A Vietnam Story: War, Retreat, and Refugee

October 12, 2024

South Vietnamese Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan, chief of the national police, fires his pistol into the head of suspected Viet Cong ocer Nguyen Van Lem, AP Photo/Eddie Adams

In the early 1900’s, a series of events occurred to later grow into what we call today, the Vietnam War. The war between a country and when the rest of the world got involved, results were devastating. Beginning with the division of the North and South, the Vietnam War grew into one of the most memorable wars in history.

After World War II ended in 1945, there were a number of remaining overthrown areas, including in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh was leader of the Viet Minh, a Chinese and Soviet communism league for the Independence of Vietnam. Essentially, he was the ruler of thenorthern territories of Vietnam. He was an aggressive and relentless leader who brought his blend of communism and tried to unify them all.

In the south, Emperor Bao Dai was influencing his ideas of connecting with western regions and incorporating economic and leadership values. He was originally backed by France after the war, and later the United States of America as well in 1954. Dai was pushed aside by Ngo Dinh Dien who brought in the U.S ally. A few years later, fights and intercity conflicts started between the two regions which strengthened enemies. Due to these inner-city conflicts, Diem forces started to arrest any pro-north supporters. More than 10,000 were arrested, tortured, or forcefully executed.

Tensions continued to rise in 1964. John F. Kennedy has been assassinated in the United States of America and Lyndon B. Johnson has taken over control. Following the attack of two U.S Destroyer ships, the Gulf Of Tonkin Act had been created, granting him access to war plans and decision making. This resulted in over 2 million bombs dropped throughout 1964-1973 in the Northern Vietnamese and Laos territories. It prevented any movement by what was called Pathet Laos, or Laos communists.

It is now 1967, stamina and hope is low on both sides, U.S-S. Vietnam and Northern Vietnam. There are around 500,000 U.S troops and over 15,000 men were killed. The war was taking hits on both sides, but fought onwards with operation Tet Offensive. Around 100 cities and towns were impatiently attacked in Southern Vietnam by the Northern Hanoi leadership. Named after the Lunar New Year, Tet Offensive resulted in the end of bombings in the North and there was finally a switch in the war mindset.

“In our village today, a big battle was fought. Old ladies and children, were sent straight to hell, our eyes filled with tears, while we watch and ask God: Why is the enemy so cruel?”

                                                                    Vietnamese Song, Cited in: Facing My Lai

It was finally time for the start of peace and end of violence. The American public was divided and riots were breaking out everywhere. In 1968, A last major massacre resulted in the breaking point in America and Vietnam both. A small town named My Lai was attacked by U.S troops and 400 unarmed and innocent civilians were slaughtered. This was one of the worst and major war crimes that occurred during the war. It created uproar in the American states and continued to push the war over the limit.

Cambodia was invaded merely after this event in 1970. The operation led to deep attacks in cambodia. Heavy use of Guerilla forces were used as they took over communistists. The Khmer Rouge, ruled by Pol Pot, fought against the South as they continued to enter Cambodia. At this time, the United States was slowly pulling their troops and because of this, the Khmer Rouge gained control leading to more conflicts later on.

Following the back and forth invasions and failed attempts, the war reached a breakthrough. In 1972, Hanoi proposed a peace treaty however this was actually rejected by Saigon. And the last major series of bombings occurred in Hanoi and Haiphong. Finally, in 1973, everything started slowing down. The peace treaties were finally created which ended open hostilities between the two sides, yet conflicts were still stirring until 1975. On April 30, the DRV, or Northern Vietnam, captured Saigon and renamed it Ho Chi Minh City after their leader who had passed away in 1969.

Women and children crouch in a muddy canal as they take cover from intense Viet Cong fire at Bao Trai, 1976 - AP Photo/Horst Faas

The war was finally over but not with the outcome the South and U.S had hoped and dedicated their lives to. What was left was terror, death, and people fleeing. The Vietnam War resulted in a destroyed, seperated, and now dispersed country. Vietnam was torn up. Over 2 million dead, the country is now faced with the aftermath of a dangerous and major war.

After two decades of war and violence, Vietnam and its surrounding countries were left disheveled. Laos and Cambodia included and even smaller civil wars had broken out. Innocent citizens and soldiers are fleeing the concentration camps where they withstood countless amounts of torture and berating. Towns such as My Lai were going to have centuries of scars that were going to take years to heal. Lives were recovering, and it wasn't going to happen overnight.

There was a series of implementations from the North public officials once they had replaced all of the original officials in Ho Chi Minh City. Formerly called Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City was Vietnam’s new largest city that was forcefully endorsing the North’s political views and practices. The newly unified country was not done with violence yet, re-education camps were brought in. These camps were more described as more prisons, rather than camps. Torture, starvation, and punishment where failed discipline were all common in these camps. With holding estimated numbers from 500,000 to 1 million, some prisoners were held for upwards of 12 years. Some were lucky enough to survive, or escape, however a portion of prisoners died in these camps due to over labor, starvation, and disease.

Throughout the war, there were concentration camps set throughout the entirety. One of the largest and more well known was called the Hỏa Lò Prison, or informally known as “Hanoi Hilton”. This concentration camp was located in Hanoi and its conditions were sufferable. Prison guards were relentless to the American prisoners of war. Some were held in other places such as South Vietnam by Viet Cong guerilla guards, or even Cambodia or Laos where they were completely isolated and harshly tortured. But, in 1973, the Paris Peace Accords ended U.S involvement in the war and around a number of POWs were released. Around 591 American prisoners were able to return home.

As for the Vietnamese citizens, most of them were forced to escape and flee during and after the war. The most common were known as the boat people. This was because of the tightly packed fishing boats entire families traveled on. There were around 2 million refugees. The majority were boat people. They fled to the coast of Hong Kong and from there made their way onwards to places like the United States of America or other countries in Asia. Such as Thailand, Philippines, or even Guam. The refugees were faced head on with the dangers of the open oceans, along with diseases, pirate attacks, and starvation. Those who made it were able to re-settle and start a new life and most commonly became American citizens. Those who were not, unfortunately perished in the depths of the sea.

The Vietnam war was a detrimental war with the outcome that shocked the world. The people of SouthEast Asia remember this war for eternity as they still suffer from the everlasting wounds that came with the war. As history moves on, Americans and the Vietnamese remember what happened during that war, and its mistakes that potentially caused the loss to the North.