Vietnam War Why was the US unable to suppress the Communist insurgency in South Vietnam? Glejdis Shkembi Course: US History Instructor: Mark A. Brandon Time: Thursday, 12:00 – 15:00 Date: December 01, 2016 Introduction The Vietnam War greatly changed America forever, being, without question, the most debatable incident in United States history. It was the longest war fought in America’s history, lasting from 1955 to 1973. In the words of John F. Kennedy, North Vietnam was only a “raggedy-ass little fourth-rate country”. The US could not permit the loss of Vietnam to the Communists. America used the argument of the 'domino' effect to create a cause to go to war in Vietnam. They believed that if South Vietnam fell to communism, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand then Burma and India would soon follow suit. The U.S. did not necessarily lose the war in Vietnam as much as they failed to win this war. They did not …show more content…
In the words of Elmer Hale, an Army infantryman, “you could be ten feet in front of them and never see them” (Verrone, 2005). VC fighters were adept at camouflage both in the jungle and in open areas. They would dress as peasants to trick the soldiers before they would attack. This made it hard for soldiers to distinguish between the enemy and friendly civilians. Also, the Communists utilized the Ho Chi Minh trail which ran through Laos and Cambodia. It was well organized with 50,000 people working to keep it open, repair bomb damage and supply those who were travelling on it with a camp site every 9 miles. It was a complex system of footpaths, bike trails and roads leading from North Vietnam into the South (Verrone, 2005). This trail system became the principal path for supplies and infiltrators moving into South Vietnam. John McNown, Jr., a US Army platoon commander claims: “they truly were fish swimming in the seas…”. All these factors seriously hurt the U.S. army. Influence of the