The war was associated with the division of the world after World War II into two systems: capitalist and socialist. The Korean War ended, dividing the once united country into two camps. It was Vietnam's turn. By 1954, it was already divided along the 17th parallel into North (socialist) and South (capitalist under French rule). The North was actively advancing with the support of the PRC and the USSR, trying to create a unified state under its flag. The question of unification was only a matter of time. The South, of course, did not want to put up with this state of affairs, and the capitalist states led by the United States were not going to give up another bridgehead under the banner of the socialist camp.
Occasion
American society reacts painfully to the loss of its soldiers in any wars. Therefore, before the start of any conflict, serious information propaganda is carried out. To begin operations, an armed incident is needed that could be used as a justification for starting hostilities. This was the event in Tokyo Bay on August 2, 1964. The US Navy destroyer USS Maddox approached the borders of North Vietnam and was attacked. And already on August 5, 1964, the Americans began bombing. This event still raises a lot of questions:
- Why would a destroyer approach the shore of a hostile state? Before this event, the Americans landed a landing force of instructors in the South. The North was already seen as the enemy.
- The circumstances of the ship's death have not been fully clarified. There is a version that the Viet Cong were physically unable to destroy this ship.
- Fast decision making. Only three days passed between the destruction of the destroyer and the start of the attack. Consequently, the military was already aware of how the provocation would end.
Start
All forces of the North were united into the Viet Cong organization. Hence the name “Vietcong”, which was synonymous with the word “communists” for Western countries.
In 1961, the United States sent its instructors and military personnel to the region. The first US losses appeared in Vietnam. However, America did not conduct full-scale hostilities. Her participation was in training the southerners. However, the US leadership understood that the Viet Cong forces with the support of the socialist camp were incomparable.
In 1963, the North destroyed almost the entire army of the south at the Battle of Apbak. There were already about 8 thousand Viet Cong partisans on enemy territory. By 1964, the United States was transferring a large contingent of 25 thousand people here. Before this, there were only 800 specialists and fighters here. Military conflict was inevitable.
"Burning Spear"
In 1965, American army positions were attacked. There were US losses in Vietnam in people and equipment. President Johnson announced the start of Operation Burning Spear. Its purpose was to carry out air strikes on Viet Cong positions. However, this did not have much effect.
Full scale intervention, Operation Rolling Thunder. Conventional airstrikes had no effect. In dense jungle conditions, it is very difficult to find objects to destroy. Then the United States develops Operation Rolling Thunder. Its essence is carpet bombing of vast territories using ground forces. The number of personnel was increased to 180 thousand people. Over the next three years, the American group grew to half a million.
Carpet bombings lead to large casualties among civilians. I would like to note that the doctrine of bombing, adopted by England back in 1920, was adopted by the United States. It was actively used in Dresden during the Second World War. Its goal is to terrorize the entire population. In this case, the killing of civilians is considered part of the overall plan.
North Vietnamese offensive
I would immediately like to dispel the myth that the Viet Cong waged a defensive war, and the Americans waged an offensive war. Actually this is not true. All the main actions were initially carried out by partisan detachments precisely on the territory of South Vietnam. The actual aggressor was the Viet Cong.
On "Tet Day", January 30, the North launched a large-scale offensive in 1968. This was unexpected, since according to the agreement no military operations should be conducted on these days. US losses in Vietnam have increased significantly these days.
All attacks were successfully repulsed, but the city of Hue was lost to the Americans. It was only in March that the offensive finally fizzled out. After this, the southerners and Americans launched a counteroffensive in order to recapture Hue. The bloodiest battle in the history of the entire war unfolded.
The city was of strategic importance. It is one of the three major centers of South Vietnam along with Saigon and Da Nang. The main highway connecting the northern territories with the capital passed through it. The army north of Hue was cut off from supplies by land. In the 19th century, this city was the capital of a single state. Therefore, it also had a symbolic meaning.
American losses in the Battle of Hue numbered about 200 killed. Southerners - about 400. However, the losses of the Viet Cong were much more serious - about 5 thousand people. It is believed that it was this defeat that finally undermined their military potential.
Battle of Hue - US military glory
The victory at Hue is considered one of the memorable battles in US history along with the Battles of Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands), World War II, Chosin (Korea). The military leadership gained vast experience in conducting combat operations in the city. Previously, the Marines did not conduct them in large populated areas. It is believed that it was here that the Americans developed urban combat tactics, which they then successfully used during the assault on Fallujah in 2004 (Iraq). 3 battalions of Marines and 11 battalions of South Vietnamese forces took part in the battles of Hue.
