Battlefield Vietnam: Ep 11 "Peace With Honour " (1/6)

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975. The war was fought between the communist North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other member nations of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO).

The Vietcong, the lightly armed South Vietnamese communist insurgency, largely fought a guerrilla war against anti-communist forces in the region. The North Vietnamese Army engaged in a more conventional war, at times committing large-sized units into battle. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search-and-destroy operations, involving ground forces, artillery and air strikes.

The United States entered the war to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam as part of a wider strategy called containment. Military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s and combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive. Under a policy called Vietnamization, U.S. forces withdrew as South Vietnamese troops were trained and armed. Despite a peace treaty signed by all parties in January 1973, fighting continued. In response to the anti-war movement, the U.S. Congress passed the Case-Church Amendment in June 1973 prohibiting further U.S. military intervention. In April 1975, North Vietnam captured Saigon. North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year.

Battlefield Vietnam explores some of the most important battles fought during the Vietnam War. There are detailed battlefield descriptions and graphics, accompanied by actual combat footage. The narrator speaks throughout the series, without interviews of actual battle veterans. Detailed analysis of the battle including leaders, commanders, soldiers and weapons is presented. Events preceding the featured battle are included, as well as some aftermath details.

Category:

Education

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• Vietnam
• Second
• Indochina
• War
• Conflict
• Laos
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• North
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• Vietcong
• Army
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[gerry301]

@Quantumgeometer Actually the number murdered by the NVA and VC at Hue was around 2,000. Most were buisinessmen and shop owners who had dealings with the military or student leaders. These were innocent people who just wanted to make a living. Not spies. While the US may have killed innocents, it was not policy and the US went far out of their way to insure locals were not killed. For the VC and NVA it was policy to do so if the tribaal chiefs or elders did not comply with their demands.

[Quantumgeometer]

@gerry301 NO I am talking about when the NVA and Viet Cong killed hundreds of civilians who they thought would not be loyal communist in the City of Hue. This was during the period where they held that city after the Tet offensive. They behaved the same way between the first battle of Quang Tri city and the second.

[gerry301]

@BrendaQG Not sure if you are refering to operation phoenex, But if you are you are probobly thinking of testemony given by a Lt who was part of the program for 3 months and reported murders and assassinations galore etc etc. While there is at least 1 known incident and probobly a few unknown, there was no wholesale assassination. The program set in place was to identify and arrest (if possible) or ambush VC collecting tazes or food illegally. These often resulted in firefights.

[BrendaQG]

@Lachausis I saw this back when it was first on PBS. The voice is the same as it was there. as for changing his voice when talking about that it happens for other events. Such as the communist purge in 68 when they controlled hue.

[BrendaQG]

@Lachausis What they describe was technically not a "crime". Assassination is a accepted part of espionage.  Both sides did it.