Who started the Vietnam War, The U.S or North Vietnam?

Question

And also, What do you think of the horrible U.S Army war crimes? (using napalm bombs, killing civilians, torture NVA P.O.W mercilessly and such stuff...)

Answer 1

The French started the war when the reniged on their agreeent to give Vietnam their independence and tried to regain their coloines in Southeast Asia after WWII.

As for the horrible things that the U.S. military did and the so called war crimes. I automatically think about what the communists did to my family, and wonder why we didn't bomb the hell out of Hanoi, invade North Vietnam and end the war in a couple months like it should have been done instead of running a containment war that could never be won.

The communists destroyed my family's temple, destroyed my family's cemetery and threw my family out of their homes in Thai Binh (near Hanoi), of which my family had owned for generations. After the war, the communists threw my family out of their homes again, but this time in Saigon. They also imprisioned my uncles and beat them nearly to death for nine years. One of my uncles had all his arms and legs broken and his eye ripped out of his head.

Half breeds like myself that weren't outright killed after the war were forbidden to go to school and then forbidden to work just because their father was an American. Their mothers would often abandon them because the communist government would punish them for having half American children.

Our military may have done horrible things in Vietnam, but what we did was nothing compared to what the communists Vietnamese did to their own people. If you think our government should apologize for what happened, then the communists Vietnamese should apologize for killing and torturing several hundred thousands of their own people.

Answer 2

How far back do you want to go? Before us there were the French, before that the Japanese, and even before that the Chinese. Mercilous torture was not our thing but the South Vietnamese army wasn't too friendly when they got hold of an NVA or VC. Napalm has been used since long before the Vietnam conflict by more than the U.S. Unless you were there I'm not even going to discuss civilian casualties.

Answer 3

The war started before the founding of the USA. The french intervention in a Viet civil war in late 1700's led to their occupation of territory which was resented by the viets. The USS Constitution sent a party of Marines and bluejackets up the Red River to free a party of Frenchmen held in Hanoi in 1830's. And it just kept rolling along. During the Second world war Ho Chi Mihn helped American OSS Jed Teams fighting the Japanese in Vietnam and his troops were armed and trained by the USA. At the end of the war Gen. DeGaulle was faced by three dilemmas. He had to regain French prestige, the French people were tired of war and Gen.LeClerc was known as the man who had really led the Free French Forces. he had led the tanks that liberated Paris, and he was more likeable and liked than DeGaulle. So Le Grand Charles sent him to Vietnam. The OSS commander met with LeClerc when he landed and suggested that the French recognize the republic Uncle Ho had set up. A republic whose constitution was and still is based on the American. LeClerc waved his cane and something along the lines that he was a soldier, a soldier followed his orders and he had his orders.The French decided to reassert their control over what was then called French IndoChina and kept trying until Dien Bien Phu after which they tossed in the towel. Unfortunately the USA picked it up. I really have a problem with "war crimes" They depend on which side your on and who wins. Your country is the first that keeps on harping on "war crimes" committed by your own troops. Napalm is a legitimate weapon of war, civilians were hard to discern and I have never heard of merciful torture. What was happening and known to be happening to US POWs was far worse than anything inflicted on NVA POWs because it had no military purpose and often no dicernable purpose at all. The Viet Cong once watched as a SF A team innoculated a villages children. That night the cut off the innoculated arms and put them in the square for the Team to find the next day. A very effective tactic but one we would feel is a war crime. To the VC it was a sensible practice. They did not have time to be subtle. No one in that village ever cooperated with the ARVN or USAA again.

Answer 4

North Vietnam

Answer 5

i thought the french colonialists started that war before the US got involved? Regarding the use of napalm, i guess we were trying to win the war? Trying to civilize or justify an immoral activity that war is, would only be for the losers....

Answer 6

The Godless communists started the war. Atrocities were committed by BOTH sides. Ask anyone who was a "guest" at the Hanoi Hilton.

Answer 7

Try the FRENCH they were there before us.

As for "war crimes" the object of war is to kill people. If that's the accepted object how can anything done towards that end be a crime?

And where was the U.N????

Answer 8

Technically, Vietnam was never a declared war.

We had no business being there. We sent our guys (mostly kids) over there to die. Most were too young to drink yet we gave them M16's.

All war is ugly though. Our crimes were no worse than those of the NVA.

We never should have been there. But, this is a familiar story....and history does seem to be repeating itself.

Answer 9

Hey how about "HANOI JANE FONDA".........that stupid old bag! She had our guys tortured and killed in the Hanoi Hilton.

Answer 10

NV,, bad war