Times of Change Final 2 Readings

Jack Smith by Ron Steinman
9 pages - complete by Wednesday May 23

What challenges does Jack Smith face as a soldier in Vietnam? (a bulleted list is fine)

• We found booby traps and pigs.


• More goof-offs as privates.


• Soldiers had pretty much been living and breathing in dirt. He described it as you couldn't even tell if these men were wearing any clothing what so ever.
• Stacks of dead bodies and wounded bodies
• there were no guards accompanying them when they went through the woods.
• It was dirty and there were diseases.
  
  
  How does Smith’s attitude toward war change? He now hates life. He hates mankind and he has a lot of anger boiled up inside of him.
  
  
  
  I Feel Like I’m Fixing To Die Rag by Joe McDonald
  2 pages - complete by Wednesday May 23
  
  This song by Country Joe and the Fish became one of the first protest songs of the Vietnam Era. Read the lyrics to the song, and then respond to the following:
  
  What is the song asking the “big strong men to do”?He is asking them to fight in the war in Vietnam.
  
  … the “generals” to do?He wants the generals to lead them to victory.
  
  … “Wall Street” to do?He wants wall street to get money to supply the war.
  
  … “mothers” to do?He wants mothers and fathers to send there kids off to Vietnam to help out.
  
  Write down four specific lines from the song that display sarcasm, cynicism, or anti-war sentiment.
• Whoopee!We're all going to die
• Viet Cong
• We're gonna have a whole lot of fun
• Open up the Pearly gates