Christine Wright Book Portfolio Four

“ I was surprised that the enemy aircraft with the obvious intention of dropping high explosives on us could be so beautiful.” Like many other men over the centuries, the Marines at Guadalcanal gained the wisdom and knowledge from an experience that one must go through in order to properly understand its consequences. The wisdom they gained was how precious life truly is. At what seemed to be their final moments they were able to look into the eyes of death and truly understand what it meant to be alive, and appreciate the world around them. Being close to death or eminent danger of losing something you hold dear to you can be an awakening. When you realize you have a strong hold on the world, you tend to take it for granted – when death is pressing in on you and looming near, you begin to see the beauty in things that to others may seem destitute or hideous. The Marines in Guadalcanal Diary, especially its author Richard Tregaskis experienced a precious feeling of being truly alive.

“In a few seconds someone shouted 'there they are!', and pointed and we all looked. Then I saw three of the Japs, silvery and beautiful high in the sky. They were so high that they looked like a slender white cloud moving slowly across the blue. But through my field glasses, I could see their silvery-white bodies quite distinctly; the thin wings, the two thin engine nacelles, the shimmering arcs of the propellers. I was surprised that the enemy aircraft with the obvious intention of dropping high explosives on us could be so beautiful.” It is true what the classic saying says; “You never know what you've got till its gone.” The situation described in this quote by Richard Tregaskis is an exceptional example of this quote, but with a twist. The marines in this story have gone through a long an arduous journey; every day they expect the worst. They have spent months preparing themselves for what they believe to be inevitable, and yet they seem to not have come to terms with the fact that at any moment they may die. Always joking or speaking of home, they seem to want to forget the fact of their own mortality and focus on lighter subjects. Only as they stand in a clearing of palm trees and gaze up into the brilliant blue sky and actually see their fate looming in on them do they begin to see life the way it is meant to be seen. Richard notices how beautiful the aircrafts seem as they glisten in the sun. Never before this moment has he mentioned beauty in all his writings, and never before has he been so near to his death. It is human behavior to appreciate what we have less of, and if you truly believe you have little time less to live then possibly you will begin to understand the depth of what you have been missing all along.


Throughout history human emotion remains the same. Everyday objects and experiences are taken for granted, while experiences we get very little of are highly anticipated. Once we have lost something we gave away so carelessly, we then strive to retain it and feel sorrowful for our loss. Realization of our world and the end of our lives seem to be very closely related in many writings, poems, and real life situations. Either a close encounter with death shocks one into a revelation, or after death we seem to realize how 'in the dark' alive human beings are, such as in the play Our Town by Thorton Wilder. Our Town is a play designed to bring out human characteristics that are timeless; the play uses many tools to show the persuade the audience that they are very much like them. Everyday the milkman rattles by with his horse and buggy, every Sunday morning the Church bells ring, children laugh and play, grow up, get married, and have their own children. Emily, a girl who's life is followed from a young age finds herself dead at the very end of the play. As she walks into the graveyard the tone is not at all sorrowful. She sits down with other members of the town who have passed away, and begins to cry, for she realizes how little she appreciated life. She exclaims “...its as if they're living in little boxes! How in the dark live people are!” It is her sudden realization of everything she missed that makes her human. True to human nature, we all take for granted the things we would miss most if we lost, and seldom do we look at the world around us and truly see.

In conclusion, the Marines at Guadalcanal were both very lucky and very unlucky; the ones that survived came away with a very distinct view on the world around them. Some of them may have even been able to see the world in detail from then onward, been able to truly appreciate life. Others may have perished at Guadalcanal in the hands of the Japanese. For the survivors, their journey was both a gift and a curse. After experiencing a moment Richard Tregaskis, anyone would be truly changed. Gazing up at enemy aircrafts as they prepare to end your life with the dropping of explosives, and being able to truly look at them and see the beauty in them is a truly amazing moment, and should never be forgotten.

American Empire Christine Wright

You cannot see my comments in this view:

http://docs.google.com/View?docID=df2rxscg_144gc4bwxt7&revision=_latest

Notes Quarter Four

http://www.google.com/notebook/public/13896368556504863028/BDQJ-SgoQrfX4ocsj?hl=en

Test Presentation: American Expansion

http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=df2rxscg_121cs7zfjpk

Rosie the Riveter and Mobilization

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgz2bwxp_102gmzksjd6

Manifest Destiny SAT Questions

Manifest Destiny

An Ideal or a Justification?

A Conversation With David M. Pletcher
Indiana University

What were the driving forces behind the United States' quest for Manifest Destiny during the 19th century?

