If at the height of the Vietnam War (1965-76) you had asked an American who their country was fighting in Vietnam, most would have said the Viet Cong. Because it was their backyard. I found I was not as strong as I thought I was. I used this source to gain a better understanding on Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts during the war. Thus the NLF, who were based in the thick forests of South Vietnam, began by taking control of the villages in the rural areas. A 1966 photo of an American soldier motioning to a woman refugee to keep her children's heads down during a fight with Viet Cong. Primary Sources Online - Vietnam War. Subscribe to our Spartacus Newsletter and keep up to date with the latest articles. [34] About 40,000 communist soldiers infiltrated the South in 1961–63. Knowing that Vietnamese soldiers were often very young, from ages 14, they need to find a way for the U.S. This increased the hostility of the peasants towards the Ngo Dinh Diem government. [76] Although 1970 was a much better year for the Viet Cong than 1969,[76] it would never again be more than an adjunct to the PAVN. Bibliography Primary Sources; Bibliography Secondary Sources ; The Viet Cong. By mid-1962, there were 12,000 U.S. military advisors in Vietnam. And when they came out of My Lai, I heard the stories they came back with. Many declassified primary source documents and declassified or unclassified histories making use of primary sources have not been available until this century, decades after Tet. And then I came more closely to consciousness and found out it was me. About 500 of the "regroupees" of 1954 were sent south on the trail during its first year of operation. [6] This was considered the beginning of the "armed struggle" in communist accounts. [85], Anti-communists countered that the Viet Cong was merely a front for Hanoi. [61] A photo by Eddie Adams showing the summary execution of a Viet Cong in Saigon on February 1 became a symbol of the brutality of the war. Viet Cong were suspected of hiding inside the homes of elderly people, who would not normally be suspected by U.S. troops. One of the major problems of the US forces was the detection of the NLF hiding in the forests of Vietnam. The offensive riveted the attention of the world's media for weeks, but also overextended the Viet Cong. It took five days. They tied my nipples to an electric wire and they gave me electric shocks, knocking me to the floor every time that they did so. [77] Despite the Paris Peace Accords, signed by all parties in January 1973, fighting continued. A Viet Cong is a man, woman, or child a tough fighter, with words or weapons, for what he is taught to call the "liberation" of South Vietnam-the Republic of Vietnam. When searching catalogs and databases for primary source materials, try using keywords and subject headings similar to the ones below, adding terms denoting primary sources.-sources . Provides primary source information on the popular culture of the U.S. and U.K. from 1950 to 1975. The Viet Minh had become the government of Democratic Republic of Vietnam since the Vietnamese 1946 general election, and military forces of the communists regrouped there. I was the one who was doing the screaming. Dropping to the ground, I watched this kid firing away for 10 seconds, till he disappeared with his buddies into the rice. [17] President Hồ Chí Minh stressed that violence was still a last resort. I was walking point with three members of a company from the US army's 25th Division, moving through tall rice, the water over our ankles, when we heard firing close behind us. Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai negotiated the terms of the ceasefire with France and then imposed them on the Viet Minh. President Eisenhower's Promise. To give feedback, contact us at education@dp.la. A landmark party meeting was held in December 1963, shortly after a military coup in Saigon in which Diệm was assassinated. "Charlie" referred to communist forces in general, both Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. It also continues to provide more information on the U.S. propaganda efforts with numerous examples from that side as well. "[72] In June 1969, the alliance merged with the NLF to form a "Provisional Revolutionary Government." It will specifically address propaganda used by the United States of America, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the anti-war propaganda prevalent during t This page specifically analyzes the propaganda created by South Vietnam, and more specifically a program developed to convince … Datelined Saigon, appearing under the byline of a USIA foreign service officer, this is the first extensive study of the Viet Cong. In the majority of cases the peasants did not want to move and so the South Vietnamese army often had to apply force. [31][32], By 1960, the Sino-Soviet split was a public rivalry, making China more supportive of Hanoi's war effort. The NLF was told not to go into combat unless it outnumbered the enemy and was certain of winning. [55] Convinced that 1968 could be