Vietnam War

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Vietnam War (Wikipedia) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War)
Vietnam War (Encarta) (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761552642)
VietnamWar.com (http://www.vietnamwar.com)

The Vietnam War was the longest military conflict in U.S. history. The hostilities in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia claimed the lives of more than 58,000 Americans. Another 304,000 were wounded. The Vietnam War was a military struggle fought in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975, involving the North Vietnamese and the National Liberation Front (NLF) in conflict with United States forces and the South Vietnamese army. From 1946 until 1954, the Vietnamese had struggled for their independence from France during the First Indochina War. At the end of this war, the country was temporarily divided into North and South Vietnam. North Vietnam came under the control of the Vietnamese Communists who had opposed France and who aimed for a unified Vietnam under Communist rule. The South was controlled by Vietnamese who had collaborated with the French. In 1965 the United States sent in troops to prevent the South Vietnamese government from collapsing. Ultimately, however, the United States failed to achieve its goal, and in 1975 Vietnam was reunified under Communist control; in 1976 it officially became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. During the conflict, approximately 3 to 4 million Vietnamese on both sides were killed, in addition to another 1.5 to 2 million Lao and Cambodians who were drawn into the war.

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The United States and the World, 1945-1989:
Although between 1965 and 1969 more bomb were dropped on North Vietnam than all the bombs dropped during WW2, they failed to have much effect. The North Vietnamese were determined not to give in.

Arms production, industries and civilians were taken out of cities and put into the countryside. The North Vietnamese built 30,000 miles of tunnels, and in heavily bombed areas people spent much of their lives underground.

When the US bombed the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the North Vietnamese and the Vietcong simply built another road in another part of the jungle. An estimated 90,000 North Vietnamese, many of them women and children, worked full time to keep the lines of transport open. Piles of gravel were kept along the roadways, enabling young volunteers to fill craters within hours of a bombing raid. The US military was amazed at how quickly the roads could be repaired; within days, the North was able to re-supply the Vietcong in the South.

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It was a disaster for USA - even though their troops took up only 6% of military casualties. Millions more non-Americans died as an indirect result of the conflict.

The Vietcong won it through sheer spirit (fighting for what was right) and excellent Guerrilla warfare. Fair play to them - even though so many died.

It was a completely different country - something the Americans did not realize. They thought they were going into another Korean War.
Why did the USA lose the Vietnam War? (http://www.learnhistory.org.uk/vietnam/usdefeat.htm)

I think it really shows how the spirit of the native people of an invaded country can defeat any military power. Bomb their homes, bomb their hideouts but you can never bomb their will to fight on. Vietnam's an inspiration to all who stand up to the 'bully' (USA).

Imperialism will never triumph. Not in Vietnam, not in Ireland, not anywhere.

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I knew people whose names are now on the Wall in Washington DC. I know many more who died after the fact, and although their deaths were listed from various causes, it all goes back to that fvcking war.

Younger generations have no idea what that era was like, but they are getting a taste of it with Iraq and Afghanistan. I wonder where the anti war activist have gone.. the atmosphere here is so repressive when it comes to talking about the war in the Middle East. If you speak against it, you automatically get labelled a traitor and terrorist sympathizer.

in 1971, I was kicked down a flight of stairs by some big burly cops who had me handcuffed all because of my anti war activities. Today, no one gives a sh!t enough to be handcuffed and dragged away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5yrWPzAPbI