Another overview of the Vietnam War, complete with pictures and links for even more information from Credo Reference.
"History and Hindsight: Lessons from Vietnam" is a 1985 New York Times article written by Charles Mohr. In this article, Mohr describes the major points of the war and the problems he now sees with the United States involvement.
The Vietnam War: A Concise International History by Mark Atwood Laurence, published 2008. In this book, Laurence attempts to view the war from all sides, bringing in global history to strengthen his variety of perspectives.
Where the Domino Fell: America in Vietnam, 1945-1990 by James Stuart Olson and Randy Roberts, published 1991. Olson and Roberts create a concise history of America's involvement in Vietnam beginning at the end of World War II. This book also looks at how our popular culture has taken in war over the years. Also available to read at the Schwarzman Building.
The Vietnam Wars, 1945-1990 by Marilynn Blatt Young, published 1991. This book equally looks at the Vietnam War from both the American and Vietnamese sides to allow the reader to see both perspectives.
Oral Histories and Memoirs:
Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered From All Sides by Christian G. Appy, published 2003. An oral history that shares stories of all sorts of people who were involved during the war and how they experienced it.
A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo, published 1977. Caputo's personal memoir of his time as a Marine in Vietnam as well as the time he spent there reporting.
Dispatches by Michael Herr, published 1977. Journalist Michael Herr followed American soldiers in Vietnam and helped to uncover the day-to-day activities and horrors of the Vietnam War.
If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home by Tim O'Brien, published 1999. O'Brien is one of the most well known Vietnam authors today. This book is his personal experience as a foot soldier for one year in Vietnam.
The 13th Valley by John M. Del Vecchio, published 1982. A group of American airbourne infantry find themselves stranded in a Vietnamese valley for 12 horrible days.
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes, published 2010. A very successful Vietnam novel, it tells the story of a Marine and his peers who fight in the war and become men, see the harsh sides of war and the military, and learn all sorts of new things.
The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh, published 1993. A novel that views the other side of the war and this book was first published, against the Vietnamese government's wishes. It tells the story of a soldier and the discoveries he makes while in the war.
Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien, published 1999. O'Brien's most well known book about the war; he shows the reader the horrors of the war, blending fact and fiction together for a spell-binding story.
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, published 2009. A collection of short stories about several different men, O'Brien once again shows his the reader the horrors and impacts of the war.
Items Related to Stories Told in Interview:
Mr. Jacobson began his service when he enrolled in Reserve Officer's Traning Corps (ROTC). The history and significance of this program can be found in this definition from the Encyclopedia of War and American Society.
While Mr. Jacobson had the benefit of having ROTC on his campus, after the Vietnam War, some of the United States' elite colleges banned ROTC programs on their campuses. In a New York Times article from October 2009 entitled "The R.O.T.C. Dilemma", the author, Michael Winerip, describes the problems students face who attend these universities and want to be a part of ROTC. It took about three years, but in this New York Times article from March 2012 entitled "Ban Lifted, R.O.T.C. to Return to Harvard's Campus," author James Dao explains how ROTC made a comeback to these elite universities.
Mr. Jacobson mentions McNamara's Wall early in the interview. McNamara is Robert Strange McNamara, who was the Secretary of Defense (in the interview Jacobson says State) from 1961-1968. A brief biography from the Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History provides the necessary foundation information. In 2004, McNamara was part of a documentary The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons From the Life of Robert McNamara.
In his interview, Mr. Jacobson talks about "VD," venereal disease. Gale US History in Context, gives a brief overview of sexually transmitted diseases, and Credo Reference provides an overview of medicine used during the Vietnam War.
A 2012 blog post by Tim Hsia in the New York Times "At War" blog highlighting the way Americans treated Vietnam veterans when they first returned home. This is a point Mr. Jacobson touches on in his interview; he often would not tell people he was in Vietnam because the first question he often heard was "How many babies did you kill?"
Mr. Jacobson took advantage of the GI Bill when he returned home from Vietnam. To learn more about these bills and their impact on the lives of veterans, see a brief overview from Gale US History in Context, an academic book found in the Schwarzman Building called The GI Bill by Kathleen Frydl, published 2009, or a circulating book called The GI Bill: A New Deal for Veterans by Gleen C. Altschuler, published 2009.
A short clip from Bob Hope's Christmas show in 1967. A longer clip of Bob Hope reflecting on his programs in Vietnam can also be watched. Mr. Jacobson talks about how he enjoyed the Bob Hope show and when he returned home, he watched the show to see some of his peers on TV.