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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Tzianeng:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Thanks for your message as well. I think you oversimplify
the war and events that unfolded after 1954. Fighting in the Republic of
Vietnam started in 1955 under South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem. While
he did receive US support, it is well established in the historiography of the war
that Diem was not merely an American puppet. In fact, in the US –
from Presidents to Ambassadors to advisors on the ground in Vietnam – all
have made testaments to the varying degrees of frustration they felt because Diem
would not always follow their guidance and, more often than not, actually followed
what he thought was the best course for South Vietnam.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>So, from 1955 through 1960, the US had fewer than 1,000 military
and civilian advisors in Vietnam. That number increased with
President Kennedy – from 1,000 to 16,000 – but all of the combat
and fighting from 1955 through 1964 involved only Vietnamese military forces –
American advisors were not allowed to fire weapons in combat. Further,
until Diem’s assassination in 1963, the US held but modest sway over Diem
and the events in Vietnam. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Then, from 1965 through 1973, the US did have a much larger role
in the fighting and came to dominate the scene. But after 1973 the US had
a token force there, mostly to protect the US Embassy. For the last two
years of fighting, it was, again, only Vietnamese forces fighting each other.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I do not mean to minimize the US role from 1965 through 1973 but
think it appropriate to clarify that this was not purely an American War.
For the first nine years and last two years of fighting, this was almost
exclusively a Vietnamese War between North and South as well as a Southern
Civil War. To say it was is purely American is a serious oversimplification
– and one with which millions of Vietnamese who lived from Hue to the Ca
Mau Peninsula would disagree. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Steve<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Txiabneeb Vaj
[mailto:txiabneeb@gmail.com] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, May 20, 2008 12:47 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Maxner, Steve<br>
<b>Cc:</b> tlc@lists.ucr.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Tlc] Vietnam Center and Archive<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Steve,<br>
<br>
I would agree with you a 100% with the exception that the American or the
American Government was the one that started the war to fuel the international
involvement. The Republic of South Vietnam lost so much life as a result of it.
So my point is that if we remove all parties, the US remain the one and the
only one that ignited the whole war and continue to fuel it until its doom in
'73. But that just my take on it...<br>
<br>
Now it is almost ideal to have a title named "America War: Korean,
Vietnam, Iraq etc..." Will chat more later...thanks for your quick
reply....<br>
<br>
-Tzianeng<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>On Tue, May 20, 2008 at 11:58 AM, Maxner, Steve <<a
href="mailto:steve.maxner@ttu.edu">steve.maxner@ttu.edu</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<p>Dear Tzianeng Vang:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Thank you very much for your message and for raising this interesting
question. I think this is mostly a matter of perspective and the name
used in describing this or any war must provide clarity for the user and
audience. When we travel to SEA, especially Viet Nam, when in discussions
with students and scholars there about this war, we use their reference point
and call it "the American War." However, when here in the US,
if we called it "the American war" – it would be very confusing
to an American audience. Which "American" war would we be
discussing since all of the wars that the US has been involved in have been
"American." Perhaps we could change the name to the
American-Vietnam War – but that is redundant to an American audience.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Further, I am not sure it is accurate to call this "the American
War." The Republic of Vietnam was very heavily engaged in this war
and lost many more thousands of their soldiers in the fighting than did the US
– and there were other country forces from Australia, South Korea, and
elsewhere. To call it "the American War" is to negate the
important role of these other nations in this war, especially the former
Republic of Vietnam.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Just my two cents…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Best regards,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><br>
Steve<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in;
border-color:-moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color'>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> Txiabneeb Vaj [mailto:<a href="mailto:txiabneeb@gmail.com"
target="_blank">txiabneeb@gmail.com</a>] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, May 20, 2008 11:41 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Maxner, Steve<br>
<b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:tlc@lists.ucr.edu" target="_blank">tlc@lists.ucr.edu</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Tlc] Vietnam Center and Archive</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Greeting:<br>
<br>
For all of the (SE Asian) scholars out there; by SE Asian scholars I mean
anyone who studies SE Asian's and not just those of us who are SE Asian
descents. In the western world, US especially, it is called the Vietnam War,
but in Asia or at least in the regions/areas that I am familiar with in SE
Asia, it is referred to as the American War; the same goes with World War II;
the Hmong in Laos called it the Japan War. <br>
<br>
My question is will the SE Asian scholars on this listserv or anyone that is
involve with SE Asian Studies hereafter ever consider adopting the name
"American War" instead of the "Vietnam War?"<br>
<br>
Just my curiosity...await your feed back...<br>
<br>
-Tzianeng Vang,<br>
651.238.5300<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p>On Tue, May 20, 2008 at 6:53 AM, Maxner, Steve <<a
href="mailto:steve.maxner@ttu.edu" target="_blank">steve.maxner@ttu.edu</a>>
wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p>Greetings:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>I am new to this list and I wanted to provide a brief introduction to you
regarding our project.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Since 1989, the Vietnam Center at Texas Tech has been promoting the study
and preserving the history of the US experience in Vietnam, especially during
the Vietnam War. Since that time, we have collected more than 20 million
pages of material in our traditional archive, have more than 500 interviews in
our oral history project, and provide free online access to nearly 3 million
pages of archival material via our Virtual Vietnam Archive. I must admit
that, in some ways, I regret the current name of our project, "The Vietnam
Center and Archive" as it is too restrictive in terms of our actual
missions and scope. We changed it to this shorter name in the mid-1990s
as our board felt the previous name was too long – the Center for the
Study of the Vietnam Conflict. While it was longer, it was also far more
accurate in describing our work which involves the entire theater and all
nations involved – to include Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. We have
many archival collections that cover historical events and activities in Laos,
Cambodia, and Thailand. In addition, our current activities to promote
the study of the role of the US in Southeast Asia as well as reconciliation
between our nations includes scholarships and other university projects in
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>You can learn more about our project online here: <a
href="http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu" target="_blank">www.vietnam.ttu.edu</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>I hope you will visit our website and I look forward to participating in
this discussion about Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Best regards,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Steve <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Stephen Maxner, Ph.D.<br>
Director<br>
The Vietnam Center<br>
<br>
The Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University<br>
Special Collections Library Room 108<br>
15th and Detroit<br>
Lubbock, TX 79409-1041<br>
<br>
Phone: 806-742-9010<br>
Fax: 806-742-0496<br>
Email: <a href="mailto:steve.maxner@ttu.edu" target="_blank">steve.maxner@ttu.edu</a><br>
Website: <a href="http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu" target="_blank">www.vietnam.ttu.edu</a> </span>
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<br>
-- <br>
Peb tij kwv koom ib kaus mom! <o:p></o:p></p>
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