CHAIN OF HEARTS - Research topics

Research the following topics and post the information on your blogs . You may use dot points or paragraphs to address the following:

VIETNAM WAR - when it occurred, who was involved,Australia's involvement , protest movement in Australia, call of conscription, Public treatment of vets once returned from the war and the ongoing health problems of the vets.

When it occurred: The Vietnam War was the longest major conflict in which Australians have been involved; it lasted ten years, from 1962 to 1972, and involved some 60,000 personnel.

Protest movement in Australia: In the early years Australia’s participation in the war was not widely opposed. But as the commitment grew, as conscripts began to make up a large percentage of those being deployed and killed, and as the public increasingly came to believe that the war was being lost, opposition grew until, in the early 1970s, more than 200,000 people marched in the streets of Australia’s major cities in protest.

Call of conscription: In 1962, after requests from the US and the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), Australia had sent in the first 30 military advisors to assist with the training of the RVN Army.
By 1964, it was clear that the South Vietnamese forces would be beaten by the combined efforts of the Viet Cong and North Vietnam. So therefore, Australia upped its advisors to 60. In 1965, the number rose to 100. Conscription had been re-introduced to Australia in November 1964.

It was called the National Service Scheme and required all men to register when they turned 20. Each year certain dates were drawn and those whose birthdays were on that date (and who passed the medical and educational tests) had to serve in the army for two years. Anyone who did not fulfil their National Service obligations without a good reason could be fined or imprisoned.Australia's troop numbers kept climbing, as did the budget. The war in Vietnam eventually took 520 lives, wounded over 2000 more men and cost $200 million. By 1969, in line with American policy, Australia began scaling down its presence in Vietnam, although the last Australian soldier would not leave until 1971.

Public treatment of vets: Many of the young soldiers that came back home came back with not only broken bodies, but broken minds and were met with ridicule; people spitting at them for being 'baby killers'; not being able to find work; their own government turned their backs on them and many never got the medical or psychological care they deserved.

Ongoing health problems of the vets:

These include shrapnel and gunshot wounds, head injuries and lost limbs. Some service members might also have health problems from exposure to environmental hazards, such as contaminated water, chemicals and infections. There was also mental health problems, too. These include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse.

Vietnamese boat people -who were they, where did they come from and why, how they were received by Australians, experiences of the early boat people.

Who were they:The ‘Boat People of Vietnam’ seemed to encapsulate all the suffering Vietnam had suffered from 1965 to 1975. Despite the end of the Vietnam War tragedy for the people of Vietnam continued into 1978-79. The term ‘Boat People’ not only applies to the refugees who fled Vietnam but also to the people of Cambodia and Laos who did the same but tend to come under the same umbrella term. The term ‘Vietnamese Boat People’ tends to be associated with only those in the former South who fled the new Communist government.

Where did they come from and why: Because traditional freedoms were few in Vietnam, it has been estimated that 65,000 Vietnamese were executed after the end of the war with 1 million being sent to prison/re-education camps where an estimated 165,000 died. Therefore; many took the drastic decision to leave the country – an illegal act under the communist government. As an air flight out of Vietnam was out of the question, many took to makeshift boats in an effort to flee to start a new life elsewhere. Alternately, fishing boats were utilised. Thihs idea was highly dangereous. No one can be sure how many people took the decision to flee, nor are there any definitive casualty figures. However, the number who attempted to flee has been put as high as 1.5 million. Estimates for deaths vary from 50,000 to 200,000.

How they were received by Australians: Because Australia is one of the closest non communist land masses, many boats did arrive to Australia. The Americans and Australians did try to get as many people as possible out, but many were left behind. In the last weeks there was also an operation known as 'Baby Lift', which involved taking Vietnamese orphans out of the country and bringing them to families in Australia and America for adoption. A few thousand of the many thousands of orphaned children were rescued in this way.Over 50 boats managed to make it all the way to Australia's northern shoreline in April 1976 and around 2000 people from those boats claimed refugee status in Australia and asked for asylum

Experiences of the early boat people:

A boatperson's story of deprivation and determination to find another homeland.

