Humanities 9: Vietnam Interview

Nick Bolyard
Mrs. Reidenbaugh
Humanities 6/7
27 May 2008

On the date of May 26th, 2008, I had the opportunity to interview Larry Cunningham, a veteran of the United States Army. While in the Army, Cunningham reached the rank of supply sergeant of the Army. Sgt. Cunningham fought in the Korean War while in the Army, and talked to me about his perspective on the Vietnam War. Sgt. Cunningham had retired from the Army five years prior to the beginning of the Vietnam War, and had returned to a normal lifestyle when the war in Vietnam started.
Question: What was your location during the Vietnam War?
Sgt. Cunningham: Columbus, OH
Q: What did you think of the Vietnam War?
S.C.: We had no business being there, like the Korean War. It was a civil war and was none of our business.
Q: What was your first reaction when you heard of the war?
S.C.: What is my government getting us into now?
Q: Were you still in the military? If so, were you involved, if not, how long were you out?
S.C.: No, I had been out of the Army for about five years.
Q: What did your family think of the war?
S.C.: That we had no business being there.
Q: When people talk about to the war, what do you think?
S.C.: I don’t approve of the treatment towards the veterans. The public blamed the soldiers for the war. They were just doing their job.
Q: Why do you think that people don’t talk about the war?
S.C.: Talking about it brings back too many memories.

After this interview, Sgt. Cunningham stated that the media is partially at fault because all that was shown was the negatives about our soldiers, instead of showing the great things that they did. After the interview, I had learned that the Vietnam War was not approved by the public, and that there was a lack of respect towards the veterans. I think that this can relate to the current war because much of the public seems to disagree with the war, and my fear is that there will also be a lack of respect towards the current troops when this war ends. Some would say that the veterans do not speak of the war and hide it because it brings memories back that are unwanted. For example, they could think of a friend who had died, that had been very close to them. I don’t believe that this interview will break or make the silence worse. Instead, I believe that this interview will prove to the public why these veterans are the way that they are.