Reflections of Vietnam

Introduction

You are the senior editorial staff of your high school's newspaper.  Your school is located in Arlington, Virginia and it is the spring of 1983, several months after the dedication of the controversial new Vietnam Veterans Memorial in nearby Washington, D.C.  You have decided to devote an entire issue of the school paper to an examination of the memorial, an undertaking which has the enthusiastic support of your faculty advisor who served as an Army medic in Vietnam.  He has encouraged you to examine both the human and political impact of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial through responsible and balanced journalism.

Task

Your group will research, write and edit an issue of the school newspaper dedicated to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and people whose lives are connected to it.  The newspaper will include: an article that describes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and its background; a biographical sketch of someone from Arlington whose name is inscribed on it; a human interest story about one or more people who have visited the memorial; and an editorial column which discusses the significance of "The Wall."

Process

Determine individual roles for the members of your group who will work together to create the newspaper.  For example: editor, reporter, feature writer, photographer, graphic artist/layout editor, or subscriber.

Read the handout packet of news accounts describing the recent controversy concerning the memorial.

Research the World Wide Web for information that relates to the who, what, when, where and why of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Hold a planning meeting to discuss possible features in the newspaper and decide which ones warrant coverage.  Finalize assignments and deadlines.

Write and edit the articles.

Publish your newspaper in either paper or multimedia format.

Resources

The Moving Wall

Vietnam Veteran links

About Re: Vietnam - Stories Since the War

Vietnam Veterans Home Page

A Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Wall

Learning Advice

Take notes on all your research and remember that photos and graphics will enliven your newspaper.

Keep your audience in mind.  Coverage should be objective and balanced except for editorials and human interest stories which allow for the expression of more personal points of view.

Although the World Wide Web is an extensive source of information, it is not always accurate, current, or unbiased.  Verify your information using several sources.

Conclusion

Your research and newspaper project have increased your understanding of how the Vietnam Veterans Memorial became a symbol of the trauma, controversy, and unresolved political and social conflict which surrounded the Vietnam War.  In class we will debate some of the issues from the war that were prevalent in the 1960's, many of which still exist today.

This page was written by Pamela Barry, Indiana University student

Last updated December 2004

By

Trisha Armstrong