The Hawk    

We support the war to save the American way of life from the communist tyrants. If we allow the communist countries to win in Vietnam they will continue on and on, until they eventually reach our shores. We cannot allow this to happen. We must stop the Red’s in their tracks. We must continue to fight in Vietnam and see it to the end. The domino effect mustn’t be permitted to happen. We believe that an American presence must be maintained in Vietnam.

In 1961 President Kennedy  send the military advisers to train South Vietanemese troops. Vietcong guerillas relied on large tunnel networks to hide from American forces and launch surprise attacks against the American forces. The Vietcong were resupplied with weapons, food, and fighters along the Ho  Chi Minh Trail.

By the end of 1965, there were 184,300 U.S. troops in Vietnam and only 636 American soldiers had died in the war. The leaders of North Vietnam and the Vietcong remained convinced that if they could avoid loosing the war, the Americans would eventually leave. Ho Chi Minh's military doctrine hinged

on fightingonly when victory was assured which meant never fighting on his opponent's term. (Doctrine- teachings)

Letter From Home By John Michael Montgomery

My Dear Son, it is almost June,

I hope this letter catches up to you, and finds you well

Its been dry but they’re calling for rain,

And everything's the same ol’ same in Johnsonville

Your stubborn 'ol Daddy ain’t said too much,

But I’m sure you know he sends his love,

And she goes on,

In a letter from home

I hold it up and show my buddies,

Like we ain’t scared and our boots ain’t muddy, and they all laugh,

Like there’s something funny bout’ the way I talk,

When I say: "Mama sends her best y’all"

I fold it up an' put it in my shirt,

Pick up my gun an' get back to work

An' it keeps me driving me on,

Waiting on letters from home

My Dearest Love, its almost dawn

I’ve been lying here all night long wondering where you might be

I saw your Mama and I showed her the ring

Man on the television said something so I couldn’t sleep

But I’ll be all right, I’m just missing you

An' this is me kissing you

XX’s and OO’s,

In a letter from home

I hold it up and show my buddies,

Like we ain’t scared and our boots ain’t muddy, and they all laugh,

'Cause she calls me "Honey", but they take it hard,

'Cause I don’t read the good parts

I fold it up an' put it in my shirt,

Pick up my gun an' get back to work

An' it keeps me driving me on,

Waiting on letters from home

Dear Son, I know I ain’t written,

But sittin' here tonight, alone in the kitchen, it occurs to me,

I might not have said, so I’ll say it now

Son, you make me proud

I hold it up and show my buddies,

Like we ain’t scared and our boots ain’t muddy, but no one laughs,

'Cause there ain’t nothing funny when a soldier cries

An' I just wipe me eyes

I fold it up an' put it in my shirt,

Pick up my gun an' get back to work

An' it keeps me driving me on,

Waiting on letters from home