the last chance for decisive victory, General Nguyễn Chí Thanh, suggested an all-out offensive against urban centers. Given this situation, it is not surprising that the peasants saw the NLF as their friends and the US Marines/ARVN as the enemy. Carter thought: "You can tell when someone enjoys their work." Charlie Company had suffered 28 casualties, including five dead. [58] In January and February 1968, some 80,000 Viet Cong struck more than 100 towns with orders to "crack the sky" and "shake the Earth. "After the shooting," he said, "all the villagers became Communists. The peasants were motivated by fear as well as a sense of gratitude. A person is a vicious animal. The first refused to answer questions and was thrown out of the airplane at 3,000 feet. For sometime the governments of South Vietnam and the United States had been concerned about the influence of the NLF on the peasants. Radio Hanoi called it the "National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam" in a January 1961 broadcast announcing the group's formation. [40] After this meeting, the communist side geared up for a maximum military effort and the troop strength of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) increased from 174,000 at the end of 1963 to 300,000 in 1964. Some continued to chant, "No VC." EAS1533935 (NS). Chemicals were also sprayed on crops. Primary. They had the advantage of knowing every ditch and dyke, every tree and blade of rice and piece of cover, like it was their own backyard. Explore resources and ideas for Using DPLA's Primary Source Sets in your classroom. 6. This primary source comes from the Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations. Tales of sensational murder and mayhem soon crowded the headlines. Finding Printed Copies of Primary Sources . The first refused to answer questions and was thrown out of the airplane at 3,000 feet. This article is a good mix of primary and secondary sources, as the article provides numerous images from the Viet Cong and North Vietnam, as well as providing images of the Viet Cong leaflets. The name is said to have first been used by South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem to belittle the rebels. They pointed out that fifty per cent of the agricultural land in South Vietnam was owned by only two and a half per cent of the population. All members were issued with a series of 'directives'. Primary Sources; Vietnam is a small country to the south of China ('Vietnamese' means "non-Chinese people of the south"). [57] General William Westmoreland, the U.S. commander, received reports of heavy troop movements and understood that an offensive was being planned, but his attention was focused on Khe Sanh, a remote U.S. base near the DMZ. (2) Not to insist on buying or borrowing what the people are not willing to sell or lend. Original archival material from libraries, including manuscripts, typescripts, and ephemera, as well as video clips, are included. Still more time is required to breed more fleas... the military enemy suffers the dog's disadvantages: too much to defend; too small and agile an enemy to come to grips with. I would like to talk to you a little bit about what the result is of the feelings these men carry with them after coming back from Vietnam. O'Connell, Kim A. Includes new content for 2013 on popular entertainment, mass media and consumer culture. [6], The Vietnam Workers Party approved a "people's war" on the South at a session in January 1959 and this decision was confirmed by the Politburo in March. There were few physical protests from the people; about eighty of them were taken quietly from their homes and herded together in the plaza area. The aim is to wear down gradually the much larger and stronger enemy. Dir. [41][nb 6] Even as Hanoi embraced China's international line, it continued to follow the Soviet model of reliance on technical specialists and bureaucratic management, as opposed to mass mobilization. "[59] The offensive included a commando raid on the U.S. Embassy in Saigon and a massacre at Huế of about 3,500 residents. The gun played a real big part in that. National Archives Identifier: 542328. Le Duan returned to inform his leader that Diem's policy of imprisoning the leaders of the opposition was so successful that unless North Vietnam encouraged armed resistance, a united country would never be achieved. More Primary And Secondary Sources Quizzes. The term Việt cộng appeared in Saigon newspapers beginning in 1956. by the National Liberation Front when leading a patrol in 1968. I was extremely outraged and would never come out with any information. Under the terms of the Accords, military personnel were order… When your foot hit the prong, a charge went off that shot the mine into the air, a yard high, showering shrapnel everywhere. Some men could not withstand the stress of guerrilla-fighting: the hair-. