Antonio Benavides

ENG 008

Mr. Lewenstein

Vietnam War Free Write

The Vietnam War was known as the American War, was a war that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from November 1, 1955 to April 30, 1975. It was fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union, China and other communist allies, South Vietnam was supported by the United States, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and other anti communist allies.

From air power to infantry to chemicals, the weapons used in the Vietnam War were more devastating than those of any previous conflict. United States and South Vietnamese forces relied heavily on their superior air power, including B-52 bombers and other aircraft that dropped thousands of pounds of explosives over North Vietnam and Communist targets in South Vietnam. While U.S. troops and their allies used mainly American manufactured weapons, Communist forces used weapons manufactured in the Soviet Union and China. In addition to artillery and infantry weapons, both sides use a variety of tools to further their war aims, including highly toxic chemical and inventive booby traps using sharpened bamboo sticks or crossbows triggered by tripwires.

On March 29, 1973, the last U.S. combat troops left Vietnam as part of the Paris Peace Accords. On April 30, 1975, as acting President General Duong Van Minh and his cabinet surrendered to the Communist forces unconditionally in the Independence Palace, Saigon, the Vietnam War which had lasted for nearly 20 years eventually came to an end. It has been said that North Vietnam won the war because they were able to achieve their goal of reuniting and gaining independence.