Women in the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was another proxy war that took place during the Cold War. This was another attempt to stop the spread of communism. The fighting took place between the years 1955 and 1975. North Vietnam was in favor of communism and received support from the Soviet Union. South Vietnam was in favor of democracy and received support from the United States. This was fought using a series of guerilla tactics, which both sides participated in. One of the main weapons used at this time was a chemical weapon called Agent Orange, which was an herbicide that was weaponized against the people of Vietnam. The United States participated in the field fighting alongside the Vietnamese people for several years before leaving the war to the people of South Vietnam. North Vietnam was the ultimate winner of the Vietnam War, leaving the country with a communist form of government.

Women participated in the Vietnam War in military roles, but this was still before these women were allowed in combat. Women also functioned as nurses, making sure that the men who were fighting had good medical care. Women also functioned as correspondents, taking photographs, and drafting articles to bring the war back to the Unites States. One of the most prominent correspondents was Dickey Chapelle, who was one of the first women killed in combat.