1st Cause - Tactics & Strategies Flashcards
What did the tactics used create an atmosphere of?
The tactics created an atmosphere of mistrust, fear, and animosity.
What did the negative attitudes that existed between the U.S and Viet Cong lead to?
Negative attitudes that existed between the U.S and Viet Cong led to the barbaric nature of Charlie Company.
What were key tactics and strategies the U.S military used?
The U.S military destroyed the Viet Congs supply routes and hiding spots by using their better weaponry along with using harmful poisons like Agent Orange and Napalm.
What were search-and-destroy missions and what were it’s objective?
Search-and-destroy missions were when soldiers were dropped by helicopters into ‘hot zones’ to locate and eliminate enemies. The objective was to kill as many enemies as possible.
What led to an upsurge in violence within the U.S military?
As the soldiers pushed for larger body counts, this attitude, combined with ignorance and lack of training it led to an upsurge in violence.
What quote did Seymour Hersh state about the pattern of violence soldiers have given into?
“By March of 1968, many in the company had given in to an easy pattern of violence. Soldiers systematically beat unarmed civilians and murdered them” - Seymour Hersh.
What did the American’s lack of knowledge with the surroundings allow Viet Cong to do?
The American’s lack of knowledge with the surroundings allowed Viet Cong to implement guerilla warfare tactics, construct enormous networks of tunnels, and employ booby traps and minefields.
What was the reason behind the start of search-and-destroy missions?
The Vietcong’s unpredictable and unconventional tactics created a culture of anxiety among U.S soldiers. Thus, the ‘search-and-destroy’ approach began.
What quote did Captain Ernest Medina say about search-and-destroy missions?
“Our job, Medina said, is to go in rapidly and to neutralise everything. Kill everything and I mean everything”.
What did Charlie Company expect when they entered My Lai?
Charlie Company entered the village ready for an ambush by enemy forces that could be hidden.
What did the population of My Lai as soon as Charlie Company entered and why?
The entire population of Vietnam were terrified of U.S methods, due to their use of heavy artillery, therefore My Lai civilians ran for their lives.
As My lai civilians ran for their lives, what did the Charlie Company mistake this response for?
Soldiers mistook this response for a Viet Cong escape that was actually a fleeing village, therefore they automatically opened fire.
What was the 1968 My Lai Massacre directly caused by?
It was directly caused by the violence of the strategies employed by both sides, the resulting mistrust and terror was evident.
