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Break on Through assignment

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is defined as having flashbacks, upsetting memories, and anxiety following a traumatic event. Soldiers from the Vietnam War first experienced this problem just five years after the war. It wasn't until 1980, that this disorder was first seriously looked at as a mental health problem. The symptoms of PTSD were described under several different names of soldiers, for hundreds of years. However, the Vietnam Veterans whom experienced such symptoms were the first to classify the symptoms as PTSD. For hundreds of years, these symptoms have been described under different names in soldiers from many wars. However, Vietnam Veterans with these symptoms were the first to have the term ‘PTSD’ applied to them. Even though time has passed since the Vietnam War, PTSD is a everyday thing for some Vietnam Veterans.  -TC Works Cited https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/publications/agent-orange/agent-orange-summer-2015/nvvls.asp
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Break on Through assignment

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During the Vietnam war, there were many terms used that soldiers were expected to know and understand. These acronyms and nicknames were used to talk about everything from different types of weapons to just basic racial slurs. Some terms include: "AWOL"- meaning absent without leave. "Charlie" or "Charles"- this is a basic slur used to refer to the Vietnamese "crispy critters"- burn victims of the napalm (a flammable jelly used for attack) "DMZ"- a demilitarized zone "slope"- a racial slur for any Asian person It was important for all soldiers to know these terms as well as many more, as it was a way for them to communicate with each other on the battlefield. - K.D. sources: the handout that Mr. Gomez gave us in class Google images
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Break on through assignment

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A picture of my uncle when he was in the army during the Vietnam War. -NH
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The Purple Field

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The purple field refers to the heightened senses of a soldier in the battlefield. It is believed that this ability comes from satan and that after attaining these senses, the soldier feels like they sold their soul. A soldier in the purple field is described as being able to hear a stick cracking from a mile away and seeing soldiers in the pitch dark without the aid of a “Starlight Scope”.
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Break on Through Assignment

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Brotherhood is a very important theme in "Break on Through" and the entire Vietnam War. The men on the battlefield put everything on the line not only to fight for their country, but for each other and their brothers. The story helps show that people are brought together by the war even when in reality, they never would have talked otherwise. The narrator knows a lot about Gerber's life just due to the fact that they fight together, and without the war, they may never have talked or even crossed paths. - IL
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"Break on Through"

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The Vietnam War occurred in thick jungles, foreign to most of the american soldiers that fought in there. Some important words include ambush:  a surprise attack by enemies waiting in a concealed position. An ambush occurred when Hollywood and his team was dropped in the LZ (landing zone) and they struggled to fight through it. Another word would be camaraderie: which is a mutual trust and friendship between people who have spent a lot of time with each other. When the soldiers are in Vietnam together, they are with each other non-stop, and they have to protect and fight for each whether they love or hate each other outside of battle. Without it, individually they would die so they need to have that bond to keep each other live. Sometimes after battles, camaraderie may come naturally since they have experience gruesome things together. -BG
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" Break On Through" hw

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An important theme in both stories so far is  comradery between Marines. I think it is essential for them to have relationships and to be able to show selflessness , bravery and intelligence so that they can not only keep themselves safe, but their fellow marines as well. This is shown in the relationship between the narrator and Gerber in "Break on through". He says that he knows everything there is to know about Gerber and yet he still does not fully like  him. Liking each other is not necessary as long as there is trust. DT
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