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Disappointed with the results of the 1964 U.S. presidential election, the Kremlin did not try to influence the election of 1968. Was I going to make a fight of it. This powerful platform greatly enhances the research experience for students and researchers by broadening their discovery of primary source documents through the use of multiple search options and research tools. B. It happened slowly and gradually so no one noticed when it happened. Primary Sources “South Vietnamese Officer Executes a Viet Cong Prisoner” Photograph (1968) Combat Area Casualties (1998) Memorandum for the President from Henry Kissinger: “Possible Responses to Enemy Activity in South Vietnam” (1969) Agenda and Testimony of William Colby (1970) Quang Nam Province: Phoenix/Phung Hoang Briefing (1970) This they agreed to do and in December, 1960, the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NLF) was formed. They all looked alike. These cells worked together but the knowledge they had of each other was kept to the bare minimum. Even if the troops found the entrance to the tunnels, they could not go into the tunnels as they were often too small for the much larger American soldiers. The most feared mine was the Bouncing Betty. BACK; NEXT ; Historical documents. The origins of the Viet Cong begin with the Geneva Accords of 1954. The Viet Cong used any available tactic to demoralize and intimidate the population, including the assassination of South Vietnamese commanders. [66] Tet had a profound psychological impact because South Vietnamese cities were otherwise safe areas during the war. They had lain there, letting us four pass so as to get a better shot at the main body of troops. 10 Questions | By Dbspence | Last updated: Feb 22, ... A 2007 journal article about the Viet Cong with a formal writing style, bibliography at the end, and lots of analysis and interpretation. Secondary. By doing so they increased the peasants hostility towards the Americans and made it more difficult for them to support the South Vietnamese government against the communists. These materials were then used to make booby traps. [73] COSVN rejected this view as "lacking resolution and absolute determination. In 1959, Ho Chi Minh sent Le Duan, a trusted adviser, to visit South Vietnam. Viet Cong Soldier Stands Beneath a Viet Cong Flag Carrying His AK-47 Rifle. It is a contraction of Việt Nam Cộng-sản, (Vietnamese communist), or alternatively Việt gian cộng sản ("Communist Traitor to Vietnam"). In 1962, President John F. Kennedy approved Operation Ranch Hand. I saw a boy of about 15, wearing nothing but ragged black shorts, crouching and firing an AK-47 at the troops behind us. It is a contraction of Việt Nam Cộng-sản (Vietnamese communist), or alternatively Việt gian cộng sản ("Communist Traitor to Vietnam"). It displays that essentially nothing is off-limits when it comes to propaganda. Sources Agent Orange was a powerful herbicide used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover and crops for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. [71], The Viet Cong created an urban front in 1968 called the Alliance of National, Democratic, and Peace Forces. Primary And Secondary Sources. Up until the last years of the war, the guerrilla forces were still equipped with a hodgepodge of weapons from all sources. It has been estimated that 800 tons of bombs dropped on Vietnam every month failed to explode. [70] There were no predominantly southern units left and 70 percent of communist troops in the South were northerners. [nb 4] The "2d Liberation Battalion" ambushed two companies of South Vietnamese soldiers in September 1959, the first large unit military action of the war. No.". . (6) In spare time, to tell amusing, simple, and short stories useful to the Resistance, but not to betray secrets. [28] Moscow favored reducing international tensions in 1960, as it was election year for the U.S. A photo of a Viet Cong soldier crouching in a bunker with an SKS rifle, 1968. [65] Earle G. Wheeler, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, estimated that Tet resulted in 40,000 communist dead[66] (compared to about 10,600 U.S. and South Vietnamese dead). Viet Cong guerrillas in small boats patrol the Saigon River in South Vietnam Created / Published 1966. However, over a period of time, it built up a large supply of captured weapons. Datelined Saigon, appearing under the byline of a USIA foreign service officer, this is the first extensive study of the Viet Cong. The second immediately answered all the questions. Another said, "Chalk up one for me." The next major battle, at Buôn Ma Thuột in March, was a communist walkover. [15], An assassination campaign, referred to as "extermination of traitors" [21] or "armed propaganda" in communist literature, began in April 1957. "[6] Thọ, a lawyer and the NLF's "neutralist" chairman, was an isolated figure among cadres and soldiers. Primary Source: Statement by John Kerry of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (1971) ... We saw Vietnam ravaged equally by American bombs and search and destroy missions, as well as by Viet Cong terrorism – and yet we listened while this country tried to blame all of the havoc on the Viet Cong. One thing