Remembering Vietnam

Whether they realize it or not, most Americans know someone who is a veteran. A parent or grandparent; an aunt, uncle, or cousin; a teacher or neighbor or friend of a friend. It’s not always easy to tell because they no longer wear a uniform, and their military service may have ended years ago.

Not all veterans saw combat, but many did—including millions of Americans who took part in the Vietnam War (1954-1975). That conflict in Southeast Asia was one of the longest, costliest wars in U.S. history.

In 2022, inspired by Junior Scholastic’s Eyewitness to History contest, then-eighth-grader Hayden Bolitho took the time to talk with a Vietnam veteran he knew well. Hayden’s uncle, Thomas Bolitho, fought in Operation Starlite. That historic mission was the first time American troops took part in on-the-ground fighting in Vietnam.

The unrest started decades earlier. For more than a century, Vietnam had been a French colony. Then, from 1946 to 1954, the Vietnamese people fought France for their independence—and won. But who would rule? Communist leaders dominated northern Vietnam. Democratic ones led in the south.

In 1954, an international agreement split the country in two until elections could determine a government for a united Vietnam.But those elections never happened. Instead, a new war broke out—this time, between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. Other nations took sides, turning Vietnam into an international battleground.

North Vietnam was supported by China, the Soviet Union, and other Communist countries. South Vietnam was backed by the United States and other democratic countries.

The U.S. feared that if South Vietnam lost the war, Communism would spread into other parts of Southeast Asia. At first, the U.S. sent military advisers and supplies but no combat troops. That changed in 1964, after North Vietnamese forces attacked two U.S. warships. The U.S. responded by bombing North Vietnam—and, in August 1965, launching Operation Starlite.

That mission involved landing 5,000 Marines in South Vietnam to surround some enemy troops. The operation was successful—but the war would drag on for another decade, with about 58,000 U.S. troops losing their lives. In 1975, North Vietnam won the war.

What was fighting in the war like? To find out, read Thomas Bolitho’s first-person account.

Where did you land, and why?
We landed at a place called Green Beach. Our commander had realized that an air base near Chu Lai could be a threat. Seeing an opportunity to destroy an important enemy unit, he set in motion a major operation: a surprise attack.

Our mission on Green Beach was to overwhelm the enemy and force them west and north. This tactic was called the Hammer and Anvil. The goal was to squeeze the enemy between two of our battalions. Our battalions would meet in the middle, destroying them.

What was that like for you?
I’d never been in a war before. I found out what it was really about as soon as we docked on Green Beach. My battalion had a mix of new and experienced Marines, but most of us had never witnessed a large-scale battle or suffered through the terror of a jungle ambush.

I was inexperienced, but I learned on the go. I overcame the original shock and fought like a Marine. The Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army discovered that we were skilled and well trained. The enemy radio station called us Paper Tiger Soldiers at the start of the mission because they considered us inexperienced. But as the war progressed, they called us just Tigers.

HAYDEN’S CONCLUSION: I have learned from this project how important the U.S. Marine Corps is to our country. Marines are sent into the toughest battles. They are relied upon to keep our country free. I believe they are the best fighting force in the world.