Defying Violence
Everyone knows about the hippie movement of the ’60s; it supported anti-war sentiments, which encouraged peaceful protests throughout the country. It was one of the most influential movements against the government after they sent the U.S. Army to the jungles of Vietnam.
Here is a photo of a soldier tattooed with the peace symbol on his right arm while reading a letter from home. The U.S. Army actively applied a compulsory draft during the Vietnam War, which resulted in many pacifists who frowned on the concept of war being sucked into a nightmarish situation.
Camaraderie In The Heart Of Chaos
As depicted in the photo above, a Marine Sergeant shows concern for an injured soldier. This photo vividly shows the anguish and destruction that the war brings, not only to civilians but also to soldiers. Photographer Larry Burrows took this photo in October 1966, in the south of Vietnam's demilitarized zone.
Jeremiah Purdie, the Sergeant who has a blood-stained bandage in the photo, was also severely injured but seemed to be unstoppable in trying to assist his wounded comrades.
No Place Like Home
In the midst of turmoil and the feeling of inevitable demise that most wars bring, soldiers learn to create their own comfort zone. It might be through different things, but most get lost in the pages of magazines. It seemed like they would do anything to find a way to transport them back to any resemblance of a normal life, where death and destruction was something they weren’t familiar with.
Some soldiers unwillingly had to bid adieu to their lovers back in their hometown, and some were very fed up with seeing nothing but communist enemies and fellow male soldiers. During wartime, it is essential to know how to entertain oneself, or insanity might come knocking.
The Intimidating Vietnamese Terrain
Vietnam is home to 430 different species of mammals and 800 different types of reptiles/amphibians. With lethal snakes, insects, massive elephants, and ruthless Indochinese tigers lurking around every corner, danger seemed to stay everywhere.
Imagine the level of resiliency the U.S. troops needed to have while they were crossing the dark waters of the Mekong Delta, as shown above. With a high chance of encountering potentially dangerous animals or, worse, fearsome guerillas, these soldiers already had one foot on the ground.
The Children Are The Future
With the Vietnam War leaving nothing but death and destruction in its wake, both the Northern and Southern parts of the country were rendered useless. War doesn't end with whoever wins. It continues until the very last establishment has been rebuilt, and the memories are forgotten. Traumas ran rampant among Vietnamese people as their cities were destroyed, buildings turned to rubble, villages abandoned, and fatalities multiplied.
Take a look at Vietnam today, and know that the two little-orphaned girls photographed above contributed to rebuilding their nation into what it is now. Observers would see a simple photo of two girls smiling inside a moving bus, but what most individuals do not know is that this bus is taking them to a Children's Village. There they will receive five to seven years of education and will be sent back to Vietnam to help the country restore its glory.