ROTC Professor of Military Science
This year, the Florida A&M University Army ROTC had the
honor of becoming a partner in the United States of America Vietnam War
Commemoration, which also coincides with the Secretary of Defense’s
commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The partnership has furthered FAMU’s
globalization initiative, permitting students to experience the first major
battle, learn timeless lessons on leadership, and take advantage of development
opportunities that strategically teach preparation for complex and dynamic
environments.
After learning about the battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam
War, four FAMU students, alongside Army ROTC professor of military science LTC
Edwin Escobar, traveled nearly 10,000 miles to Vietnam this spring to
participate in unique learning and engagement opportunities offered through the
partnership.
Among the students’ activities, while abroad, where staff
rides. Staff rides enable students to go to a noteworthy battleground and get
an intelligent and hands-on experience that spotlights the strategies and
techniques of opposing forces while studying the mindset of the soldiers who
battled in the fight. Staff rides were
built into the Army ROTC educational modules in 2015, with LTC Escobar leading
a group of students to Normandy, France where students studied the battle of
D-Day.
This year, the students chose Vietnam. The Vietnam War was a
long and costly armed conflict that pitted the communist regime of North
Vietnam and its southern allies, known as the Viet Cong, against South Vietnam
and its principal ally, the United States.
The war ended with the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973 and the
unification of Vietnam under Communist control two years later. More than 3
million people, including 58,000 Americans, were killed in the conflict.
The students traveled to three historic capitals to include Ho
Chi Minh City in South Vietnam, Hue in Central Vietnam and Hanoi in North
Vietnam. Students enjoyed the beauty of the land and rich history, studying the
impact of the Vietnam War, and engulfing into the vast culture.
Walking the grounds of where the war took place, the main
objectives of the trip were to develop leaders who think tactically to prepare
for difficult and vigorous circumstances, build strong coalitions across
cultures and generations, and prepare the next generation of trailblazers.
FAMU student BreAnn Baskett explained that she enjoyed
participating in the everyday activities of the local Vietnamese people, as she
“learned how to make rice paper, create lacquer ware, witnessed the local
religion, and ate the local food.”
“Everyone deserves an experience like the one I had in
Vietnam,” Baskett said.
In addition to learning about the significant battles during
the Vietnam War, students were able to visit sites such as the Cu Chi tunnels,
the War Remnants Museum, and the Vietnam Military History Museum, which played
a vital role in visualizing topics investigated during their classroom studies.
“Vietnam was an amazing sight to see,” said graduating
senior Imani Strong. “You hear about developing countries but to see it is
remarkable. Being given a chance to go there is a once in a lifetime
opportunity. It is still unbelievable how I was standing on the very historic
battlegrounds that were once destroyed in the Vietnam War.”