The US officers and soldiers who fought the Vietnam War did so on battlefields that were very different from the ones many American GIs faced in WWII. In the Second World War, as we discussed it, often large conventional forces clashed on the open plains of Europe, the deserts of North Africa, and the jungles of the Pacific theater. Frederick Downs, Jr., in The Killing Zone, describes a different kind of war in Vietnam. Write an essay that explains the nature of battle as he typically experienced it, as well as four of the major problems that he and his men commonly faced. What toll did this war take on him, both mentally and physically?
This paper should be 1100 to 1400 words in length (no more or less) and double spaced.
It must be submitted online (through Canvas) as a Word document by the beginning of class on the date specified below. Papers turned in after the deadline will be considered late and penalized accordingly. Late papers will earn no more than 70 if turned within a week of the due date and a 60 if more than a week late. I will not accept any late papers after our last class meeting before the final exam.
Proofread! Papers that obviously have not been proofread or contain numerous careless errors will be returned ungraded and then assessed the appropriate late penalty when resubmitted.
All assignments must include the word count for the body of the paper, page numbers, and a full citation for the book at the top of the first page. Use the Chicago Manual of Style (Links to an external site.) for the proper format (or see the books listed on the syllabus, which are correctly formatted). A bibliography is not needed, unless students draw from works other than the one assigned.
