Adam Creason - Vietnam and Ecology

     America’s longest war (until, of course, the War on Terror) has been a continuously debated conflict as to the causes of the war, America’s purpose, and whether it was simply right or wrong. What is often overlooked, however, is the effect of the war on the natural environment of Vietnam. Situated in Southern Asia, Vietnam’s environment is one of extensive beauty and often untouched and plush wilderness. Vietnam’s beautiful, green canopies give home to millions of plant and animals species, many of which are unique to the region of Vietnam. When the war ramped up, however, much of the environment was devastated. This post will link what I have learned in HIST 351: American Military History to ecology.

                With the order to gradually increasing bombing campaigns into parts of South Vietnam and mainly North Vietnam, Operation Rolling Thunder pummeled the landscape. However, due to the nature of the guerilla forces of the NVA and VC, the US Air Force dropped an incredible number of bombs in Vietnam. In 10 years, the US dropped 3x more tonnage of explosive on Vietnam than in the entire WORLD WAR only a couple decades before. The NVA and VC recognized the roaring sound of the B52s, and thus would know when and how to effectively hide in their tunnel systems throughout the Vietnamese wilderness. This required an absolutely incredible number of explosives to be dropped wildly across Vietnam’s plush forests. In the film, 2 Days in October, an NVA commander recalls one of these bombardments. He states that after the bombing was completed, he and his troops crawled out of their tunnels. They found the environment around them completely destroyed. He remembered seeing one lone tree still standing amidst this field of destruction, that was only hours before almost untouched wilderness. He watched as a monkey crawled up and down the tree, not knowing where to go, feeling trapped in a world he no longer knew. His home had been destroyed, and he was clinging to life on the only tree standing in the area.

                With the incorporation of napalm and Agent Orange, these effects grew evermore devastating. Napalm, a highly flammable jelly, was utilized specifically for the purpose of clearing out the foliage in areas where further operations were to take place. It would also remove the natural cover in which the VC and NVA operated with their guerilla nature. Attempting to assess the damage of such a weapon on the environment is nearly impossible. Agent Orange was also utilized for a similar purpose. It was also used to destroy the canopy that gave protection to the NVA. A pesticide on steroids, Agent Orange proved disastrous to the environment, killing anything in its wake. Following the use of these two chemicals, the Army would send in machinery to clear any further foliage, ensuring the landscape was completely and utterly barren.

                There was no concern given to the environment and no respect witnessed. In the name of war, the US essentially destroyed the wilderness of Vietnam. Of course, with decades of recovery, the environment is able to recover. However, the effects of the war on the flora and fauna of Vietnam cannot be overlooked. These operations devastated endangered and unique species, ensuring the effect of the war in Vietnam could be seen for many decades to come.