U.S. Crimes in Vietnam

I went to Vietnam well aware that I would not be able to observe individual war crimes. Those who commit them do not invite observers. Systematic crimes, on the other hand, can be observed. There is no way of hiding them, and since those who perpetrate them seldom think of what they do as criminal, they do not make efforts to prevent observation. My conclusion —and it can only be based on impressions—is that individual war crimes are no more—or less—frequent than in Korea, but are far better publicized.

I was able to observe a few things that helped me reach tentative conclusions. I learned what our soldiers thought, and what observers thought who had been in Vietnam for a long time and speak Vietnamese. I looked into the records of investigations and into innumerable reports, both in Saigon and in the various firebases and outposts I visited.

EH

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Ernest van den Haag

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I went to Vietnam well aware that I would not be able to observe individual war crimes. Those who commit them do not invite observers. Systematic crimes, on the other hand, can be observed. There is no way of hiding them, and since those who perpetrate them seldom think of what they do as criminal, they do not make efforts to prevent observation. My conclusion —and it can only be based on impressions—is that individual war crimes are no more—or less—frequent than in Korea, but are far better publicized.

I was able to observe a few things that helped me reach tentative conclusions. I learned what our soldiers thought, and what observers thought who had been in Vietnam for a long time and speak Vietnamese. I looked into the records of investigations and into innumerable reports, both in Saigon and in the various firebases and outposts I visited.