THE ENDURANCE OF THE UNYIELDING: THE TRUE COST OF THE VIETNAM WAR

We outnumbered the North Vietnamese on every front. Our firepower was overwhelming. Our military machines towered over theirs. But still, they kept us in a state of uncertainty. They struck and vanished like shadows, leaving our commanders unsure of victory.

We’d take a position, win a fight, and then, days later, the enemy would return — constantly regrouping, always appearing where we’d just cleared them. They had no lines, no fronts. They didn’t fight like soldiers. They fought like ghosts, appearing and disappearing as if the earth swallowed them. Their tactics were simple but effective. And they unnerved us. The U.S. had never fought an enemy that could melt away into the jungle only to reappear somewhere else to strike again.

We paid for their strategy — so many dead and wounded. But we didn’t stop. We didn’t back down. Our boots hit the ground, and we fought. We went into their hells — time and again. And when pushed out, we returned. Always. We took losses, but we held the line. There was no thought of giving up. The mission was never over just because of a lost battle.

No mission would end until the last man was gone, and none remained standing. We didn’t believe in defeat. Defeat was for those who quit, who stopped. We did not stop. Not then. Not ever.