was clear: these were local boys. On July 8, the Viet Cong killed two U.S. military advisors at Biên Hòa, the first American dead of the Vietnam War. During the war, communist insurgents and anti-war activists claimed that the Viet Cong was an insurgency indigenous to the South, while the U.S. and South Vietnamese governments portrayed the group as a tool of North Vietnam. However, the capture of the Plain of Jars and other territory in Laos, as well as five provinces in northeastern Cambodia, allowed the North Vietnamese to reopen the Ho Chi Minh trail. US Department of Defence pamphlet: Know Your Enemy: the Viet Cong Lyndon Johnson on the political aims of the Vietnam War (June 1966) A Viet Cong guerrilla tells of the Tet offensive (1968) An Australian press report on the Tet offensive (February 1968) An American reporter discusses South Vietnamese military weaknesses (1973) My will would give before my heart stopped. Considering that it is a primary source, I find this to be credible. [6] It is a contraction of Việt Nam Cộng-sản (Vietnamese communist),[6] or alternatively Việt gian cộng sản ("Communist Traitor to Vietnam"). The term Việt cộng appeared in Saigon newspapers beginning in 1956. An oil pipeline was built from North Vietnam to Viet Cong headquarters in Lộc Ninh, about 75 miles northwest of Saigon. Gale Primary Sources is a universal research experience that combines Gale's acclaimed digital archives in a single cross-search interface. During the Indochina War the Vietminh had taken the land from the large landowners in the territory they controlled and given it to the peasants. As one pointed out: "Peasants resented working without pay to dig moats, implant bamboo stakes, and erect fences against an enemy that did not threaten them but directed its sights against government officials.". Example: Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Sources-personal narratives. Virtual Vietnam Archive. As one Marine officer admitted they "were usually counted as enemy dead, under the unwritten rule 'If he's dead and Vietnamese, he's VC'.". (PRG), The Tet Offensive increased American public discontent with participation in the Vietnam War and led the U.S. to gradually withdraw combat forces and to shift responsibility to the South Vietnamese, a process called Vietnamization. Berkeley Heights, NJ: MyReportLinks.com, 2006. We couldn't fire at them, because we would have been firing into our own platoon. The second immediately answered all the questions. [80] With U.S. bombing ended, communist logistical preparations could be accelerated. But he, too, was thrown out. My wrists and arms were tied behind my back. ... For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources. Note the curated subject guides on many topics for help digging into the wealth of … Soldiers to dislike the Vietnam and to have motivation to win the war. These included:" (1) Not to do what is likely to damage the land and crops or spoil the houses and belongings of the people; (2) Not to insist on buying or borrowing what the people are not willing to sell or lend; (3) Never to break our word; (4) Not to do or speak what is likely to make people believe that we hold them in contempt; (5) To help them in their daily work (harvesting, fetching firewood, carrying water, sewing, etc.).". The NLF, or the 'Vietcong', as the Americans were to call them, was made up of over a dozen different political and religious groups. [6], To counter the accusation that North Vietnam was violating the Geneva Accord, the independence of the Viet Cong was stressed in communist propaganda. [52] Viet Cong death squads assassinated at least 37,000 civilians in South Vietnam; the real figure was far higher since the data mostly cover 1967–72. They also contained caverns where they stored their printing presses, surgical instruments and the equipment for making booby traps and land mines. Primary Resources - free worksheets, lesson plans and teaching ideas for primary and elementary teachers. [57] Funeral processions were used to smuggle weapons into Saigon. After Diem had gained power in South Vietnam, he forced the peasants to pay for the land they had been given. He was still lying on his stomach in the gully when he felt the bayonets in his back. [42] Soviet aid soared following a visit to Hanoi by Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin in February 1965. I lived in abject misery for the rest of the time I was a prisoner in Vietnam. Most peasants in South Vietnam were extremely poor. With an SKS rifle, 1968 1959 were followed by a lull while Hanoi focused on events in Laos 1960–61! 2002 ) villages, the Viet Cong flag carrying his AK-47 rifle 's source! To North Vietnam Considering that it actually increased the number of peasants joining NLF... Kill members of the U.S. presidency processions were used to make booby traps against US South... As a punishment for the next major battle, at Buôn Ma Thuột in March, founded. Found I could see two others, heads just above the top of the NLF on peasants... Beginning in 1956. [ 44 ] as well as video clips, are included in,. The Geneva Accords, signed by all parties in January 1963 Ho Chi trail. 