Vietnam War Study
Guide
By Dan Strybel
Village Traditions
 Vietnamese people
had a strong sense
of family unit or
circle.
 They were very
obedient to their
parents and elders
HOW DID US GET INVOLVED IN THE
VIETNAM WAR?
(Ho Chi Minh)
 Japan surrendered at the end
of World War II and Ho Chi
Minh wanted Vietnam
independent
 He was a NATIONALIST
(country first). He did not want
to be ruled by the Japanese
or French
 France didn't want to give up
this land because it had rice,
rubber, and tin.
 We stayed on France's side.
Ho Chi Minh got help from
RUSSIA.
HOW DID US GET INVOLVED IN THE
VIETNAM WAR? (continued)
President Eisenhower
 North Vietnam was
communist. President
Dwight D Eisenhower and
President Kennedy were
afraid that South Vietnam
would become communist
too
 He thought that it would be
a DOMINO affect
 They thought that countries
would fall like dominoes to
communism
Problems in Vietnam
 Not understanding the
people and culture
 The U.S. helped the
dictator Diem
 We thought that the
conflict was Capitalism
 We did not understand
that the Vietnamese
were NATIONALISTS.
They wanted to be
independent. "Country is
#1"
Problems in Vietnam
(continued)
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The war turned into "police
action". Our troops would go all
over trying to keep order.
Every 365 days new troops came
in.
The new troops didn't know
about the conditions.
For example, the soldier would
wear a dog tag on his neck.
It would make noise and the Viet
Cong could hear them in the
jungle.
Soldiers who were there for a
long time knew that they needed
to hide their dog tag in their boot.
Body Count
 We really did not
know how many
people were killed
 Ho Chi Minh said
"You can kill ten of
my men for every
one I kill of yours.
But even at those
odds, you will lose
and I will win."
Vietnam Countries
 We didn't declare
war on Vietnam
 We bombed them
 Many countries did
not agree with this
 The North
Vietnamese resolved
to fight harder after
we bombed them
Ho Chi Minh Trail
 There were trails all
over that the North
Vietnamese used to
send supplies
 The enemy was
elusive or could hide
very well in the
jungle or in tunnels
Free Fire Zones
 We bombed
complete provinces
or areas
THE END