This paper explains that, at the time of the
conflict, Vietnam was divided into two
opposing nations, similar to Korea today;
the territory of the former French colony of Vietnam was occupied by two
opposing armies: North Vietnamese, armed by the Soviets, and South Vietnamese, backed first by the French and later by the Americans. The author points out that a lesser publicized aspect of the analogies of World War II and the Vietnamese
conflict is the use of the carpet bombing, which was so successful in trampling the remnants of Nazi Germany, but proved to be ineffective in Vietnam. The paper relates two major lessons learned in the Vietnam conflict: (1) When using techniques such as carpet-bombing, the loyalty of ground forces must be understood because the strategy can have an opposite effect upon morale and cohesiveness of the populace, and (2) carpet-bombing must be timed specifically so as not to permit the enemy time to regroup. Table of Contents Strategic Setting Opposing Forces Command Relationships/Adjustments Made to Doctrine Employment Concepts Joint/Coalition Operations Command and Control of Air Assets Lessons U.S. Forces Learned in Vietnam