The Vietnam War, from education to reality

Vietnam War veteran Dr.Ezbon Jen holding a photo of himself in the Vietnam War (Chaseleo Style/ The Puma Prensa)

By: Silvio Potosome and Chase Soylu Chee, staff writers

For many educators, the Vietnam War is more than just a few dates and documents; it has a more personal meaning. Joe Silvestri, a social studies teacher at MCHS, has a more personal connection to the war. 

Silvestri’s parents were young adults during the Vietnam War, and he grew up hearing stories about the draft and the emotional weight it placed on many American families. He also has a more personal, more profound connection to this war; his father was in college when the draft deferment for college students ended. 

His father received a draft notice in the mail and had a very high chance of being sent to Vietnam. Luckily, right before the summons, he had “recently slipped the disk in his back,” said Silvestri. Family members pleaded with him to go to the line for a medical exemption, and he felt conflicted; he even wondered, “Am I being unpatriotic?”

“He was medically unfit for service…it makes me emotional thinking about that because if he was sent to war, who knows what would happen,” said Silvestri.

This perspective and personal connection helped change how the Vietnam War is taught in his classroom. Silvestri tends to focus less on the political rationale for the war and instead emphasizes the cultural and political shifts the war has caused in the U.S.

The devastating war

Though it ended 50 years ago on November 11, 1975, the Vietnam War is far from forgotten. Its legacy lives on in classrooms, stories, and memories, reminding us of war and humanity's struggle and perseverance. 

The Vietnam War was a significant part of the Cold War. It was a proxy war with two sides: North Vietnam against South Vietnam, with the United States supporting the South’s ideology of capitalism and the Soviet Union supporting the North’s ideology of communism. 

This war was fought by 2.6 million people, 600,000 of whom were drafted into service. This was one of the most brutal wars in human history, with 58,000 servicemen and women perishing and another 153,000 wounded due to torture, warfare, or bombings.

Students often expect to learn about the Vietnam War in a history classroom. However, Advanced Placement (AP) Language and Composition is currently exploring the conflict, examining how literature transforms during conflict and loss. This unit explores themes of style and emotion, particularly through the lens of a book written by a veteran of the Vietnam War.

Tim O’Brien’s novel The Things They Carried consists of linked short stories with specific themes, such as the conflict between guilt and morality faced by the soldiers of the Vietnam War.  “An excellent novel. It depicts the war in vignettes from someone who fought in the Vietnam War, and it helps students see the depths of what war can do to a person, and it is very beautifully done,” said English teacher Jenna Madsen.

“You can spin a war story to focus on those more romanticized elements, like bravery and duty to your country and camaraderie, right? Amongst soldiers, you can spin it to focus on the darker elements of it, those times where the morality of the actions is questioned,” said Harlin.

“We talk about themes like guilt, courage, and coping… We ask students, ‘What does courage look like to you?’ ‘What does it feel like to tell your story?’ ‘Is there truth in fiction?’” said Madsen.

The challenge is to help students connect to a distant past while recognizing its ongoing relevance. This helps bring up one of the most valuable aspects of the units: the takeaways and lasting questions.

Through literature, students learn not just about war but also about humanity. The Vietnam War unit, grounded in storytelling and reflection, encourages students to explore personal connections, moral dilemmas, and the emotional complexity of conflict. It is not just a lesson in history or writing; it is a lesson in understanding the complexity of human nature.

Through the eyes of a soldier

While we learn about the Vietnam War and how it is taught and represented through literature and education, Dr. Ezbon Jen, Dean of Health Education, Health Care, and Health Services at Santa Rosa Junior College, served as a field medic during the war.

Jen came from a family that owned a Chinese medical business in Stockton, California. He graduated from Stagg High School and earned his bachelor’s in biology from Pacific Union College. Afterwards, he earned his master’s degree in biology, which is when the draft came up.

“My girlfriend at the time was Canadian, she said, you could come up and stay in Canada until the war is over, I said, ‘No, I need to serve my country,’ so I ended up going to training in Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas,” said Jen.

At 24 years old, Jen was drafted into the 9th Infantry Division as a field medic in the Mekong Delta area of Vietnam to serve the United States.

“We went through different villages, and there were people who were hurt, villagers who were hurt needed medical care, and I would ask my sergeant, ‘Can I treat these people?’ He said, ‘Of course you can, we’re here to be friends with these people,’” said Jen.

“I gave them shots, sewed them together when cut, and did other things. I took care of their health care, so I didn’t cut open their bodies or anything else… They would bring babies over, and I mean young kids, they had infections, I would put antibiotic ointments on them, and so forth,” said Jen.

One memorable experience Jen shared was when he was hurriedly woken up from his sleep to help a badly injured Southern Vietnamese soldier who came to get medical attention. After suturing and treating the wounded areas, the soldier put his hands together and bowed in respect. 

The reception back home was bad for most soldiers. Because of the war's unpopularity, many citizens attacked or humiliated soldiers for their participation. Luckily, Jen was a field medic, and because of his role in only helping the injured and sick, he was treated with respect.

“In the San Francisco area, when they found out [soldiers] who were in Vietnam, they spat at them… I was never treated with that kind of hatred or disrespect,” said Jen.

With experience in Vietnam, Jen earned a Bronze Star Medal. He was able to set up clinics throughout California, recruiting students in all medical fields to help them learn and become professionals. He also spoke at several churches and organizations about his experience helping people throughout the war. 

“We would go through villages, the kids would come up to our guys, and the guys would pick them up and rock them around, you know, and they were not afraid of us because we weren’t bad to them, wherever you go through a village and if you see kids and women, you know they’re not afraid of us. If we were so horrible, they would be all hiding somewhere,” said Jen.

Jen’s story reminds us that even amid war, compassion and humanity can prevail. The individual acts of kindness, the desire to help, and the choice to serve not just the duty, but with heart.