388,000 tons of Napalm were dropped from Americans into Vietnam over a 10 year period. Napalm bombs were very deadly, they could clear out a 2500 square yard area. Dropping the bombs from planes at high speeds was not very accurate, and ended up harming many innocent civilians in the process. The mixture is very deadly and hard to treat because it clings to human skin and melts off the flesh. If rubbed the napalm only spreads making the wounds even more significant. Unlike many other weapons used in the war, napalm was closely monitored by the government and made its way into the media very often. The pictures like the one "Napalm girl" helped to strengthen the anit-war movement. Eventually napalm was banned by the UN in 1980.
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| This famous photograph "Napalm girl" is of a 9 year old girl, running away from napalm as it was burning her. |
I understand that the U.S. couldn't slow down in their planes without getting shot down, but at the same time if they are bombing innocents shouldn't they of stopped after realizing that they were harming them? It's amazing to me the things that people will do.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me sick! I don't understand how people can be so cruel. . . especially to innocent children!
ReplyDeleteI know that if I was living in the time of the Vietnam war and heard about the usage of Napalm I would certainly become active in the anti-war movement. This makes my heart break for the young, innocent lives that were affected by the usage of Napalm. I wish the United States would have taken the negative side effects of the weapon into consideration at some point during the war rather than destroying many lives over the 10 year time span they used the weapon.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is awful. It's sad to see how many people were truly affected by the Vietnam War. I think this picture does a very good job at showing how cruel war can be. I'm thankful that we have advanced so much in technology.
ReplyDeleteThere was so much chemical warfare in this era it's unbelievable. And to think that the people to decide to send troops into the homes of innocent victims and terrorize children were considered leaders of our country. It really makes you wonder.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy to think that we would use that kind of warfare in the first place, but to use it on civilians is even crazier. I don't know how the soldiers could bear to see innocent lives taken in such a cruel manner. It is a good thing that napalm ivirtually banned everywhere.
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