Davison History Department

 Why did America struggle to defeat the Viet Cong?

 

America was a world superpower. Its weapons, technology, wealth and size far outweighed Vietnam’s. In 1965 the Vietcong had about 170,000 soldiers and were supplied well by China and the USSR.  In 1965 America began its attack on North Vietnam with “Operation Rolling Thunder”-a sustained bombing of North Vietnamese factories, ports and military bases. America hoped that this would destroy the supply lines from the North Vietnam to the Vietcong guerrillas in the South and they would not have to send troops in. However the bombing was unsuccessful and in July 1965 180,000 troops were sent to Vietnam. Soon over half a million American soldiers were in Vietnam.

 There were many factors which contributed to America’s failure to win:

• Guerrilla tactics of the Vietcong: The Viet Con wore clothing similar to South Vietnamese villagers. It was hard for America to identify them. Guerrilla tactics meant they never faced the Americans in direct combat. They would make surprise raids and ambushes, and then melt away into the jungle. If the Americans attacked them, they ran away.  These tactics were very effective in destroying America morale. They lived in constant fear of booby traps.

• The unfamiliar terrain and climate of Vietnam for the Americans.

• The age and experience of the US soldiers. The average age of an American soldier in Vietnam was 19. Most had never held a gun before. Due to inexperience most were killed or invalided home within 6 months and new troops had to be trained. This made the American army less efficient that the Vietcong who were all experienced, professional, dedicated soldiers.

• The unpopularity of the US soldiers with South Vietnamese peasants due to bombing and massacres like My Lai, which arose out of US frustration: In March 1968 a unit of young American soldiers called Charlie Company started a search and destroy mission. Near the My Lai area. The soldiers were ordered to destroy all houses and livestock. On 16th March Charlie Company killed 300-400 civilians, mainly women, old men and children. No Viet Cong and only 3 weapons were found. A year later there was an investigation into this massacre. Lieutenant William Calley was tried for murder (he had personally shot many of the villagers). In March 1971 he was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 20 years, but was released in 1974. The My Lai massacre shocked the American public. It was the clearest evidence yet that the war had gone wrong.  In November 1969 almost 700,000 people protested in Washington DC – the largest anti war protest so far.  

• The US tried to set up strategic villages of South Vietnamese peasants behind barbed wire. Who went in and out was carefully monitored and villages were bribed with aid like seeds and tools to try and win their support. This was called the “Battle for Hearts and Minds”. Most South Vietnamese peasants hated the American troops though. 

• The US Tactics of heavy bombing and defoliation-using Agent Orange and Napalm served only to destroy more villages and kill civilians: In 1965 America launched Operation Rolling Thunder – extensive bombing of military targets in North Vietnam.  The air attacks lasted until 1972. However they did not destroy the Communists or Ho Chi Minh Trails – they just slowed them down.  The cost was huge – in 1967 Time Magazine calculated that it cost $400,000 to kill one Viet Cong member. Agent Orange (a toxic weed killer) destroyed the forest and crops – America used 82million litres of it over the jungles of South Vietnam. Napalm stuck to the skin and burned it to the bone. The Viet Cong were protected from this by going underground.

• The Vietcong had an extensive system of underground tunnels containing sleeping quarters, supply stores, kitchens, workshops and even hospitals which the bombing couldn’t destroy.

• The Vietcong refused to give in and there were always fresh soldiers ready to take the place of those who had died, while many American soldiers and civilians at home began questioning their policy of containment and “saving the world from communism”. How could they be in the right while committing such atrocities and killing hundreds of thousands of civilians?

• Initially most Americans had supported the war in Vietnam, genuinely believing the threat of communism. However Vietnam was the first media war. Radio, newspaper and especially, televised images of napalmed villages, civilian casualties, crying children, burning villages, atrocities like My Lai or dead teenage soldiers shocked the world and lead to protests. There were rumours of drug addiction and indiscipline in the US army. Many men refused to fight in Vietnam (refusing Nam/draft dodging). Vietnam became a symbol of defeat and confusion. Students taunted the President with the chant “hey, hey, hey, LBJ – how many kids did you kill today?” There were hundreds of protests, especially among university students. Some turned violent (4 students were killed at Kent University in Ohio). Without public support the government could not win the Vietnam War.

• The South Vietnamese people supported the Vietcong or were intimidated into doing so. Vietcong were ruthless.

• The Vietcong supply trails-Ho Chi Minh trails-couldn’t be destroyed by US bombing. Lorries, bicycles and humans were even used to transport supplies through jungle trails.

• The TET OFFENSIVE: Although the Vietcong usually stuck to guerrilla tactics, they did carry out some major offensives. One was the Tet Offensive of 1968. Although Viet Cong were unsuccessful in their attempt to take over 100s of cities and American bases in South Vietnam, it was a turning point because it showed the strength and determination of the Viet Cong. It also damaged American morale and made them realise they could not win militarily and needed to leave Vietnam. 

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