View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Which event during the Vietnam War is used to discredit General Westmoreland's overall strategy and cause many Americans to demand an end to U.S. involvement there?

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

3. Which intelligence officer, assigned to work with Vann, lives by the motto "know your foe", setting up an elaborate system of informants and launching an exhaustive data file on the Vietcong?

4. Which of the following is another aspect of John Paul Vann's personality mentioned in "The Funeral"?

5. During the early 1960s, the Vietcong forces are _______________ in comparison to the ARVN troops.

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Why are the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) referred to as "Viet Cong"?

4. How many Viet Cong were at the radio tower position at Ap Bac and what were the actual combat conditions there?

5. What do you think John Paul Vann's motivations are when he is first sent to Vietnam to advise the South Vietnamese military in 1962?

6. As adviser to the 7th Infantry Division of the ARVN, John Paul Vann is responsible for the defense and preservation of what area in Vietnam?

7. John Paul Vann retires from the military in 1963, only to go back to Vietnam with the AID in 1965 and serve until his death in 1972. Based on what we've learned from "The Funeral" section, why do you think he does this?

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

9. What other significant figures are introduced during this introductory section of the book? List two or three of them.

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

From what you recall in the book, please outline a brief background of the events before, during, and immediately after the tell-tale Battle of Ap Bac. Be sure to include the major events that led directly to the outcome of the confrontation, as well as the overall significance for this battle to the rest of the war.

Essay Topic 3

In what ways was John Paul Vann's relationship with his Vietnamese counterpart, Huynh Van Cao, indicative of all the early pre-war operations of the ARVN? How much of a role do you think language played in the various events that transpired? Would things have gone better had John Paul Vann and Huynh Van Cao been more relaxed in dealing with one another?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 995 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample