Salute!
@ Mechta
I do not think SAS or I or many of us fought against the "people", the everyday Vietnamese people. From north or south.
We were supposedly fighting against a political movement and most of us had not read Fall's books or anything about the actual people ( Street Without Joy, Two Vietnams, Hell in a Very Small Place, etc.) He died on a patrol when I was there my first tour. SAS likely there at the time, too.
I, for one, suspected that the people would revert to their basic character quickly, once the shooting stopped. They are very happy-go-lucky people who are not afraid of hard work, and they "can take a joke". Sure enough, we see hotels, many small businesses, eateries, bicycle shops, a rebirth of the rice industry which had been the largest exporter in that area of the world until "the war", etc. I dunno about the rubber plantations, and they were kinda off-limits to us, as French interests were still involved - think of a big tire company.
As far as the corona vs "The Wall" numbers, we lost more Americans to normal flu three years ago than names on "the Wall". It's just that SAS and I and others personally knew and served with many on "the Wall".
Gums opines...