US losses in Vietnam: aviation
The help of the USSR and China was invaluable for North Vietnam. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam received 340 million rubles from the Union alone, which at that time was a very significant amount. Soviet instructors helped to master complex equipment. The allies also supplied weapons, including the latest air defense systems. US technical losses in Vietnam (aircraft, not counting other equipment) - more than 4 thousand units. The Americans reported that this is approximately 0.5 per 1000 sorties. In war conditions this figure is small. However, when crossing the border of North Vietnam, losses immediately increased. Soviet air defense systems protected the sky with a reliable shield. Do not forget about the losses of South Vietnamese aircraft. Before the war, their aviation ranked fourth in number in the world after the USA, USSR and China. And here the losses are huge - about 10 thousand aircraft.
US losses in Vietnam: helicopters
As for helicopters, the Americans lost more than 5 thousand units. That is 3 cars a day.
The helicopter was the main equipment of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. In difficult jungle and off-road conditions, this is the only vehicle that is also capable of covering infantry with fire.
However, a helicopter is an easy target compared to airplanes. You don't need to have air defense to shoot him down. Since 1972, the Viet Cong have adopted Soviet Strela MANPADS. Any peasant could master them. It was in 1972 that the United States realized that it could not win this war.
"Christmas Bombings" and the end of the war
In 1972, the North attempted another major offensive using armored forces. However, with the help of American aviation, the southerners repelled this attack.
After this, the United States carried out serious carpet bombing of major cities of the North: Hanoi and Haiphong. The operation was called "Christmas Bombing". North Vietnam had to sit down at the negotiating table, after which the Americans quickly withdrew their troops. It is difficult to calculate US losses in Vietnam year by year. This war is a record for the number of American soldiers killed. Desertion in the army flourished, all cities were frightened by passing military men who handed out flags. This meant the death in battle of a close relative. US losses in Vietnam range from 40-60 thousand people. This does not include the Puerto Ricans who were recruited into the army to gain citizenship, as well as the wounded and maimed. They were not included in this figure, but they were also lost to society.
It was then that the famous boxer Muhammad Ali became a Muslim and adopted a new name, as it gave him protection from conscription. Many emigrated from the country. More than 1 million Vietnamese people died in this war, including women and children.
And Cambodia went through its own civil wars, which one way or another were intertwined with the war in Vietnam. In 1973, the United States ceased fighting in Southeast Asia. In 1975, the war ended with the military victory of North Vietnam and the incorporation of South Vietnam, resulting in the emergence of an independent, unified Vietnamese state.
The Vietnam War was one of the largest and bloodiest armed conflicts of the second half of the 20th century. Determining human losses in it is an extremely difficult task, as evidenced by the markedly different figures given by different sources.
South Vietnam and allies
USA
The Vietnam War is considered the longest war in US history. In terms of the number of American deaths, it ranks fourth after the Civil War, World War II and World War I.
Dead. Sources contain different figures for Americans killed in Southeast Asia (40 thousand, 56 thousand, 57 thousand, 60 thousand). This is due to the fact that the authors can take figures only for combat losses, add the number of missing persons to the number of dead, etc. As of mid-2008, 58,220 Americans were listed as dead, died from wounds and illnesses, or were missing in action (this the figure gradually increases after the end of the war, since it includes military personnel who died years and even decades later from the consequences of combat wounds). Of these, 47,434 people were lost as a result of enemy actions, and 10,786 people were non-combat losses (died in transport accidents, in incidents with weapons, died from illnesses, committed suicide).
The deadliest year of the war for the United States was 1968, with more than 16,000 deaths, including non-combat losses. The names of all Americans killed and missing in Southeast Asia are listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington (better known as "The Wall").
Wounded. In total, 303,000 American troops were wounded during the war. Of these, 153,000 were evacuated to hospitals, and almost the same number received the necessary medical care in the field.
Prisoners of war. Throughout the war, almost 800 Americans were captured by the enemy, most of them pilots shot down over North Vietnam. More than 100 died in captivity (included in the death toll), the rest were released under the terms of the 1973 Paris Agreement.
In the United States, there are a certain number of supporters of the hypothesis that the American government abandoned some of the prisoners to their fate in 1973, and these Americans could presumably still be held captive in Vietnam to this day. Despite the large amount of “evidence” collected in favor of this, this version is categorically rejected by the relevant US departments.
