Vietnam War Research Paper

The Vietnam War started in 1954 and slashed its way through the 1960’s, finally ending in 1975. This war caused over 3 million deaths, and more than half were Vietnamese locals. Over 2.5 million Americans served in the Vietnam war, and nearly 50,000 military personnel were killed in action. The Vietnam War is still America's second longest war, right behind the war in Afghanistan, lasting an astounding 19 and a half years. The war was neither a win or lose for the U.S. The U.S. instead pulled out of Vietnam due to too many casualties. Over all, South Vietnam was left cold when the U.S. failed to defend against the North. The Vietnam War was the aftermath of the Cold War. America believed that communism was spreading and was threatening to expand all over South-East Asia. President Eisenhower promised America a ‘communist-free’ Vietnam. U.S. support for South Vietnam began as soon as January 1955. Vietnamese “communists”, also known as the Viet Cong were fighting against the South Vietnamese government and the United States. The Viet Cong were known for their brutal behaviors, such as forcefully taking food from villagers and the assassinations of people who supported the South Vietnamese government.

used more than 14 tons of explosives during the war, mainly on South Vietnam farm fields, to reveal any concealment the Viet Cong might have taken advantage of. The military also sprayed millions of gallons of toxic chemicals, which killed crops and vegetation. Future generations of Vietnam were found to be born with deformities, due to these toxins being released. Vietnam veterans even reported having health problems due to the Agent Orange chemicals. The war led Vietnam into poverty, and Vietnamese people started to flee. The refugees risked their lives, in hope for a better one. Many attempted to flee by boats, not meant for the open sea. The boats were overcrowded and some even died from drowning or pirates. Since the war,