Vietnam War Pictures

1- Climate/Terrain of Vietnam

• Humid, tropical climate• Many Americans not used to this• Viet Cong are used to it• Huge advantage to opposition

2- Viet Cong Soldiers

• Blended in with rest of Vietnamese people• Included children, women, etc.• Supported unification of Vietnam under

communism

3- Viet Cong guerilla warfare

• Used extensive tunnel system to move throughout different parts of Vietnam

• Known for use of land mines• Definition- the use of hit-and

run tactics by small, mobile groups of irregular forces operating in territory controlled by a hostile, regular force

4- American Soldiers

• Young, innocent recent high school/college graduates

• Initially excited for fighting• Many questioned why there were fighting the

war

5- B-52s and Saturation bombing

• U.S. armed forces most destructive way of fighting

• Saturation- concentrated in one place• Often killed as many innocent civilians as

enemy soldiers

6- Agent Orange

• Used as herbicidal warfare• Deadly gas often dropped in densely forested

areas• Manufactured for U.S. armed forces by private

chemical companies• Killed thousands, over 3 million people allegedly

affected, livestock and crops affected as well• Many still affected today• Now illegal

7- Napalm• Gel-like substance that is very flammable• Used as bombs for United States• Dropped throughout Vietnam

8- Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

• North Vietnam allegedly sank the U.S.S. Maddox- August 4, 1964

• LBJ supported resolution to start American involvement in Vietnam War

• Resolution- August 7, 1964– Almost unanimously agreed

9- Tet Offensive

• 1US losses more than 1100, ARVN 2300• More than 12, 500 civilians killed• Devastating Effect on American public

opinion – 78 percent of Americans said no progress was being made; 26 percent approved Johnson’s handling of the war

• Increase in the credibility gap – Tet seemed to show LBJ’s progress offensive was an exaggeration, to some a lie – Kennedy speech

10- My Lai Massacre

• On March 16, 1968, the men of Charlie Company, 11th Brigade, America Division entered the village of My Lai. “This is what you’ve been waiting for--search and destroy-- and you’ve got it,” said their superior officers.

• “Lieutenant Calley, for his part, was said to have rounded up a group of the villagers, ordered them into a ditch, and mowed them down in a blast of machine gun fire”

• It took more than a year for the shocking story of the My Lai massacre to reach the news stands.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWchy6ykNnQ

11- Vietnamization

• Process of removing soldiers out of Vietnam• Remove American troops but continue to train

South Vietnam– Hopefully they can win war

• Took place from 1969-1973• Nixon did this because– Military advisors said that SV soldiers were ready– Pressure from American public

12- U.S. Bombing of Cambodia

• Fear of the domino theory• Viet Cong and North Vietnamese bases there• Since Vietnamization, we still need to help out• Nearly 500,000 civilian casualties from bombs• Cambodia ultimately fell to a communist

regime• PR nightmare for Nixon!