The Futility of the Vietnam War

Vietnam was a Futile War. Do you agree or disagree?

The Vietnam War began in 1957 and ended in 1975.   Vietnam itself was a small country in South-east Asia and was divided into Communist-ruled North Vietnam and non-Communist South Vietnam.   North Vietnam and a group of Communist South Vietnamese guerilla rebels (called the Viet Cong) fought to take over South Vietnam.   The United States allied with the South Vietnamese to try to stop this from occurring, but failed miserably.   I firmly agree that this was a futile war as nothing productive or beneficial has been caused by the war whatsoever.  

The American troops themselves were trained in the desert misguidedly.   They did not properly study the climate and conditions in Vietnam beforehand.   “Most of our training took place in the desert which was incredibly grueling in the unmerciful summer heat.”   The climate in Vietnam was totally unexpected for the troops, as it was in fact stinking hot, wet, humid, and mountainous and closely resembled a jungle.   This differs to a desert environment considerably.   The Americans were not used to the Vietnamese environment and surroundings and were thus easy targets for the experienced Viet Cong troops.   “In the Vietnam War US casualties rose to a total of 57,685 killed and about 153,303 wounded.   Many of these were from Guerilla strikes by the Viet Cong in the dense undergrowth of South Vietnam.”   Already, it was unlikely and improbable that the Americans would win, making it a pointless and meaningless war.  

The United States hoped that they would gain the support of the Vietnamese public so they could learn more about the enemy’s whereabouts and tactics, as well as about the country itself.   However, the public was not at all pleased by the efforts of the Americans.   They were seen as invaders, who were helping the unpopular and corrupt ruler of South Vietnam, Diem.   The peasants of the land were against the USA, as they themselves wanted a Communist government....