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1. My draft numbers were 009, 091, and 018. I most likely would have been drafted early, but luckily I was not even close to being born or even thought about. My grandfather served in the Navy and was also in Vietnam, but he was already in the military after the war had started, so he was not drafted.
2. After looking at the Vietnam casualties I realized that there were a lot more deaths than I realized or from what I learned before. With the list so high I imagine all of the wars after Vietnam were handled in a different way and taken more seriously, with the thought of possibly losing that many people again.

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1) My draft numbers were 173 (1971) / 072 (1972) / 110 (1973). Given this data, I feel my "lucky" year would have been 1972. Thank goodness I was only 3 years old. However, my dad was born in 1951 and according to this chart his draft lottery number was 241 in 1971. I've often wondered why he wasn't drafted, but now I know.

2.) What stood out the most to me about the casualty figures was how Civil Rights leaders attempted to use the deaths of minorities as propaganda for their cause. In studying the casualty lists, 49,830 white Soldiers died or were injured during this conflict. That figure is 41,440 more casualties than all other races combined. I could not agree more with the argument against minorities fighting for an oppressive society, but to say their sacrifice was greater??! Numbers don't lie. [Rickey, but proportionately there were greater minorities serving and dying. Raw numbers don't tell the whole story.] Dr. Hudson

3.) Caputo left Vietnam, but Vietnam never left him. He carried the unseen scars and guilt from the war for many years. His therapy being his writing of "A Rumor of War". Caputo had lost his innocence in Vietnam, and had joined the Marines to do something worthwhile with his life. After the defeat Caputo's soul had an empty space that only the telling of his story could fill. America had grown during the war. Just as Caputo's quote from an American diplomat as they were being rescued form Saigon, "It's over. It's the end. I guess it had to end some way...The end of an era.", America had reached her era of innocence. The 1960's were the labor pains that gave birth to a new nation that is radically different from pre-1969.

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1. I would have been drafted early in 1970, and it would have been among some high causality units. I imagine if I had survived, the nightmares would have consumed me, or I would have opened a consignment shop that only sold antique lamps.

2. With the casualty rates so high, I could only imagine what training in a later year might have been like, after hearing of multiple ambushing and entire companies being killed. Friendly fire would have really troubled me, as it was something that could very well happen. I imagine the number of suicides would have confused me into a morbid paralysis, in awe of how terrible it must have been, if suicide was the better option. The constant stress would have slowly become more and more unbearable; I would have been wise to start developing a coping mechanism, such as joking about opening a consignment shop after the war.

3. Caputo wraps up his memoir with a parallel message. In the beginning of the memoir he mentions how he goes into the Vietnam War with something to prove. At the end of the war he tells us he no longer felt he needed to prove himself, because he had a wife and two children. He then also chooses to include how a reporter had spoken to him saying, “it’s the end of an era.” This implies to me, that Caputo felt that the United States entered a pivotal moment in which the United States Government could enter a period of military reform and foreign policy reform.

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Using the charts from 1971, 1972, and 1973, find your birthday and then find your lottery number. Do you think you would have been drafted to serve in Vietnam? 1970: 049 1971: 157 1972: 131. It looks like I would have been drafted in 1970 than in the other years. With a number of 49, I would have been selected to serve in Vietnam.
2. Take a look at the website on Vietnam casualties and make some observation after exploring this data. I would say the most surprising statistic was the number of deaths reported as "Accidents". I can understand the killed in action or even to wounds, but so many soldiers dying due to accidents is more tragic. The overwhelming number of deaths in South Vietnam is staggering, it shows the complete failure of the United States in defending its ally as the North Vietnamese would not surrender or give ground. The 10,000 Non-hostile deaths due to the conflict in Vietnam is a saddening reminder of the brutality of war and what horrendous acts of violence a human being can afflict on another human being. The wide gap between male and female deaths in Vietnam is representative of the "Social Norms" of the day. The disparity between the deaths of enlisted men when compared to officers shows that those of higher ranks in the military were "Valued" higher than enlisted men as they could be easily replaced by more drafts and "Lotteries".
3. What insight do you take away from Caputo’s epilogue and postscript? Caputo has nothing left to prove, he was older and had a family to take care of, getting back home, returning to "normalcy". All of the ideals and honorific spoils of war were long gone, war is hell, not a place to prove one's self. Caputo's twisted notion that war was romantic was shattered, after the deaths of so many of his friends and innocent civilians, Caputo learned the harsh reality that war, in its purist form is hell. The notion that this was the first war in which America lost, seems to weight heavy on Caputo's mind. The eventual spiral into drugs sprung from the success of his Book, but as Caputo stated, "I did not write A Rumor of War as a form of therapy . . . Writing it was a trial; living with its publication an ordeal." (Caputo 352)

