A Look at Asian American Studies - Emery McKee - Ryan Caragher - Emma Rohrer - Gabe Velazquez

WAGING WAR

THEVIETNAMWAR ISONEOF THEMOSTCONTROVERSIALMILITARY ENDEAVOURS INAMERICANHISTORY, AND

THROUGHTHEWORKOF ESPIRITU, IT IS EVIDENTWHY THIS IS SO. HOWEVER, IT IS IMPORTANT TOREALIZE THAT THE

CONTROVERSY SHOULDN ’ T SOLELY PRESIDE INWHATHAPPENED INVIETNAM, BUTALSO INGUAMANDTHE

PHILIPPINESASWELL. IF ITWEREN ’ T FOR THESE TWOOTHERCOUNTRIES, THEU.S. WOULDNOTHAVEHADTHE

CAPACITY TOMOBILIZE FORCES INTHEMANNER THAT THEYDID. GUAMWASUSEDTOSTOREANDTRANSPORTA

SEEMINGLY ENDLESSAMOUNTOF EXPLOSIVESANDOTHERMILITARYORDNANCE TOTHEAMERICANAIRBASESONTHE

TERRITORY. INTHE PHILIPPINES, ALARGEAMOUNTOFVIETNAMESE REFUGEESWEREHELD. WHENTHE PRESIDENTOF

THECOUNTRYDENIEDTHEALLOWANCE FORANYMORE REFUGEESOFWAR, THEU.S. WAS FORCEDTOUSEGUAMAS

ANOTHER “ TEMPORARY ” STAGINGGROUNDFOR THESE PEOPLE. SOAT THIS POINT, GUAMWAS BEINGUSEDTOHOLD

THEVIETNAMESE REFUGEES THAT THEU.S. MILITARYWASCREATINGTHROUGHTHEUSEOF THEBOMBSAND

ARMAMENTS THATWEREBEINGSTOREDANDSHIPPEDTOVIETNAMFROMGUAM.

Back in the United States, president Gerald R. Ford touted that these “ humanitarian efforts ” to save the refugees were great reasons to stay involved in the war. On April 4th, 1975, Operation Babylift was started, and thousands of “ orphans ” were evacuated from South Vietnam. It was realized when they arrived at Camp Pendleton, many of them had been wrongfully taken from the country and that a lack of documentation made it impossible for many to be reconnected to their family back home. Thus, many children had to be adopted in the U.S. and assimilate as an ideal refugee that the country could use to bolster their claims of being a benevolent country. Whether or not the U.S. had good intentions, it is important to realize that they were the cause for so many refugees during the VietnamWar.