The Vietnam War was a long, brutal struggle for American ...
Transcript of The Vietnam War was a long, brutal struggle for American ...
• TheVietnamWarwasalong,brutalstruggleforAmericansoldiers.Theycouldnottellfriendfromenemy,theyfoughtaguerrillawar,andhadtoavoidsniper=ire,landmines,andboobytraps.
• Manysoldierssawtheirbuddieskilledanddidnotunderstandwhytheywere=ighting10,000milesfromhome.Americansoldiershadtocarry60poundpacksthrough10foottallelephantgrassorthrough=loodedricepaddies.
• Thehadto=ighttheenemyandfoughtleeches,fever,andjunglerot(skindisease).Becausesomanymendied,soldiermoralewaslowanditincreasedsoldierracialtension.
• TheVietCong(N.V.)didnothavesophisticatedequipmentliketheU.S.troops,sotheyusedguerrillawarfare.
• TheVietCongwouldsetalandmineandwhenaU.S.soldierwaswounded,theVietCongwouldwaitonotherU.S.soldierstoaidtheinjuredmanandwouldthenopen=ireonthegroupofU.S.soldiers.
• TheVietCongusuallyfoughtinsmallgroupsusingsabotageandsneakattacks.TheVietCongrarelyattackedU.S.soldiersheadon.
• BecausetheU.S.militarycouldnottellfriendfromenemy,manyVietnamesecivilianswerekilled.
• TheU.S.usedsaturationbombing(droppingthousandsoftonsofexplosivesoveralargearea)todestroyNorthVietnamesebridgesandroads.
• TheU.S.usedAgentOrangetoburnthejungleto=indVietConghidingplaces.AgentOrangealsokilledcropsandledtohealthproblemsinhumansandlivestock.
• TheU.S.alsousedNapalm,whichburneduncontrollably.Napalmstucktopeople’sbodiessearingtheir=lesh.
• InMarch1968,theMyLaiMassacrewilltakeplaceinaSouthVietnamesevillage.TheU.S.militarywastoldthat250VietCongwereinthevillage.
• TheU.S.troopsroundedupthevillage=indingonlywomen,children,andoldmen.LieutenantCalleygavetheordertokillallprisoners.Over100Vietnamesewerekilled.
• ThestoryshockedAmericansbackhomeandshowedthattheU.S.couldnotendthewarsoonenough.