Close Combat
Probably one of the most amazing photos from this post is the image shown above, which depicts a face-to-face encounter between the well-camouflaged South Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong soldiers in the middle of rice fields in the Mekong Delta region.
The dense vegetation of the Mekong Delta helped the anti-communist group move incognito.
The City of Thanh Tri
The Viet Cong Guerillas had less war gear than their South Vietnamese counterparts, but despite their outdated weaponry, the group compensated for their lack of technologically relevant equipment with cunning tactics and unexpected strategies. They gave the U.S. Military a hard time.
In this photo, soldiers train and practice their gun shooting skills in the city of Thanh Tri. A few days after they took this photo, the Viet Cong Guerillas attacked this very city and killed 25 soldiers along the way. They also killed innocent civilians and took every weapon in sight while burning important establishments to hinder progress.
Dog Of Duty
The puppy shown in this photo is not a real military dog, but it captured a heartwarming moment between a worn-down U.S Soldier and an innocent newborn pup. This photo’s beauty is in its innocence. The slaughter the eyes of these men have seen is washed away by the purity of the puppy's eyes. Love is part of every life form, and that will never cease to exist, even during a war.
It is amazing to see the love in the eyes of these men, who exist in such harsh environments. Huge tanks in the background, combat soldiers who have killed numerous enemies, and their weary eyes are elements that do not usually mix with the tender presence of a puppy. However, the soft smiles of these soldiers appear to be some sort of relief that despite what humans can do to protect and progress their ideologies and theories, kindness will never cease to exist.
Chivalry Is Not Dead
It was pretty evident that the Vietnam War was overwhelming for the elderly and the weak. It required vast amounts of survival skills, resiliency, efficiency, and physical strength, and that is something an old woman from the province would not usually have. Just like the one in this photo, a soldier decided to carry her, as her body did not allow her to keep up with fast-paced U.S Patrols.
This photo was taken in February 1970. It shows a Lance Corporal U.S. soldier hailing from Portsmouth, Ohio, who decided to go out of his way and carry the senior. She was barefoot and dressed in traditional Vietnamese clothing.
Search And Destroy: Viet Cong Guerilla
For the U.S. Army to counter the Viet Cong guerilla and win the Vietnam War, they devised a strategy, officially called the ‘Search and Destroy.’ Soldiers would patrol the wilderness in search of guerillas, which they called "Charlie."
As shown in the photo above, this was a special mission that required camouflage and unconventional uniforms — comprised of members who were efficient in dealing with landmines and booby traps installed by the Viet Cong. One of the biggest dilemmas of ‘Search and Destroy’ was that it was hard to separate the Viet Cong from the others since they disguised themselves as ordinary villagers.