The term "Manifest Destiny" was, in part, an expression of a genuine ideal on the part of Americans. But it was also a justification, in that they wanted territory and needed an excuse or justification for a push into territory that they did not control.

The idea of Manifest Destiny was foreshadowed by some of the writings during the revolutionary times, with the desire for Canada in the period between the American War for Independence and the War of 1812. It rationalized the Louisiana Purchase and United States' support for Texas independence and annexation.

More broadly stated, Manifest Destiny was a conviction that God intended North America to be under the control of Americans. It's a kind of early projection of Anglo-saxon supremacy and there's a racist element to it.

But there was also an idealistic element. It was very hard to measure the two, since it would differ from person to person. If you asked a person to define Manifest Destiny, he might tell you it is an ideal, or he might say, "Well, we want the land and this is the easiest way to justify our taking it."

How were the United States' actions to fulfill its perceived Manifest Destiny viewed by outside nations?

The attitude of Europeans and other observers was one not of fear of the United States, but a combination of lack of respect and a conviction that Americans were essentially hypocrites to talk about ideals then aim at expanding their land holdings.

This conviction developed, in part, out of American propaganda and publicity. The Americans did a great deal of talking and writing about liberty, but at the same time, they expanded the idea of Manifest Destiny. It was their destiny to expand across North America. The people poised in the way of that expansion, were aware of this, especially the Mexicans.

Mexicans were torn between two conflicting attitudes about the United States. One was an attitude of admiration, the other was an attitude of fear that the Americans would try to detach border territories from Mexico's lands.

Many Mexicans wanted to imitate the United States—its prosperity, the development of its economy and its agriculture. But they wanted to do so without losing land in the process.

Were Mexico's fears about the United States justified?

Well, the events of the 1830s and '40s would suggest that their fears were justified. One must take into consideration the fact that the Texans, by revolting against Mexico, were doing practically the same thing that the Mexicans themselves had done when they revolted against Spain. So the arguments Mexico used to protest Texas' right to revolt were a bit hollow. Texans were well aware of this, so they paid little attention to what the Mexicans said.

Who were the people and what were the forces behind U.S. opposition to western expansion and the fulfillment of Manifest Destiny?

Expansion was always a very divisive issue that provoked as much opposition as support in some parts of the country. At first, the opposition to expansion came from those who believed that the United States could not succeed as an experiment in self-government if it grew too large. This became a political position of the Whig Party during the 1840s and was one of the bases for their opposition to the war with Mexico.

There were many citizens who felt that a democracy like the United States could succeed only if it were relatively small and close to the people. In a sense, this was a Jeffersonian ideal. There were others who saw possibilities for greatness on the part of the United States in growth and economic development. This was, in some degree, the Hamiltonian ideal and those who supported it stood behind expansion of the United States, especially in the West, and the expansion of American commerce.

At first, basis for opposition to U.S. expansion was a feeling that it would contribute to the downfall of the nation. Later, the Northeast and East Coast felt they would lose power if the United States admitted more states in to the Union. Finally, the abolitionists in the North were afraid that the conquest of Mexico would lead to the incorporation of more slave territory into the United States.

During the course of the conflict with Mexico, the opposition to the war became focused upon the abolitionists movement and opposition to the expansion of slavery. There was, of course, some sympathy with the Mexicans and some pacifist opposition to the war itself as the casualty lists grew longer. But the abolitionist movement became a means of focusing this opposition into a powerful political movement that President Polk had to pay attention to.

Texas annexation seemed to be a part of the natural expansion of the United States — a logical sequel to the Louisiana Purchase. It became more controversial, however, partly because of Mexican opposition to the annexation and partly because of the conviction in the North that Texas represented an expansion of slavery. John Quincy Adams, a member of the House of Representatives, even thought of the push for Texas annexation as a slaveholder's conspiracy, although I think historians have convincingly proven that there was no conspiracy.

1.) The word "conviction" in line 6 means to

(A) assuredness <
(B) uncertainty
(C) appeal
(D) hypothesis
(E) liberation

2.) What is the speaker's main point in the third paragraph?
(A) That all Americans are racist.
(B) That the early settlers took the land because they believed God commanded it. <
(C) The Anglo-saxons who first spread from the east to west were very religious.
(D) The Anglo-saxons thought that they were better than everyone else.(E) The early Americans thought that their land would be taken from them if they didn't fight for it.

3.) It can be inferred from the quote "At first, basis for opposition to U.S. expansion was a feeling that it would contribute to the downfall of the nation."
(A) A good president would never let America expand.
(B) The people of America were uneasy about the expansion of power. <
(C) The Nation would lose power due to the large population.
(D) The only opposition was due to the fear of a downfall in America.
(E) The Mexicans wanted America to lose its power.

