Vietnam was the worst conflict in U.S. history after the Civil War. It was the longest, most contraversial, most hated war the U.S. has ever fought. Since it was during the Cold War we thought we could just go in there and stop the spread of Communism since we were the good guys and a world super-power. We thought every country would love to ally with us because we were so egocentric. The fact is that the Vietnamese people couldn't care less about our conflicts. They had a rough enough time just getting by. They had been through invasion after invasion and never been conquered, and we were just the next group of phonies who thought they could drive the Vietnamese out.
The Vietcong, or "Charlie" or "VC", was the most lethal opponent. Since the U.S. troops couldn't discern good from bad Vietnamese, anybody they saw was a pontential VC. This demanded great mental stamina from the troops - putting up with the frustration of having no idea who your enemy was, and also the fact that they could walk right by you without you're knowing. Charlie was a guerilla tactics expert. His code of war was, "When the enemy advances, withdraw; when he defends, harass; when he is tired, attack; when he withdraws, pursue." These hit-and-run tactics avoided the open battles which the U.S. could win. They also allowed the VC to never be seen, and a hidden enemy is the hardest thing to fight. The psychological toll on American troops was great, as you could tell if you've ever watched Apocalypse Now (hint, hint). Their reactions to the VC ranged from going stark, raving mad; to turning into a living rock, not feeling, just killing; to crying and wimping out and running away. The mentally tough soldiers were able to maintain their previous selves and come away from the war unchanged, but these were few.
The war lasted eight years, making it our longest. Worse yet, we lost the war and so virtually nothing was accomplished except the loss of life. At home a large group of people protested the war. Many knew from the beginning that it was a pointless and futile war, and protested it all along. As the draft began happening, it became clear that predominantly the young, the poor, and the minorities were being drafted. This brought college students and minorites into the mix of protesters and the demonstrations of these two volatile groups often became violent. This was also the first war broadcast on national TV, and as the average Joe began to see the atrocities of war, he also began to harbor anti-government feelings. Overall Vietnam was the worst war we've ever been in.
