The enemy the Marines faced was composed of two main groups. The first was the Viet Cong also known as the VC. These were fighters that were not regular soldiers. They often lived among the other people in villages and cities of Vietnam. They would gather together at night or in remote areas to prepare for an attack on American or ARVN forces. The VC were predominately South Vietnamese communists. The second group was the North Vietnamese Army or NVA. These were regular army troops from North Vietnam, sent south to assist the Viet Cong in taking control of South Vietnam. They would “infiltrate” South Vietnam. That is, when the NVA came down from the north, they would stick to the jungle or remote areas where their movement would not likely be noticed. Both the VC and NVA engaged primarily in guerrilla warfare. This means they usually would strike a target, for example, a village or a city, then retreat back into the jungle or blend in with the rest of the population where they wouldn’t be noticed. The Americans, generally used to fighting battles on a large scale, had a difficult time fighting this elusive enemy.
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