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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was Kerry eventually given offshore assignments by commanders at Cat Lo?

2. Out of the few months Kerry spent in Vietnam, how many of them were for training purposes?

3. What was the result of Kerry's congressional run after the Dick Cavett Show?

4. What does Kerry admit to about his decision to be part of the Swift Boats during Vietnam, in The Vietnam Experience: A War Remembered?

5. What do his crew and witnesses of a refueling event on the way to An Thoi say Kerry lied about?

Short Essay Questions

1. What question did Lt. Ted Peck ask of Kerry shortly after he returned home, and why is Kerry's response revealing?

2. Why is it important to understand when the problems between O'Neill and Kerry began?

3. What was the length of a normal tour of duty, how did Kerry's time in the war compare to it, and how did the other officers regard his actions?

4. How was Kerry awarded the third Purple Heart, and why was it significant?

5. How did the debate between O'Neill and Kerry begin, and what was the outcome?

6. What happened in the infamous sampan incident, where a mother and her child were found, and how did Kerry respond?

7. What is the significance of O'Neill's suggestion that the readers of the book view the video of the debate between him and Kerry?

8. What is an example of the report that Kerry lacked the nerves for combat and often would overreact to situations?

9. What did O'Neill first do to challenge Kerry on his testimony, and how did Kerry respond?

10. How did the assignment of the Swift Boats change, what was Kerry's response, and why did the other officers consider him to be a problem?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Unfit for Command begins with an Introduction and 2 quotes.

1) What is the purpose for the Introduction and how do O'Neill and Corsi make their intentions clear from the beginning? What are those intentions and why are they important?

2) Describe the 2 quotes used at the very beginning of the Introduction and how they relates to the authors' objectives. Why are they an effective way to start the book?

Essay Topic 2

What was the open letter from the Swift Boat Veterans to John Kerry? Why was it announced, and what was its purpose? How did Kerry respond to the letter? Why was it significant that the letter was issued in 2004 and by Rear Admiral Hoffman? What is the importance of the number of signatures on the letter and who participated or endorsed it?

Essay Topic 3

Following Kerry's testimony, many soldiers in Vietnam experienced the backlash from it. Describe three ways that Kerry's speech was used against the soldiers in the war and why it was an effective tool for the enemy. Also, explain the effect Kerry's testimony had on the soldiers who were returning home and the reception they received.

(see the answer keys)

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