E learning

Task 1
Background info about Hubert Wilson
He is a Vietnam War veteran who served in the USAF Security Service. He, along with a dozen or so intelligence school grads, prepped for about 14 months at Kelly AFB in San Antonio, Texas, before anticipating being sent to Vietnam or elsewhere in southeast Asia in 1970. About half ended up in Da Nang (an Agent Orange hotspot) in the 6924th Security Squadron. The rest of them were assigned to Shemya Island, Alaska, with the 6984th Security Squadron, and what eventually was a more contaminated environment than Da Nang!
His health problems started approximately 15 years ago with unexplained headaches and limb pains. Four years ago his central nervous system radically deteriorated with Parkinsonian type tremors, severe headaches, progressive limb pains, etc. No physician has ever diagnosed the specific illness. His guess is that the heavily contaminated drinking water at Shemya during his year there as an intelligence analyst. Organo-phosphate toxins may not run their toxic course until 20 to 30 years after initial exposure.
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is the code name for an herbicide and defoliant—contaminated with TCDD—used by the U.S. military in its herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam War.
According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects.
From 1961 to 1971, Agent Orange was by far the most widely used of the so-called "Rainbow Herbicides" employed in the herbicidal warfare program. During the production of Agent Orange (as well as Agents Purple, Pink, and Green) dioxins were produced as a contaminant, which have caused numerous health problems for the millions of people who have been exposed. Agents Blue and White were part of the same program but did not contain dioxins.
http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Rainbow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange

Task 2
1. Point of view
Point- War is inhumane and not only affects does who take part but many others
Evidence - "Toll on the innocent and unborn.", “Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.”,
Elaboration – The writer feels that takes its toll on the soldiers who took part but also the unborn child of those who took part in the war. These children, although had no part in the war, but still have to suffer the consequences. They will face birth defects, premature death and illnesses . This expresses how the writer empathizes with such innocent beings, as they have to pay the price for their forefathers mistake- to join the war.
2. Situation and Setting
Point - Setting of the cruelty of war
Evidence - "Expecting others to pay a high price"
Elaboration - The third line of the poem states of the people to have to pay a high price for war. "High price" would suggest that the presence of war would most probably require sacrifices and even deaths.
3.Language/Diction
Point-War results in many deaths
Evidence- Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Elaboration: At that time other than Agent Orange, there were many other chemicals produced, such as Agents Purple, Pink and Green. “Potpourri” It means a mixture of materials or substances. However, in this poem, ‘potpourri’ means the mixture of deaths inflicted as a result of war. The phrase “death potpourri” means that there is a lot of deaths due to these multiple chemicals.
4)Personal response- War is cruel and inhumane. In a war, no one benefits. The Rainbow Herbicides were originally used by the Americans against Vietnamese crops. However, it also had an undesirable side effect. Many Americans came in contact with the Herbicides and as a result they had incurable health problems. The children of these Americans were born with many health defects. Despite being innocent, they will have to suffer for the rest of their lives, for reasons they can’t comprehend