The Vietnam War is one of the most controversial wars in the history of the human kind. Although it was a proxy war between the United States and The Soviet Union, it had far-reaching effects on the world as a whole and as a Canadian, my country would be both directly and indirectly involved in this conflict. In this blog, I share my experience learning about the Vietnam War through a lens of a graphic novel.

Firstly, I must say that my knowledge about the Vietnam War was very limited before I started studying it. I knew that it was a war that took place in Vietnam, but beyond that, I couldn’t tell you much more. As I began to learn more, I realized that the war was much more complex than I had initially thought.

One of the things I found interesting was the role Canada played during the Vietnam War. Although we didn’t send troops to fight in the war, we did provide some assistance to both the United States and South Vietnam. For example, we allowed American military planes to fly to and from Vietnam through Canadian airspace, and we also supplied South Vietnam with some military equipment.

Another thing that struck me was the number of Canadians who chose to go to Vietnam to fight in the war. Although we officially stayed out of the war, some Canadians still felt a duty to fight for what they believed in. It’s estimated that around 30,000 Canadians served in the Vietnam War, with around 1000 of them losing their lives.

One of the most poignant moments for me was when I learned about the protests against the war that were happening all around the world. In Canada, there were many anti-war demonstrations, and people from all walks of life came together to voice their opposition to the conflict. It was inspiring to see people standing up for what they believed in, even if they weren’t directly affected by the war.

We created graphic novels in demonstration of our knowledge and here was mine, a tale of the innocent that would be wrapped up in a battle far beyond their understanding. Here is “All is Orange”:

In conclusion, my experience learning about the Vietnam War  was eye-opening and reaffirming of past war beliefs. It made me realize that even though we weren’t directly involved in the war, it still had a significant impact on our country and the world as a whole. The war showed the power of protest and the importance of standing up for what you believe in. I hope that we can continue to learn from the mistakes of the past and work towards a more peaceful future.