Introduction
The Vietnam War is one of the most polarizing events in American history and, along with the Civil Rights movement, defined an entire generation with a memory that still lingers to this day. The memories of the soldiers who fought in a war they had lost faith in as well as the passionate anti-war protests by students are just a couple of the reasons why the war has remained so alive in the American memory. While the war lasted long than any in US history at that point the memory has changed many times throughout the years, remaining as ambiguous and complex as the conflict itself. To what extent has the memory of the war changed? By examining accounts of those who experienced the war as well as the evolution of war’s interpretation in pop culture, we can see the changes that were affected by events that followed as well as generational attitudes in the proceeding decades.
