American Soldiers Conditions In The Vietnam War

Words: 873
Pages: 4
Open Document
The total number of casualties in the Vietnam war was approximately 1,313,000 people. The Vietnam war was considered a very controversial, bloody war. Not everyone supported the idea of U.S. soldiers fighting in Vietnam. The lives of these soldiers were affected by many things that happened before, during, and after the war. There were many things about the Vietnam War that made it such a unique war such as, how soldiers got drafted, the combat conditions, and how soldiers were treated when they came home. There were many factors on deciding who would fight in the Vietnam war and what positions the soldiers would be in. Many soldiers were placed in jobs that they may have not liked or were good at, because during the Vietnam war there was …show more content…
Because the Vietnam was in such a different climate than what most U.S. soldiers were used to, it was difficult to adjust the it. In Vietnam they have a jungle like climate where it is humid and rains a lot. Jim said, “It was hot, humid, 120 degrees daily, it rained 4 months straight. There were also billions of mosquitos and leeches. You would walk through rice paddies and your legs would be covered by them” (Seery, Jim) From Minnesota, Jim was used to humid summers, but he didn’t expect such extreme weather when he was first drafted. Not only did the weather cause setbacks, but things like mosquitos and leeches were a nuisance during combat. Many Vietnam soldiers suffered through a kind of warfare called weather warfare, which is using the weather as a weapon. In the article, New World: Revolutionary Methods for Political Control the writer explains a situation where weather warfare was used. “During the Vietnam War the US Government used weather as a weapon under Project Popeye, which was an attempt to increase the rainfall over a supply route called the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which extended from North to South Vietnam” (Weather Warfare) The goal of Project Popeye was to extend the monsoon season and flood the Ho Chi Minh Trail. U.S. troops hoped to cause landslides, and cause disruption to the Vietnamese troops. The Vietnam war was the first war to use weather warfare. This was difficult for the U.S. troops to adjust to especially, because they were already struggling with the new
Show More

Related Documents: American Soldiers Conditions In The Vietnam War

Essay on Effects of Vietnam Vets

1970’s, after he returned from the Vietnam war. My grandmother explained to me that this happened as a result of traumatic experiences that my grandfather endured during this war. He was diagnosed with a condition called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). After learning about my grandfather’s condition I became interested in seeing if others suffered with it as well. Therefore, I decided to write this paper on “What effect did the Vietnam war have on soldiers when they returned to the America…

Words 1790 - Pages 8

Modern Day War Research Paper

some of the same struggles as even now modern day soldiers deal with. In the Civil War there were many different struggles soldiers had to deal with. “Civil War surgery was a gruesome business, made difficult by a general lack of understanding of disease and infection, and by a lack of proper surgical equipment to deal with the appalling wounds produced by the weapon of the day.”(Soldier Life) This was one struggle that many soldiers from Vietnam and Modern day did not have to deal with. This is…

Words 649 - Pages 3

Philip Caputo's A Rumor Of War

Caputo had always dreamt of being an honorable war hero for a short period of time, then coming back to the states and telling tales of his heroic war stories. However, Caputo is confronted with a rude awakening with the truths of the war which he writes about in his novel, A Rumor of War. Caputo faced extremes as he entered the Vietnam War in January of 1965. Throughout the novel, one can tell his personal identity transitioned from a hopeful young soldier to a man who is broken—mentally, physically…

Words 843 - Pages 4

Battlers During The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a protracted conflict between the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong, against the government of South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. It was called the "American War" in Vietnam. Anti-war opinion increased in the US from the mid-1960s on, with rallies, teach-ins, and other forms of demonstration. The Vietnam War was the longest in U.S. history, the longest to have been happening until the Afghanistan…

Words 801 - Pages 4

If I Die In A Combat Zone Essay

emphasizes the horrors and immorality of the Vietnam war by adding descriptions of his general surroundings and life during this period, constantly including his never-changing opinion, and detailing the deaths and tragic events continuously occurring around him. As O’Brien reluctantly begins his Vietnam journey, he provides incredible imagery in order to allow the reader to understand the unnecessary dismay of the war. Before O’Brien joined his fellow troops in Vietnam, he becomes numb with the thought of…

Words 1012 - Pages 5

The Vietnam War In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

The Vietnam War raged from 1955-1975. The United States had intervened in an attempt to contain Soviet influence as part of the bigger Cold War in progress. Ho Chi Minh and his communist Viet Minh party were battling South Vietnam and its ally, the U.S. More than 3,000,000 people died in the conflict - half were Vietnamese citizens and about 58,000 were Americans (History.com Staff). The intervention of the United States began in 1955 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower pledged to support Ngo Dinh…

Words 978 - Pages 4

Ptsd In The Things They Carried

War has become such a common entity to Americans that it is often overlooked and forgotten about. The sight of people being injured or killed has become so common that many Americans see death without thinking twice about it. Countries are constantly fighting over territory, political ideas, or they are simply protecting their faith, while all this violence changes the lives of countless Americans and many others around the world. Whether it be physical, mental, or emotional, all soldiers and veterans…

Words 1611 - Pages 7

Essay about Tim O'Brien 2009 English Mr Phelt Jones

always war of communism in the United States during the 1960’s, the United States had incrementally learn the values of their previous wars. Inequality between races had finally come to and understanding and the voice of many United States citizens made a decision and the words and ideas grow greatly. At that time war also covered the hall nation with negativity as of media lies and political views with bad views. The new Americans were talking about Vietnam War that had taken a lot of American soldiers…

Words 1239 - Pages 5

Military Psychiatric Analysis

This paper will address War Military Mental Health and how US Psychiatric are attempting to come up with a solution. This paper takes the position Psychiatrists are currently searching for a solution for mental illness after war for Military men. They’re screening soldiers to detect vulnerability for mental health problems. It is used to identify the possible presence of an undiagnosed disease. “nervous breakdown” was related to relatively stable characteristics within the genetic makeup or early…

Words 1044 - Pages 5

Mick Jagger's Song 'Gimme Shelter'

time period of the Vietnam War. The main purpose of the song was to bring awareness to the Vietnam War. Many countries, including the United States, were not wanting to get involved in the war and Mick Jagger wanted to encourage countries to join the war in Vietnam. Mick Jagger used his lyrics to demonstrate the conditions and the effects on people of the Vietnam War. Mick Jagger’s song, Gimme Shelter, became very popular, which allowed his message of the terrible conditions to spread worldwide…

Words 752 - Pages 4