VIETNAM WAR

REASONS TO ENTER

DRAFT

• Two thirds of the men volunteered.
• Most of the men were poor working class.
• American forces in Vietnam included twenty-five percent poor, fifty-five percent working-class, twenty percent middle-class men, but very few came from upper-classes families.

DRAFT

• 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam Era August 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975.
• 2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam, this number represents 9.7% of their generation.
• Peak Toop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 April 30, 1968

DEATHS

• Hostile deaths 47,378
• 61% of the men killed were 21 or younger
• Average age of men killed: 23.1 years
• Of those killed, 17,539 were married

VIETNAMESE CASUALTIES

• COMMUNISMS deaths 882,000
• 5,500 civilians died from military reasons.
• 665,000 above 15 years old.

AMERICAN WAR TACTICS

• Search and destroy
• Rolling thunder
• Napalm

VIETCONG WAR TACTICS

AMERICAN WEAPONS

• M16
• M3 grease gun
• M2 flamethrower
• B-52
• Ah-1 cobra

VIETCONG WEAPONS

• Ak 47
• 56 assault rifle
• 99 lg

CONDITIONS

• Hot and humid
• Rainy
• Thick Jungle
• Artillery fire

VIETNAM