Surviving in a foreign land while under constant pressure from guerrilla attacks, American troops in Vietnam fought against more than just the "enemy" to stay alive.
Vietnam's battlefields blurred the front lines with suffocating jungle and a strong antiwar sentiment back home.
Here are 20 photos of what battlefield life was like in the Vietnam war. "Tough" is an understatement.
1
Operation Wahiawa
Looking for signs of the VC as they search a deserted farmhouse, 1966.
2
Taking a Break While on Patrol
Waiting for artillery, 1968.
3
Company C, 1/9 Marines
Crossing a rice paddy during Operation Chinook II. 1967.
4
Mike Stahl
On combat operations near Tien Phuoc during a break. 1967.
5
Calling for a Medic
Wayne T. Winters from the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry. 1967.
6
Hanging On
An ARVN soldier, 1971.
7
Moving into Dai Do Village
After three days of heavy fighting, 1968.
8
Building a Bunker Wall
Camp Evans, 1967.
9
M113
Jungle Convoy Between a jungle and rubber plantation.
10
Infantry Patrol
Operation Toan Thang II, October, 1968.
11
173 Airborne Brigade
In a firefight on Hill 823.
12
The Cambodian Campaign
Destroying enemy bicycles, 1970.
13
Concentrating Fire
Operation Allen Brook, May, 1968.
14
ACAV and M48 Convoy
Securing supply routes.
15
ARVN Soldiers
Clambering to board a US helicopter, 1972.
16
U.S. Air Force
Combat Search and Rescue Team In flight over Vietnam in 1968.
17
Grapefruit Stand
A highway to the west of Saigon, 1966.
18
U.S. Army Bell UH-1D Helicopters
Airlifting troops during Operation Wahiawa, 1966.
19
UH-1
Damaged by mortar fire at Khe Sanh Combat Base, 1968.
20
Released POWs
Wading ashore into North Vietnam February, 1973.