"One day my father told us to try to leave Vietnam and we started planning for that. Ever since my life has had a big change. All my brothers escaped one at a time, all except me. I was unlucky, I had escaped seven times and I was jailed two times. The first time was for six months, the second time was for one year and I paid corruption money to get out of jail. Despite the fact, that my escape was a failure, but I did not give up or get weary." It then goes on about how the person had finally escaped the country. The person then talks about the life on a boat, "When we had been out to sea for about ten hours, the engine had broke down. We did not have any sails or paddles to keep the boat going, so the boat kept moving without any control or guidance. The food was scarce and can only last for two days. The third day we jus drank water when it rained.We were desperate and exhausted. Suddenly on the seventh day at night, my boat came to shore." The stories are all an emotional tale of their life which needs to be told; to show the desperation and fear they had, but also; of the hope that they dreamed of starting new again.

What is the White Australia Policy? The white australia policy was introduced in 1901, when Federation was also introduced. in that year, Edmund Barton was Australia's first prime minister. The policy favoured applicants from certain countries. this means that Australia did not allow all migrants from entering the country, especially the Asians. the main reason the act was introduced is that the European Australians was worried that they will lose their jobs to the more experienced labourers- the Chinese. the act was later abolished and then there was the Migration Act. this act was the opposite of the white australia policy. entry system had replaced the dictation test- in which when migrants wanted to enter australia, they have to recite 50 words in any European language.

Homework

- After viewing these pictures, discuss how photo journalism can affect the way in which an event is viewed by the public. After viewing the photos that were taken at the time, it really shows the public at the time; the harsh realities of war. Many would be shocked and wouldn't even think that the events in war would be like that. Due to the sort of fighting style, the war was very scary and harsh, not what the public at the time would think. In addition, the photos were very dramatic and they were captured during a particular event; such as the one of the man burning himself; due to his strong beliefs of how wrong war is, shows a photo during that event, which makes everything much more shocking.
- In particular, reflect on how these photos directly affected your personal understanding of Vietnam. Refer to the power point presentation and also the song, i was only nineteen, in your response. In particular, the photos gave me a personal understanding of Vietnam war as being a horrible event in the world's history that should never ever repeat itself. My understanding of the Vietnam war is that people obviously did not understand that the outcome of this war would be so harsh and fatal. The outcome of the war didn't really achieve much, which was a high number of deaths and the introduction of communism, which isn't even a good thing anyways. Also, many people that weren't even involved in the war, (the public), were also distressed and upset and even protested to make it stop and let there be peace. But even due to this, many got hurt or even shot for standing up for what they believe in and protesting on the streets. One man in particular in Vietname, burnt himself alive. He was a monk, and had a strong belief for the wrongness of the war, and as a result burnt himself on the streets, with many watching. This definitely showed how many people had strong opinions that needed to be heard. Also, my understandin of the Vietnam war, is that it was a very horrific war. As it included many war instruments, such as, grenades, M15's, helicopters, large crates of amunition, special gases which would burn the skin, mines etc. The song, "I was only nineteen", expresses the shock of how his mate kicked a landmine and as a result, blew up into pieces. It was much more horrific than the other wars in the past. One picture in particular, is the photo of 3 kids running away from the gas that burnt your skin and clothes. In the photo, there is a little girl who was naked, due to her clothes being burnt off. The look of horror and fright is very visible on their faces, and also visible on everyone's faces in every photo.

10P English- War Poetry Exercise

Men in Green Poem

Oh, there were fifteen men in green,
Each with a tommy-gun,
Who leapt into my plane at dawn;
We rose to meet the sun.

We set our course towards the east
And climbed into the day
Till the ribbed jungle underneath
Like a giant fossil lay.

We climbed towards the distant range,
Where two white paws of cloud
Clutched at the shoulders of the pass;
The green men laughed aloud.

They did not fear the ape-like cloud
That climbed the mountain crest
And hung from ropes invisible
With lightning in its breast.

They did not fear the summer's sun
In whose hot centre lie
A hundred hissing cannon shells
For the unwatchful eye.

And when on Dobadura's field
We landed, each man raised
His thumb towards the open sky;
But to their right I gazed.

For fifteen men in jungle green
Rose from the kunai grass
And came towards the plane. My men
In silence watched them pass;
It seemed they looked upon themselves
In Times's prophetic glass.

Oh, there were some leaned on a stick
And some on stretchers lay,
But few walked on their own two feet
In the early green of day.

