Latest news with #VietCong
The Sun
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Moment TV daredevil Guy Martin makes savage war weapon napalm as he tours Vietnam 50 years after fall of Saigon
LEGENDARY motorbike racer Guy Martin tried his hand at making napalm as he headed to Vietnam to mark 50 years since the end of the war. For the latest "Our Guy in…" Channel 4 series, Guy travelled from Hanoi in the north of the country Ho Chi Minh city in the south and saw first hand the legacy of a war that claimed more than 1.3million lives. 11 11 Speaking exclusive to The Sun, Guy said: "They're all looking forward, they're not dwelling on the past, and they're not letting the war define them. It just blew me away." The war between the communist North and western-aligned South intensified in 1965 when the US committed serious force over fears that Soviet influence was spreading in the region. After eight years of intense fighting, the US finally withdrew in 1973 and in 1975 evacuated the country once and for all, when Communist forces surrounded the country's embassy in the country's capital of Saigon, since renamed Ho Chi Minh city. In total, 58,000 American troops were killed - over half of whom were aged just 18. Guy took a Soviet-era motorbike down the route of the legendary Ho Chi Minh trail, a supply route used by the Viet Cong communist guerrillas. It proved crucial in giving them the upper hand over the much more technologically advanced Americans. More than a million tonnes of supplies were transported via the trail, often using nothing more than pushbikes and improvised bridges to cross rivers. But limited resources and a deep knowledge of the landscape made the Vietnamese skilled engineers, and experts at creating boobytraps that would prove devastating to the Americans. In response, the US deployed terrifying weapons such as Napalm - a fearsome mixture of chemicals used to burn through miles of thick jungle. Mixing a small amount of its components in a jar, Guy was then able to see for himself the weapon behind some of the most horrific imagery that defined the war. He said: "That is the worst weapon. Absolutely horrible. "The fire would be that intense, it'll drag oxygen from wherever it can get it, so it'll suffocate whoever's in the building. "The heat would be a thousand degrees. You're not lasting long." Another weapon used with devastating effect by the United States was a herbicide called Agent Orange, designed to destroy vegetation in an attempt to deprive the Vietnamese of cover. 11 11 Like the millions of bombs dropped, its legacy can still be felt today. Guy paid a visit to Son, a maths and computer programming lecturer who is one of those battling the effects today. His father was in the north Vietnamese army, and at one point during the war found himself soaked in the liquid dropped from an American plane. Tests conducted years later confirmed he had been poisoned, and he passed away from cancer in 2006. The genetic damage caused by the chemical has left Son born with birth defects and unable to walk. Guy said: "They used the same weed killer than they use to kill the weeds on the side of the road, but it was 20 times stronger. 'And the landmass that they covered was bigger than Wales.' 11 11 11 An estimated 3 million Vietnamese are still affected by its aftermath. In one month alone, the US dropped as many bombs on Vietnam as it during the entire Second World War. Many of them failed to explode on impact, meaning that acres of the country remain highly-dangerous no-go zones. In total, more than 100,000 people in the country have died since the end of the war as a result of left-over explosives. Guy joined the frontline of the effort to clear the countryside as he headed out with a team of charity workers. 'People are still getting killed because of unexploded mines and fields,' Guy said. 'They've been at it for 30-odd years, just working their way through the fields, using the metal detectors to find the mines and bombs, and then doing a controlled explosion,' Guy added as he reflected on joining in the operation. 'It was great to be part of.' After heading out into the field with metal detectors, Guy and the team came across three unexploded bombs in the small area they were sweeping. A controlled explosion is then performed once the device is wrapped in sandbags, the detonation cord dragged out to a safe distance, and locals warned to clear the area. Guy was then shown how to use the detonation switch, and after a countdown from ten, triggered the explosion. 'There was muck and stuff flying everywhere,' he said. 'And this was a daily occurrence.' Our Guy in Vietnam airs on Channel 4 at 9pm, Sunday June 1. 11
The Wire
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
In Photos: Vietnam and Its Politics Today
