Vietnam War

Vietnam War
Previous:	World War II
Concurrent:	Operation 40, Cold War, and other conflicts
Next:	Soviet War in Afghanistan
Vietnam War
Conflict:	Vietnam War
Date:	November 1, 1955 – April 30, 1975
Place:	South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
Outcome:	North Vietnamese victory Withdrawal of United States troops from Indochina in 1973 Dissolution of South Vietnam Communist governments take power in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos Unification of North and South Vietnam under North Vietnamese rule
Combatants
Democratic Forces: South Vietnam United States South Korea Australia Philippines New Zealand Thailand Khmer Republic Kingdom of Laos Republic of China
Communist Forces: North Vietnam Viet Cong Khmer Rouge Pathet Lao People's Republic of China Soviet Union North Korea Cuba
Commanders
Nguyễn Văn Thiệu Ngô Đình Diệm President Richard Nixon President John F. Kennedy† Jason Hudson Captain Alex Mason Sergeant Frank Woods Joseph Bowman†
Hô Chi Minh Lê Duẩn Trường Chinh Võ Nguyên Giáp Nikita Khrouchtchev Léonid Brejnev General Nikita Dragovich† Colonel Lev Kravchenko VC Bookie†
Strength
South Vietnam: 850,000 United States: 536,100 Free World Forces: 65,000 South Korea: 312,853, Australia: 49,968 (1962–1973) Thailand, Philippines: 10,450 New Zealand: 3,890 (1964–1973)
North Vietnam: 340,000 PRC: 170,000 (1969) Soviet Union: 3,000 North Korea: 300
Casualties
South Vietnam 220,357 dead; 1,170,000 wounded United States 58,159 dead; 1,719 missing; 303,635 wounded South Korea 5,099 dead; 10,962 wounded; 4 missing Australia 520 dead; 3,000 wounded New Zealand 37 dead; 187 wounded Thailand 1,351 dead Kingdom of Laos 30,000 killed, wounded unknown Total dead: 315,384 Total wounded: 1,490,000+
North Vietnam & NLF 1,176,000 dead/missing;600,000+ wounded P.R. China 1,446 dead; 4,200 wounded Soviet Union 16 dead Total dead: 1,177,462 Total wounded: 604,200+

"Looks don't count for shit in the jungle. This is 'Nam, baby!"

— Woods to Mason

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era conflict between South Vietnam and it's anti-communist allies against North Vietnam and its pro-communist allies. Call of Duty: Black Ops is mostly set in the Vietnam War.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Khe Sanh, South Vietnam

Main article: S.O.G.

The first mission in Call of Duty: Black Ops to be located in Vietnam is "S.O.G.", where Alex Mason, Frank Woods, Jason Hudson, and American Marines are attacked by North Vietnamese forces. The Americans have to defend Khe Sanh, and start out losing the battle until the Americans gain an advantage over the North Vietnamese and successfully defend Khe Sanh.

Huế City, South Vietnam

Main article: The Defector

After successfully defending Khe Sanh, the SOG and Marines head to Hue City, South Vietnam, after the SOG receives intel on a defector and attempt to hunt him down and acquire his intel. The mission was considered "suicide" as there was a large amount of North Vietnamese forces located inside the city. Mason's helicopter gets shot down in the city and he and Woods have to clear out an apartment building in search of the defector and his intel. After clearing through the building, Mason finds the intel and he and his SOG team move through the city (and receive air support from a helicopter throughout the rest of the mission). As the team moves through the city, they come across an enemy ZSU that threatens their air support, so Mason destroys the ZSU and his team and the Marines move out to the extraction point. At the extraction point, the Americans have to hold out against an enemy counterattack until they successfully leave the city on boat.

DMZ, Vietnam

Main article: Victor Charlie

The mission begins as Mason on a downed helicopter that's sinking into the water. An injured pilot calls for help, but is shot by two attacking Viet Cong guerillas. Mason kills the Viet Cong guerillas, but the helicopter falls into the water along with Woods. Mason and Woods eventually escape via a hatch and kill the Viet Cong near the water. Mason and Woods then move out and meet up with Bowman and his team, then Mason and Woods move around a village, plant explosives in certain areas, and then attack the village. After destroying an enemy ZSU and clearing the village, Mason moves into a rat tunnel along with Swift. Swift is then killed by a Viet Cong guerilla that was hiding in the rat tunnel, and Mason moves throughout the tunnel. Mason eventually finds Kravchenko's lair, and acquires intel on Nova 6 and how it kills its victims. Mason then quickly has to get out of the tunnel before it explodes. After crawling through the tunnel, Mason finds himself on a cliff and is later saved by jumping onto a helicopter with Woods and Bowman.

Laos - Vietnam border

Main article: Crash Site

This mission begins with Mason and his SOG team entering a boat and attacking a village near the water and destroying enemy appliances (such as anti-air guns, trucks, etc.). Once they accomplish destroying the appliances, they move onto land and fight off Viet Cong and Spetsnaz forces until they reach a crashed plane. On the plane, they notice that it contained Nova 6, but it dispersed in the crash. Suddenly, enemy forces attack them on the plane, and Mason and his team hold them off until the plane falls down a steep hill. The SOG team is then captured by Dragovich and Kravchenko's men.

Laos

Main article: Payback (Black Ops)

After being captured, the SOG team is then forced to play Russian Roulette. Bowman went first, but is then killed by the Soviet Spetsnaz interrogator by being clubbed in the head. Next, Woods went, and told Mason about a plan to be freed. Woods, luckily, wasn't shot when playing, so then it was Mason's turn. When Mason went, he turned and shot the closest Viet Cong interrogator, grabbed his weapon, and killed the other interrogators, except for the Soviet, who fled the scene. Mason and Woods then move throughout the rat tunnel, killing Viet-Cong forces in vengeance of the death of their friend. Woods and Mason eventually find the Spetsnaz interrogator, and kill him before he escapes the rat tunnel. Mason and Woods then leave the tunnel and capture an enemy Hind that they use to destroy enemy emplacements, camps and bridges. Then they land the bird and move into a cave that contains POWs. The Americans move through the cave, and finally reach Kravchenko. Kravchenko then attacks Mason and Woods, and, while beating Mason, is stabbed by Woods in the back. Kravchenko then pulls the pin on a grenade, but is tackled out of the window by Woods, supposedly killing both Kravchenko and Woods.

Results

In August 15, 1973, the US military ended its involvement in the war, leaving the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) in control of military operations against North Vietnam. On April 30, 1975, the North Vietnamese Army defeated the ARVN forces of the South and captured Saigon, making the South surrender and reunifying both North and South Vietnam into one whole country under Communist rule, officially known today as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.