The Hidden Truth of the Vietnam War
Warning: Some of the following images contain graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised.
The Vietnam War was both a civil and defensive war against communism that transpired from the 1950's to the 1970's. History on this event depicts the Vietnamese as uncivilized communist and Americans as the world's savior (Llewellyn). Since the United States has a strong influence on how history is told, their barbaric actions in the war have been concealed. However, people need to know the truth about the war and the unnecessary U.S. aggression on innocent, defenseless Vietnamese citizens.
Timeline of War
The war was fought between the communist government of North Vietnam and its South Vietnam ally, the Vietcong, against the government of South Vietnam and its ally, the United States of America. The country was split at the 17th parallel following the Geneva Accords that lead to the development of two temporary governments in Vietnam. The Viet Minh, the communist organization led by Ho Chi Minh in Northern Vietnam, attempted to cross the border with armed forces to overpower the southern regime and create a national communist government. (Brigham)
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai massacre is considered one of America's most ashamed incidents of violence. On March 16, 1968, the Charlie Company, a platoon of the U.S military, arrived at the town of My Lai and killed 500 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, most of which were children, women, and elders. Despite being faced with no resistance, the Americans still rounded up all the civilians and gruesomely butchered, shot and raped them. The town of My Lai was then burned down after the soldiers pillaged what was left. The army covered up this carnage for a year until the press found out and anti-war sentiment magnified substantially. (Ray)
Quotes from American Soldiers
"If they ran we shot them, and if they didn't run we shot them anyway." (Harris)
"If it's dead and Vietnamese, it's VC." (BBC News)
Artillery forward observer questioned, “Are we supposed to kill women and children?” Captain Ernest Medina responded, “Kill everything that moves.” (Turse)
Quotes from Vietnamese Civilians
"I didn't know what they were doing when they died. I just knew that they were gone. Losing a child is the greatest sadness." – Pham A Thic (Coomes)
"When the war ended, I had not seen my wife in 10 years," he said. "I returned home to learn that she had held 10 funerals during that period, including one for my younger brother.” – Loung Ngoc Lam (Coomes)
"I don't allow my grandchildren to ask about the war because I don't want to poison their views of the United States and the world," – Vu Thanh Lan (Coomes)
Operation Speedy Express
Possibly the most controversial, yet unknown atrocity of the Vietnam War was Operation Speedy Express. What was originally planned as an offensive by the 9th Infantry Division of the U.S. military on the Viet Cong resulted in the death of approximately 5000 to 7000 civilians. Led by General Julian J. Ewell (shown right), who earned the nickname "Butcher of the Delta", the platoon entered the Mekong Delta with the incentive to kill. The Americans wiped out entire villages and the total death toll was 11,000 with more than half being civilians. However, only 750 weapons were seized so reporters inferred that a significant portion of the deaths were in fact civilians. Yet, for a bloodshed that dwarfed the My Lai massacre, commotion around this event was minimal because of the government's concealment from the public. (Turse)
Memories of War
Statistics of Vietnam War
2 million civilian deaths
5.3 million civilians wounds
11 million refugees
(BBC News)
Effects of U.S. Weaponry
The U.S used their dominant air force to drop Agent Orange and napalm bombs onto Vietnamese soil. 20 million gallons of Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide containing the deadly chemical dioxin, was used by the U.S. Not only did this chemical destroy all forms of vegetation, but also caused chlorance, heart disease, nerve disorders, cancer, and severe birth defects (bottom right). Moreover, napalm bombs are composed of gel-like mixtures that explode and ignite on impact, causing fires to outbreak. About 400,000 tons of napalm were dropped on Vietnam, resulting in thousands of people burning to death, thousands of acres completely desolate, and a heavily intoxicated atmosphere (Budanovic).
Napalm Strike
The United State's involvement in Vietnam should not be masked by bias American historians. The numbers and images are sufficient evidence to recognize the destruction and terror the U.S. soldiers caused in Vietnam. Even decades after the brutality, living Vietnamese civilians are still traumatized and experience flashbacks of horror. Not only that, the chemical warfare has caused the offspring of civilians to acquire fatal diseases and birth defects because of the toxins in their blood stream. The burden that the U.S. military has left on the country of Vietnam must be recognized and justified to expose the ruthless behavior of these so called heroes.
Works Cited
Berinsky, Adam J. “Assuming the Costs of War: Events, Elites, and American Public Support for Military Conflict.” American Journal of Education, 26 Jan. 2007, www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2007.00602.x.
Brigham, Robert k. “Battlefield Vietnam: A Brief History.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/history/.
Budanovic, Nikola. “Liquid Fire - How Napalm Was Used In The Vietnam War - Page 2 of 2.” WAR HISTORY ONLINE, 31 Mar. 2017, www.warhistoryonline.com/vietnam-war/history-napalm-vietnam-war.html/2.
Coomes, Phil. “North Vietnamese Veterans Stories.” BBC News, BBC, 9 July 2015, www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-33408096.
Harris, Paul. “Vietnam Killing Spree Revelations Shock US.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 26 Oct. 2003, www.theguardian.com/media/2003/oct/26/pressandpublishing.usnews.
Llewellyn, Jennifer. “US Involvement in Vietnam.” Nazi Germany, 12 June 2018, alphahistory.com/vietnamwar/us-involvement-in-vietnam/.
Turse, Nick. “A My Lai a Month.” The Nation, 19 Mar. 2018, www.thenation.com/article/my-lai-month.
Turse, Nick. Kill Anything That Moves: the Real American War in Vietnam. Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt and Co., 2014.
“Was My Lai Just One of Many Massacres in Vietnam War?” BBC News, BBC, 28 Aug. 2013, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23427726.
Videos:
FootageArchive - Videos From The Past. “Vietnam Bombing Run.” YouTube, YouTube, 28 Nov. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6wM9Aiy_kY.
Minh, Tran Van. “50 Years Ago, the My Lai Massacre Shamed the US Military.” AP News, Associated Press, 15 Mar. 2018, www.apnews.com/4268e3e8a0554d59b71638479503111a.