During the course of the war, about 2.8 million soldiers served in Vietnam. At the beginning, they were professional soldiers who had chosen to join the army as their career. They were well trained and committed. By 1967 however, most of the soldiers had been drafted. The average age of US soldiers in Vietnam was 19, and their tour of duty lasted twelve months. About 60% of the soldiers were likely to fight or get shot at. The others were employed in supplying the needs of the fighting troops but could be fired on at any time by the guerrillas. The average US soldier had a 2% chance of being killed and a 10% chance of being seriously wounded, but for those involved in the fighting, the casualty rate was far higher. Of those killed in the fighting, 43% died within the first three months. In total, about 58,000 American service men and women were killed.
Experiences of fighting
American soldiers involved in the fighting often found themselves in small units patrolling the jungle in search of guerrillas. As well as being worried that they might be ambushed, they had to be on the look-out for booby traps such as sharpened bamboo stakes hidden under sticks and leaves, and trip-wire across a jungle path, which might set off a grenade. They also had to be careful that they did not trigger off a 'Bouncing Betty' mine by standing on it and causing it to explode, injuring all around. The climate in the jungle was damp, hot and humid, and heat exhaustion was common. Although it became cooler in the evening, the soldiers then had to cope with malarial mosquitoes. They found it impossible to find the guerrillas in the thick, tropical jungle, and this made them even more frustrated.
Soldiers and officers
Because many soldiers were serving in Vietnam for only a year, it was difficult to make each platoon an effective fighting unit. By the time many soldiers had become trained and fairly experienced, it was time to return home. Many also realised that since they were in Vietnam for only a year, the main aim must be to endure the year and get home alive. Their officers were different. They were professional career soldiers who saw success in the war as the way to gain promotion. Sometimes they were prepared to sustain heavy losses to acheive success.
In one battle to capture 'Hamburger Hill' from the NLF, about 450 American soldiers out of 600 were killed or wounded. After holding the hill for a day, Lieutenant-Colonel Weldon Honeycutt, the officer in charge, ordered the men to withdraw. Many soldiers were so angry with what Honeycutt had done, and that so many lives had been lost to achieve nothing, that attempts were made to kill him. However, he survived. In fact, it has been admitted that between 1969 and 1971, there were 730 reportes attempts at 'fragging' - the killing of an officer, by his own men, of which 83 were successful. It is also recognised that the actual figures are probably higher.