How were children used in the Vietnam War?

Many children became homeless and their schools had to be moved around or lessons had to take place after dark to avoid being targeted by heavy bombings. For example, one school in a liberated area in the South had to move site three times in four months due to the American air raids.

Did Vietnam use kids?

By some estimates, tens of thousands of American servicemen fathered children with Vietnamese women during that long war. Some of the children were a result of long-term relationships that would be unimaginable to the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where interaction with local people was minimal.

Why do child soldiers exist?

Many children join armed groups because of economic or social pressure, or because children believe that the group will offer food or security. Others are forcibly recruited, “press-ganged” or abducted by armed groups. Once recruited, child soldiers may serve as porters or cooks, guards, messengers or spies.

How many children did American soldiers father in Vietnam?

Children of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam. In the spring of 1975, U.S. forces withdrew from Vietnam, leaving behind an estimated 50,000 children they’d fathered with Vietnamese women. In the following years, these Amerasians bore the brunt of Vietnamese hatred toward America.

What happened to children in the Vietnam War?

These war babies – known as Amerasians — were called names like “children of the dust” and “half-breeds.” Many of them were abandoned by their mothers – dropped off at orphanages or even thrown into trash cans — amid fears they would be attacked by the Communist government.

How many children were killed during the Vietnam War?

The study came up with a most likely Vietnamese death toll of 882,000, which included 655,000 adult males (above 15 years of age), 143,000 adult females, and 84,000 children. Those totals include only Vietnamese deaths, and do not include American and other allied military deaths which amounted to about 64,000.

Are child soldiers forced to fight?

Many are pressed into combat, where they may be forced to the front lines or sent into minefields ahead of older troops. Children have also been used for suicide missions. In some conflicts, girls are raped, or given to military commanders as “wives.”