Policy, Culture, and the Making of Love and War in Vietnam
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University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--History History 2015 FOREIGN AFFAIRS: POLICY, CULTURE, AND THE MAKING OF LOVE AND WAR IN VIETNAM Amanda C. Boczar University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Boczar, Amanda C., "FOREIGN AFFAIRS: POLICY, CULTURE, AND THE MAKING OF LOVE AND WAR IN VIETNAM" (2015). Theses and Dissertations--History. 27. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/history_etds/27 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the History at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--History by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless an embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s thesis including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Amanda C. Boczar, Student Dr. Lien-Hang Thi Nguyen, Major Professor Dr. Scott Taylor, Director of Graduate Studies FOREIGN AFFAIRS: POLICY, CULTURE, AND THE MAKING OF LOVE AND WAR IN VIETNAM DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Amanda C. Boczar Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Lien-Hang Thi Nguyen, Associate Professor of History Lexington, Kentucky 2015 Copyright © Amanda Jean Chapman Boczar 2015 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION FOREIGN AFFAIRS: POLICY, CULTURE, AND THE MAKING OF LOVE AND WAR IN VIETNAM Foreign Affairs: Policy, Culture, and the Making of Love and War in Vietnam investigates the interplay between war and society leading to and during the Vietnam War. This project intertwines histories of foreign relations, popular culture, and gender and sexuality as lenses for understanding international power relations during the global Cold War more broadly. By examining sexual encounters between American service members and Vietnamese civilian women, this dissertation argues that relationships ranging from prostitution to dating, marriage, and rape played a significant role in the diplomacy, logistics, and international reception of the war. American disregard for South Vietnamese morality laws in favor of bolstering GI morale in the early war years contributed to the instability of the alliance and led to a rise in anti-American activities, health concerns, and military security threats. The length of the war in addition to the difficulty for service members to definitively identify enemy forces placed stress on soldiers. Publicized cases of rape and disagreements over responsibility for orphans or children born outside marriage to U.S. servicemen in the later war years further deteriorated relations. Negotiating these relationships resulted in implicit assignments of power between the United States and their allies in South Vietnam. In addition to the bi-lateral relations between the U.S. and South Vietnam, North Vietnamese and National Liberation Front propaganda citing the GI- civilian relationships sparked security concerns and further threatened the alliance. This dissertation further contends that encounters provided propaganda material for opposition forces, strained the overall war effort at home, and shaped how Americans remember the war. KEYWORDS: Vietnam War, Foreign Relations, Prostitution, Sexuality, Culture, Violence Amanda C. Boczar Student’s Signiture 04-01-2015 Date FOREIGN AFFAIRS: POLICY, CULTURE, AND THE MAKING OF LOVE AND WAR IN VIETNAM By Amanda C. Boczar Dr. Lien-Hang Thi Nguyen Director of Dissertation Dr. Scott Taylor Director of Graduate Studies 04-01-2015 Date For JRB ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, thank you to my advisor and mentor, Hang Nguyen, for being the most real, reassuring, and generous advisor someone could ask for. Her willingness to give time, energy, and friendship were more than I could have imagined or hoped for, and something for which I am sincerely grateful. I am honored to be your first advisee. My other core committee members have always been willing to mentor, constructively criticize, and offer their time for my benefit. Akiko Takenaka’s “Representations of War” seminar changed my life. It was the class that sparked my first professional conference, in Switzerland of all places. The readings and discussions in that seminar captivated me in a way that they have shaped all of my work sense. Paul Chamberlin’s advice has always been practical and perfect. I have used his rules for conference papers without fail for years. I still practice my elevator pitch from 710, and I always have my thesis ready when I set out to talk about my work. These skills have made me a better communicator. Heather Stur of the University of Southern Mississippi has likewise provided great feedback and steady encouragement on the project. At the University of Kentucky, several professors have offered priceless time and advice. Awet Weldemichael challenged me to change how I see the world, and how I understand my own potential, in brand new ways. You became a mentor and a friend and I am honored to know you. Professor Petrone has always been a willing sounding board and an advocate for graduate students. Tina Hagee and Professors Albisetti, Campbell, Kern, and Slaymaker all encouraged me, guided me through seminars, assisted me during qualifying examinations, or provided feedback on the dissertation. Dr. Ellen Furlough was a fantastic mentor who took an early interest in my work that surprised and excited me. iii Her guidance and encouragement shaped a great deal of the way I approach research. She always encouraged me to make it bigger, to go after something new, and never be afraid of my perceived limitations. My friends and family have kept me sane with laughs, support, and lots of coffee. My page-a-day partner and friend, Krystle Farman, has helped me through the challenging days of writing and graduate school with happy thoughts and dark roast. I'm glad we kept each other so honest. Helen Pho has shared countless hotel rooms, Vietnamese tips, and primary sources. Bridget Ash kept me positive and running strong. My sister- and father- in-law, Heather and Jim, made holidays happier from dominos to Christmas cocktails on Wall Street. My brother, John, and my nephew, Lukas, always keep me laughing and encouraged. My parents, John and Annette, go above and beyond to help me however and whenever they can. My family’s patience has been a most valuable gift. My most faithful writing companions have been my dogs. They've heard every idea first and while they seemed overwhelmingly unimpressed, I could tell they supported me nonetheless. This project has benefitted immensely from the financial support of several generous grants and fellowships. A scholarship from the Southeast Asian Summer Studies Institute provided me the opportunity to begin learning Vietnamese. Two Bemis Dissertation Research Grants from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, the Lance Banning Memorial Fellowship from the Department of History at UK, and the Dissertation Enhancement Award from the Graduate School at UK supported archival research. Additional funding from SHAFR’s Robert A. and Barbara Divine Graduate Student Travel Grant, the University of Bern, the Department of History at UK, and the Graduate School at UK allowed me to attend conferences. Intellectual support from iv archivists, particularly those at the Gerald Ford Presidential Library, Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library, Michigan State University Archives, the National Archives in College Park, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, the Thư Viện khoa Học Tống Hộp and the Trung tâm Lưu trữ Quốc gia II, have likewise offered valuable leads and ideas on how to proceed with my research when my topic seemed invisible in the archival records. Finally, I want to thank my husband, Jason. You have always stood beside me no matter how often I traveled or practiced conference papers on you. Your advice helped me hone my arguments, your excitement for the project kept me excited, and your love has sustained me. While I married him for far more than his librarian skills, it only makes the deal sweeter. Thank you for supporting us these past nine years. You deserve a break more than me. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements…………………………………………….......………............…… iii Table of Contents…………………………………………………………....................... vi List of Figures……………………..………………...…………………..….........…...... viii Chapter One: Introduction: Love, War, and Bargirls: Lenses of Wartime Vietnam Memories of Love and War .................................................................................... 1 Foreign Affairs: Gender and Sexuality in International Relations .........................