1. Vietnam War: Different in so many ways Search & Destroy/Body Counts
Agent Orange
Napalm
An herbicide sprayed by the U.S. planes. It would cause plants to grow foliage (leaves) too quickly which resulted in the plants dying. This thinned out the forest got rid of many of the VC and NVA’s coverage. It also killed the crops and could cause serious illness to all who came in contact with it (VC, civilian Vietnamese and U.S. soldiers)
A jelly that U.S. troops dropped on the North Vietnamese army (NVA) and VC as well as jungles that were thought to contain enemies. Napalm burned up to 2000 degrees and was so hot it created its own wind storms. It is an indiscriminate weapon, it cannot be targeted at only the enemy and would do terrible damage to all who came in contact with it.
Vietnam War: Different in so many ways
Search & Destroy/Body Counts
U.S. troops would be flown into villages in order to search out the enemy VC and NVA. The U.S.’s goal was to destroy all enemies as well as supplies they used, which included villages food stores. The success of S and D missions was based on the body count (how many VC were killed).
Guerilla Warfare
A fighting tactic used by the VC and North Vietnamese Army. Soldiers would attack the U.S. by surprise, strike quickly and retreat into the jungle (Hit and Run). This allowed the VC and NVA to inflict serious injury to the larger and better equipped U.S. troops and frustrate the U.S. Troops….Think Tiger Elephant Metaphor
The VC dug elaborate tunnels
-up to 120 miles long and 30 feet deep and were booby trapped (Punji sticks, trap doors etc.)
-included hospitals, wells, conference rooms, sleeping areas, cooking areas, etc. VC lived in these tunnels, coming up at night to tend to their crops/ go on raids against U.S. Troops.
Tunnel Rats were U.S. soldiers that went into the tunnels to find the enemy. It was extremely dangerous and stressful.
Tunnels and Tunnel Rats