Vietnam and the Vietnamese

Vietnam as a whole is very nearly ideal for the type of warfare the Viet Cong is waging. On one side of this long, narrow strip of mountains, plateau, river delta, and seacoast is the South China Sea. On the other are the rugged, undeveloped, and largely mountainous frontiers with three other countries-Communist China, Laos, and Cambodia. Substantial areas of the interior are covered with dense tropical rain forest, giving ideal concealment to secret installations and troop movements. Much of the coastline is swamp or mountain, mangrove or forest, equally useful to those who would overthrow a government. The delta produces an abundance of rice and is crisscrossed by myriad canals and streams. Modern ground transport must use the single coastal railroad or the limited basic network of highways, all very easy to sabotage or ambush.

The people are equally well suited to this kind of war-most of them are rice farmers, accustomed to hard work, meager rations, and an absolute minimum of material comforts. Their philosophy is essentially fatalistic and undemanding. They do not like war or soldiers, yet Vietnam has known far more war than peace in the 2,000-plus years of its history. Vietnamese are known in Southeast Asia as energetic and aggressive, capable of great sacrifice for an ideal (even the false ideals of communism). These qualities make them excellent fighting men.

The Vietnamese people-North and South, Communist and non-Communist-share the same basic racial background. For this reason it is extremely difficult to identify an enemy unless he is in uniform or shooting at you. Moreover, this makes recognition of friends (or non-enemies) most important, for mistaking one for an enemy makes him, his relatives, and his friends your enemies. The child on the water buffalo may be a Viet Cong spy, but it is better to treat him as a friend in case of doubt.

Finally, the Vietnamese Communists, North and South, were united in their determination to use whatever means were necessary to bring the whole country under Communist domination. Without massive U.S. and free world support, South Vietnam might already have been added to the list of lost countries. As in conventional wars, each side expanded its armed might after the war had started. When it became obvious that the Republic of Vietnam in the South could not be taken without military force, Hanoi began sending a growing stream of infiltrators, arms, and supplies into South Vietnam by land and sea. The infiltrators were trained in the North to assume key positions of leadership. Communist China and other Communist countries have supplied weapons and ammunition, primarily through North Vietnam, the so-called Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV).

The Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces (RVNAF), whose fight for freedom we support, have increased their numbers and improved their equipment at a pace far greater than have the Viet Cong. However, while the Front was experiencing its greatest growth, in 1963 and 1964, the free Government of South Vietnam was undergoing great political stress and frequent changes of administration. These factors have undoubtedly facilitated the growth of the Front, but they have not stunted the growth of the RVNAF, nor shaken their determination to resist Communist aggression and preserve the freedom and independence of the country.

The success of an unconventional army and a shadow government build up by Communist direction, largely from the people and the resources of a state they seek to destroy, is cause for concern. We must understand the reasons for this, and learn how to defeat such attacks, or they will be repeated again and again. The Viet Cong fighting man is not "10 feet tall," either figuratively or literally, being actually on the average only five feet three inches in height. Nor is he an incredible fanatic-many thousands of Viet Cong desert or go over to the side of the Government every year. His effectiveness cannot be attributed entirely to the outside support he receives-the RVNAF have received far more assistance from abroad.

Yet the Viet Cong has developed into a kind of fighting man who is capable of waging an unconventional war under conditions that would seem hopeless to the average orthodox soldier. To understand the Viet Cong and his way of warfare one must first know something of his country and his background.

Next Page: Growth of the Viet Cong