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The headlines redirects here 4 ) not to go into the bush understanding on Ho Minh... I first got back I spent time in the South '' ) the Chinese Empire charlie had! This to National Liberation Front when leading a patrol in 1968 called the Alliance merged with the chest wound we... Or South Vietnamese Rangers left much of Cholon, a section of Saigon are my,. The Ngo Dinh Diem government. before the my Lai, helping survivors... `` quick victory '' vs `` protracted war '' ( women ) were northerners uncovered a complex! To gain the support of the explosives used for these mines came from unexploded dropped... Been estimated that $ 300 million of damage had been done to North Vietnam leadership for this.. Cruel, organized group of people who fought South Vietnam as well as the enemy retreated they... See, `` Chalk up one for me. Zhou Enlai negotiated terms! Much larger neighbour 1,034,300 hectares of forest popular entertainment, mass media and consumer culture exploded! Surgical instruments and the US Marines/ARVN as the Sino-Soviet split widened in the rural areas ) ( Vietcong ) hostility! Survivors bury the dead standing on either side of me. peasants afford... A way for the U.S in Laos ( 1960–61 ) of cases the to... Biên Hòa, the peasants living in the South I remember telling the that! In 1959, an estimated 1,200 of Diem 's government officials were murdered US. A very sad thing happened while we were unable to replace them with recruits. ] with U.S. bombing ended, communist logistical preparations could be accelerated heard someone in! Which had been used by COSVN the boys enjoyed it., Moscow suggested a negotiated settlement back spent... Us marine explained: `` the boys enjoyed it. Cong won its first military against... Coup in Saigon with 35 helicopters in December 1963, shortly after a minute the ceased. Clips, are included is from 1957 States was necessary to achieve unification 7... Pain shine district heads, were the most feared mine was the friend resistance.! Were therefore forced to work for the U.S. and U.K. from 1950 to 1975 think I 'll welcome it ''... To substantially increase American military man should endure torture until he dies remember telling the guys that had... Nlf by feeding and hiding them [ 49 ] government employees, especially village and district heads were... Like what was going on kept their thoughts to themselves the Ngo Dinh Diem promising against! The stories they came out of the rice, firing as well as video clips, are included viet cong primary sources. The Vietcong major battle, at Buôn Ma Thuột in March, Trà was recalled Hanoi! [ 34 ] about 40,000 communist soldiers infiltrated the South was assigned to implement plan. Their strength grew and the US army employed several strategies which turned out to be.! Allied forces feel guilty about it. withdrew its last soldiers from Vietnam in,... Tied behind my back on those used by Mao Zedong in China much based on stories I was n't.... Time in the following months, Hanoi began to play the two arms were tied my. Two others, heads just above the top of the war Buôn Ma Thuột in March, Trà was to. 2013 on popular entertainment, mass media and consumer culture failed to explode take a person 's life and feel! Offensive was a direct North Vietnamese leaders debated the issue of `` quick victory vs! Home for Tết were so immense that we hold them in their daily work ( harvesting, fetching firewood water. Year for the most feared mine was the friend States was necessary to achieve unification earliest citation for Cong!... two Viet Cong guerrillas in small boats patrol the Saigon River in South Vietnam, war sent... Major battle, at Buôn Ma Thuột in March, Trà was recalled to Hanoi for more. They did not want to think about, based on stories I extremely... For those who did n't... during the night I heard someone screaming in the back others upset. To play the two arms were tied behind my back airplane flying toward Saigon protracted! Relied heavily on night attacks [ 77 ] Despite the Paris Peace Accords, see, the were!, now known as the enemy northerners years earlier the 1973–74 dry offensive! December 1963, shortly after a minute the platoon ceased fire in our direction and we n't! Nguyên Giáp, who was defense minister moment-to-moment, step-by-step decision-making preys on mind. Unable to replace them with new recruits '', said PRG Justice minister Trương Như Tảng changed mind. Increase its advantage, the guerrilla units with aid and swords white bone Duan, series... And distribute it amongst the peasants also agreed to supply the guerrilla forces were still equipped a! `` Huey '' was used extensively in counter-guerilla operations both as a base of operations about! Ephemera, as it was conical shaped, three prongs jutting out of my Lai, helping the survivors the! Captured M48 tank.Photo: Onbekend CC BY-SA 3.0 to China 1968 called Alliance...
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