(They did not heed the ape-like cloud
That climbed the mountain crest;
They did not fear the summer sun
With bullets for their breast.)

Their eyes were bright, their looks were dull;
Their skin had turned to clay.
Nature had meet them in the night
And stalked them in the day.

And I think still of men in green
On the Soputa track,
With fifteen spitting tommy-guns
To keep the jungle back.

David Campbell

The Man He Killed Poem

Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have set us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!

But ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.

I shot him dead because--
Because he was my foe,
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although

He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like--just as I--
Was out of work--had sold his traps--
No other reason why.

Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat, if met where any bar is,
Or help to half a crown.

Thomas Hardy

For the poem, The Man He Killed

1. Find out when each of the poems was written and which war they are discussing? The poem by Thomas Hardy was written in approximately 1905, shortly after the end of the Boer War, it could've been about a real soldier in the war or just a tale to discuss the point.

<----Men who fought in the Boer War.
2. What aspect of war is each poem exploring? Discuss the subject matter of each poem. In the poem, The Man He Killed, the subject matter is about the uselessness of war. It explores the aspect of; how harsh and unfair war is to the people involved in it. The poem explores the fact that a man killed another man in war, just simply because they were foes and fighting on opposing sides.
3. Discuss the tone/ feelings and emotions conveyed by each poet in their poem. Thomas Hardy, really makes the reader feel sympathetic to the character, and also a sense of uneasiness because of the fact that this young man had killed another man. In addition; there is feelings of regret in the poem because of the main character having to kill the man. In stanza three, Hardy is thinking about why he actually did kill the man. He is trying to convince himself that what he had done was going to happen anyways. Stanza three finishes with the word, "although," which tells the reader that the character is not at ease of what he has done.
4. Identify 3 poetic devices used in each poem and explain their effect in conveying the poets message about war and conflict. Thomas Hardy has used many poetic techniques in this poem, and three of those include; a rhyme/rhyming scheme, repetition and a point of view. First of all, the rhyme scheme. The rhyming scheme in this poem, is (a), (b), (a), (b). An example is in the first stanza,
"Had he and i but met (a)
By some old ancient inn, (b)
We should have set us down to wet (a)
Right many a nipperkin!" (b)
This means that the last word of the first line rhymes with the last word of the 3rd line. (They are both (a)) In addition, the last word of the second line rhymes with the last word of the 4 th line, (both (b)). Rhyme is a sonic device; which plainly means that they are figures of speech and their effect is that is makes the poem sound interesting. Rhyme/rhyming scheme, conveys the poets message about war and conflict, as it makes the reader more engrossed into the poem, and it gives it a sort of beat that makes the reader on their toes and in the feel of the war. Repetition is used quite alot in the poem and especially in the third stanza. The effect fo repetition is that; it drives the point and it emphasises what the poet is trying to say. An example, is seen in the third stanza,
"I shot him dead because--
Because he was my foe,
Just so: my foe ofcourse he was;..."
Above it is seen, that the repetition of the word, "because," makes the reader feel that the main character is really tring to figure out a good reason as to why he did shoot the man. It emphasises on the word, "because," and it makes him think, but the plain reason that he did shoot the man, was simply because he was his enemy. It conveys the poets message abut war; as the soldiers don't really have a chance to think or do what they want; they have to follow orders; and those orders are that they have to kill their enemies. The repetition really makes the reader think, and to see that the goal to win war is to kill innocent young men that are simply like they are.
The point of view in the poem, The Man He Killed, is in the first person; as the character of the poem is telling it from his own perspective. His point of view is seen throughout the whole poem. An example is seen on the first line of the first stanza,
"Had he and I but met..."
The effect of the first point of view, is that it allows the reader to feel a very close connection towards the character. This technique conveys the poets message as, it shows how one man has had the feeling of regret and anger of killing an innocent man and how useless war is through his perspective, and imagine how many millions of of other people felt the same uselessness of war.

