The Way I Remember
By Audrey N.
The Vietnam War was one of the most influential wars in American history, though many of today’s youth know little about it. With a size similar to California, Vietnam is a small country in South East Asia bordered by China, Cambodia, and Laos on the Indochina Peninsula. Vietnam was ruled by France since the 19th century prior to the war and declared independence in 1945. President Harry S. Truman allied with the French to fight off the Viet Minh which was the League of Independence for Vietnam. Their ideas were based on the communist ways of China and the Soviet Union, and their purpose was to drive out the Japanese, who had invaded during WWII, and the French. The Japanese soon withdrew from Vietnam after their defeat during WWII, with Emperor Bao Dai, the French educated emperor at the time, regaining his power. Viet Minh forces seized the city of Hanoi and named Ho Chi Minh president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In July 1949, France joined forces with Emperor Bao to fight back, naming Saigon as their capital. After France’s defeat in the battle of Dien Bien Phu, French rule ended in Indochina.
Though Vietnam was free from the colonial rule of France, the fighting proved that there was an even deeper problem. The division of the north and south became the beginning to a very tragic, gruesome war that would take the lives of many. Based on the split opinions about communism, the Vietnam War began. Communism is a system where the government has control over the citizens, there is no social status, and supplies are shared equally. This concept created much conflict between the Northern and Southern Vietnamese. In the North, many supported this and strongly agreed with communism. However, the South believed in shaping Vietnam to resemble western ideas as well as secure relations with those countries. In a city located in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, Geneva, the world’s powers met to resolve the most pronounced problems in Asia, one of them being the split of the North and the South. Some countries included the US, the Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China, France, and Great Britain. On July 21st, 1954, Vietnam signed the Geneva Accords that would split the country into two at the 17th parallel or 17 degrees North latitude. Ho Chi Minh, president of North Vietnam, became the figure head of the North and a symbol of courage for communists. He gained supported in the North as well as from concealed communists in the South. Because of this, the Ho Chi Minh Trail was created. Weaving through the jungle terrain of Cambodia and Laos, the trail was used to bring supplies from the North to the South.
Though the official start of the war was uncertain, the US became involved in 1954. However, President Dwight D. Eisenhower did not formally pledge allegiance with the South until 1955. That same year, Ngo Dinh Diem overthrew Emperor Bao and became president of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam or South Vietnam. He ordered for the executions and torturing of Viet Minh sympathizers in the South. This group was also known as the Viet Cong and they included over 100,000 Vietnamese. Because many grew unhappy with his harsh attitude, both communists and non-communists formed the National Liberation Front to fight against it.