Vietnam War From a Vietnamese Soldier Viewpoint

[LurkerNoMore]

http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1562-8-facts-about-vietnam-war-i-learned-as-viet-cong.html

Too much to copy/paste.  But it really is worth a read.  No matter what your thoughts/stance/decision about the Vietnam War is/was, keep an open mind and just read it for another view point. 

Dude has some gems in there like :

"It's easy to forget, amid all the drama of war, that there were tigers in that jungle. Easy to forget until you met a goddamn tiger, that is."

"Tigers may be shy, but every once in a while one of us would disappear in the middle of the night, and we'd all just sort of understand why. Tigers don't exactly do end-zone dances after every kill, after all."

"While you won't usually die from a centipede bite, one of my co-guerrillas committed suicide after being bitten because the pain was so intense."

"The first time was right after a firefight, and we were shocked to see how blackened the bodies were. We thought they must have been charred by an explosion until we realized their skin was naturally black. None of us had seen a black person before"

" I remember teaching one recruit, about 17 years old, how to throw a grenade. He pulled the pin then asked us what to do next. We were shouting at him to toss it, but he just waved at us, and watched the fuse burn up to the shell. It exploded. So did he."

"After fights, there were always enemy M16s scattered about, but we didn't touch those -- they never worked right. In one of the few true close-in fights we had with the Americans, they were actually using AK-47s against us. The American rifles were that bad."

"people were physically holding the mortar at chest level and firing horizontally (and then flying backwards from the force of the weapon)."

[jr]

Why would a Vietnamese person use the term "end zone dance"?

[Rambone]

http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1562-8-facts-about-vietnam-war-i-learned-as-viet-cong.html

Too much to copy/paste.  But it really is worth a read.  No matter what your thoughts/stance/decision about the Vietnam War is/was, keep an open mind and just read it for another view point.  

Dude has some gems in there like :

"It's easy to forget, amid all the drama of war, that there were tigers in that jungle. Easy to forget until you met a goddamn tiger, that is."

"Tigers may be shy, but every once in a while one of us would disappear in the middle of the night, and we'd all just sort of understand why. Tigers don't exactly do end-zone dances after every kill, after all."

"While you won't usually die from a centipede bite, one of my co-guerrillas committed suicide after being bitten because the pain was so intense."

"The first time was right after a firefight, and we were shocked to see how blackened the bodies were. We thought they must have been charred by an explosion until we realized their skin was naturally black. None of us had seen a black person before"

" I remember teaching one recruit, about 17 years old, how to throw a grenade. He pulled the pin then asked us what to do next. We were shouting at him to toss it, but he just waved at us, and watched the fuse burn up to the shell. It exploded. So did he."

"After fights, there were always enemy M16s scattered about, but we didn't touch those -- they never worked right. In one of the few true close-in fights we had with the Americans, they were actually using AK-47s against us. The American rifles were that bad."

"people were physically holding the mortar at chest level and firing horizontally (and then flying backwards from the force of the weapon)."

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

I read the whole thing.  Pretty interesting.....someone should make a movie out of it.

[NarcissisticDeity]

Such a fucking tragedy on all side , fucking politicians start these conflicts and the damage done on both side is just so fucking tragic. I recall reading a story of two enemies coming face-to-face in Vietnam and they both had their rifles pointed at each other and the Vietnamese guy shook his no and the American shook his head no and they both went their separate ways , just two people acknowledging humanity. I had two Uncles who had multiple tours in Vietnam , both of them are fucked up emotionally. All for what?

This is why Bush should be tried for war crimes and his whole administration should be as well. Sometimes war is necessary but people who instigate them don't care it's your child going not theirs. This is why I respect the hell out of Muhammad Ali.

[Kim Jong Bob]

Good read.  Another war usa fucked  up but atleast you appologise for that....north korea is still waiting for one

[WOOO]

0 bbing content. 0 porn. Mods please delete

[devilsmile]

in todays liberal homo world we tax payers should get a super awesome looking movie about the vietnam war from vietnamese soldiers viewpoint.

[Irongrip400]

Why would a Vietnamese person use the term "end zone dance"?

That's the first thing I thought. Maybe the translator took some liberties?

[Meaningless]

Reminds me of the "flags of our fathers" movie and the accompanying one told from Japanese side (sorry forget the name) it is eye opening to hear/watch a war story from a different side as oppose to always being told from the bald eagle stars and stripes freedom side.

[CalvinH]

Good read.

[milone79]

Such a fucking tragedy on all side , fucking politicians start these conflicts and the damage done on both side is just so fucking tragic. I recall reading a story of two enemies coming face-to-face in Vietnam and they both had their rifles pointed at each other and the Vietnamese guy shook his no and the American shook his head no and they both went their separate ways , just two people acknowledging humanity. I had two Uncles who had multiple tours in Vietnam , both of them are fucked up emotionally. All for what?