Missing. In the immediate aftermath of the war, there were approximately 2,600 American military personnel whose fate was unknown or whose remains were not discovered. Since 1992, American search teams, with the assistance of the governments of these countries, have been searching for missing persons in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. In addition, Vietnam periodically returns to the United States the remains of Americans discovered by its own forces. As of May 16, 2008, 1,741 military personnel were still listed as missing in Southeast Asia. It is recognized that there is virtually no chance that any of these people are alive, and that in some cases the discovery of remains is impossible due to the circumstances of the loss.
Suicides after the war. It is widely believed that the number of American veterans who committed suicide after the war is much greater than the number who died in the war itself. In particular, in 1990, war veteran Chuck Dean wrote about 150 thousand who had committed suicide by this time. However, a number of authors question such a high figure. One veteran, based on high estimates of suicide rates, once estimated that of those who had ever served in his company in Vietnam, between 45 and 135 would have committed suicide after the war; however, data from the association of veterans of this company showed that in reality not a single suicide occurred. Tim Bullman and Han Yang in the medical journal Federal Practitioner estimated the number of Vietnam veterans who committed suicide at 20 thousand people in 1993.
South Vietnam
Losses of the South Vietnamese Armed Forces are believed to reach 250 thousand people killed and approximately 1 million wounded. In South Vietnam, fairly accurate records of losses were kept (although in some cases losses could be underestimated), but the losses suffered by its army (and very significant ones) during the spring offensive of 1975 are still unknown. Since South Vietnam ceased to exist as a result of this offensive, many documents were either lost or not compiled at all.
It is extremely difficult to estimate civilian casualties in South Vietnam. Apparently they are included in the overall figures given by officials of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (see below). North Vietnam and the NLF).
South Korea
Australia
At the height of hostilities, there were approximately 8,000 Australian troops in Vietnam. They actively carried out operations and participated in several major battles with the enemy. In total, about 500 Australians died and about 3,100 were injured or sickened in Vietnam. In addition, 6 Australians were reported missing, but all are now presumed dead .
Philippines
The Thai contingent sent to South Vietnam took part in combat operations and lost about 350 people killed. It is also known that a large number of Thai troops fought on the side of government forces in Laos, but their losses formally belong to another war and, apparently, are not taken into account.
New Zealand
North Vietnam and allies
North Vietnam and the NLF
Bodies of NLF guerrillas killed during an attack on Tan Son Nhat airbase, 1968
China
During the war, there were ground units of the Chinese army on the territory of North Vietnam, which, as far as is known, did not take part in repelling American air raids. In addition, a large number of Chinese workers were engaged in the restoration of destroyed facilities. According to data published in China, the Vietnam War claimed the lives of about 1,000 Chinese.
USSR
Since 1965, Soviet military advisers were in North Vietnam to help create the country's air defense system (which virtually did not exist at the beginning of the war). Information about the direct participation of Soviet military personnel in air battles or ground combat operations in South Vietnam has not been confirmed in available archival documents. In addition, there were civilian specialists in North Vietnam. The Soviet civil maritime fleet transported cargo for various purposes to the country.
According to Russian military historians, during the Vietnam War, 16 Soviet servicemen were killed or died from disease in North Vietnam.
North Korea
A North Korean Air Force fighter squadron participated in the war, as well as ground-based air defense units. It is known that there is a burial site of North Korean military personnel on Vietnamese territory, but no specific figures have been reported.
Whites send blacks to kill yellows.
Stokely Carmichael on the Vietnam War
The issue of the Vietnam or Second Indochina War has long been considered by modern researchers. Today a lot has been said about the causes and consequences of this international conflict. Let's try to summarize the scattered data available on the network and build a coherent and consistent system of information about this bloody event in humanity.
In order to understand the essence of what is happening, it is necessary to turn to early events concerning relations between France and its colony in 1955. The fact is that increased democratic sentiments after the end of World War II and noticeable support for Vietnam from other Asian countries provoked a fierce struggle for independence in the country. As a result, the French government had to come to terms with the loss of its colony and recognize its independence. However, after the signing of the Geneva Convention, the country was divided into two parts, one of which remained a government that pursued policies agreed with France, and the second was transformed into the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
At this time, US influence in the region increases sharply. American politicians believed that the coming to power in North Vietnam of the famous communist Ho Chi Minh could lead to a “falling domino effect.” A referendum was held in the northern part of the country and the population expressed their desire for reunification with the south, Ho Chi Minh demanded the same in South Vietnam. The fears of American leaders about the spread of the “communist infection” were well founded, since, having received a refusal from Ngo Dinh Diem, North Vietnam organized the National Liberation Front, briefly called the NLF. Rebels constantly penetrated into the territory of the southern part of the divided country and created partisan detachments. At first, military forces penetrated through the demilitarized zone, and after the triumph of the allies in Laos and Cambodia through their territory. As a result, civil war broke out in the south. The goal of the American government was to maintain the current regime in the country and end the civil war by defeating the partisan detachments. The introduction of a military contingent was beneficial to individual corporations that produced it, as it allowed them to demonstrate its technical characteristics, but for the most part, fears about the spread of Soviet and Chinese influence in the region played a role.
