Vietnam War soldiers also struggled with boredom At times, Vietnam resembled “a hated, dreary struggle” that dragged on and on with no end in sight. Since large-scale warfare was rare, soldiers could go for weeks without encountering enemy forces, but far from being a respite, the quiet only heightened the tension.
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What was the fighting like in Vietnam?
Vietnam War soldiers endured many hardships and faced many problems. Combatants on both sides faced physical challenges posed by the climate, terrain and wildlife of the country. They also struggled with logistical problems and the complex political situation in Vietnam.
How bad was the fighting in Vietnam?
More than two decades of violent conflict had inflicted a devastating toll on Vietnam’s population: After years of warfare, an estimated 2 million Vietnamese were killed, while 3 million were wounded and another 12 million became refugees.
What made fighting in Vietnam so difficult?
Explanation: Firstly most of the war was fought as a guerrilla war. This is a type of war which conventional forces such as the US army in Vietnam, find notoriously difficult to fight.The Americans, laden down with conventional weapons and uniform were not equipped to fight in the paddy fields and jungles.
What was it like for American soldiers in Vietnam?
Upon arriving in Vietnam, American soldiers found themselves in a strange land of watery fields and dense jungles. This unfamiliar environment made their jobs more difficult and unpleasant. Their feelings of vulnerability were increased by strained relations with Vietnam’s rural communities.
Why did we fight in the Vietnam War?
The U.S. entered the Vietnam War in an attempt to prevent the spread of communism, but foreign policy, economic interests, national fears, and geopolitical strategies also played major roles. Learn why a country that had been barely known to most Americans came to define an era.
How did soldiers cope with the Vietnam War?
Coping with war
Many could not stay hunkered down but could only cope with the noise and danger of death by walking around, thereby increasing their risk of becoming a casualty.Soldiers could also comfort themselves with the knowledge of the inefficiency of most First World War weaponry.
Was the Vietnam War a mistake?
For many who study foreign affairs, the Vietnam War was a tragic mistake brought about by U.S. leaders who exaggerated the influence of communism and underestimated the power of nationalism.It was a proxy conflict in the Cold War.
How did America lose the Vietnam War?
The Paris Peace Accords of January 1973 saw all U.S. forces withdrawn; the Case–Church Amendment, passed by the U.S. Congress on 15 August 1973, officially ended direct U.S. military involvement. The Peace Accords were broken almost immediately, and fighting continued for two more years.
Could the Vietnam War have been avoided?
Share All sharing options for: Vietnam War could have been avoided, McNamara says. Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, a key architect of the Vietnam War, said Monday that the conflict could have been halted more than a decade before it ended or avoided altogether.
What happened to the people during the Vietnam War?
The widespread destruction of the farms and villages in the South Vietnamese countryside turned huge numbers of peasants into homeless refugees. Many of these people fled to the cities, where they made a living any way they could—including through illegal activities.
What war did the US lose?
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1955-1975) is a black-marked event in the histories of both Vietnam and the United States, and one when the latter country, after losing thousands of soldiers in the war, was effectively badly defeated and forced to retreat.
Do any French still live in Vietnam?
After 1954, French fell into disuse in North Vietnam, and maintained a high status in South Vietnam. Since the Fall of Saigon in 1975, French has declined in modern Vietnam: in 2018, under 1% of the population was fluent in French.
Did 17 year olds fight in Vietnam?
Statistics show that at least five men killed in Vietnam were sixteen years old, and at least 12 were seventeen years old. 61% of those killed were younger than twenty one and 11,465 of those killed were younger than twenty years of age.
How many Vietnam War vets are still alive?
It took a toll on a generation of some nine million members of our armed forces who served during a 20 year period from 1955-1975. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, approximately 7.2 million are living today.
Why do soldiers not talk about Vietnam?
Civilians do not like to hear about killing, and combat soldiers do not want to talk about it. There is no euphemistic way to talk about killing, and there is no eloquent way to describe a violent death. So, in order to cope, soldiers have invented their own private language to talk about these subjects.
What happened to Vietnam after the war?
After more than a century of foreign domination and 21 years of war and division, Vietnam was finally a single, independent nation, free from external control and interference. Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City, in honour of the revolutionary leader, who had died six years earlier.
Is Vietnam still communist?
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a one-party state. A new state constitution was approved in April 1992, replacing the 1975 version. The central role of the Communist Party was reasserted in all organs of government, politics and society.
What was different about the Vietnam War compared to the United States?
The Vietnam War was different than any other war that the United States had fought to that point.The major enemy for the US was more of a guerrilla organization that did not fight traditional battles. This was also different than other US wars because it was not a war to take territory.
Why did they call Vietnam vets baby killers?
Some people who opposed American involvement in the Vietnam War treated U.S. soldiers and veterans poorly.In some instances, antiwar protesters reportedly spit on returning veterans and called them baby-killers. Although such incidents were rare, the stories were often repeated among U.S. soldiers in Vietnam.
How did the Vietnam War affect soldiers mentally?
Vietnam veterans were the first to fight in an American war that could not be recalled with pride.Upon the veterans’ return to the states, many exhibited significant psychiatric symptoms. These ranged from difficulty sleeping to vivid flashbacks, and are now recognized as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
