Clark Wilde

History 018
July 23, 2014
Changing Perspectives of a Vietnam War
Remembering a Vietnam War Firefight: Changing Perspectives over Time, written by
Fred H. Allison, is an excerpt on two accounts of one Marines experiences of his comrades
lives being taken in Vietnam. The initial impression of this work is that it would be about a
soldier who was telling a heavily fabricated story that was far from the truth. The purpose of the
article is to show the difference between ex-marine Michael Nations first and second interview
(set thirty-five years apart) of the events of a firefight back in 1968. The thirty-five year
difference of Nations interviews show that when something has the time to age, it can make a
fragmented business like recount into a well-rounded story that includes team members,
justification, and the significance of the soldiers honorable duty.
The article starts out with the eight-manned Marine Recon patrol team in South Vietnam
heading off into the bush. an eight-man Marine Corps Reconnaissance (Recon) patrol and
shadow-like disappeared into the brush of Charlie 2 area, South Vietnam (Allison 69). The team
walks into the middle of two Vietnamese military companies having a meal. The Marines did
not know it but they had just walked into the midst of two companies200 North Vietnamese
troops (Allison 70). The Marines began firing upon a small group they were close to, something
Nation described as being, a little too close for comfort (Allison 77). The recon team was shot
and killed except for three men including Mike Nation. Two days after the firefight Nation
recounted the events with a fragmented and personal view of a combat experience (Allison
81). Thirty-five years later, in the year 2002, Nation retells the story of the same event in 68.

This time around he explains it in a fashion that has a beginning, middle, and end. It also shows
justification for starting the firefight. In the end Nations story is similar to the one he told in
1968, except that it became understandable to those who couldnt relate to his experiences (by
making it more audience oriented).
Fred Allison challenges Michael Nations story by saying, to paraphrase, that people of
the same experience may change the story of what actually happened into what was easier for the
soldier to retell in order to deal with the harshness of his experience (Allison 82). He challenges
other soldiers accounts because most interviewees havent had a first interview directly after
they happened. Allison uses The Oral History Review as his primary source, to write,
Remembering a Vietnam War Firefight: Changing Perspectives over Time, which was published
by Oxford University Press. With Allison using such a prestigious university to publish his work,
his accountability is therefore proven. The article is well written, and the topic he chose sparked
heavy interest upon the reader because it gave a personal account of what Vietnam was like in
1968. The usage of such vivid pictures to describe the era as well as the terrain made the story
that much more real to the audience. Those two ideas lean more toward this article being liked
rather than disliked. Fred Allison could have improved his work by getting more personal
accounts of the same event taking place. If he could have gotten the interviews of the other two
surviving men (who passed before Nations 2002 interview), his work could have been much
more substantial.
The perfect audience of the article would be students ranging from mid-high school to
entry level college. Although Allison doesnt make it lengthy or complicated to receive it doesnt
make it pack any less of a punch. To fairly compare the interviews of Nation, the mini-series
Band of Brothers (WW2), is an excellent choice because of the vivid detail and accuracy to the

truth (specifically the interviews, not the reenactment). This article is a viable choice to use at a
college level because of the underlying message Allison uses. For instance, Nation
indicatesthat he was ensconced in a belief system that characterized Marine combat units in
Vietnam (Allison 83). He continues on to say that the belief system was that of operat[ing] in a
culture where brutal combat was a likelihood (Allison 83). The article isnt just a story about a
soldier who killed and lived to see the rest of his destined long life, its about a man who wanted
to protect his comrades and country at the expense of taking another life. So with this deep
thought-generating idea, Allison created a great piece for a college course. Give Me Liberty!
contradicts the Changing Perspectives article in how, the pride of ones country isnt as important
as being free from war. For example, With the college students exempted from the draft, the
burden of fighting fell on the working class and the poor (Foner 985). A great book to
accompany the article is The Vietnam War Experience, by Gerry Souter. It examines the politics
and warfare of the Vietnam War, which would give the reader more insight to what the war was
about.
Remembering a Vietnam War Firefight: Changing Perspectives over Time is significant
because it tells exactly how Vietnam was in the mind of a weary Marine in the midst of the war.
The opportunity that the reader has, which is to learn about such a rarely talked about experience,
is a great one because it shows the truth of the Vietnam War, not what the politicians want the
public to hear. To provide an example, L. B. Johnson told congress they had been attacked by
Vietnam (leading to a declaration of war), but it is later stated the NSAreleased
documents that made it clear that no Vietnamese attack had actually taken place (Foner 982).
The Vietnam War Experience is a good book to give the reader insight into the Vietnam War.
Nation is a hero and he should be remembered for his honorable actions.