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Essay / Pros and Cons of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was the most publicized war of its time; moreover, it was the most unpopular war to hit the United States. Across the country, riots began to break out, an anti-war movement spread to every state, begging for an end to the war and chaos abroad. It was truly a political failure. To the audience, all they saw was a failed attempt in a faraway land. Events such as the Tet Offensive in which the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong launched an all-out attack on key locations around Vietnam, and although the Viet Cong was virtually wiped out, this when even had a significant psychological impact on the troops as well as on the populist. back in the United States. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Another atrocity that occurred during this war was the My Lai Massacre. This was the massacre of unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968. Around November 1969, the world took notice and was outraged by the killings of innocent civilians, which incited and gave public more reasons to stop the war. Even though the war was very unpopular, men and women continued to fight and die for America. Heroes such as Captain John W, Ripley of Dong Ha, the Medal of Honor recipients and the entire troop who made the ultimate sacrifice were forgotten for a brief period. As unpopular as the war was, the American people should still know the stories and the good that some of these troops did for the United States. What happened in Dong Ha? This event took place in Vietnam around 1972, around the time the Americans were withdrawing from the country due to public demands. Captain John W. Ripley, charged with supervising and advising South Vietnamese troops, did not expect to perform such a heroic act to stop any advance from the North. Captain Riley, prior to being an officer, was an enlisted personnel, he underwent various rigorous training, in addition, he cross-trained with the British Royal Marines and served a one-year tour in Vietnam with the Marines. Riley's dedication could not be put into words. His self-sacrifice and determination to stop the North Vietnamese army was even greater during this time in Dong Ha. He received intelligence of an advance NVA movement toward South Vietnam. A key element of this strategic move was the Dong Ha Bridge. He understood what had to be done and, without any hesitation, he had the idea of blowing up the entire bridge to stop the enemy's advance. Captain Ripley spent hours hanging on his hands to carefully place powerful explosives below deck. After passing out several times and having to crimp detonators with his teeth, he was able to accomplish his mission. Through this heroic act, he was able to set the North Vietnamese army back another three years from any further major offensives, ultimately saving countless lives. Counterinsurgency at its finest Another positive event that took place during the Vietnam War took place around 1966. A counterinsurgency strategic platoon group or otherwise known as the Combined Action Platoon (CAP) was tasked by the United States Marine Corps to protect small Vietnamese villages from Viet Cong insurgents terrorizing civilians. The Marines knew that local security forces were not strong enough to support and suppress enemy attacks, but the fact that U.S. Marines..