What did 500000 of the 3 million soldiers who served in Vietnam suffer from?

According to a survey by the Veterans Administration, some 500,000 of the 3 million troops who served in Vietnam suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and rates of divorce, suicide, alcoholism and drug addiction were markedly higher among veterans.

Why was the war in Vietnam a military failure?

Although a number of factors and influences, domestic and international, contributed to America’s defeat in Vietnam, the overriding reason the United States lost the war was one that has often fueled nations’ losing military efforts throughout history: the fundamental error in strategic judgment called “refighting the …

Why did the US invade North Vietnam?

China had become communist in 1949 and communists were in control of North Vietnam. The USA was afraid that communism would spread to South Vietnam and then the rest of Asia. It decided to send money, supplies and military advisers to help the South Vietnamese Government.

What was the final outcome of the Vietnam War and how was the United States affected?

Digital History. The Vietnam War had far-reaching consequences for the United States. It led Congress to replace the military draft with an all-volunteer force and the country to reduce the voting age to 18.

Why were soldiers treated poorly after Vietnam?

Many American soldiers were exposed to Agent Orange and other chemicals during their time in Vietnam. Upon returning home, some of these veterans began to experience health problems that they blamed on their exposure to herbicides.

What was the Vietcong and North Vietnamese strategy during the Vietnam War?

For the most part, the Viet Cong fought essentially a guerrilla war of ambush, terrorism, and sabotage; they used small units to maintain a hold on the countryside, leaving the main population centres to government authorities. A Viet Cong soldier crouching in a bunker during the Vietnam War.

How many North Vietnamese died in the Vietnam War?

North Vietnamese and Viet Cong military deaths According to the Vietnamese government’s national survey and assessment of war casualties (2017), there were 849,018 PAVN/VC military personnel dead, including combat death and non-combat death, from the period between 1955 and 1975. [57]

What was the cause of most civilian deaths in Vietnam?

[i] Prior to the Gulf of Tonkin, most civilian deaths were the result of attempts by governments in the North and South to consolidate power in a newly divided Vietnam. [ii]

Where can I find the Vietnam War statistics?

The records correspond to the Vietnam Conflict statistics on the DMDC web site, which is accessible online at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/main.xhtml . The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files is the successor database to the Combat Area Casualties Current File.

Why were the Vietcong so hard to defeat?

The Vietcong had an intricate knowledge of the terrain. They won the hearts and minds of the South Vietnamese people by living in their villages and helping them with their everyday lives. Their tunnel systems, booby-traps and jungle cover meant they were difficult to defeat and hard to find.