Example research essay topic: Viet Cong Automatic Weapons - 1,844 words

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... a father. I dont know what I would have done without a dad. I dont think I could have lived without one. Chapter 10 In the Hospital The bullet was removed and my leg was stitched back together. Its been two days and the pain is still there.

I just feel like ripping my damn leg off. I have written a letter to mom and dad, and to Johns wife, telling them what happened. They all wrote back asking if I was okay. The doctor said I will be well enough to go back to war, but I will not go back to my old camp. I just couldnt knowing my brother and best friend were killed there. The doctor said it could be a month or two before I am back though.

That is perfectly fine with me, because I am sick of the Viet Cong. Those guys know their way around and they live in the area, so they dont need to ship in like us Americans. I am starting to wonder why I joined the Army. All I wanted to do was get in better shape and shoot fully-automatic weapons. Now, Ive got fully-automatic weapons being shot at me.

This is not a pleasant thing to experience, not to mention I have to shoot at other people instead of just paper and metal targets that look like people. Chapter 11 Back to War I am all better from the bullet wound to my leg, so they sent me back to fight. I am at a new camp now, though. At this one there are more men and better supplies. Its easier fending off the Viet Cong at this camp. If only John, Bill, and I were sent to this camp the first time.

They attack by the hundreds here too, but it seems easier to keep them from getting close to the camp. I really dont talk to anybody, I just keep to myself and follow the orders I am given. I have to do a lot of things since I am the new guy around here, although I think I have been in Vietnam longer than most of them. I will talk to one of them eventually, but I really dont want to talk to anyone. They know what happened to me, so I just think they are waiting for me to talk to them first. I think I will talk to this guy named Will one of these days, because he is just the way I am.

I overheard some guys talking and they said Will lost his dad and his brother. That is worse than what happened to me; he lost a dad and a brother. I dont think he was wounded, though which is good. I havent seen him talk to anyone either, so I think we will make good friends. If only I had the courage to talk to him. Chapter 12 End of the War I have become great friends with Will, just like I was with Bill, although I still miss John and Bill greatly.

When I need to talk to someone about the death of John and Bill, I talk to Will, and he does the same with me. Will told me he doesnt know how his mom is handling things. She writes letters telling him to come home, since hes the only one she has left now that her husband and one of her two sons is dead. My camp has received word that we get to go home. The war is settling down a bit and they dont need us anymore. We get to go home in a month.

All I have to do during this month is try not to get killed. The Viet Cong havent attacked us hard in a while, but we still expect it every day. There is no telling what those bastards will do. A total of eight guys in my camp have died, but we got eight new men to replace them.

Four of them were killed by our own planes flying over and dropping napalm. They were burnt alive, and I didnt like watching that. The other four were killed by either stepping on a landmine or getting shot. Since being here, I havent even come close to dying. I havent really noticed any bullets hitting near me when we were in battle.

Will stepped on a landmine and had to defuse it. If he would have lifted his foot, he would have been blown up into pieces. I have seen guys step on them, and it isnt pretty. Basically, you have to pick them up with a scoop shovel. I just cant wait to leave this damn place and go home.

I know my mom is worried that I might die, because I am the only son she has left. Dad needs me to help on the farm. I want to get home and comfort my mom about the death of John. She probably cries herself to sleep every night ever since John died.

I told her in a letter it would have better if it had been me instead of John, since his wife is pregnant. She wrote back saying it was the way God wanted it to be, but I still think it should have been me. Chapter 13 Going Home Today a helicopter is supposed to come and get us and take us to an airport somewhere. Then we will be going home.

I have been waiting for this day since I got here. Will is going home, too. Only a few of the guys have to stay. I thank the Lord that I am not one of them that has to stay here. I wonder if we get to keep our weapons.

I took some of the Viet Cong weapons off some of their dead soldiers. I think we get to keep them. I suppose Ill have to give the grenades back, which pisses me off. Maybe I can sneak one back home. Some of the guys told me I will get a Purple Heart, since I was injured. I think that will be cool.

I just wish John and Bill were coming home alive with me. The helicopter is here and all the guys that are leaving are getting on. I sat next to Will and we talked about how we cant believe we actually get to go home. We have landed at some airport now, and I dont really care where.

I just want to get home. We all proceed to board a big plane, just like the one that brought us over here. Of course, I sat by Will because, after we get home, he will go home and so will I. This could be the last day I ever see him again. When we were about to get out of Vietnam and over the Pacific Ocean, the Viet Cong tried shooting us down. We were hit, but not bad enough.

The pilot said there is only minor damage, and we will make it to America just fine. This is probably the longest flight I will ever take considering it seems to take longer when you just want to get home. I know we are almost there, because we are flying over land, unless it is an island. I sure hope it is not an island, though. We finally land after a flight that seemed to take a lifetime.

There were people outside waiting for us. Most of them are hippies, but some of them arent. As we proceeded to get off the plane, the people started booing. I think this is odd, because shouldnt they be cheering us, as we came home alive? Then they started chucking things at us, like paper bags with dog shit in them.

I cant believe they are doing this. After all, we are alive. Just because they are against the war, they are doing this to us. Shouldnt they be protesting the government. If it was my choice, there wouldnt be any Americans in Vietnam. Once we were inside the buildings, we were okay.

I immediately called my parents and told them I was back in America. I couldnt talk long since everybody seemed to want to use a phone. I told them I would call them back soon and tell them when my plane will be flying into Colorado. Chapter 14 Getting Back to Colorado I have arrived back in Colorado now. My parents were waiting for me when I got off the plane. We all said our hellos and hugged each other.

Then we got my stuff and got into the car to head home. In the car on the way home, I told them how John and Bill died and how I got injured. I told them it was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. Mom immediately started crying when I told them all of this.

I guess she just can't stand knowing she lost a son. Johns wife has had her child, and it was a boy. I know John would be very proud if he were here. I guess she is living with us in Colorado. She cant support herself and the baby. Now mom can baby-sit while she goes to work.

Dad said I didnt have to start working on the farm right away. I guess he wants me to take a break from all that has happened. Chapter 15 Five Years Later It has been five years since I have been home. All the Americans are back from the war. I have received my Purple Heart, which was a great honor to receive.

I will cherish it for the rest of my life. Dad, mom, Johns wife, and I are going to go see the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. I am having Johns son take a crayon and a piece of paper so he can get his dads name off the wall. I really dont think he understands what happened yet. He knows his dad was in a war, but I think he still thinks he will come home some day. We are taking a plane, because driving would take too long.

I like flying anyway. I only hated flying when I was on the way over and back from Vietnam. We have landed and I think we are going to get a taxi and go to our hotel. Then I think we will go on to the Memorial. Once we got to the Wall, I broke down crying. All of the memories of Vietnam started coming back to me, such as finding John and Bill dead and being shot.

I just couldnt stay there. I ran off and sat on a bench crying. Mom came over and tried comforting me, but it didnt help. We toured the rest of Washington DC and then went back home. I dont think I will ever forget what happened in Vietnam and I hope my country doesnt either.

Research essay sample on Viet Cong Automatic Weapons