Top 10 Facts you didn’t know about the Vietnam War

Top 10 Facts you didn’t know about the Vietnam War

Vietnam, a nation in Southeast Asia on the eastern edge of the Indochinese peninsula, had been under French colonial rule since the 19th century.

The Vietnam War started in 1955 and ended in 1975. The war was between communist North Vietnam and the Viet Cong against South Vietnam and the United States.

Photo Sourced from Wikimedia

This war is also known as the Second Indochina War because it was fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam.

North Vietnam was supported by the communists and their allies while South Vietnam was supported by the United States, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Thailand, and other anti-communist allies.

Historians believe that the war was a Cold War-era proxy. It lasted for 2 decades with the direct involvement of the United States.

At the end of the war, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam all became communist states in 1975. It is estimated that approximately 3 million people lost their lives during the war.

Here are more facts about the Vietnam war that you should know about.

1. The war wasn’t just between US and Vietnam

Photo by Abbie Rowe – Wikimedia

The Vietnam war was not just between America and Vietnam. The United States had allies that they worked with like France.  

America used to send aid to the French who were fighting in Vietnam and the rest of Indochina in the late 1940s.

France was fighting Communist rebels led by Ho Chi Minh. Ho Chi Minh was defeated by the French in 1954.

This was when America became officially involved in attempting to defeat the Communists in Vietnam.

The United States began by giving financial aid and military advisors to help the South Vietnamese as they fought Northern Communists in the South.

Further, the U.S. worked with Ngo Dinh Diem and other leaders to have a separate government in the South.

2. The US sprayed Vietnam with dangerous chemicals during the War

Photo by Lt.Col. Cecil J. Poss – Wikimedia

As the US continued to help South Vietnam in the war, its military used weapons way ahead of its time.

In the early ’60s, the US military was ahead of time. They had invented some very powerful weapons which they effectively used in the Vietnam War.

One of these weapons was Agent Orange. It was the most brutal and efficient weapon used. This weapon was a mixture of chemicals and was sprayed via a plane all over North Vietnam.

They did this consecutively for 11 years, in the process 19 million gallons of Agent Orange was used. This chemical contaminated more the 4.5 million acres of land.

In the process, more than 400,000 people lost their lives and 500,000+ babies were born with disabilities. Several adults suffered from cancer, rashes and body tumours.

3. Young Americans fled to Canada to avoid being drafted for the Vietnam War

Photo Sourced from Wikimedia

There was a need for young American adults to enlist in the army to fight in the war. However, several young men did not want to fight in the war.

They opted to flee the country to Canada to survive.

Several Americans opposed the Vietnam War and saw it as pointless and a waste of human and other resources.

For this reason, a majority of the men that fought in the Vietnam war were volunteers.

It is estimated that about 125,000 Americans fled to Canada and were considered fugitives. They returned after President Carter granted them amnesty.

4. Several Americans were against the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War caused a great division among the American population. Many of them considered the war pointless and the loss of young lives.

This matter was further exacerbated by news of the Tet offensive. There were also demonstrations by students in universities.

In 1970, students from Kent University, Ohio held a demonstration and four students were killed by national guardsmen.

It led to more anti-war sentiments in the media which further caused more demonstrations and protests.

Artists of that time composed popular songs in protest of the war. President Ronald Reagan invented the term “Vietnam Syndrome”.

The term described the reluctance of the American public and politicians to support further military interventions abroad after Vietnam.

5. The US troops opted to use AK-47s during the Vietnam War

Photo Courtesy of US Army – Wikimedia

During the Vietnam War, the United States manufactured the first generation of M-16 Rifles.

They issued these weapons to their forces on the battlefield. Unfortunately, these weapons malfunctioned a lot and forced the soldiers to avoid them.

The soldiers opted to use Ak-47s which were the preferred weapons by the enemy.

They acquired these weapons from dead Vietnamese soldiers. Some of these weapons can be viewed in the war museums spread across Vietnam.

Interestingly, the most preferred weapon today by most Americans is the M16.

6. The Vietnamese refer to it as the American War

Photo by Abbie Rowe – Wikimedia

Vietnamese people refer to this war as the American War. They also believe that the US still has some unfinished business with the communist nations.

It was because of this reason that the War began, catching Vietnam in the crossfires.

On the other side of the pond, Americans refer to the warlike the Vietnam War.  The result of this war was the loss of millions of innocent civilians.

7. More than 3 million people died in the Vietnam War

Photo by Lt.Col. Cecil J. Poss – Wikimedia

The Vietnam War was a lethal one. It has been stated that the exact number of fatalities is more than the one reported.

It is estimated that more than 4 million people lost their lives. Half of these people were innocent Vietnamese civilians. About 58,000 American soldiers lost their lives in the war.

The missing soldiers are estimated to be about 1,500 are still missing.

8. Millions of people fled from Vietnam during the War

Over 3 million civilians fled Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Unfortunately, most of them were not welcomed as refugees in several Asian countries.

This forced the refugees to use boats to faraway countries like Australia. They were nicknamed the boat people. Some did not make it across safe land.

Between 1975 and 1998, more than 1.2 million refugees from Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries resettled in the United States.

While Canada, Australia, and France resettled over 500,000; China accepted 250,000 people.

9. The Ace of Spade meant death during the Vietnam War

Photo by U.S. Information Agency – Wikimedia

Part of the war was mental. This was especially more on superstition.

After killing their enemies, American soldiers often placed an ace of spades on the bodies of dead soldiers.

They had been misinformed that the card represented death in Vietnam. While this was false information, the Vietnamese soldiers ended up believing it.

The Vietnamese soldiers were allegedly intimidated by this move.

10. Vietnamese Women served in Combat zones during the war

Both South and North Vietnamese women were enlisted and served in combat zones. These women joined after they were promised equality and a greater social role within society.

Some of the women served for the PAVN and Viet Cong intelligence services. One of the deputy military commanders of the Viet Cong, was a female general, Nguyễn Thị Định.

All-female units were present throughout the war. There were female combat squads present in the Cu Chi theatre.

Other women served as nurses and doctors