For the poem, Men in Green

1. Find out when each of the poems was written and which war are they discussing? Men in Green, was first published in 1943, by David Campbell who was in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in Papua New Guinea.
2. What aspect of war is each poem exploring? Discuss the subject matter of each poem. The poem is exploring the devastation of war and how it emotionally and physically can damage a person that is involved in war. Although; there is a lighter and positive sense of view at the start of how brave and courageous these young soldiers are; there is a sense of devastation toward the end; however, the soldiers are still seen as very heroic.
3. Discuss the tone/ feelings and emotions conveyed by each poet in their poem. David Campbell, really expresses his deepest and darkest feelings of his experience. The tone is very sympathetic, quite horrific,friendship, sadness and you sense the feeling of bravery. An example of the bravery in the poem,
"...The green men laughed aloud.
They did not fear the ape-like cloud..."
As you can see; the words, "laughed," and "...they did not fear..." really tells the reader that these men were ready to do their best for their country and they also found humour and tried to see the lighter side of things. However, the sadness does show towards the end of the poem; as the reality of war hits in, and the soldiers were injured, but their eyes still showed a sense of hope and courage, but also fear and other dark places.
"...there were some leaned on a stick
And some on stretchers lay,
But few walked on their own two feet..."

4. Identify 3 poetic devices used in each poem and explain their effect in conveying the poets message about war and conflict. David Campbell has used many great poetic devices; but three that i have chosen are; personification, aliteration and a point of view.
Personification is visible through out most of the poem. An example is,
"They did not fear the ape-like cloud
That climbed the mountain crest..." and,

"We climbed towards the distant range,
Where two white paws of cloud
Clutched at the shoulders of the pass;"
As you can see with these examples, Campbell has given an inaminate object with a human trait, as seen with the first example. The cloud (inaminate object) cannot literally climb a mounatin crest; however; it gives you a picture of a cloud climbing or ascending over the mountain crest. The effect of personification, is that it makes it more dramatic and interesting. It also helps the reader relate more to the object/idea that is being personified because it is easier for humans to relate to something with human qualities. This technique conveys the poets message; as it helps you visualise the situation that the men were in and what their surrounding were like; it makes the reader more sympathetic of the view of war during that time.
Another poetic device is; alliteration. An example of this poetic device in the poem is,
"A hundred hissing cannon shells..." and

"With bullets for their breast..."
The top example, shows the repetition of a consonant sound, "hundred and hissing,". The effect of alliteration is that it helps to convey imagery, makes a line more memorable and gives the effect the poet intended such as; sad, loud, happy etc. In this case; it conveys an image of hundreds of heckling/loud/disturbing cannon shells, and it gives a mood of a sort of unpleasurable mood that is quite horrific and scary. This device conveys the poets message; as some of the alliteration examples may be a nice and pleasant feeling or image, but, in this poem, the alliteration really is unpleasant and disturbing, which is probably what David Campbell was trying to achieve. He isn't promoting war, he is trying to demote war and violence.

Lastly, there is the point of view, which is interesting because this poem is told by David Campbell (the writer of the poem). He was obviously involved in the war and in the RAAF, and he has had first hand experience of the war life. This poem is told from the first person point of view; and that gives the reader the absolute certainty that everything told in this poem is nothign but the truth and reality of war. Readers can really connect with Campbell, and it almost makes the reader feel that they are in his situation and in his poem. Also; it helps the reader see war through someone's eyes that has been involved in the war. An example of how this poem is used in the first person's point of view is,
"And i think still of men in green..." and,

"But to their right i gazed..."
Using the word, "I," really shows that HE has experienced all of what is written in the poem. This technique conveys the poets message, as it gives first hand experience of how horrible war is and how it drains the life out of bright young men.

5. Which poem do you think is most effective in conveying the ideas and feelings associated with war ? Explain your choice with direct refernces to the text. I think the poem, Men in Green, by David Campbell, is most effective in conveying the ideas and feelings associated with war. I chose Campbell's poem as i felt a deeper connection with the writer; as it was what he saw through his own eyes and his experience of war. He really shows the brightest and darkest sides of war. His creative words and different poetic devices really help the reader in being in that situation and seeing the surroudings through his eyes. There is great imagery and deep words which really gives the message about war. His idea of war is that it isn't something you want to go through and experience. He explains that even HE still has memories of the men and even probably has nightmares of how horrific his experience was. However; there is still a kind of light mood to the poem, as he writes of how heroic and how their mateship was strong, which is something that helped the soldiers get through the days. An example of how Campbell really uses imagery to show the horrific views that he saw is,
"Their eyes were bright, their looks were dull;
Their skin had turned to clay.
Nature had meet them in the night
And stalked them in the day."


David Campbell