The troops in Vietnam

More than 2 million Americans served in Vietnam

A total of 500,000 were in Vietnam at one time

The troops in Vietnam

• In war’s early stages, most were professional soldiers

• As need for more troops increased, a military draft carried out in 1965

The draft• 1 out of 4 young men were excused for

health reasons

• Additional 30 percent received non-health related exemptions or postponements of service (usually due to college)

The average U.S. soldier in Vietnam

was younger, poorer, and less educated than those who had served in World War II or in the

Korean War

African Americans and Hispanics in the War

• Served in combat in high numbers, many in most dangerous ground units

• High casualty rates

By the numbers

• More than 58,000 American soldiers were killed

• More than 300,000 wounded

• 2,500 M.I.A. No one ever found them

• More than 600 Americans were held as prisoners of war (POWs). Some POWs spent more than six years in North Vietnamese jails

Hardships that Vietnam War soldiers faced

• Heat• Rain• Mud• Dust• Bugs• Snakes• Infections• Disease

Guerilla warfare

• Ambushes, sabotage, terrorist attacks and other surprise attacks against a regular army or police force

Guerrilla war is difficult forconventional armies to fight

“Agent Orange”

• Chemical sprayed on plants to cause its leaves to fall off and deny cover for North Vietnamese guerilla soldiers

• Between 1963 and 1966, 6 million gallons of agent orange were used in Vietnam

• Many soldiers and civilians suffered disease and genetic disorders because of Agent Orange

• Effects can still be seen today

Guerilla warfare

• A hidden enemy: No uniforms or camouflaged soldiers

• Surprise attacks by hidden and waiting enemy troops

“Booby traps”

• Hidden explosive devices set up to go off when touched or stepped on

• Used frequently by Viet Cong

• Soldiers stepping on such traps faced amputation when wounds became infected

• 10,000 US servicemen lost at least one limb during war