The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War actually was not a war, it was a conflict. It wasn’t a war, because Congress never officially declared it a war. Nevertheless, about 186,000 South Vietnamese died, about 58,000 Americans died, and about 313,000 Americans were wounded. The conflict started in 1959 for the U.S. The conflict ended in 1973 for the U.S. The conflict officially ended in 1975.

The war started because North Vietnam wanted to invade non-communist countries and turn them into communist countries. U.S.A. joined the war because President Kennedy didn’t want communism to spread through Asia.

Ngo Dinh Diem was South Vietnam’s president. Ngo Dinh Diem became president of South Vietnam in 1954. Ngo Dinh Diem was murdered along with one of his brothers on November 2nd, 1963. Thieu was South Vietnam’s second president. President Thieu was president from 1967-1975. Thieu fled the country when his capitol was invaded. Ho Chi Minh was North Vietnam’s president. U.S.A.’s first president during the conflict was John F. Kennedy. Kennedy brought the U.S. into the conflict. Kennedy was later killed by an assassin. So Lyndon B. Johnson was the U.S.’ second president. Johnson was the president for most of the conflict. Richard Nixon was the U.S.’ last president during the conflict. Nixon committed a war crime by bombing a neutral country. Nixon ended the conflict for the U.S.  Westmoreland was one of the U.S. Generals.

The allies were New Zealand, South Vietnam, Australia, the U.S.A., and Non-Communist Cambodia. North Vietnam and communist Cambodia were our enemies.

There was a battle called the battle of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a supply rout for North Vietnam, which was very hard to see, for the Ho Chi Minh Trail was covered with dense trees. U.S. bombers dropped something called Agent Orange on the Ho chi Minh Trail. Agent Orange was a poison the killed trees so that the U.S. could see the enemy. Operation Starlight was when the U.S. invaded a VC stronghold. Operation Starlight was the first time the U.S. met the VC in a major battle. There was also a battle in a place called the Ia Drang Valley, which was where U.S. helicopters dropped U.S. soldiers into Ia Drang and invaded the NVA. The Ia Drang valley was the first time the U.S. met the NVA in a major battle. More tons of bombs were dropped on Vietnam than in World War 2.

One of the weapons was an American B-25 Stato Fortress Jet. There was also the American F-4 Phantom Jet, the American Bell UH1 helicopter, and the American M-16 gun. There was also the North Vietnamese T-55/54 tank, and North Vietnamese booby traps. Plus there was the SA7 Grail Anti-Aircraft gun.



Vietnam: The Country

Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia.  It is a little smaller than California or a little larger than New Mexico.  Vietnam touches the Pacific Ocean, especially the Gulf of Tonkin and the South China Sea.  Cambodia, Laos, and China are on Vietnam’s borders and Thailand is very nearby.

In Vietnam, the main languages that are spoken are Vietnamese, English, some French, Chinese, and Khmer.

The Vietnamese flag is red with a yellow star in the middle.

Around 83,000,000 people live in Vietnam.  Most of the people (85-90%) are Vietnamese. About 8% of the people in Vietnam are Khmer, Cham, and other groups. Only 2% of the people in Vietnam are Chinese.

Vietnam is a very poor country. In Vietnam, 37% of the people are below poverty level.

Vietnam is a long skinny country that stretches from north to south.  The climate is tropical in the south; but in the north there is a hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and a warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March).

Vietnam’s money is called Dong. One U.S. dollar is worth about 15,000 Dong.

Vietnam has many mixed religions. Vietnam has three major belief systems: Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism.

Vietnam’s most important holiday is called Tet. Tet is when each person turns a year older. Wondering Souls day is when people offer prayers in temples, homes, and sometimes offices. Vietnam’s national holiday is on September 2nd. It is celebrated as the day Vietnam won its Independence from France.

There are many factories in Vietnam. They produce food, garments, shoes, machines, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, and paper. There are also many farmers.

There are many floods and typhoons in Vietnam.

There are many mountains in Northern Vietnam. It is very hilly in the Central Highlands.

Hue, Hanoi, Haiphong, Saigon (Now Ho Chi Minh City), Da Nang, Can Tho are major cities in Vietnam.  

Who I Interviewed And What I Learned I interviewed Mr. Mike Hahn at the Selah High School on January 3, 2005. He was a good interviewee because he was a Vietnam veteran for 1 year. Mr. Hahn had to go to basic training, and advanced training in Fort Polk, Louisiana. He was part of the infantry. Mr. Hahn didn’t choose to go into the Army, he got drafted (That means the Government made him go.)   He said that the best part about being in the Army was making friends. He also said that the U.S. joined the war because President Kennedy didn’t want communism to spread through Asia. Mr. Hahn told me that some of the most important people in the Vietnam War were General Westmoreland (U.S.A.), and Ho Chi Minh (North Vietnam.) He told me that the war ended in 1973 for the U.S.A. Another thing he told me was that the U.S.A. never lost a major battle the last thing he told me was that the U.S.A. lost the war because President Nixon ordered all U.S. troops out of Vietnam.

Bibliography C.I.A. Fact Book: February 10th, 2005. Gay, Kathlyn. Vietnam War: Brookfield, Connecticut, 1996. Hahn, Mike. Personal Interview. January3, 2005.                                                                                         Wright, David K. War in Vietnam: Book 4 - Fall of Vietnam. Chicago, 1989. (PASTE BIBLIOGRAPHY HERE)

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