The Vietnam War Was A Damaging Conflict - 1178 Words

Victoria Valean Professor William Mack U.S. History 2 16 April 2015 Vietnam War The Vietnam War was a damaging conflict that left deep scars on all the people and countries that were involved. About 60,000 American lives were taken and an estimated 2,000,000 Vietnamese were killed or wounded. That is about 10 percent of Vietnam’s population. Many bombs, weapons, and chemical warfare destroyed Vietnam’s infrastructure and land. Not only did this war bring destruction to Vietnam’s physical country, but it helped bring down two presidential administrations in the U.S., and led to widespread public dissent in America. The American foreign policy today is still affected by the lessons learned in the Vietnam War. On November 1st, 1964, about 100 Vietcong guerillas attacked an American air base in Bien Hoa. This was the first battle of the Vietnam War. The Vietcong completely startled the South Vietnamese soldiers and the American soldiers as well. The guerillas launched their attack from the dense jungle. It consisted of fired mortars and cannons that hit the American base, and the Vietcong guerillas managed to disappear into the jungle before squads could search for them. The sneaky guerillas destroyed 6 American planes and damaged 20 others. Their attack included the killing of 5 Americans and 2 South Vietnamese soldiers, along with leaving over 100 wounded. More attacks by the Vietcong followed on December 24th, 1964 and February 7th, 1964 . America sought a peaceful endShow MoreRelatedThe Use of Agent Orange in Vietnam936 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War is the most controversial war in United States history. From the Bay of Tonkin, to the draft, Vietnam often debated in the United States. One of the instances that made Vietnam so controversial was the use of Agent Orange in South Vietnam. 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