Five Fundamental Misunderstandings About The Vietnam War

A war rife with inaccuracies and mystery

(Public domain)

If you ask an average person to describe the Vietnam War, they usually get the basics right. It was fought against the communists. It was bloody. It was unpopular. However, once you get past that very basic facade, most people’s understanding of the war starts to degrade rapidly. Many people believe that the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army were the same or even working for the same team. Not so. Many believe that the government was ironclad in its support for the war — against all odds and no matter the cost. Not so. Still, others erroneously think that South Vietnam was a shining beacon of democracy and capitalism in Southeast Asia that was worth defending. Nope.

The Vietnam War is rife with misunderstandings and bad information that make getting a real glimpse of the conflict a challenge.

Here are five misunderstandings about the Vietnam War that continue to color American’s understanding of the conflict today.

1. The Vietcong and NVA Were The Same

Many people use the term Vietcong to describe all of the communist fighters in the Vietnam War. This is incorrect. The Vietcong were a guerilla force operating in South Vietnam. The Vietcong were supported…