what factor made the ground war so difficult for u.s troops?

Question

a. u.s forces were often unable to determine which Vietnamese were Vietcong, and they were frustrated when the Vietcong seemed to disappar into the jungle after their assaults.
b. President Johnson refused to allow any increase in the number of ground troops.
c. The North Vietnamese army was far more strongly fortified on the western front than the U.S. had been led to believe.
d. Many American soldiers exposed to Agent Orange became too ill to fight.

Answer 1

Having served there, I don't believe it was any of those; you may not have been able to distinguish one from the other without engagement but during the fight you could; Johnson escalated the war under McNamara and then tied our hands with ROE's that made No sense, like not bombing the airfields when you can see the MIGs taking off, or Not bombing the water dikes and infrastructure of the North, both Johnson and McNamara were morons; the NVA weren't as fortified as you would think and they took it in the shorts every time we engaged them, which is why the guerrilla war was better suited for them, and agent orange had nothing to do with the American fighting capability!

Answer 2

Just like in Iraq and Afghanistan we were backing governments which had no popular support. In my first tour the South Vietnamese Army was battling local militias like the Cao Dai and Hoa Hoi who were religious minorities. From what ia can see we haven't learned a thing. Hamid Karzai has Blackwater mercenaries to protect him from his own Security Forces. Mahliki is a front for Mutada al Sadr.

In two tours I never heard of the "western front"?

Answer 3

The US military was not prepared to fight a prolonged geurilla type war.

Answer 4

e. CNN insisted on having 'journalists' hover around troops during missions.

Answer 5

I would say A.

They haven't learnt that lesson, have they?