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Top Stories In Photos: Vietnam and Its Politics Today Shome Basu 41 minutes ago Today, the modern Hanoi carries a sense of discipline. Priority is given to farmers and workers, holding firm to the bastion of Marx's economic policies. Photo: Shome Basu. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now Growing up in Calcutta, I remember the slogans: 'Amar Naam, Tomar Naam – Vietnam (your name, my name, Vietnam).' The Communist regime in Calcutta cleverly renamed the street where the US Consulate is located 'Ho Chi Minh Sarani'. This has remained unchanged by the subsequent government. Ho Chi Minh is seen as a victim of American supremacy – something some Bengalis can relate to – and as a rebellious leader from Asia who could take on the West. Fifty years is a long time, but not long enough to forget. Sun, a communist and an ardent party worker in Hanoi, told me, 'We call it an American war. Vietnam fought for its defence.' The city is always bathed in red in the evenings, as communist symbolism decks the streets. With nearly 3.7 million deaths over 20 years, American exploits took a toll on both sides during the infamous war. The driving force was the US's fear of communism. But surprisingly, one sees many American tourists, and cafés displaying American brands and music. Sun said, 'We forgave but never forgot.' Today, as business booms and Vietnam becomes a market for the world, it still struggles with China over the South China Sea and, more recently, Trump's tariffs – since the country's economy is heavily based on US exports and forms part of the global supply chain economy. The shadow of communism, with imagery involving Uncle Ho (Ho Chi Minh) and Lenin, is still seen and felt. Today, the modern city carries a sense of discipline, with speed limits on highways and priority given to farmers and workers, holding firm to the bastion of Marx's economic policies. My images are a showcase of what modern Vietnam looks like today – especially the capital, Hanoi, and the rural areas that dominate its largely captive economy. The rice fields alone are enough to understand how the US Army lost the war. It is impossible to fight in the sultry weather, through vast swaths of rice fields, with snakes and inhospitable rains, conditions only the Viet Cong could endure, trapping numerous American GIs to their deaths. Today, the city reflects its past, but its modern look may cause one to forget that seventy years ago, a war began that only ended in 1975—creating the space to shape a modern Vietnam. All photos by Shome Basu. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News The Vanquished West: 50 Years After the End of Vietnam War, a Memoir of Resistance by the Global South Vietnam War 50 Years On: How It Changed Perception of War The Many Meanings of Vietnam China, Vietnam Sign Dozens of Deals Amidst Trump's Tariff Threats By Declaring Economic World War, Trump is Pursuing an Imperial Expansion Strategy Bangladesh Cites Violation Of International Law After Mob Vandalises Diplomatic Mission in Agartala New Refugee Shelter in Austria Set on Fire as Support For Far Right Grows Toxic VX Nerve Agent Used To Murder Kim Jong Nam, Says Malaysia How the Pentagon Tried to Cure the US of Its 'Vietnam Syndrome' About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Toronto Star
3 days ago
- Toronto Star
Everyone must see this photo — thousands of lives depend on it
Her name is Ward Al-Sheikh Khalil. She's the silhouette of a 5-year-old girl who was recorded in the early hours of Monday morning as she escaped through the flames of Israel's latest slaughter. An air strike destroyed the school in Gaza City where Ward had sheltered with other Palestinian families who had been forced from their homes. Ward survived. Her mother, and all but one of her siblings, did not, according to reports from Gaza. Sometimes it takes an image, or one story, to grab hold, and to shock the world into caring. Alan Kurdi was the 2-year-old Syrian boy whose body washed up on the sandy shores of a Turkish beach in September 2015. The rubber boat carrying his family to Greece capsized, like so many other boats transporting desperately fleeing refugees had before. That image of the little boy's lifeless body brought the plight of the humanitarian crisis to the world. The attention was too late, too little and short-lived. But his death saved lives. South Vietnamese forces follow after terrified children, including 9-year-old Kim Phuc, center, as they run down Route 1 near Trang Bang after an aerial napalm attack on suspected Viet Cong hiding places, June 8, 1972. Nick Ut AP Kim Phuc was perhaps the most famous image to break through. The 1972 iconic photo of children fleeing a deadly napalm attack, with Phuc in the foreground, became a defining photo of the Vietnam War and helped finally bring an end to the fighting. It too came too late. But her terrible suffering saved lives. Images now are everywhere, for everything, and this saturation means they do not hold the same power as they did a decade ago and certainly not as they did five decades ago. There have been hundreds, if not thousands of photos and videos and testimonials from Gaza, as heartbreaking as this one. Those in power will condemn the atrocity and promise action that never comes. Saying 'it's complicated' has become synonymous with 'look away.' But take a moment and don't look away. Watch this video of Ward — and try to absorb that horror. The footage is on CBC, BBC, CBS and other media outlets that fact-check to the best standards that are possible in a war that Israel has censored. Foreign journalists are barred from entering Gaza and the brave Palestinian journalists who are on the ground have been targeted by Israel and harassed by Hamas. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW On Oct. 25, 2023, Canadian journalist and novelist Omar El Akkad wrote this sentence on X: 'One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.' Beneath was a video of the destruction with the words: 'This is Gaza.' He wrote that before more than 50,000 Palestinians were killed, almost a third of them children. He turned that 'tweet' into a book that is a searing indictment of the West's 'institutional gutlessness.' It's not 'complicated.' And it's too late. But let the image of Ward grab hold and save what lives we still can.
