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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 John Paul Vann's maternal grandmother?

2. Which war is John Paul Vann sent to first, where he is promoted to the rank of Captain in 1950?

3. Which distinguished general from World War II is dispatched to Vietnam to assess the situation?

4. What specific order is given to General Huynh Van Cao in 1966 by his superiors, which he refuses to carry out?

5. With whom does John Paul Vann plot to re-take an entire province?

Short Essay Questions

1. Following the inconclusive, but embarrassing, result of Ap Bac, General Huynh Van Cao launched a dummy attack on the same location. Why did he do this? What was the result?

2. What media figure befriends John Paul Vann and is responsible for stealing and leaking the "Pentagon Papers" to the U.S. media? What strategy of John Paul Vann's did this person find most appealing?

3. Was John Paul Vann content to fulfill his new duties? Why or why not?

4. One of the unique features of the Vietnam War was the war correspondent (a special type of journalist) that went to the war zone and reported on what was happening there. How did this affect how the U.S. military commanders conducted the war?

5. What did General Westmoreland feel was the key to victory?

6. What were the findings of General Krulak and the other military leaders with regard to the Battle of Ap Bac? How did John Paul Vann react?

7. In what year did John Paul Vann retire from the Army? When and how did he return to Vietnam?

8. What kind of a person was Frank Vann?

9. What vital information did John Paul Vann include in a three-page report to General Harkins and Colonel Porter regarding General Huynh Van Cao's approach to the war?

10. What word best describes John Paul Vann's mother, Myrtle Lee Tripp? Provide a justification for your answer.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There were many reasons why the United States decided to directly involve our military in Vietnam. Chief among them was the performance of the Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN). Briefly describe the condition of the ARVN that prompted many American advisers and military intelligence personnel to recommend "sending in the Marines"? If the United States hadn't sent in fighting men and women, how do you think South Vietnam might have fared on its own?

Essay Topic 2

What was the U.S. military's rationale for the burning of villages policy enacted in August, 1965? Given his strong desire to defeat the Vietcong, why did John Paul Vann disassociate himself from the practice in a very vocal way? Did John Paul Vann believe that the U.S. marines could have pursued a better course of action? If so, what was it?

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,062 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample