Sohan Patel June 11, 2012 HARDSHIPS FACED BY AMERICAN SOLDIERS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR

THESIS During the Vietnam War, the American soldiers faced a number of hardships that were very difficult to overcome. Many people say that the war was a failure for America as a result of the strength of the Vietcong, but really the war was a failure for American soldiers as a result of the many hardships and disadvantages they faced.

In relation to some of the disadvantages during the war, Karnow recalled, “The men waded through flooded paddies and plantations, stopping from time to time to pick leeches out of their boots” (Karnow). LEECHES DURING THE WAR

Many Vietnam veterans recall calling the elephant grass, “wait a minute grass”. This was because they would randomly cut their hands, cut their legs, and get their boots caught in this grass (Duarte). ELEPHANT GRASS

Many American soldiers recall the jungles being immensely hot, and also extremely humid (Duarte). Lots of rain caused air to be very humid Unbearable heat WEATHER

When speaking about snakes in Vietnam, Sarlin recalled being told, “99 are poisonous and can kill you with a bite; the other one ain't poisonous but will crush you to death” (Sarlin). Truth was that there are about 140 different species of snakes in Vietnam, while only 30 are poisonous. SNAKES IN VIETNAM

A soldier recalled during this time, “”The Vietcong would avoid pitched battles with the Americans unless the odds were clearly in their favor. There would be more hit and run attacks and ambushes” (Anonymous soldier). Vietcong would sneak up on American soldiers instead of confronting them. GUERRILLA WARFARE

A veteran from the Vietnam war, Henderson, had said that it was imperative that soldiers adapt to their surroundings quickly (Henderson). Soldiers were new to the environment and it was not easy for them to adapt to. UNKNOWN JUNGLES

Mother nature physically affected the soldiers in many ways. When asked about insects, one veteran responded, “Hordes of mosquitoes attacked us whenever we entered their domain” (Anonymous soldier). Fire ants, tarantulas, bees, wasps, etc. INSECTS

Malaria affected the troops in many ways. With thousands of malaria cases reported, the strength of units decreased greatly, sometimes by more than half (Anonymous nurse). Obtained from mosquitoes Mosquitoes harassed soldiers 24/7. HEALTH ISSUES

ANIMALS & INSECTS The various numbers of animals and insects affected the soldiers mentally as well as physically. Knowing that there were deadly animals and vicious insects surrounding the soldiers, many soldiers became paranoid and even distracted. Animals made the soldiers very weak with injuries and sicknesses. With this hardship, soldiers ability to fight was definitely impaired. They would focus more on staying away from animals and insects instead of the war.

GRASS & JUNGLES The unknown jungles surrounding the soldiers made it hard it see and fight the enemy. The elephant grass became a nuisance to the soldiers and even gave them deep cuts in the skin. The grass and jungles really affected the performance of the fighting soldiers. They were physically hurt by the grass itself, and the jungles were a major setback. Without knowing the geography of this unknown land, the soldiers had no clue on where their enemy could be.

WEATHER When fighting in a war, weather plays a huge role. Since rain occurred daily soldiers couldn’t move properly on foot or through the air. Weather affected the soldiers mentally as well as physically. When fighting they would be in the scorching dense heat, drenched in water. A suitable environment for this war would have been dry warm weather

GUERRILLA WARFARE Since the jungles were already new to the American soldiers, the Vietcong’s guerrilla warfare only made things worse. The Vietcong were able to sneak around through the jungles very easily. This tactic that was new to the American soldiers was a major disadvantage that really affected the war. The Vietcong were able to make surprise attacks and transfer equipment very easily.

ENEMY & CIVILIANS American soldiers were unable to differentiate between the enemy and civilian. This really affected the soldiers mentally, as they would knowingly and unknowingly kill innocent people. Not being able to tell the difference between the enemy and civilian was a major setback for the Americans and a huge plus for the Vietcong. They could hide as civilians.

DISEASE & INFECTIONS Diseases and infections were huge during the war. Malaria caused fever and vomiting. Infections were common due to lack of hygiene. Disease and infections were definitely a disadvantage during this war. Soldiers would continuously become sick mentally as well as physically which affected their fighting ability.

North Vietnam could easily transport supplies to the Vietcong through the spider holes. Geography was one of the major reasons that the Americans lost the war. The war was being fought halfway around the world, which was a major obstacle. American soldiers were completely unaware of their surroundings which made it difficult to fight, GEOGRAPHY

WORKS CITED “Vietnam War." American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. ItemID=WE52&iPin=AMHC0011&SingleRecord=True (accessed June 8, 2012). "War in Vietnam." History Learning. n. page. Print.. "Marines in the Vietnam War." Vietnam War. n. page. Print.. "Mother Nature vs the Infantry Soldier in Vietnam." Cherries - Vietnam War. n. page. Print.. "Guerrilla Tactics." PBS. n. page. Print.. Sarlin, Ray. "Vietnam War." n. page. Print..