The Vietnam War Section 2 - Fighting the War Mr. Dodson

Fighting the War Objectives How did battlefield conditions in Vietnam affect American soldiers? How would you describe the course of the war between 1965 and 1968? Why was the Tet Offensive a turning point in the war?

Battlefield Conditions The nearly 3 million Americans serving in Vietnam found themselves in conditions unlike any that had encountered before. American soldiers fighting in Vietnam had to cope with tropical infections, booby traps, land mines, and a difficult enemy. Americans discovered that the many South Vietnamese people did not even appreciate their efforts.

Battlefield Conditions “We moved through the boiling heat with 60 pounds of weapons and gear, causing a typical Marine to drop 20 percent of his body weight while in the bush. When we stopped we dug chest-deep fighting holes and slit trenches for toilets. We slept on the ground under makeshift poncho [tents]…. Sleep itself was fitful, never more than an hour or two at a stretch for months at a time as we mixed daytime patrolling with night-time ambushes, listening posts, foxhole duty, and radio watches. Ringworm, hookworm, malaria, and dysentery were common, as was trench foot when the monsoons came.”

Battlefield Conditions American Troops Had superior weapons Were unprepared for heat, terrain, or guerrilla tactics Lacked support of most South Vietnamese Most never saw the enemy but constantly faced the possibility of sudden danger.

Battlefield Conditions Vietminh (Viet Cong) Troops One advantage the Viet Cong guerillas was that they built and hid in elaborate underground tunnels More importantly, they fought as guerrillas; - avoided head-on clashes, used ambush and hit and run attacks Were familiar with terrain; had support of many South Vietnamese

The Air and Ground Wars Some Weapons Used in the Vietnam War Land Mines — can be set off by the pressure of a footstep, are explosive devices planted in the ground. Viet Cong landmines killed and wounded both American GIs and Vietnamese civilians. Even today civilians die or are wounded each year from land mines

The Air and Ground Wars Some Weapons Used in the Vietnam War Saturation Bombing — American B-52 bomber planes dropped thousands of tons of explosives, resulting in saturation bombing of North Vietnam. Fragmentation Bombs — were dropped by Americans over both North and South Vietnam, threw pieces of their thick metal casings in all directions when they exploded. In South Vietnam, fragmentation bombs killed and maimed countless civilians.

The Air and Ground Wars Some Weapons Used in the Vietnam War Agent Orange — American pilots dropped an herbicide called Agent Orange over Vietnamese jungles, killing vegetation and exposing Viet Cong hiding places. Agent Orange was later discovered to cause health problems in livestock and humans. Napalm — Another chemical weapon used in Vietnam, napalm, was a jellylike substance which, when dropped from planes splattered, and burned uncontrollably causing horrible burns.

The Ho Chi Minh Trail North Vietnamese troops and supplies entered South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a route that passed through Laos and Cambodia.

Intensifying the War After the election of 1964, President Johnson began a gradual escalation, or expansion of the war. The number of American soldiers stationed in Vietnam rose from about 25,000 at the beginning of 1965 to nearly 536,000 by the end of 1968. Originally, American soldiers had been sent to advise the South Vietnamese; now their task was to prop up a failing South Vietnamese government led by Nguyen Cao Ky.

Intensifying the War Despite the large buildup of American troops, between 1965 and 1967 the war was at a stalemate. Within the United States, debate raged between hawks, those who supported the war, and doves, those who did not.

The Tet Offensive: A Turning Point Americans had been told all this time that the enemy was losing and weak and that victory was just around the corner. On January 30, 1968, the Viet Cong and North Vietnam launched a major offensive (attack). This series of attacks was called the Tet Offensive since it occurred during Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. Tactically the Tet offensive was a victory for the U.S. because the Viet Cong suffered severe losses.

The Tet Offensive: A Turning Point BUT… Because Americans now knew that the Viet Cong could launch massive attacks, and no end to the war was in sight, the Tet Offensive proved to be a major psychological victory for the Viet Cong and a turning point in the war. Americans also began to mistrust the gov’t.

The Tet Offensive: A Turning Point “[E]ven though it was a considerable military set-back for the North Vietnamese and Vietcong out there on the ground, it was, in effect, a brilliant political victory for them here in the United States. I'm not sure I fully understand the reasons why that should have occurred, but it became very clear after the Tet offensive that many people at the grass roots, … finally came to the conclusion that if we could not tell them when this was going to end, and we couldn't in any good faith, that we might as well chuck it.” — Dean Rusk 

My Lai Massacre Americans massacred hundreds of civilians at My Lai, a small village in South Vietnam. In response to word that the village was sheltering 250 members of the Viet cong, a U.S. unit moved in to clear out the village in March 1968. Instead of enemy soldiers they only found women, children and old men. The officer in charge, Lt. William L. Calley, Jr., ordered them rounded up and shot. Seconds later these villagers were killed by U.S. soldiers.

My Lai Massacre “We huddled them up. We made them squat down…. I poured about four clips [about 68 shots] into the group…. Well, we kept right on firing…. I still dream about it…. Some nights, I can't even sleep. I just lay there thinking about it.” A helicopter crew that stopped the massacre was later rewarded, and Calley was imprisoned for life.

Fighting the War—Assessment Which of the following proved to be an advantage for the Viet Cong? (A) Familiarity with Vietnam’s weather and terrain (B) Possession of Agent Orange (C) American military support (D) Superior weapons technology What made the Tet Offensive a turning point in the war? (A) It took place in South Vietnam. (B) It resulted in massive casualties. (C) It made Americans question their involvement in Vietnam. (D) It was unusually brutal.

Fighting the War—Assessment Which of the following proved to be an advantage for the Viet Cong? (A) Familiarity with Vietnam’s weather and terrain (B) Possession of Agent Orange (C) American military support (D) Superior weapons technology What made the Tet Offensive a turning point in the war? (A) It took place in South Vietnam. (B) It resulted in massive casualties. (C) It made Americans question their involvement in Vietnam. (D) It was unusually brutal.