The Vietnam War was one of the most controversial and intense conflicts in modern history. Spanning from the mid-1950s to 1975, it was a war unlike any other, marked by brutal combat, complex geopolitics, and unimaginable human suffering. While many of the events and actions during the war are etched into history, there are certain practices and behaviors that were so commonplace at the time, they were considered "normal" by those involved, but seem shocking by today's standards.
1. Guerrilla Tactics and Psychological Warfare
One of the most notable aspects of the Vietnam War was the widespread use of guerrilla tactics by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces. While guerrilla warfare has been employed in numerous conflicts throughout history, the Vietnam War saw it taken to new extremes. Ambushes, booby traps, and stealthy night attacks were everyday occurrences. However, the psychological impact on soldiers, particularly those in the U.S. Army, was profound.
Soldiers faced constant uncertainty about when and where the next attack might come from, and the stress of never knowing whether they would make it out of a jungle alive led to a high level of anxiety, paranoia, and fear. The idea of a "clean" or "safe" battlefront was a distant memory.
The Viet Cong often used tunnels as a way to disappear, only to strike again when least expected. These tactics played on the psychological vulnerability of the American soldiers, leading to fear and distrust among both military personnel and local populations.
2. Chemical Warfare: Agent Orange
Perhaps one of the most horrific elements considered "normal" by some during the Vietnam War was the widespread use of chemical weapons, particularly Agent Orange. This defoliant was used to strip away the dense jungle cover, making it easier for U.S. troops to spot enemy movements. It was also designed to deprive the Viet Cong of their cover, but its consequences were far-reaching and devastating.
Tens of millions of gallons of Agent Orange were sprayed across the countryside, resulting in long-term health effects for both soldiers and civilians. The chemical compound caused birth defects, cancer, and other severe health conditions. Yet, at the time, it was seen as just another weapon in the arsenal of war, and its horrifying aftermath was not fully understood until years later. For soldiers, it was "just another part of the job."
3. Brutal Treatment of POWs
The treatment of prisoners of war (POWs) during the Vietnam War was a subject of widespread controversy. Both sides of the conflict engaged in torture and brutal treatment of prisoners, and such practices were tragically accepted as routine.
U.S. soldiers captured by the Viet Cong were often tortured for information, subjected to grueling interrogations, and kept in appalling conditions in makeshift prison camps. Similarly, many North Vietnamese prisoners captured by American forces faced similar treatment, and some were executed as part of military operations. It was an ugly cycle of violence, with little regard for international rules of warfare or human rights.
4. "Body Counts" and the Desensitization to Death
In the Vietnam War, soldiers were often tasked with taking and recording "body counts," a practice that sought to measure the success of military operations by the number of enemy combatants killed. These body counts were not only a method of quantifying success but became an obsession for many military leaders and personnel. The practice of counting dead bodies was normalized to such an extent that it became a routine part of military operations.
For soldiers, the intense focus on body counts led to desensitization toward death and violence. The lines between combatants and civilians often blurred, with the constant pressure to show results leading to indiscriminate attacks. Villages were often bombed, and civilians were killed in the process. For many soldiers, the focus on numbers and body counts took precedence over the humanity of those they were fighting against.
5. My Lai Massacre and the Acceptance of War Crimes
One of the darkest moments of the Vietnam War, the My Lai Massacre, occurred in 1968, but for many soldiers at the time, it was considered just another tragic consequence of war. Over 500 civilians, including women, children, and elderly people, were killed by U.S. troops in the small village of My Lai. The massacre, which involved rapes, mutilations, and indiscriminate killing, was initially covered up but later became one of the most infamous war crimes of the conflict.