This is why Bush should be tried for war crimes and his whole administration should be as well. Sometimes war is necessary but people who instigate them don't care it's your child going not theirs. This is why I respect the hell out of Muhammad Ali.

dont forget the Vatican's hand in it...http://projectavalon.net/forum/showthread.php?t=17242

[Royalty]

"The first time was right after a firefight, and we were shocked to see how blackened the bodies were. We thought they must have been charred by an explosion until we realized their skin was naturally black. None of us had seen a black person before"

If they had never seen a black person before; I wonder if they also had never seen white people before?

[OlympiaGym]

Why would a Vietnamese person use the term "end zone dance"?

X2. I'm suspicious of this entire piece.

[OlympiaGym]

"The first time was right after a firefight, and we were shocked to see how blackened the bodies were. We thought they must have been charred by an explosion until we realized their skin was naturally black. None of us had seen a black person before"

If they had never seen a black person before; I wonder if they also had never seen white people before?

Maybe because they had been colonized by Europeans for generations?

[Overload]

Why would a Vietnamese person use the term "end zone dance"?

The author moved to America in the 70's so he's a bit Americanized.  If this is the same guy who's stories I've read before.

I've spoken to men who fought on the VC side.  Crazy ass stuff.

Pure insanity.  They did worse things to their own people.

[jr]

The author moved to America in the 70's so he's a bit Americanized.  If this is the same guy who's stories I've read before.

I've spoken to men who fought on the VC side.  Crazy ass stuff.

Pure insanity.  They did worse things to their own people.

Possibly. But in the beginning of the article it is stated that: "We sent a writer out to Vietnam to speak with Nguyen Hoa Giai. He fought as a Viet Cong from the late 1950s to the end of the war in the mid-'70s. Here's what he told us."

Old Vietnamese veteran guy in Vietnam: blah blah blah end zone dance blah blah jason blaha blah

[SF1900]

Such a fucking tragedy on all side , fucking politicians start these conflicts and the damage done on both side is just so fucking tragic. I recall reading a story of two enemies coming face-to-face in Vietnam and they both had their rifles pointed at each other and the Vietnamese guy shook his no and the American shook his head no and they both went their separate ways , just two people acknowledging humanity. I had two Uncles who had multiple tours in Vietnam , both of them are fucked up emotionally. All for what?

This is why Bush should be tried for war crimes and his whole administration should be as well. Sometimes war is necessary but people who instigate them don't care it's your child going not theirs. This is why I respect the hell out of Muhammad Ali.

And, yet, all these politicians sons rarely, if ever, join a war.

I forgot which republican politician it was, but one of them has 5 sons. When he was asked how his 5 sons are serving this country and supporting America, and why they never joined the military, his response was, "My sons are supporting america by supporting me because they know I will make a good president."   Yup, because that's equivalent to serving in the military.  

As much as politicians tout how much they respect and love the military, they will never send their own son off to war. If the draft was reinstated, you know as well as I do that politicians would get their sons exempt. Yet, they love the military so much.  

[SF1900]

you realize its not even my thread, dingbat. Youre just messing up "Lurkernomore" threads. I dont care. Its not my thread. You're so stupid.

[Tapeworm]

Gook propaganda.

[El Diablo Blanco]

This one made me laugh. hahaha

Must be strange never seeing a black person then all of a sudden one shows up.


"The first time was right after a firefight, and we were shocked to see how blackened the bodies were. We thought they must have been charred by an explosion until we realized their skin was naturally black. None of us had seen a black person before"

[GigantorX]

The author moved to America in the 70's so he's a bit Americanized.  If this is the same guy who's stories I've read before.

I've spoken to men who fought on the VC side.  Crazy ass stuff.

Pure insanity.  They did worse things to their own people.

The VC got it really bad during Tet, Ho Chi Min and Giap used them as human bullet sponges.

Then they hunted the VC down and liquidated them after the war was over.

[Joe Pietaro]

There's a documentary I saw a few years back where this North Vietnamese war photographer was interviewed and they show his work and what was occurring during the shots. It was really interesting to hear it from the 'other side' like this piece. A totally different perspective but an obvious one from his/their point of view.

[LurkerNoMore]

Why would a Vietnamese person use the term "end zone dance"?

The interview was conducted March 2015.  I am pretty sure that everyone in the world with tv and internet knows what an end zone dance is.

[Kim Jong Bob]

And, yet, all these politicians sons rarely, if ever, join a war.

I forgot which republican politician it was, but one of them has 5 sons. When he was asked how his 5 sons are serving this country and supporting America, and why they never joined the military, his response was, "My sons are supporting america by supporting me because they know I will make a good president."   Yup, because that's equivalent to serving in the military.  

As much as politicians tout how much they respect and love the military, they will never send their own son off to war. If the draft was reinstated, you know as well as I do that politicians would get their sons exempt. Yet, they love the military so much.  

fucking bullshit that...."they support me" lol