I read 2 translated novel/accounts written by former
Vietcongs/NVA.
Can't remember the names. My favourite one was written by a former
NVA. Had the word "Bugles" somewhere in the title.
You think the US soldiers had a hard time in Vietnam? Their tour
lasts 1 year or something...
The NVA fought till they die, too badly wounded or if they are
lucky enough to survive, the full ten years or so of the entire
conflict.
They, too, were demoralised. They didn't fight for ideology. They
fought to stay alive and for their buddies.
They, too, took drugs to keep themselves sane in the jungle. But
they didn't buy them, they knew which plants in the jungle to smoke
or chew to get high.
After the war, the Vietnamese veterans also went home to a mixed
reception. Even though they are victors/heroes, the soldiers in the
end were the losers. They got discriminated by potential employers
who feel they are too difficult to employ as workers being more
used to fighting and killing. The civiilan police targeted former
soldiers as potential criminals. They lost their girlfriends to
other people who didn't go to war etc. Basically the same shxt deal
the US veterans got.
I used to think the communists in Vietnam were the bad guys but
afterwards, I feel they were just fighting for their freedom and
way of life.
