Class dates: Oct 30, Nov 6, 13, 20, Dec 4 (5 weeks)

Class time: 10:00 am to 11:30 am

Location: Online (via Zoom)

A chronology of the Vietnam War 1961-1975, seen through the experiences of Americans in Vietnam. In We Gotta Get Out of This Place , Doug Bradley and Craig Werner place popular music at the heart of the American experience in Vietnam. We will listen to recordings of the title song, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place”, by the Animals; plus “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die” by Country Joe and the Fish; “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by Peter Paul and Mary, and dozens more of the songs that evoke specific memories for the service members whom the authors interviewed. Also in the course are selections from The Things They Carried , a book of stories by Vietnam veteran Tim O’Brien. There will be time for discussion of the book and of the War in general. Class members with a personal connection to the Vietnam War are encouraged to share their memories.

Optional reading: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien; Publisher:‎ Mariner Books Classics; ISBN-10: 0618706410, First published in 1990

We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War by Doug Bradley and Craig Werner; Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press; ISBN-10: 1625341628; Published 2015

Instructor: David Nevard grew up in suburban Boston and has always been fascinated by history – especially World War II and the postwar era. He attended UMass-Amherst and worked as an IT professional for over 30 years. Since retirement, David has been an instructor at WISE and other lifelong learning programs. His courses include The Worcester Tornado; Suburbia; New York World’s Fair; Displaced Persons after World War II; the Berlin Wall; Operation Paperclip; The Nuremberg War Crimes Trials; and most recently, Immigrant Ships.