I have heard that they got what was called Jungle Rot or a foot fungus which made them raw and also made them burn from what I understand. I also have read that the weather in Vietnam is unpredictable and it could be hot and humid or it could be very rainy. They were also not familiar with the geography which was another problem. The jungle, humidity and the need to avoid fighting in populated areas were all problems. The lack of leadership in devising a strategic overall plan for fighting an insurgent war was a major problem.
Many people in the United States were not supporting the war, and peace movements occurred.
Many soldiers were extremely young, the average age being just nineteen.
The soldiers had little training and many were of low intelligence.
They were fighting the Viet Cong and Vietminh in an alien environment, giving the opposition an advantage.
There was a high death toll.
They were forced to kill, often innocent people.
They were drafted ina nd were not always enthusiastic.
There was racial discrimination in the war. for example black people were fighting for freedom in south East Asia, a freedom they had not yet got themselves in their own country.
There was also the occurence of 'fragging' as disputes between officiers and soldiers became serious.
The biggest problem we had was the opinions stated above. Here's the truth:
01) The public did not support the war. True.
02) The average age was 19. False. Average age was 22.
03) They had little training and low intelligence. False. Best trained army in the world with 79% having a high school education or better.
04) The VC had the environment advantage. True. But we had an air force and superior training and weapons. We never lost a major battle.
05) A high death toll. True - in every war.
06) Forced to kill- often innocent people. False and True. You kill in every war- often innocents die. We were not "forced"- we were soldiers.
07) They were drafted. False. 2/3 were volunteers.
08) There was racial discrimination. False. We fought side-by-side, and risked our lives for each other.
09) Disputes between officers and soldiers. False. Were did this writer get his information?
I speak as a Vietnam combat veteran. US Army, 1st Infantry, 1966-1968. Our biggest problem was lack of support from home and lies....
The difficulties faced by US servicemen in Vietnam were the same difficulties faced by any and all past servicemen during war time. The tropical heat faced by US GI's in Vietnam were no worse nor no better than the Marines and Soldiers fighting in the Pacific Theater of WWII experienced. The casualties from exploding shells and flying bullets were no worse nor easier than the shells and bullets our GI's faced in the Korean War. Being drafted for Vietnam was no different either, many, if not most, of those GI's fighting in Korea, WWII, and World War I were also drafted. If there was any difficulty that stood out for the Viet War veteran, it was rejection and discrimination from his fellow citizens (fellow countrymen). So much so, that in 1974(?) the US government had to pass a non-discrimination law for Vietnam War Veterans. And those rejections and discriminations, with time, have smoothed over, and have nearly disappeared.
When attempting to carry out the Vietnam war, the US Military had problems with it being such an unpopular war. Conditions in which our military were fighting were deplorable, and the media coverage of the war was so intense.
There were several problems. It was an unpopular war since Pres Johnson never adequately explained to the American public why the war was necessary. There was dissention in the ranks as many (white) students took advantage of student deferments to not serve, leading to charges this was a war fought by Blacks and poor whites who were drafted. The other problem was the US Army wanted to fight a conventional war similar to WW2 and Korea, and the NVA and VC used different tactics that frustrated Army generals like Westmoreland who was unable and/or unwilling to adapt..
There were many difficulties for US soldiers in Vietnam, from environmental to military strategies to homeland attitudes about "The Vietnam Conflict", as it was called. Just some difficulties included:
Soldiers from North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Korea, Australia, and the United States were all effectively trained and prepared for battle in the Vietnam Conflict.
The United States has had a continuous military presence in South Vietnam since the war in 1950.
The united states sent hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers to fight in the war
Vietnam war
The United States did get involved in the Vietnam war because of communism in Vietnam.
1954
United States Marines
Soldiers from North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Korea, Australia, and the United States were all effectively trained and prepared for battle in the Vietnam Conflict.
Soldiers from the United States were sent to South Vietnam to support the government and combat the communist insurgency during the Vietnam War.
The United States lifted its trade embargo with Vietnam in 1994, when the Vietnamese government pledged to assist the United States government to trace the remains of American soldiers who went missing during the Vietnam War.
The United States has had a continuous military presence in South Vietnam since the war in 1950.
The class of soldiers sent to Vietnam was the Marines,Army,and, the Special Ops
Nobody in the United States cared that there soldiers were back. Most weren't even greeted upon return.
The united states sent hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers to fight in the war
united states
how come the united states did not invade north vietnam to end the war
After the Tet Offensive, how did the United States hope to end the Vietnam War?