Fighting in Vietnam

A War of Attrition Not fought on traditional battlefields U.S. military not equipped/well trained to fight in jungle terrain NLF (Viet Cong) and People’s Army of Vietnam (North Vietnamese army) knew these lands inside and out Military leaders on both sides settled into a war of attrition Small battles to deplete your enemy’s resources, weaken their morale

American Military Strategies Massive bombing campaigns Operation Rolling Thunder Over 4.6 million tons were dropped into North Vietnam, especially among the Ho Chi Minh Trail Massive supply line the communists used to transport resources and troops The NLF and North Vietnamese were too resilient for the bombing raids to be effective Literally rebuilt sections of the trail overnight

American Military Strategy On the ground, U.S. troops conducted search-and-destroy missions Helicopters were first widely used in Vietnam, used LZs to quickly transport troops into and out of these remote locations Soldiers burned to the ground many villages suspected of housing communist sympathizers Often times did not distinguish between innocent villagers

American Military Strategies Soldiers would burn these villages to the ground, left many villagers displaced and resentful towards American troops Instances of extreme violence against villagers, including rape Would also solicit food out of fear and protection March 16, 1968: My Lai Massacre Mass killing of between 347-504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam The brutal killing of innocent men, and gang-rape and mutilation of women, children was the low-point of the American presence in Vietnam

American Military Strategies The military went to great lengths to cover up My Lai When news broke, it shocked Americans and further fueled protests against the war and distrust in the government’s handling of the Vietnam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V Wchy6ykNnQ Search and destroy missions also resulted in brutal executions, often without proper evidence or trial Is this the type of government/justice system America is trying to establish in Vietnam?

American Military Strategies Defoliants and herbicides were used to clear out the jungle terrain to expose Viet Cong hiding spots, strong holds Agent Orange was extremely effective in clearing out the jungle brush, but also highly toxic and cancerous In the years and decades after Vietnam, huge numbers of Veterans died from various cancers caused by these herbicides Also greatly affected the locals- cancers, birth defects

American Military Strategies Napalm is an explosive liquid in gelatin form Usually a mixture of gasoline Also used to clear out the jungle brush and bomb suspected Viet Cong strong holds Hard to accurately hit targets (nature of gelatin), or some times the military would hit the wrong target Misinformation, flight equipment error, etc.

Vietnamese Military Strategy The North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong and had a different goal in mind- weaken American resolve through guerilla warfare Hit and run tactics, surprise ambushes The U.S. had better training and equipment, but the NVA and VC were able to pose significant challenges: Greater knowledge of the landscape No distinct uniforms marking their status Explosives, booby traps, mines, suicide bombings RPGs and machine guns imported from the Soviet Union, China Repurposed explosives dropped from U.S. planes for their own use

Vietnamese Military Strategy The Vietnamese’s superior knowledge of their own landscape allowed them to build a massive, intricate system of underground tunnels Provided travel and transportation of troops and resources Sleeping quarters Fully equipped hospitals and living quarters Allowed for secret ambushes, attacks and U.S. caravans and platoons “Tunnel Rats” were used to root out any Viet Cong

Vietnamese Military Strategy The Viet Cong and NVA carried out the Tet Offensive days after attacking a U.S. military base that was home to 6,000 marines The NVA and VC carried out the attack using the Ho Chi Minh Trail U.S. forces were able to repel the attack, but then and over the course of the war, many were taken as prisoners of war (POWs) Often pilots who were shot down

Vietnamese Military Strategy Conditions in most prisoner camps were exceedingly harsh Beatings and unthinkable tortures were commonplace, kept in solitary confinement for years Used to get vital military information from the U.S. prisoners Also forced POWs in front of the camera, detailing crimes of American forces against the Vietnamese 590 American POWs were eventually released from Vietnam, over 2000 are still classified as missing in action