After reading "A Rumor of War" by Philip Caputo, one must come to terms with the rituals of war and the capacity of such a brutal event. There comes a point in war where man no longer maintains a sense of normal ethics and morals but rather develops this mindframe that you are either kill or be killed. During Vietnam, many American soldiers developed such a sour hatred for the Vietcong that it was pure pleasure to kill a Vietcong, not only in battle, but in times of basic living. There were many occasions where massacres amongst villages occurred, where innocent Vietnamese were murdered savagely for just being in the village. Granted there were times where villages such as these were encountered and young boys were armed with military arms, but for the most part it was acts of subconscience violence, where actions provoked by brainwashed soldiers were taking place, killing innocent women and children. It is these acts of ignorant brutality which lead many to believe that America was never suited for this war, sending in teenagers who had no prior existence to Vietnam and its surroundings, and ultimately tarnishing America's ego as the police of the rest of the world. It seems as if the young American soldiers appointed to these positions were, after awhile, totally emotionless of the situation at hand, making it easier to not only kill, but also burn villages and take great pride in their actions as well.
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