# data[].attributes.headline
Why these facts in particular were chosen

# data[].attributes.subject
Why these facts in particular were chosen

# data[].attributes.body
I chose these facts because I didn’t know these facts before and I felt like they were important to the context of the Vietnam War, especially the fact about Tonkin. I also chose facts that give context to the people of the Vietnam war, such as the women and veterans of the Vietnam War. I believe that most of these facts add valuable context to the Vietnam War. Most soldiers being volunteers shows how the public supported the war effort at first, but after the truth was declassified, the public opinon took a nosedive after the truth of what was happening. This and other facts add additional context to the circumstances of the war and in my opinion, helps us to understand the Vietnam War as a whole much better.

# data[].attributes.body
90% of the 11,000 women who served in Vietnam were military nurses. Women also worked as intelligence officers, air traffic regulators, and physicians. An unknown number of women also served under the Red Cross, United Service Organizations, and other humanitarian organizations. Women also worked as news reporters in Vietnam.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Vietnam War bled into neighboring countries

# data[].attributes.subject
The Vietnam War bled into neighboring countries

# data[].attributes.body
The fighting in the Vietnam War was not restricted to Vietnam. The fighting even spilled into nearby Laos and Cambodia. Laos and Cambodia were even secretly bombed by the US, and US troops were even sent into Cambodia.

# data[].attributes.headline
Most Vietnam Veterans luckily did well and even had a lower unemployment rate

# data[].attributes.subject
Most Vietnam Veterans luckily did well and even had a lower unemployment rate

# data[].attributes.body
The stereotype of Vietnam Veterans being homeless or unemployed is inaccurate. 97% of Vietnam Veterans were honorably discharged, and 85% of them made a successful transition to civillian life. They even had lower unemployement rates, as the percentage of unemployment for vets was 4.8 while the rate for the rest of America was 6.2%.

# data[].attributes.headline
Kennedy wanted US troops in Vietnam to return

# data[].attributes.subject
Kennedy wanted US troops in Vietnam to return

# data[].attributes.body
Kennedy actually wanted to have US troops leave Vietnam. He believed in the Domino Theory, but he felt like the war in Vietnam was pointless and would be neverending. They intended to mantain their commitment to a free South via training and financial support. The plan was to have all troops out of Vietnam by 1965.

# data[].attributes.headline
Pentagon Papers and secrets kept from the public

# data[].attributes.subject
Pentagon Papers and secrets kept from the public

# data[].attributes.body
The truth of what was happening in Vietnam was kept secret from the public. The Pentagon Papers were documents that had classified information about the truth about the war of Vietnam. Once Daneil Ellsberg, an officier at the Department of Defense, became convinced that they could not win the war, he decided to release the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times. As we know, the public was absolutely outraged upon hearing the truth and a massive anti-war effort begun.

# data[].attributes.headline
Draftees were a quarter; volunteers were three quarters

# data[].attributes.subject
Draftees were a quarter; volunteers were three quarters

# data[].attributes.body
Most of the men who fought weren’t drafted. Drafted soldiers only made up a quarter of troops. The other three quarters were volunteers. Only 30% of the deaths were draftees too.

# data[].attributes.body
The Vietnam War was the first time the M16 was paired against the AK-47. Unfortunately, at first the USA shipped incompatible ammunition with M16s, which made them jam after only a few shots. American soldiers have been found dead with their guns dismantled, implying that they had tried to clean and rebuild their jammed guns while under fire. The AK-47 also has a larger magazine and fewer moving parts, which makes it jam less and makes it a better ambush weapon. US Soldiers would often steal AK-47 from dead enemy soldiers because of this.

# data[].attributes.body
The Vietnam war is closely linked to the Cold War. Think about it. The Vietnam War was a civil conflict, and the core concept of the war was to “fight Communism”. The stress and tensions regarding communism culminated in the Vietnam War, a war dedicated to fighting communism.

# data[].attributes.body
Vietnam had support from other countries. Significant numbers of Thai, South Korean, and Australian troops were also sent into Vietnam on Vietnam’s side. More than 300,000 Korean troops were sent in.

# data[].attributes.body
The USA suffered very few casualties compared to Vietnam. One US soldier killed roughly 10 Vietnam soldiers, yet the USA was still forced to retreat.

# data[].attributes.body
1. The original justification for the Vietnam War, the Gulf of Tonkin incident, was later confirmed to be exaggerated and perhaps even fabricated. The NSA historian agency claims that staff had “deliberately skewed” evidence and information to make it look like an attack had happened.