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Frankie's first experiences in Vietnam differed greatly from her expectations, and she wonders if the "men who wrote the 'What to Bring' section of the information packet [she'd been given had] even been to Vietnam?"(38).
Have you ever had an experience that differed greatly from what you expected going in or by what you were led to believe by the previous information you'd been given?
If you have already been at ECU for a year, how did the experience differ from what you expected going in? What advice do you wish yoú'd been given before your first year?
Why do you think the advice provided in the information packet for Army nurses like Frankie going to Vietnam was so far off the mark?
Question 1. I haven’t had many experiences of being misled into an experience, but the best one I can think of is the first time I went on a rollercoaster. I was about 12 and had never been on one before, I was incredibly nervous and expected that I would hate the ride, but I ended up loving it and some 6 odd years later roller coasters are now one of my favorite aspects of any vacation.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2. I think the packing list Frankie and other nurses received going into Vietnam was so far of the mark because it was all theoretical. Any kind of battle is incredibly stressful, be that a firefight, a sports game, a performance of any kind, all of it produces a high amount of stress. I think that the nurses were only told to bring things that would help in theory, such as their helmets and flak jackets, rather than practical items, like shorts and comfortable clothing.
Question 1: This past football season we had to play a private school. Everyone hyped the game up and we thought we were in a good spot only down 14-6 at halftime. Unfortunately we did not score again and would go on to lose 48-6. The private school ended the season 13-1 and as state champions while we were beat in the first round of the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: I think the packing list was deceiving. To me, it painted Vietnam as a regular place to be stationed. Soldiers would need basic equipment and not much else. The packing list failed to mention useful items that would help the living conditions of soldiers in Vietnam.
Why do you think the advice provided in the information packet for Army nurses like Frankie going to Vietnam was so far off the mark?
ReplyDeleteI think that the information was so far off the mark over the simple fact that they were in great need of nurses, and if the information packet had shown the true side of what was really to be expected, the likelihood of gaining more nurses in Vietnam would be significantly lower.
1. I have had a few experiences of being misled and it’s not a good thing because you will think you’re prepared and then you’re not. Then that’s where you get a rude awakening. But that comes from people giving out information on situations they don’t 100 percent know about or have never been in and that can affect you.
ReplyDelete2. I think the advice packet was so off the mark because the people who wrote it are outsiders looking in. Those people aren’t the ones who actually have been through those things, they are like reporters who collects small details from people who have been through that. Even though most of the times when they interview the people who have been through it they either give them a simple answer to get it over with or they actually too traumatized or messed up to even talk about it. So they have to go off the little information they are given.
1. I was actually misled by this book, though I do not think it was any fault of the author. When I found a hardcover copy of The Women at Barnes and Noble (for 30% off), it was on a table with a sign for "stories of color". All of the books were touching on racism and were written by a person of color. I was thinking, "Awesome! This book is going to be focusing on a lot of very interesting, very dynamic concepts about what it was like to be a woman of color serving as a nurse in Vietnam." While reading Chapter 2, I suddenly get jump-scared by a white woman in the back of the book. There is nothing wrong with being white, obviously. My name is Paige Elizabeth; I am not that big of a hypocrite! It was just something I had been misled into thinking, by a person who I assume set the book down in the wrong place. The content of the book was different than I had been expecting, because if anything, there was now much less discussion on civil rights than I had thought there would be.
ReplyDelete2. I think the information in the packet was wrong not out of negligence, but rather because there really wasn't anything you could bring to Vietnam to make you "ready". You could pack the best clothes, the perfect shoes, and it wouldn't change a thing. Nothing would really be easier. It seems like Barb and Ethel also were told the same things and given the same pamphlets, meaning they probably packed the same as Frankie. They seem to have adjusted to the conditions anyway! This is a good sign.
Question 1: As a sophomore at ECU, I would say my first year was met with many surprises that I was not prepared for. I would say the biggest is how much of a jump going from high school to college really is socially. Upon move-in day and orientation, it was very easy to feel alone in the sea of new freshman. Coming from a small town school, I was definitely intimidated by the amount of people I didn't recognize. But after I began introducing myself, and talking to others, I was able to have a great freshman year in college.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: I believe the information in the packet was far off the mark due to the societal pressure put upon women in the 60s and 70s. The men who wrote the packet likely believed the women going into Vietnam were not going to need clothing meant for hard-work and grueling hours, this and the blatant misinformation the government was issuing during the war contributed to the lack of correct information.
Chapter 5:
ReplyDelete“If you have already been at ECU for a year, how did the experience differ from what you expected going in? What advice do you wish you’d been given before your first year?”
The experience was a lot easier than I had been led to believe. Classes weren’t as demanding and there was plenty of time to relax and enjoy the company of my friends. I wish I had been told not to bring so much from home. I brought a lot of clothes that barely got worn, and a whole slew of nicknacks that were stored in my drawer. This year I’ve brought very little, and it has been so much more freeing.
“Why do you think the advice provided in the information packet for Army nurses like Frankie going to Vietnam was so far off the mark?”
The information packet Frankie had been given was made to promote life in Vietnam. It was designed to show structure and security making the transition from basic to in country seem easy. The authors were most likely high-ranking officials or some desk jockeys that had never been to Vietnam, and thus knew very little about the daily life.
Did not mean to post this anonymously.
DeleteQ1. My junior year of basketball was fun and drama free so, I expected my senior year to go the same. When we got our new coach I quickly noticed how wrong I was. The players on the team were filled with drama, the coach instigated the drama and the practices did not help our performance in any way. I was left disappointed by the expectations made in my own mind.
ReplyDelete