Swift Boats
Nishtha P. and Shreya A.
Thesis
In the mid 20th century, the use of swift boats aided the American war effort to prevent the expansion of communism in Vietnam,although people of the counterculture movement had antiwar sentiments and believed that swift boats served to promote unnecessary violence and intervention.
John Kerry On Swift Boat - Against Swift Boats
The image depicts John Kerry on a swift boat during his service in Vietnam. His limp stance and blank expression serves as a proponent for antiwar ideas because it demonstrate the plight of the soldiers. This ties into the ideas of the counterculture movement which believed in peace over war.
Blue Print of Swift boat - Pro Swift Boat
The blueprint of the swift boat reflects the various structures, including advanced technology and weaponry, on the boat that aid in navy battles on Vietnam’s coast that ultimately contributed greatly to the triumph of North Vietnam in several battles against South Vietnamese communism.
Swift Boat Propaganda - Pro Swift Boat
The propaganda works to portray swift boats as and successful and vital component to the American war effort against communism: the orange sky and smooth sailing of the boat create a sense of achievement and success rather than the violence and brutality
War Shot of Swift Boat - Pro Swift Boat
The image above shows the methods in which the swift boats were used: the transport large numbers of troops as well as supplies in order to successfully withstand attacks from the communist regime in South Vietnam. The swift boat was a valuable tool in furthering the containment of communism
What We're Fighting For - Dave Dudley
This song represents the pro-war sentiment of many during this time, fighting to stymie the growth of communism. The song represents the pride Americans had in fighting for their country, the same sentiment behind the use of powerful swift boats. These ideals of pride and exceptionalism drove Americans to strengthen their army and put up a fight against any entity that went against American ideals of democracy, thus stimulating the use of swift boats.
Dave Dudley - What We're Fighting For
Our Opinion on Swift Boats
The use of swift boats and other tools in he war effort was ultimately unnecessary and more harmful than helpful to the US. Intervention in Vietnam caused the loss of life of many American soldiers and people of Vietnam with no real end gains. For example, the loss of innocent life is shown in the "search and destroy missions" of US troops where many nonmilitary Vietnamese people were killed. America's desperate need to intervene in all situations and desire to spread democracy to all nations caused the undeniable loss of life and resources. Use of inventions like the swift boat only exacerbated the situation by making war more of an option.