Images of the Vietnam War

Present-day countries like Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia were French colonies. After the French were ousted, conflicts ensued about how to govern the people, leading to the Vietnam War.

The Northern Vietnamese and the Viet Kong of the South wanted to transform the country into a communist nation.

As communist forces and clashes increased, the American presence increased, particularly after the Gulf of Tonkin event.

After the Gulf of Tonkin conflict, US President Lyndon Johnson increased the presence of US soldiers in Vietnam from 23,000 to more than 180,000.

For many American soldiers, the jungle terrain and climate of Vietnam were altogether new.

Many soldiers heading to Vietnam didn't know what to expect. 

Camp Radcliff was an army base located in the An Khe region of Vietnam. While it stood, it was the largest helicopter base in the world.

The Viet Cong, a guerilla army that fought againt the South Vietnamese and Americans, enlisted women soldiers in their fight.

Americans sprayed the pesticide known as Agent Orange to kill the jungle vegetation hiding the Viet Cong and other northern troops.

President Johnson launched a campaign to bomb targets along the Ho Chi Minh Trail held by the Viet Cong.

In 1965, the US increased the draft to include 35,000 new soldiers per month.

Many Americans opposed the draft and were ideologically opposed to the war and the American presence in Vietnam.

The battle of La Drang Valley is considered the first major battle of the Vietnam War. The battle killed roughly 300 Americans and injured hundreds more.

Americans and South Vietnamese soldiers fended off the Northern army for 77 days at the siege of Khe Sanh.

The Tet Offensive was a highly coordinated combined assault by the Viet Minh and North Vietnamese armies.

Huey helicopters played a major role in the war, transporting soldiers and taking part in daring rescues.

Many children got caught up in the destructive war. Some were sent to orphanages, and thousands were airlifted out of the country to foster homes in the US.

Many American soldiers were captured and kept in appalling prison camps.

The war dragged on for nearly two decades. Soldiers endured many hardships.

The notorious North Vietnamese prison camp dubbed "Hanoi Hilton" was demolished during the 1990s.

Bombing raids were common throughout the war. Targets were strategically chosen, but civilian casualties were numerous.

War medics often needed to perform their life-saving work under fire from enemy troops. 

 The war in Vietnam was highly politicized. Soldiers faced criticism at home for taking part in it. 

Thousands of Vietnamese on both sides of the war were left homeless and displaced.

The Vietnam War is the longest war in U.S. history--it lasted 20 years.

Soldiers faced ambushes at every turn.

As the war dragged on, the protests in the US increased.

Pulling out of Saigon. The city fell to the North soon after the war ended.

War photographers risked their lives to document the war through the images we see now. 

 The Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC contains the names of 58,200 military service people killed in the war.