Rare Photos of the Vietnam War

 The Vietnam War was a three-nation war that lasted nearly twenty years; Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The war, also known as the Second Indochina War, was fought between North and South Vietnam.

The North Vietnamese military was supported by the Soviet Union, China, and other communist states, while South Vietnam was supported by the United States, Australia, Thailand, South Korea, and other anti-communist countries.

The war was long and dirty. Countless people suffered. Here are photos many people have never seen of the Vietnam War.

Pictured here are both sides of the war meeting each other in what looks like the Mekong Delta. Members of the Viet Cong are in the foreground, while ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) soldiers are visible in the background.

Near the outskirts of Saigon, the army of the Republic of Vietnam took off their uniforms and shoes to hide their identities from their enemies. Here you can see how much material is scattered on the ground. Drivers had to pass over the uniform to drive to the other side.

Pictured here is a US Air Cavalry helicopter dropping supplies to an outpost during Operation Pegasus. The year was 1968, in Vietnam, on a Marine outpost. The red flag is actually the opposite of the dark colored helicopter.

New recruits pictured here undergoing mandatory physical examinations in Haiphong city. Earlier only volunteers were recruited in the system. The service became compulsory in 1973; All able-bodied men were to be drafted.

Pictured here are soldiers during target practice; Using overhead targets in Thanh Tri city. Although the rifles were not state-of-the-art, the Vietnamese were able to become a major thorn in America's side.