grandfather back. ...
This has painted my life with different hues than others. The commitment to give back to one's country began with my grandfather, Owen Paul, Texas A&M class of 41 and corp. member. ... Likewise my father chose to fight for our country in another war. ... His war stories have been included in several other books on Vietnam. ... Besides my grandfather, my cousin Max G, class of 98 and my older sister, Janet B, class of 04 made A&M their home. ...
The Last Holiday I Shared With My Grandfather In April, of 1987, was the last holiday I was to share with my grandfather. ... I was only one years old at the time, but by the way my grandmother reveals this story, I feel as if can remember seeing the warm smile that my grandfather wore upon his face. ... My grandmother tells me that she didn't quite understand what he meant at the time, but six months later on November,11,1987, my grandfather passed away from a bleeding ulcer. ... Even though I never held a real conversation with him and was only one years old when he died, my grand...
My Grandfather Oster's parents (my great-grandparents) came to the U.S. in early 1900's and settled in upstate New York. ... They met on the boat to Ellis Island, and since my Great-Grandfather Oster was a very smart man, he had learned to speak some English in college. ... This was started when my Great-Grandfather Oster became a dentist, and passed the business down to his oldest son, Jack, my grandfather. ... Most of my grandfather's ancestors were born in America, although the first settlers were English and Dutch. My ancestors on my Grandfather Chamberlins side were some ...
This quote by Steven Grellet is framed in a plaque on the wall of my late grandfather's bedroom. These words represented importance to my grandfather, Marcus Balll, because this was the way he lived his life. ... My grandfather's legacy of kindness and honesty toward others makes me proud to be his grandaughter. Even now that two years have passed, there isn't a day that goes by that I dont' think of the wonderful gifts and amazing acts my grandfather did that will help me along my journey through life. ... He is a true hero for me, my grandfa...
My uncle Raul, told me stories about their childhood in Mexico, and of the time when my grandfather bought the land that they own now. After listening to all of my uncle Raul's stories, I asked my aunt Antonia if she could show me the land that my uncle was referring to. ... Both my uncle and my grandfather told me the story of when my grandpa first bought his ranch. ... The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the field was my grandfather's story. ... My grandfather discovered it a very long time ago. ...
I called a few of my close friends to help me set-up my house. ... The officer arrested me, put me in handcuffs, and took me to their headquarters in Medina, while my friends drive my car back to my house only to wait for my parents to return to find out I had been arrested. ... Fortunately, my friend Zack was sober to drive the car back to my house. ... All I really remember was blowing into a large breathalyzer machine at the Medina headquarters and my grandfather and dad coming to pick me up. ... I cleaned up my act and changed my ways for the better. ...
How to start a story that has no beginning or end? ... Like many parents before mine, and many who do the same for their children after my passage through this world is over, my story is no different from any other story of a boy who grew up in a distant country in South America during a military dictatorship, and a father recently retired after a long and successful military career. ... My grandfather, Antonio, who I never had the opportunity to meet and with whom everyone said I shared a great physical resemblance, died when I was still a baby. ... As my mother always said that my father wa...