It must be said that in South Vietnam Diem came to power legitimately, through a referendum, but, in fact, was a puppet of the United States. However, due to the fact that the policies pursued by his administration did not bring visible success, and the principle of kinship and personal loyalty dominated in the procedure for appointment to positions, Diem soon lost confidence. The resulting hostility of the local population towards their ruler was actively exploited by Ho Chi Minh, who set as his ultimate goal the unification of Vietnam under the auspices of Marxism-Leninism. The Soviets actively helped their ideological ally. In addition, such assistance also had very practical purposes. The fact is that influence in Vietnam was strategically important for both the Soviet Union and the States. China also did not intend to tolerate the puppet of such a powerful power as the United States in its immediate vicinity. According to Kosygin, the cost of the war in Vietnam cost the Union up to one and a half million rubles per day. Soviet soldiers did not participate in combat operations, but a colossal amount of weapons was sent to Vietnam, including modern MIGs, superior to the American Phantoms in maneuverability in horizontal planes. Together with the shipments of weapons, exceptional specialists arrived to teach how to use them.
A special role in the supply of weapons was played by the fact that the Americans did not interfere with Soviet ships. Only a few of them were damaged during the bombing in the port, but this was only an isolated incident that led to an international scandal.
The reason for the declaration of war was the incidents in the Gulf of Tonkin, in which an American destroyer entered into a confrontation with Vietnamese boats and inflicted a significant defeat on them. The question of who opened fire first remains open to this day, but during this period Johnson was actively looking for a reason for a military invasion. Officially, the United States stated that it was the Vietnamese torpedo boats that showed aggression, but the destroyer did not receive damage. After reviewing materials about the Tonkin incident, Congress authorized the use of military force against Vietnam, which was issued by President Johnson. The war began with aerial bombardment. Before the official entry of American troops, the United States had already supported the government of South Vietnam in the fight against the guerrilla movement, so certain forces were already in the country.
The first large-scale US operation in Vietnam, dating back to August 1965, Starlight was designed to defeat the rebel army. The main blow was struck on August 17-18, although operations ended on the 24th. The rebels suffered significant losses, but put up fierce resistance. The operation is believed to have been successful, although about 50 American soldiers were killed during the operation. The partisan losses amounted to about 600 people. That same fall, the battle of Ia Drang took place, in which neither side achieved a clear victory. For four years from 1965 to 1969, offensive operations by the American military took place using tactics under the descriptive name “search and destroy.” Military operations took place in all four zones into which South Vietnam was conventionally divided even before operations began in 1962. Simultaneously with the fighting in the south of the country, bombings were carried out in the northern part of Vietnam. The US government understood that the source of partisan detachments remained precisely the NLF, supported by the north.
Marines operated in the northern parts, classified as the first zone. In the remote provinces of the country, the Americans fought not only against a scattered guerrilla movement, but also against the regular army of North Vietnam. In 1966, the Marines had to carry out a series of military operations aimed at blocking the routes of the demilitarized zone through which reinforcements were coming to the enemy. The lack of people in the army was noticeable from the very beginning. The Americans needed to fight the enclaves in the south of Vietnam while holding back the enemy in the north. Considering the fact that not only the USSR, but also China provided enormous assistance to North Vietnam, the position of the American army became increasingly difficult. Johnson's policy boiled down to the fact that only volunteers were sent to the point of military operations. However, this procedure for attracting people could not satisfy the needs of the warring army for long.
In the second zone, covering the Central Plateau, the Battle of Ia Drang Valley was followed by the Battle of Dakto, which claimed a huge number of American lives. Fierce fighting took place in zones “C” and “D”, as well as in the iron triangle. The Mekong Delta, almost completely covered with impenetrable jungle, became the grave for more than a dozen American soldiers. Here the conditions for partisan detachments were the most favorable. All of South Vietnam was literally burning, but the rebels did not give up.