4.) What was NOT one of the oppositions to American expansion? (paragraphs ten, eleven, and twelve)?
(A) The Northeast and East Coast thought that they would lose power.
(B) People doubted America's ability to govern itself.
(C) Many thought it would lead to the downfall of the nation.
(D) There wasn't enough money to expand. <
(E) People in the North were afraid that adding more land would lead to increased slavery.

5.) The tone of this passage as a whole can be best described as
(A) unseasoned
(B) comedic
(C) elegant
(D) informative <
(E) ignorant

Nicole's Post

The Marines on Guadalcanal
JAMES SMITH, 1st Raider BattalionConverted for the Web from "Into The Rising Sun: In Their Own Words, World War II's Pacific Veterans Reveal the Heart of Combat" by Patrick K. O'Donnell

Jump to: The Marines on Guadalcanal John Sweeney, 1st Raider BattalionRobert Youngdeer of E-Company John Sweeney commands B-CompanyDave Taber at Bloody Ridge Ira Gilliand throwing grenadesJohn Mielke defends Henderson Field Tom Lyons, 1st Parachute Battalion"Horse Collar" James Smith Frank Guidone and the mortar squadDean Winters, 2nd Raider Battalion Ray Bauml on the Long Patrol
On September 27, the 1st Raider Battalion would help launch an attack near the mouth of the Matanikau River. Poor intelligence greatly underestimated the strength of the Japanese defenses facing them, turning the operation into a disaster. The Japanese halted the Raiders and 5th Marines' advance at the mouth of the river and nearly wiped out the amphibious landings by another Marine battalion at Point Cruz. Jim "Horse Collar" Smith recalls the battle.

We were on this narrow trail along the east side of the Matanikau River, a steep cliff on the other side. As we snaked up the side of the trail, a guy named Ed Mertz had a kidney stone. And here we are plastered alongside the trail with Japs on the other side of the river and this guy Mertz goes down screaming, clutching his gut. I remember thinking, "Oh, God, we are going to get it." It was just a little farther along there that C Company was just a little ahead of us. Ken Bailey [the battalion executive officer and Medal of Honor recipient for his actions on Bloody Ridge], with his runner right behind him, was dashing across a log footbridge, caught a Nambu [machine gun] between the eyes and went down. Can you imagine getting hit in the eyes with a machine gun. I would be so mad if something like that would have happened to me. I just couldn't imagine what was going through his head at the time -Nicole Pedone 3/26/09 2:11 PM You would probably be killed instantly. I don't know if "lucky" would describe living through it. -Christine Wright 3/27/09 8:59 AM
A little later in the day -- I guess we were still heading south -- Sam Griffith got shot in the shoulder at about 300 meters. That left us with a bunch of young 1st (who had just made 1st lieutenant), I would be so mad if I got left with a bunch of young lieutenants that didn't really know what they were doing and what was going to happen. I would want someone that knew what was going to happen and had more experience so that I knew what was going to happen and knew what they were in for. -Nicole Pedone 3/26/09 2:16 PM
Me too. Though a lot of these men were unexperienced and had little training. -Christine Wright 3/27/09 9:00 AM
and there was actually a discussion at the CP as to who was the senior officer. Edson was in a state of shock after Bailey was killed. It affected [Bailey's runner] more than anything else. He had been Major Bob Brown's runner until the ridge, and Brown was killed coming off the ridge. Someone said to him, "You must be a jinx, because this was the second major you lost." The poor kid became unglued. It was a terrible thing to say.

I remember when we pulled Bailey into the aid station in a poncho. Aid station [sigh] -- a couple of guys sitting on logs and doctors treating them. There was a kid by the name of Dobson who had been shot right in the groin. His face was absolutely dead white, you couldn't believe it.
I couldn't imagine seeing someone that was so pale looking. I wouldn't like to be in this kind of thing because I wouldn't want to do something like this and dying and pain. -Nicole Pedone 3/26/09 2:19 PM
Yeah, if you were shot in the groin you'd bleed out really quickly. It would be really hard to not break down while seeing someone dying. -Christine Wright 3/27/09 9:02 AMHe just sat there and held his stomach. Everybody knew he was going to die, and he knew he was going to die. I dont know what I'd do if I knew that everyone was going to die. -Nicole Pedone 3/27/09 11:27 AMNot a murmur out of him; talk about stoicism. He died shortly after that. He just slid off the log and was dead. A man next to him had a flesh wound and was crying like a baby. Talk about a contrast.
Eventually they pulled us out of there because the Japs were well entrenched on the other side of the footbridge.