OConnor(etal.)1 MikaelOConnor,DillonRayner,MatthewTierney MsLynnC.Raymond SemesterLongMultiGenreInquiryProjectProposal 3October2013 DeclarationofWar:OurProjectProposal Whilediscussingpossibletopicsforthisresearchassignment,wefoundthatwe hadadecentoverlapofinterest.WefoundthatweeachhavesometietotheVietnamWar andthatwecouldeachstandtogointodetailinresearchingaroundthetopic.Overall, wevedecidedtochoosetheeffectoftheoutsideworldsconflictswithVietnamonthe Vietnamesepeopleasthetopicforthismultigenreproject. ThethreemembersofourgroupeachknowsomeonewhofoughtintheVietnam, andweeachagreethattheconflictisinterestingandimportanttonote.Wediscussedthe militarytechnologiesandtacticsexploitedduringthetimewhichespeciallyinterestsoneof ourmembers.Wealsotalkedaboutthepoliticalbackgroundofthewaranditseffects.

We allfeelthattheeffectsofthewaronapersonallevelissomethingthatpeopledontthink aboutandthatitssomethingwecouldeasilytalkalotabout. Weexpectthatwewillbeabletoincludequiteafewfactsaboutthewarthatare bothsurprisingandintriguing.Forinstance,wecantalkaboutthemillionsoftonsofbombs droppedinthetimeperiod,ortheonemillionhectaresofforeststhatweredestroyed.We couldmentiontheadverseeffectsofAgentOrangeorthedevastatingcivilianmassacres. Thesesubtopicsareopportunitiesforhorrifyingvisualsfromthewar.

OConnor(etal.)2 ThefocusofthispresentationwillbeontheeffectofthewaronVietnamandthe Vietnamesepeople,specifically.Thisincludesthetotalcostinlifeandinprospect.We wanttomakesuretonotetheonemillionmilitarydead,1.5millionciviliansdead,millions ofhomeless,destroyedvillagesandroads,railways,bridges,portsandindustrialfacilities bombed.Wewanttobringtoattentionthepreviouslymentionedforestdestructionand includetheeconomicandpoliticalchangesthateruptedafterthewar. Inordertoadheretothespecificinterestsofeachgroupmember,whichwefound outwhilediscussingpossibletopicsforthisproject,wehavedecidedthatwewilldivide researchintosubtopics.Thesesubtopicsinclude:theeffectsofthewarontheVietnamese population,toberesearchedbyMikaelthelossinlandandthelastingeffectsoftheland destruction,toberesearchedbyDillonandthepoliticalandeconomicoutcomeofthewar, toberesearchedbyMatt.Theseareasofresearchwillallowustomakemanyconnections tothesituationonawidescale,aswellasprovidingveryspecificpointswecandraw attentionto. ThepointofthispresentationisnottocommentontheUSconflictwithVietnamor onwar,ingeneral.WedontwanttounderminetheactionsoftheUnitedStatesorany othercountryduringthetimeperiod,andwearenttryingtoconvinceanyonethatAmerica eitherwonorlostthewar.Wewanttogivepeopleaperspectiveonthethingsthat happenedduringtheconflictsinVietnam,andwhatresultscameofthem.Overall,wethink wewillendupsurprisingeveryone,includingourselves,withthisinquiryprojectandweare veryexcitedtoberesearchingthistopic.