The Americans weren’t the only ones fighting the communist North of Vietnam. In fact, before the U.S. even got involved, the war had already started between the South Vietnamese Army and communist North Vietnam. The photo below shows the marching soldiers of the South Vietnamese Resistance.
Even though this is a fairly common photo of soldiers on duty, there is something haunting about the expressions on these soldiers’ faces; a mix of bravery and willingness to fight and the look of fear and exhaustion on the last two soldiers in the back of the line.
The Loss of Innocence
A harsh image to process, the photo below captures a moment in 1960 when a bunch of Montagnard Children have their cigarettes lightened by an American soldier. Many of these children were drafted against their will to join the forces, and others joined because their father was already a fighter.
It would be hard to find a more accurate depiction of the loss of innocence. Once recruited, these boys would lose any chance at a normal childhood, along with the purity and innocence that came with it.
Preparing for Battle
Vietnam has a tropical climate, consisting mostly of hills and dense forests, which meant it provided soldiers with infinite ways and places to camouflage in, but its extreme weather conditions also made it extremely difficult for soldiers to move around sometimes. This photo shows a rife platoon as it prepares for battle in a Vietnamese field.
The tall grass provides these soldiers with a natural hiding place, but it would also make it very difficult for them to see their targets from afar since they would also get lost amongst the leaves.
The Booby Traps
Because of its dense jungles and leafy terrains, Vietnam was the perfect place to set up booby traps. They could be easily covered in seconds. This heartbreaking photo shows a soldier getting help from a comrade after being severely injured after landing in a phosphorous booby trap.
There were several types of booby traps, but phosphorus ones were one of the most dangerous since phosphorus is a highly reactive chemical element that could explode in a matter of seconds.
A Machine Gunner and a Boy
This captivating photo, taken in 1965, depicts Nguyen Toi, a militant machine gunner having a conversation with a 14-year-old boy in a village in Quang Binh Province, located along the north-central coast of Vietnam. The machine gunner was in charge of protecting the Northern province from U.S. planes, and this boy, named Truong Huong, was the one that provided him with a steady supply of ammunition.
If it weren't for the massive machine gun, this would almost be an endearing photo showing the friendship between a man and a boy as they have a nice conversation on a field. In fact, when Toi was awarded a Medal of Merit by the Vietnamese National Assembly, the boy received several mentions for the vital role he played in the victory.