We all learned about it. The colossal fight between the two ideologies both grasping for
power post World war 2, capitalism and communism. Back then, the red scare was nothing to scoff at,
and democratic Governments around the world, with the help of the United States of America,
countered potential communist insurgencies with utmost efficiency, or at least in most cases they
did. Sometimes, the capitalist policeman known as America would feel the need to step in if
they were losing control of a situation, and in Vietnam, this was exactly the case. Realising the
stubbornness of the Vietcong, America decided it was imperative to squash the communist bug
in Vietnam with a firm hand rather than try chase it away like they did in most countries. Although
reports initially indicated it would be a short war, this was far from the case, as stupidity
at the higher levels of command in the American camp, led to a drawn out and protracted war that
would mean the end of hundreds of thousands of lives, both Vietnamese and American. With that
said however, due to our western culture, we are more inclined to understand and appreciate
western heroes in that war fighting against an enemy we didn’t understand, the vietcong.
Most people seem forget though, that we too had Vietnamese allies, and very badass ones at that.
With different weather, landscapes and even language dialect, the North and South of vietnam
have always been at a cultural odds with each other. As we all know, during the Vietnam war,
the South of Vietnam, not wanting to be subject to communism, allied itself with the US,
furthering the ancient divide with the North. What many people don’t know however is that the
battle fervor of the South was not something to be reckoned with. They were just as pro
capitalist as the US and fought savagely against their brothers in North. The largest example of
this was the Tet offensive. The Vietcong, through carefully placed propaganda and a shock attack
during the sacred Vietnamese holiday, were hoping that the masses of South Vietnamese
soldiers would defect and route the Americans further and further south. What the Vietcong
did not account for however was the resolve of the South Vietnamese battalions they ambushed.
Outnumbered, outgunned and shocked at the audacity of the North Vietnamese forces, many South
Vietnamese battalions were able to repulse entire North Vietnamese Regiments before help arrived.
In one famous example during the Tet offensive, the units of the ARVN 5th Airborne battalion were
tasked with defending Saigon, and through iron grit were able to withstand nearly an entire
division of Vietcong soldiers who outnumbered them an estimated 10 to 1 until helped arrived.
During the siege of Tet, not a single South Vietnamese unit defected to the enemy,
and in doing so inflicted the worst wounds the North Vietnamese had experienced up until that
point. By now, I hope you’re all aware of the absolute tenacity and iron will these units
and regiments and the ARVN had, but we’re going to delve deeper and explain why their
individual fighting methods were in my opinion some of the most underappreciated in history.
The following information comes from veteran Barry McCaffery,
recounting his experiences in the war as an American advisor to the South Vietnamese
airborne division. Four months into his tour with the South Vietnamese airborne,
they responded to a bloody battle in the Northern part of Southern Vietnam, where American marine
Units were engaged in battle with a large North Vietnamese force they caught travelling South.
After landing both American and South Vietnamese reinforcements both sides took hundreds of
casualties, however the North Vietnamese still had the upper hand due to their numbers and were
extremely close to overrunning the American and ARVN positions. Soldiers were buried in
foxholes attempting to escape the never ending hail of bullets raining down on their positions
until the order was given to engage in a do or die counterattack. According to McCaffery,
the executive officer for the South Vietnamese battalion he was advisor to, walked right up
to his foxhole, through heavy machine gun fire and said “Lieutenant, it’s time to die now.”
McCaffery obviously survived however, and noted the courageous way the South
Vietnamese fought. In combat, the ARVN refused to leave their own dead or wounded troopers on
the field or abandon even a weapon. In one memorable example in another battle,
one of McCaffery’s west point classmates was severely wounded in a battle. Stuck in a narrow
trench and being a large football player, the smaller South Vietnamese paratroopers
couldn’t lift him out of the trench to safety. Instead of ordering a retreat, they made the
decision to hold their ground and engage in a bloody fight essentially over his Giant body.
The South Vietnamese won, and the wounded officer survived because of their extraordinary courage.
Although there are plenty more examples of South Vietnamese heroism,
the unfortunate reality of it is, that most it goes unknown. Due to the loss
of the war and the American public’s focus on the tumultuous political climate at the time,
the heroics of the South Vietnamese army stay buried and forgotten by us Westerners
and even the internet. In this video, I aimed to have changed that. I hope that us in the
West can appreciate a newfound respect for the forgotten legacy of the South Vietnamese soldiers.
Living in Australia, and my country being directly involved in the war as well,
we have plenty of south Vietnamese refugees that have beautifully integrated with society
and have made the most of the opportunities capitalism provides. I urge any South Vietnamese,
American, Australian or any other nation that fought on the side of capitalism
to share the stories of the South Vietnamese army and give them the exposure they deserve.
As I did previously state guys, I wish the video were longer, however due to the
underwhelming lack of any information on the South Vietnamese army in writing, I’ve had to
rely on documentaries and a new york times article for my anecdotes of the video, but in saying that
they were pretty strong ones, so as I said I hope you view the ARVN in a new found light.