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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 name of John Paul Vann's most beloved father figure?

2. How long is the projected worst-case scenario for U.S. involvement in Vietnam?

3. What does John Paul Vann realize upon his return to Vietnam in 1965?

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

5. By 1967, how many acres of land (approximately) are destroyed by fighting, napalm, and chemical agent use throughout Vietnam?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did General Harkins feel the way he did about John Paul Vann's report?

2. 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?

3. 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?

4. What prominent CIA figure eventually adopted and promoted John Paul Vann's assessment of the Vietnam War? Why was this person important?

5. What new war tactic, employed by the U.S. marines in 1965, particularly disgusted John Paul Vann and why?

6. Who offers John Paul Vann a position as part of a national "brain trust" on Vietnam? What was John Paul Vann's reaction?

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

8. By this time, what was the political situation in Saigon?

9. Where did the Vann family live during John Paul Vann's childhood?

10. What was John Paul Vann's strategy for turning the war in the United States' favor? How did this differ from the U.S. policy at the time?

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

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 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.

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This section contains 991 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample