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Vietnam War Facts

Vietnam War Facts
The Vietnam War began on November 1st, 1955 and ended on April 30th, 1975, lasting 18 years, 4 months, 4 weeks and 1 day. It took place in Laos, Cambodia, and North and South Vietnam. It is also referred to as the Second Indochina War as it followed the First Indochina War. The Vietnam War was fought between North and South Vietnam. North Vietnam was supported by China, the Soviet Union, the Viet Cong and other communist allies while South Vietnam was supported by the United States and other anti-communist allies. In Vietnam, the war was often referred to as the Resistance War Against America. In 1973 the United States Congress passed the Case-Church Amendment which ended U.S. military involvement, and the war ended in 1975 when North Vietnam captured Saigon.
Interesting Vietnam War Facts:
Central, Northern, and Southern Vietnam were part of colonial empire French Indochina from 1883 to 1945.
In 1945 Vietnam declared independence from France but neither the United States nor France accepted the claim.
In 1946 communists in North Vietnam began to fight for control of the country from France.
France established the State of Vietnam in 1949, which was the southern half of the country.
It was the South Vietnamese communist rebels and Vietnamese communists in North Vietnam that wanted to re-unite Vietnam and take over the Vietnamese government in South Vietnam.
The Vietnam conflict began in 1954 when South Vietnamese rebels were aided by North Vietnam to fight South Vietnam's troops.
Many people in the United States and other countries did not agree with the Vietnam War. They did not think that war was the answer and held various anti-war protests in the form of rallies, teach-ins, songs, and marches.
The bombs dropped on North Vietnam were more than were dropped during World War II on Japan, Italy and Germany.
During the Vietnam War 2,594,000 U.S. troops served in Vietnam.
There were 47,434 American military deaths during battle in the Vietnam War.
There were 10,786 American military deaths during the Vietnam War that did not occur during battle.
There were 1.3 million military deaths during the Vietnam War including all countries involved.
There were 1 million civilian deaths during the Vietnam War.
In 1968 North Vietnam attacked 36 major cities and towns in South Korea during the Vietnamese New Year, killing many civilians.
There have only been 1004 recovered remains of Americans killed in Vietnam that have been identified since 1973.
U.S. forces massacred approximately 400 children, women, and elderly men in South Vietnam on March 16th, 1968 in what is known as the My Lai Massacre. The man who led the raid, Lieutenant William L. Calley Jr. was court-martialed and sentenced to life in prison. He was released in 1974 when his conviction was overturned. No other military personnel were ever charged for their involvement.
On May 4th, 1970 the National Guard fired at a group of demonstrators at Kent State University in Ohio, killing four students.
During the Vietnam War the United States used heavy chemical warfare to destroy the foliage that helped the Viet Cong hide. The chemicals used were extremely dangerous and many people became sick, many birth defects resulted, and the repercussions destroyed many Vietnamese and American's health.
In 1973 a cease-fire was arranged but after the last of the American troops left, the fighting began again.
South Vietnam surrendered on April 30th, 1975 and is still a communist country today.


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