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3. In Caputo's epilogue he reflected about South Vietnamese Army's poverty and war against communist forces. Since Vietnam, Caputo felt a connect to the Vietnam War because he fought for South Vietnam's freedom. America was anxious to end the war at home, Caputo resented his friends' deaths. South Vietnamese Army lacked clothes and soldiers during the invasion of Saigon. In the postscript, Caputo condemns the U.S. involvement in the war because the U.S. enforced cold war rhetoric, not winning a war. Over time Caputo wrote a memoir that explained the U.S. frustrations in combat and how a solider struggled with PTSD and substance abuse.
4. Watergate film clip #1
Journalists tell the public story of how they reported Watergate the biggest story. They wanted a balance of power in the Constitution. Politicians like Pres. Nixon wanted to keep Watergate a secret. He thought he was above the law. Film clip #2 Journalists reported that President Nixon and his administration wanted to win re-election after Watergate  months. Few reported followed the story. When President Nixon met with chief of staff, Holderman blamed the CIA. President  approved break in.

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1. Take a look at the website on Vietnam casualties and make some observation after exploring this data. From 1960 to 1968 the number of deaths in Vietnam increased and the number of death deceased. California and Texas had most of the causalities. The lowest number of causalities were 2.   The majority of soldiers were killed in Vietnam were males. There are 91 soldiers’ bodies that have not been found. The majority of soldiers were killed in action. There were 382 soldiers who committed suicide.

2.What insight do you take away from Caputo’s epilogue and postscript? In his month the South Vietnam Army was losing the war. When he read about how the war was coming to the end in Danang, he asked to go to Saigon. He could remember Danang look like ten years earlier. It was very emotional, but feel like that had to back. The ARVN fell apart. He really wanted it end.  Even he was against the war, he feel psychological tie to it.  He remembered when he went to Vietnam ready to fight. Back then, he believed fight in the war what was his purpose. During the war, he forgot why he was there. The Vietnam War was the first war America lost.  On April 30, 1975, it was announced that the Saigon was capture by the North Vietnamese. It took nine years to write the book. The reason why it took to write because his life was so busy.  He was a foreign correspondent for Chicago Tribune. He finished the book when he was recovering gunshot wounds. When the war came cartoons came out portray the Vietnam veteran as druggies and bummers.
3Using the 2 films related to Watergate, what stands out to you about the journalists’ investigation and the power of politicians?  In Watergate: Forty years after the scandal, the journalists wanted to know what was going on in the White House, but President Nixon told the journalist that they come into the White House. The journalist’s bosses were desperate to find out the story, but the White House did everything they could to hide the story. The journalist’s bosses wanted their reporters to do what they what had to get the story. The film points out when Watergate broke out, everyone was talking about it. The reporter started to report the story at all sides. The video said “Nobody is above the law.” The video points out that President Nixon couldn’t tape himself and still be the president. The video by American Experience said that on Aug 9, 1974, Pres. Nixon resign. The video also that he never trusted no one. Some people wanted to stayed, but others wanted him go. No one trusted him. He didn’t like to shake anyone’s hand or look anyone in the eye. He wanted to end communism. On June 17, 1972 some men broke into the headquarters of Democratic National Committee. Six days later, President Nixon met with H.R. Holderman who suggested to make the break in look like a CIA investigation so the FBI Investigation will stop.

