Ben C. McCune, PH. D. is the assistant Dean and Director of the TRIO Programs in the School of Graduate Studies & Research at Florida A&M University. He also graduated from Florida A&M University. Mr. McCune is now traveling all around the world to observe the many different programs that support student learning for diverse populations.
Dr. Ben McCune

Ben C. McCune is an American citizen in the United States during the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War, Ben was not involved in the war. He did not believe in fighting and Ben strongly feels that peace is a better answer than war. From 1964 to 1966, Ben was in the Peace Core in Ethiopia. During the interview, he repeatedly stated that the Vietnam War was not a good idea. Ben thought that the United States entered the war to stop communism. Although the US fought for a reason, they stayed there for far too long. In the beginning of the War, people didn't really care. People started to care in 1968, when the soldier fatality rate was skyrocketing in Vietnam. People in the United States began to hold uprisings, protests, and anti-war demonstrations against the war. People began to question the whole purpose of the war. Is the purpose of the war to end communism or is it that we don't want to lose face in not fighting. They even had special programs for the many soldiers who fought in the war. At the end of the Vietnam War when the soldiers returned home, there was a sense that the American public did not appreciate their efforts. They did not get any of the special treatments like the soldiers who fought in WWII. Ben stated that up till the Vietnam War, young people felt proud in fighting for their country; Vietnam War change their thoughts. Ben concluded the interview by stating that the Vietnam War was a hard lesson learned and that Americans should think about our actions before jumping into something we are not sure of.