Beyond Combat : Women and Gender in the Vietnam War Era

Beyond Combat investigates how the Vietnam War both reinforced and challenged the gender roles that were key components of American Cold War ideology. While popular memory of the Vietnam War centers on the "combat moment," refocusing attention onto women and gender paints a more complex and accurate picture of the war's far-reaching impact beyond the battlefields. Encounters between Americans and Vietnamese were shaped by a cluster of intertwined images used to make sense of and justify American intervention and use of force in Vietnam. These images included the girl next door, a wholesome reminder of why the United States was committed to defeating Communism; the treacherous and mysterious "dragon lady," who served as a metaphor for Vietnamese women and South Vietnam; the John Wayne figure, entrusted with the duty of protecting civilization from savagery; and the gentle warrior, whose humanitarian efforts were intended to win the favor of the South Vietnamese. Heather Stur also examines the ways in which ideas about masculinity shaped the American GI experience in Vietnam and, ultimately, how some American men and women returned from Vietnam to challenge homefront gender norms. Cover 1 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Acknowledgments 11 Introduction 17 1 Vietnamese Women in the American Mind 33 Dragon Ladies, Geishas, and Roses 38 Madame Nhu– “Joan of Arc or Dragon Lady?” 41 Images of Vietnamese Women in GI Folklore 54 Gender Ideology in Wartime Saigon 64 “Miniskirts Thinner than Memories Denied” 77 2 “She Could Be the Girl Next Door” 80 Domesticity on the Battlefront 85 Girl Next Door Gone to War 91 “Nonsexual Symbols of Purity and Goodness” 106 Race and SRAO 113 “Round eyes” and Pretty Smiles in the Combat Zone 120 3 “We Werent Called Soldiers, We Were Called Ladies” 121 “Share the Army Adventure” 124 “Women of strength were always my heroes” 135 “Sometimes you were the last one they saw” 139 “There Is Always the Possibility of a Terrorist Attack” 146 Race and Military Womens Experiences in Vietnam 151 4 Gender and Americas “Faces of Domination” in Vietnam 158 John Wayne and Cold War Masculinities 163 Gentle Warriors 169 “All the Way with Negligee” 176 Madame Phuong versus the Warriors 187 “Black Babies” – Living Legacies of the Vietnam War 192 Winter Soldiers 197 5 Liberating Men and Women 199 Gender Liberation 203 “Come See Us at the Strut” 208 Antiwar WACs 212 “Asian Women and the Lifer Mind” 214 Black Servicemen and Servicewomen United in Dissent 215 “The Opposite of Militarism Isnt Pacifism, Its Feminism” 227 Conclusion 231 Gender and a Changing Military 235 “What Vietnam Did to Us” 248 “The Remasculinization of America” 254 Bibliography 259 Index 275 Beyond Combat investigates how the Vietnam War both reinforced and challenged the gender roles that were key components of American Cold War ideology. Refocusing attention onto women and gender paints a more complex and accurate picture of the war's far-reaching impact beyond the battlefields. Encounters between Americans and Vietnamese were shaped by a cluster of intertwined images used to make sense of and justify American intervention and use of force in Vietnam. These images included the girl next door, a wholesome reminder of why the United States was committed to defeating Communism, and the treacherous and mysterious 'dragon lady', who served as a metaphor for Vietnamese women and South Vietnam. Heather Stur also examines the ways in which ideas about masculinity shaped the American GI experience in Vietnam and, ultimately, how some American men and women returned from Vietnam to challenge homefront gender norms. Beyond Combat : Women And Gender In The Vietnam War Incorporates New Voices Into The Vietnam War Narrative By Looking At Women's Experiences. It Also Examines The Ways In Which Ideas About Masculinity Shaped The American Gi Experience In Vietnam, Ultimately How Some American Men And Women Returned From Vietnam To Challenge Home Front Gender Norms-- Vietnamese Women In The American Mind: Gender, Race, And The Vietnam War -- She Could Be The Girl Next Door: The Red Cross Srao In Vietnam -- We Weren’t Called Soldiers, We Were Called Ladies: Wacs And Nurses In Vietnam -- Gender And America’s Faces Of Domination In Vietnam -- Liberating Men And Women: Antiwar Gis Speak Out Against The Warrior Myth -- Conclusion: You’ve Come A Long Way ... Maybe: Gender After Vietnam. Heather Marie Stur. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [243]-257) And Index. "Beyond combat : women and gender in the Vietnam War incorporates new voices into the Vietnam War narrative by looking at women's experiences. It also examines the ways in which ideas about masculinity shaped the American GI experience in Vietnam, ultimately how some American men and women returned from Vietnam to challenge home front gender norms"-- Provided by publisher This book analyzes the Vietnam War, focusing attention on women and gender