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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the nickname of Cao's advisor, Colonel Wilbur Wilson?

2. The name for the pro-North Vietnamese forces based in South Vietnam is the ___________________.

3. How much preparation time do the Vietcong have before the ARVN attacked them at Ap Bac?

4. Which of the following funeral attendees is also an instrumental adviser to the South Vietnamese during the early 1960s?

5. Where is John Paul Vann buried?

Short Essay Questions

1. What important political trends are taking place in North Vietnam and South Vietnam in the early 1960s?

2. From this brief vignette of the funeral of John Paul Vann, what facts can we glean about his life and personality?

3. How does the United States initially get more involved in South Vietnamese politics in 1962?

4. Based on what you learned in this section, describe briefly John Paul Vann's physical appearance.

5. Which American adviser is responsible for drawing up the basic plan of attack for the ARVN?

6. Why is the use of terminology in reference to Ho Chi Minh's forces important for the Americans and South Vietnamese to establish?

7. Briefly describe some of the things John Paul Vann did that get him categorized as lucky by those with whom he served.

8. Briefly describe who the National Liberation Front (NLF) are.

9. Why do you believe General Harkins and others in the United States' military and intelligence communities put so much stock into the opinions of Vietnamese military leaders like General Huynh Van Cao, often at the expense of more sound advice from their own people, like John Paul Vann?

10. In what ways does John Paul Vann interact with his superior officers during his assignment to Vietnam?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At least five United States' Presidents attempted to deal with the situation in Vietnam. Which presidents were involved and how did each one approach the problems created by the U.S. military (or advisory) operations in Vietnam? In your opinion, which president's approach was best in your opinion and why?

Essay Topic 2

Besides the Battle of Ap Bac, the text cites the Tet Offensives of 1968 as a significant point in the Vietnam War. Please explain the following: What were the Tet Offensives? Why were they reported as successful? In what way did the Vietcong's attack plan change from their overall strategy for the war? Do you think this gamble paid off for the VC military commanders? How were these attacks reported by the American media?

Essay Topic 3

Describe five or six of the more prominent attendees at John Paul Vann's funeral. Why do you think each one was there and what was the political, social, or emotional reason for their attendance?

(see the answer keys)

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