In 1975 the North Vietnamese launched a massive invasion towards South Vietnam. But the U.S refused to help North Vietnam and they were defeated quickly by the South, this resulted in Vietnam becoming a single nation under communist rule.
The usage of “Agent Orange” and “Agent Blue” laid waste large areas of forest and crops. Sixty per cent of rubber plantations, 60,000 hectares of mangrove forests and millions of hectares of farmland were destroyed. Thousands of farm animals had been killed. All stocks of oil and petrol had been wiped out as a result of the bombing. Because so much farmland had been destroyed, many Vietnamese faced starvation and disease.
WHEN American s left Vietnam, they left behind large amounts of weapons, including unexploded bombs and booby traps. These could kill civilians who might not know what they were. Herbicides and chemicals had long-term effects. After the war, many who had been exposed to them began to develop cancers. Their children suffered birth deformities. Even today, thousands of deformed children are growing up in Vietnam as a result of chemicals such as “Agent Orange”. Babies have born without eyes, with twisted limbs and even without brains.
The effect of Napalm has poisoned the civilians who been through the war, but, even after the war when these women gave birth, the poison has deformed theirs babies and this situation is still carrying on. The use of Napalm had a long term disfigurement and need for treatment.
In the coastal forest, by the U.S destroyed many species of shell fish and this has a long term of affect, as most of the Vietnamese fishers are still suffering due to the fact they can’t fishing anymore as the fishes are poisoned.
American civilians were also affected; many of the soldiers spent the rest of their lives in hospital and some of them lost organs of their body. As well as “Agent orange” has injured the Vietnamese it has also injured the U.S troops, these people suffered from this.
The Vietnam War cost the US over 12 billion dollars. Even for the richest in the world it was a large amount. Most important of all, it meant that schemes to tackle America’s social problems had to be postponed. Plans to clear city slums, to provide medical care for the poor and to reduce inequality could not be carried on, simply because the money was needed to pay for the cost of the war in Vietnam. Abandoning these plans caused considerable bitterness and anger in America. As well as financial price, the U.S paid a large amount in human suffering in Vietnam.
Many soldiers who fought in Vietnam suffered not only physical injury but psychological damage as well. They experienced “post-traumatic stress soldiers”, as a result of fightening in the jungle and seeing their fellow soldiers killed. As many as 700,000 veterans may have form this condition. To many it brought depression and attack of rage. Some found their marriages ending in divorce, others turned to drugs and alcohol. Suicide among ex-soldiers has also increased.
Most important consequences, I feel was in the psyche of the Americans minds that they felt guilty for what their country had done.
