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VIETNAM

VIETNAM. THE WAR. GENERALS. GENERAL WILLIAM WESTMORELAND VS. GENERAL VO NGUYEN GIAP. MILITARY OBJECTIVES. U.S.: Stop the spread of communism Keep South Vietnam “free” Vietnamese: Just hold on; the longer the better Avoid fighting head to head Make Americans not like the war.

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VIETNAM

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  1. VIETNAM THE WAR

  2. GENERALS GENERAL WILLIAM WESTMORELAND VS. GENERAL VO NGUYEN GIAP

  3. MILITARY OBJECTIVES U.S.: Stop the spread of communism Keep South Vietnam “free” Vietnamese: Just hold on; the longer the better Avoid fighting head to head Make Americans not like the war

  4. Comparing Vietnam to WW II and Korea • NO front lines--no exchange of land • NO huge exchange between large armies--very small “fire fights” • NO clear cut objective “beat Germans back to Germany”

  5. TERMS TO KNOW • VIETCONG---communists who are in South Vietnam fighting against the U.S. • DMZ---demilitarized zone---the border between North and South Vietnam

  6. TERMS TO KNOW II • HO CHI MINH TRAIL---the supply route from North Vietnam down into South Vietnam---we tried to destroy it, built again the next day. Went through Laos/Cambodia See next slide

  7. TERMS TO KNOW III • TET OFFENSIVE---Tet---Lunar New Year----big push by NVA/Vietcong. Attacked everywhere at the same time….turning point in the war

  8. US soldier resting during Tet

  9. U.S. MILITARY TACTICS I. Average age----U.S. combat (fighting) soldier Vietnam-------->19 Iraq War-------->26 WW II---------->30 II. “Limited” war? You do not go in all the way, you limit what the military can do!

  10. U.S. MILITARY TACTICS III. Strategic bombing-----”whistling death”--- Vietnamese would hear the bombs before they would see them (7,600,000 tons of bombs were dropped on Vietnam)

  11. U.S. MILITARY TACTICS A. “Defoliation”---destroy all plant life to expose the enemy hiding in the jungle B. Agent Orange---chemicals mixed together to burn trees and plants. Caused birth defects in veterans’ children C. Napalm---Jellied gasoline that burns EVERYTHING and is hard to put out.

  12. TRANSPORTATION ANDFIGHTING A.Helicopters---used to drop men into the covered jungle. Highest death rate in Vietnam B. Only shoot when fired upon?---first orders given to soldiers in Vietnam. LIMITS! C. Search and destroy---look and kill the enemy in the jungle. Set men up for ambushes!

  13. Search and Destroy

  14. TECHNOLOGY AND FIGHTING D. “Fragging” of officers---When men kill their CO because they do not want to follow orders. Usually someone “new” who is an idiot!

  15. VIETNAMESE MILITARY TACTICS I. Guerilla warfare---Ambush the enemy, hide in the jungle, snipers, booby traps, only attack when you outnumber the enemy. II. Booby traps---land mines, bamboo spikes, punji traps, human bombs, trip wires III. Tunnels and trails ---hide in tunnels, used bikes to carry supplies (page 738)

  16. The Tunnels

  17. Hidden Tunnel entrance

  18. VIETNAMESE MILITARY TACTICS C.Civilians are the enemy?---Used women, children to attack the U.S.; hard to know who to shoot at; NO CLEAR CUT ENEMY------>My Lai Massacre!! II. From “Charlie” to “Sir Charles”----had no respect for Vietnamese until they started to fight against them

  19. Civilians as Soldiers?

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