The commander-in-chief's attempts to turn the situation around and carry out a large-scale offensive were unsuccessful, since a significant part of the forces were constantly being pulled back to the northern border. Due to the fact that the war was protracted, and the casualties were much more impressive than expected, the atmosphere in American society became increasingly tense. The electorate persistently demanded an end to the bloody war, and the budget began to experience a noticeable lack of funds. In 1968, the Tet Offensive began, named after the national holiday of the same name. On this day, fighting on both sides had stopped for several years, which the Americans decided to take advantage of.
As the local population celebrated the New Year (Teta), a series of attacks were launched on the southern territories of the country, including Saigon. The Vietnamese defense turned out to be very stubborn, and Tiheu retained power in the country. The operation was a failure, and print media and television programs broadcast the bloodiest footage, shocking the American public. Activists and social activists advocated for the withdrawal of troops, calling Johnson's policies immoral and anti-democratic. However, Westmoreland persistently demanded reinforcements, arguing that the enemy’s forces were running out and right now there was an opportunity to end the war with an unconditional victory. Johnson was unable to satisfy his demands and on March 31 made a statement to US citizens that at the end of his term he would not nominate himself for a new term, and that bombing and military operations would cease.
With Nixon's election victory in 1969, the United States begins a gradual Vietnamization of the war effort. Opponents, understanding the seriousness of the issue of casualties for Americans, are waging a war of defeat. During this period, there was a moral decay of soldiers and officers, and the American public was increasingly shocked by news of the brutal crimes of their compatriots. The first attempts to withdraw troops were complicated by the coup in Cambodia and the resulting unrest and armed clashes in 1970. Nixon was forced to send troops into this country, but this decision caused a storm of protest from citizens, and soon the military contingent left Cambodia.
On March 30, 1972, North Vietnamese forces launched the Easter Offensive, but the allied forces of the United States and South Vietnam brilliantly repulsed it, inflicting colossal losses on the enemy. This circumstance provided an opportunity to conclude a settlement agreement in Paris on terms acceptable to the United States. Already in March, the withdrawal of troops was carried out, but the shameful memory of an obviously lost war remained for a long time not only in American society, but also in the world.
During the Vietnam War, Soviet MIGs showed a positive reputation, which, contrary to rumors, were flown by Vietnamese pilots. This small and highly maneuverable aircraft has become a real thunderstorm in the airspace over Vietnam. In total, in 1967, the United States lost 1,067 aircraft, while only 900 aircraft were shot down by the enemy from 1965 to 1968.
The international community condemned US actions in Vietnam after the Russell War Crimes Tribunal was created. It turned out that the bombings were carried out not only against military targets, but also against civilian targets, and among the internees there were children and women. The conditions of their detention were more reminiscent of a fascist concentration camp than the place described in the provisions of international conventions. In addition, the use of prohibited types of weapons was established, including chemical weapons, assessed by international actors as ecocide.
Despite the fact that the Vietnam War is considered a local armed conflict, the costs of it were enormous even for the richest world powers. So, according to rough estimates, aid to the USSR is estimated at 8-15 billion dollars, China 14-21 billion, and the financial costs of the United States, based on modern calculations, exceeded a trillion US dollars.
All economic figures pale in comparison to data on human casualties. Thus, during the entire period of the war, the United States lost over 58 thousand young and strong guys and about 2300 more disappeared without a trace. The Vietnamese ally suffered even greater casualties and, according to the most general estimates, lost more than 250 thousand people. Rebel and North Vietnamese casualties amounted to over a million lives, and the number of civilian victims of the bloodshed exceeded three million.
The results of this terrible event in international life were a huge number of victims and financial costs, and the geopolitical map of the world changed significantly. It is incorrect to say that only two forces of the multipolar world, the USA and the USSR, fought in the Vietnam War, since China also made a significant contribution. The American government intended to conduct several military operations, but found itself drawn into a long and exhausting war, as a result of which a serious blow was dealt to the country's international authority.
Losses in the Vietnam War 1965-1975
The Vietnam War of 1965-1975 was one of the largest of the Cold War era, where the Great Powers intervened in the civil war between South and North Vietnam. A feature of the Vietnam War was the direct military intervention of the US armed forces on the side of the Republic of Vietnam. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam for most of the war did not act directly, but supported the Liberation Front of South Vietnam (Viet Cong) in the south. Although, de facto, communist army units also fought. The North was supported by the USSR and the PRC, but their participation also minimized direct military action between Soviet and American citizens. In addition, a number of “minor” allies of both Vietnams took part in the war. The duration and scale of the Vietnam War inevitably caused huge casualties among the civilian population of Vietnam, as well as colossal losses among the military, including the American ones. US losses in Vietnam exceeded those in the Korean War. The USSR, whose role in the victory of the North can hardly be overestimated, suffered scanty losses, less than in Korea.