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1. Using the charts from 1971, 1972, and 1973, find your birthday and then find your lottery number. Do you think you would have been drafted to serve in Vietnam? Remember that the quota was filled in order so the lower your lottery number, the greater the probability of being drafted.

1970: 281, 1971: 089, 1972: 022. I think I would have been most likely drafted in 1972.

2. Take a look at the website on Vietnam casualties and make some observation after exploring this data.

The statistics from this website were very interesting to read. Some things I found most interesting were that most of the casualties happened between 1966 and 1970. The branch with the most members in Vietnam was Army with 38,224. 9,107 died accidentally.

4. Using the 2 films related to Watergate, what stands out to you about the journalists’ investigation and the power of politicians?

After watching the 2 films what stands out to me is that the power of a politician is huge. Nixon and his staff wanted to make the break in look like it was the act of the CIA. The films also show that no matter how powerful a politician is, like Nixon was, he still had to resign for what happened at the hotel.

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1. Using the charts from 1971, 1972, and 1973, find your birthday and then find your lottery number. Do you think you would have been drafted to serve in Vietnam? Remember that the quota was filled in order so the lower your lottery number, the greater the probability of being drafted.

Looks like if I was born in 1953 the draft in 1973 would have given me the highest likely hood of being drafted, while if I were born in 1952 the draft lottery was least likely to pick me in 1972.

2. Take a look at the website on Vietnam casualties and make some observation after exploring this data.

The first thing that jumps out to me is the spike in deaths in 1968-1969. Also, the religion demographic (Catholics & Protestants)  which ties to the State demographic, as the Great Lakes Region of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. Also the obvious statistic of enlisted men being 84% of the casualties.

3.Consider the following:  Military draft, My Lai Massacre, protest and subsequent death of students at Kent State, publication of the Pentagon Papers.  Rank these in the order of importance in influencing President Nixon's conduct of the Vietnam War. [HT Skill: Considering Historical Perspective]

1.My Lai Massacre 2. Military Draft 3. Pentagon papers 4. Protests and death of students at Kent State.

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1. Using the charts from 1971, 1972, and 1973, find your birthday and then find your lottery number. Do you think you would have been drafted to serve in Vietnam? Remember that the quota was filled in order so the lower your lottery number, the greater the probability of being drafted.

1971: 245; 1972: 186; 1973: 211. In 1971, I probably would have been drafted, with my chances of being drafted going down in 1972 & going back up in 1973. Gregory--large number was safe since the draft started with 1 and went up.  Triple digits were safe.-Dr. Hudson

1. Take a look at the website on Vietnam casualties and make some observation after exploring this data.

1.) The high casualty states (4-digit numbers) were mainly in the Great Lakes region, the majority of the South east of the Mississippi, the Mid-Atlantic region, Massachusetts, California, Washington, Texas, & Missouri.
2.) From 1966-1970, the US suffered the greatest amount of casualties, with 1968 having the most at 16899 casualties.
3.) Nearly 84% of casualties were Enlisted Men (Grades E1-E9) at 48717.
4.) Nearly 82% of casualties were caused by the enemy (Hostile deaths) at 47434.
5.) Nearly 3.5% of US casualties occurred outside of either South or North Vietnam, with 10 being in China.

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1.     Using the charts from 1971, 1972, and 1973, find your birthday and then find your lottery number. Do you think you would have been drafted to serve in Vietnam? Remember that the quota was filled in order so the lower your lottery number, the greater the probability of being drafted.

1971: 68; 1972: 16; 1973: 123

It is highly likely that I would’ve been drafted for war for any of these years, but most likely during 1972. (indeed Rachel with 16 highly likely--Dr. Hudson)

2.     Take a look at the website on Vietnam casualties and make some observation after exploring this data.

Observations noted include: most soldiers were killed in action, followed in a distant second by killed by accidents; most soldiers died while in South Vietnam; and, perhaps most notably, the casualty rate sharply increased as the war waged on.