Governments train their soldiers to be ruthless and powerful fighters that can withstand pain and trauma for extended hours. In this photo, a U.S. soldier bandages an injured comrade who seemed rather unbothered by the painful procedure.
The Vietnam War called for highly-resilient men to rise against any adversity a war brings. Discomfort, pain, and traumatizing sceneries are nothing but mere human emotions that shouldn’t shake their will, at least until the war is over. The suppression of emotions among soldiers during the war takes a pricey toll the moment that everything ends.
Live Entertainment
To provide much-needed distraction and entertainment to the war-torn soldiers, the government would invite U.S. military troops to concerts and other events by local performers. It was an effort to help these soldiers deal with the loss of their comrades and friends and the many other atrocities of war.
As the U.S. soldiers mingled with Vietnamese locals during these occasions, most of them started intimate relationships with Vietnamese women and went on to father children. Unfortunately, as some died in the war, and the U.S. government sent the others back to their country, these American/Vietnamese children never had the chance to meet their fathers.
When Two Ideologies Collide
As seen in the photo above, this is what happens when two equally strong forces collide. There was a big fight going on in this photo. While the U.S. military tactics included a massive amount of aerial bombardment attacks, the North Vietnamese Army commanded an air force from the Soviet Union, along with some Chinese planes.
All we can see here is the desolation of one country. There is a fire consuming everything in its wake, a used-to-be village now in ashes, and inhabitants that have either fled or met their demise at the hands of two opposing powers.
Humanity Wins
This photo shows a beautiful act of kindness despite the atrocities that tore both parties apart. A U.S Marine giving a North Vietnamese prisoner a hearty helping of drinking water. While inhumane treatment of prisoners on both sides remained to be rampant, there were also moments when humanity prevailed.
The three prisoners shown in the image above were from the North Vietnamese Army. They were brought back to the South Vietnamese base shortly after being captured by a U.S. patrol. The white paper hanging from their necks are labels that contain the specs of when and where the troops captured them.
War-torn Families
The Vietnam War destroyed the lives of countless families. Men took part in the war, leaving the women and children to survive on their own and stay out of the crossfires and bombings.
Here is a heartbreaking and rare photo of a fatherless family trying to survive as they run away from a hot zone through a river. The anguish of the Vietnamese people did not end when the war was over; it went on for many years to come.