Official US casualties in the Vietnam War: 211,501 people, of which 47,413 were killed in action, 10,785 died from other causes, 153,303 were wounded. By branch of the armed forces, the dead are distributed as follows: 65% - army, 25% - marines, 4.4% each - navy and air force, and 0.01% - coast guard.
Among US allies in Vietnam, 4,407 Koreans (South), 423 Australians, 351 Thais, and 83 New Zealanders died, for a total of 5,264.
The greatest losses, clearly, were suffered by the Vietnamese. The South Vietnamese army lost 110 thousand people killed and 500 thousand people wounded. Communist losses are estimated at 660 thousand people killed, including, apparently, 300 thousand people missing. Total Viet Cong and North Vietnamese casualties are estimated at more than a million. Estimates of Vietnamese civilian deaths range from 415,000 to two million for the period 1954-1975. The number of civilian deaths includes not only victims of combat, but also victims of hunger and disease caused by it. The American estimate of the deaths of North Vietnamese residents as a result of US bombing of this country reaches 30 thousand people.
In addition, those killed were in conflicts collateral to the Vietnam War in Laos - tens of thousands of people, and Cambodia - two million people. Many people died from mines after the war.
Soviet casualties from all causes in Vietnam ranged from 13 to 16. There are other data on the losses of the parties in the Vietnam War.
Casualties in some operations of the Vietnam War
Sources:
Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War / by Jeff T. Hay. - (Greenhaven encyclopedia of series) - Greenhaven Press, 2004
Against the background of numerous US wars of the last decade, the war in Vietnam, which was lost for Washington, is gradually receding into the shadows. However, she is a shining example of how national identity and patriotism can defeat any enemy, even armed with modern weapons.
The Vietnam War was the longest military conflict in modern military history. The conflict lasted about 20 years: from November 1, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975.
The most characteristic picture of the Vietnam War
In 1940, US President Franklin Roosevelt officially announced his country's assistance to Ho Chi Minh and his Vietnam Minh movement. The documents referred to them as "patriots", "nationalists", "freedom fighters" and "allies".
Roosevelt and Ho Chi Minh
[Wikipedia]
58,200 Americans died in the fighting and another 304,000 were wounded. In total, approximately 2.5 million military personnel passed through Vietnam. Thus, every tenth person was killed or injured. About two-thirds of the American military during the war were volunteers. The bloodiest year for Americans was May 1968, when 2,415 people died.
Moments of war
The average age of a dead American soldier was 23 years 11 months. 11,465 deaths were under 20 years of age, and 5 died before reaching 16 years of age! The oldest person killed in the war was a 62-year-old American.
War is a matter for the young...
[http://www.warhistoryonline.com/]
Civilian casualties to date are unknown—about 5 million are believed to have died, with more in the North than in the South. In addition, the losses of the civilian population of Cambodia and Laos are not taken into account anywhere - apparently, they also number in the thousands here.
Footage of war crimes
From 1957 to 1973, about 37 thousand South Vietnamese were shot by Viet Cong guerrillas for collaborating with the Americans, most of whom were minor government employees.
A typical picture of Vietnamese cities...
On average, an American soldier fought 240 days a year in Vietnam! For comparison, an American soldier fought in the Pacific during World War II on average 40 days over 4 years.
Military operation in the jungle
As of January 2004, 1,875 American soldiers were reported missing in action in Vietnam. As of August 1995, there were 1,713,823 Vietnam War veterans in the United States. Only 0.5 percent of Vietnam War veterans were incarcerated after the war ended, and their suicide rate was 1.7 percent higher than average.
Downed American pilot
During the Vietnam War, the United States used the chemical Agent Orange, which was banned for military use in Geneva in 1925. As a result, at least 400 thousand Vietnamese died. The traditional explanation for this fact is its use exclusively against vegetation.
Spraying defoliants over the jungle.
[Wikipedia]
On March 16, 1968, American soldiers completely destroyed a Vietnamese village, killing 504 innocent men, women and children. Only one person was convicted of this war crime, and three days later he was “pardoned” by a personal decree of Richard Nixon.
Destroyed Vietnamese village