https://padlet.com/epedreira2023/7grdymozbmqh5z8c Blatant lies, unforgiving actions, unexplained events, and a quagmire! en-us 2022-03-17 15:02:54 UTC 2022-03-28 09:40:45 UTC hello@padlet.com epedreira2023 https://padlet.com/epedreira2023/7grdymozbmqh5z8c/wish/2100260245 The My Lai Massacre, occured in a village in central Vietnam called My Lai. It was one of the most brutal actions of the US Army against unarmed civilians. There were 504 civilians killed, which includes men, women, and children (none of which were seen as "draft age males"). ]]> 2022-03-17 15:06:46 UTC https://padlet.com/epedreira2023/7grdymozbmqh5z8c/wish/2100260245 epedreira2023 https://padlet.com/epedreira2023/7grdymozbmqh5z8c/wish/2100263658 It was ordered by higher ups to go and remove the "trouble stop," a strong hold, which was My Lai. The area was filled with enemies, and often gave trouble to the American soldiers. So the Army had troops send to My Lai, and the residents were rounded up, and machine gunned down. ]]> 2022-03-17 15:08:33 UTC https://padlet.com/epedreira2023/7grdymozbmqh5z8c/wish/2100263658 epedreira2023 https://padlet.com/epedreira2023/7grdymozbmqh5z8c/wish/2102102924 Ernest Medina, a captain of the American infantry, justified that the women and children would place land mines and traps in the ground as the American infantry approached, so it was righteous to murder the women, children, and along the men in the village.

]]> 2022-03-18 15:10:17 UTC https://padlet.com/epedreira2023/7grdymozbmqh5z8c/wish/2102102924 epedreira2023 https://padlet.com/epedreira2023/7grdymozbmqh5z8c/wish/2112077253 The 30 years that account for the Vietnam War era were one of the darkest times for Vietnam and the US. The war which the French fought and the US fought were both backed by pride. The French had  first ruled Vietnam, then the Japanese invaded, and to prevent Communist invasions, the French tried to regain control. Meanwhile, the Vietnam Independence League, led by Ho Chi Minh, consistently beat the French. The US helped Ho Chi Minh to get rid of the Japanese, and then helped the French establish the colony again. Dien Bien Phu marked a historical event which led the French to leave the country due to many losses, and it also fueled the Vietminh. 

An armistice was signed, and Vietnam was split into Communist North, and the Republic of Vietnam in the South. As communism was spreading in Laos and Cambodia, John F. Kennedy, President at the time, sent military advisors to help train the South Vietnamese. 

Kennedy was assassinated, and L.B. Johnson took over. LBJ began the Operation Rolling Thunder. It occurred as a US ship was attacked. Johnson was advised to attack, but waited for a second attack, and upon the second attack, Johnson had pilots sent to attack infrastructure in Vietnam. The only problem is that there was no second attack, Johnson created a false flag, and placed it on Vietnam. 


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The war escalated and 200 thousand men were stationed in Vietnam. At the moment, the Vietminh controlled 75% of Vietnam. The president wanted the Vietminh to surrender by bombing them, but with no success, he placed ground troops to combat the Vietnamese. 

Battle after battle lost, and another 200 thousand men were sent to Vietnam. By 1967, 20 thousand Americans had died, and the war could not be won. 

During the Viet Lunar New Year Celebration (called Tet), the Vietminh launched the Tet Offensive, an attempt to attack unprepared American troops on the cities of Vietnam. The Viet Cong lost this battle, and it looked even worse to the Americans now, since back home, protests against the war became more extravagant and violent (the public trust had been lost, as they were told the US was winning the war, and peace was near). 

At the very end, President Nixon was elected, and he claimed he would end this war. He began by having the South Vietnam President withdraw from the Peace Talks with Hanoi, extending the war. A policy was put in place to have ARVIN troops take control of the territory Americans occupied. The US would supply the troops with guns, vehicles, and resources.

In the very end, Nixon bombed Vietnam, and Hanoi was open to negotiate once again. American Prisoners of War were released and American troops would withdraw. Nixon promised to help South Vietnam by sending the Air Force if needed, but in 1974 he resigned from presidency, and Congress cut the funds sent to Vietnam. Saigon was set to fall. ]]> 2022-03-27 22:47:40 UTC https://padlet.com/epedreira2023/7grdymozbmqh5z8c/wish/2115973484 epedreira2023 https://padlet.com/epedreira2023/7grdymozbmqh5z8c/wish/2115985642 The United States was loosing the Vietnam war. Not much territory was controlled, the only win the United States had was body count. My Lai was a tool created to intimidate the North Vietnam when reading between the lines. It was not to eliminate an enemy strong hold, but it would really show that the United States would go out of its way to win this war. It was a desperate move, and the story was not supposed to exit My Lai, especially by the means of American soldiers. The desperation broke public trust that the war was being won by the United States.]]> 2022-03-27 23:08:51 UTC https://padlet.com/epedreira2023/7grdymozbmqh5z8c/wish/2115985642