The Age
5 days ago
- The Age
Sixty years after they died together, two soldiers awarded for gallantry
But the military downplayed other acts of astonishing courage by both Wheatley and by Swanton. Warrant Officer Swanton, when he was shot on November 13, 1965, was attempting to save the life of a wounded South Vietnamese soldier by carrying him across the paddy field, knowing he was exposing himself to enemy gunfire. It was a selfless act that led to his own death after Wheatley dragged him to cover. Yet a military officer dismissed Swanton's eligibility for a medal, declaring that 'whilst his actions could be described as 'courageous', these actions are what all service personnel are expected to perform in an attempt to preserve the life of a wounded comrade'. The appeals tribunal overturned that decision. Swanton's niece Chantal Swanton-Gallant flew from Queensland to accept the posthumous award. She and her son, Nicholas Swanton-Gallant, asked for privacy after the emotional and belated ceremony. They were joined by members of Wheatley's family after the awards investiture. Wheatley's Award for Gallantry was for two separate acts of great courage. The first was on May 28, 1965 – 60 years to the day before his Medal for Gallantry was finally awarded and presented to his son, who was just 11 when he died. Pinned down by gunfire in a shallow ditch in Quang Tri Province, Wheatley saw a terrified Vietnamese girl, aged about three, break away from her mother and run screaming down the road. Warrant Officer Second Class Wheatley, aged 28 and with four children of his own back in Australia, leapt from cover and, fully exposed to heavy gunfire, ran to the little girl, scooped her up in his arms and raced her to safety, shielding her with his own body. A recommendation for a 'Mention in Dispatches' was ignored. On August 18, 1965, Wheatley charged a Viet Cong battalion alone, running up a heavy slope under fire. His action spurred a South Vietnamese unit into action, and the Viet Cong were routed. In the same action, he saved the life of US Marine Jim Lowe, earning him one of the US military's top awards for bravery, the Silver Star. Loading Wheatley's wife, Edna, travelled with son George and other family members to Sydney for Wednesday's awards investiture. It was, perhaps, some compensation for the pain and disadvantage she suffered after her husband was killed. She was sacked from her job at a western Sydney RSL Club for 'making a fuss' and demanding that her husband's body be returned for burial in Australia. She won that battle: Wheatley's body was eventually brought home, and Australian military policy was altered to ensure Australia's war dead were thereafter returned home.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sixty years after they died together, two soldiers awarded for gallantry
But the military downplayed other acts of astonishing courage by both Wheatley and by Swanton. Warrant Officer Swanton, when he was shot on November 13, 1965, was attempting to save the life of a wounded South Vietnamese soldier by carrying him across the paddy field, knowing he was exposing himself to enemy gunfire. It was a selfless act that led to his own death after Wheatley dragged him to cover. Yet a military officer dismissed Swanton's eligibility for a medal, declaring that 'whilst his actions could be described as 'courageous', these actions are what all service personnel are expected to perform in an attempt to preserve the life of a wounded comrade'. The appeals tribunal overturned that decision. Swanton's niece Chantal Swanton-Gallant flew from Queensland to accept the posthumous award. She and her son, Nicholas Swanton-Gallant, asked for privacy after the emotional and belated ceremony. They were joined by members of Wheatley's family after the awards investiture. Wheatley's Award for Gallantry was for two separate acts of great courage. The first was on May 28, 1965 – 60 years to the day before his Medal for Gallantry was finally awarded and presented to his son, who was just 11 when he died. Pinned down by gunfire in a shallow ditch in Quang Tri Province, Wheatley saw a terrified Vietnamese girl, aged about three, break away from her mother and run screaming down the road. Warrant Officer Second Class Wheatley, aged 28 and with four children of his own back in Australia, leapt from cover and, fully exposed to heavy gunfire, ran to the little girl, scooped her up in his arms and raced her to safety, shielding her with his own body. A recommendation for a 'Mention in Dispatches' was ignored. On August 18, 1965, Wheatley charged a Viet Cong battalion alone, running up a heavy slope under fire. His action spurred a South Vietnamese unit into action, and the Viet Cong were routed. In the same action, he saved the life of US Marine Jim Lowe, earning him one of the US military's top awards for bravery, the Silver Star. Loading Wheatley's wife, Edna, travelled with son George and other family members to Sydney for Wednesday's awards investiture. It was, perhaps, some compensation for the pain and disadvantage she suffered after her husband was killed. She was sacked from her job at a western Sydney RSL Club for 'making a fuss' and demanding that her husband's body be returned for burial in Australia. She won that battle: Wheatley's body was eventually brought home, and Australian military policy was altered to ensure Australia's war dead were thereafter returned home.
