By late 1965, Western newspapers were filled with stories of the Viet Cong, their aptitude for guerrilla warfare and their successes against ‘superior’ American and South Vietnamese forces. There was a growing perception that the Viet Cong was indefatigable, battle-hardened, too cunning for Western soldiers and unbeatable on their own soil. American propagandists countered this by stripping away some of the mythology surrounding the Viet Cong, highlighting their problems and weaknesses. The following extract is from Know Your Enemy: the Viet Cong, a United States Department of Defence pamphlet published in March 1966. Aimed chiefly at American soldiers, it describes the Viet Cong as “a tough enemy but no tougher than his opponents. He is not a superman nor is he invincible”:

“Literally translated, the phrase Viet Cong (VC) means ‘Vietnamese Communist’, and those who are Viet Cong employ the whole communist arsenal of deceit and violence. A Viet Cong is a man, woman or child – a tough fighter, with words or weapons, for what he calls the liberation of South Vietnam…

What makes the Viet Cong and their way of warfare so significant is that they started with so little in material assets, although they had a belief in a well-proven doctrine (of subversion), a thorough knowledge of its tactics and the moral support of their fellow Communists throughout the world. They had no industrial capacity. They had no substantial armed forces, only a few thousand experienced guerrillas, and perhaps 100,000 supporters, mostly in remote areas seldom visited by government representatives…

Vietnam as a whole is very nearly ideal for the type of warfare the Viet Cong is waging… The people are equally well suited to this kind of war. Most of them are rice farmers, accustomed to hard work, meagre rations and an absolute minimum of material comforts.

Their philosophy is essentially fatalistic and undemanding. They do not like war or soldiers, yet Vietnam has known far more war than peace in the 2,000-plus years of its history. Vietnamese are known as energetic and aggressive, capable of great sacrifice for an ideal (even the false ideals of communism). These qualities make them excellent fighting men…

In little more than five years, the Viet Cong armed forces have grown from an essentially guerrilla army to one that includes regiments of uniformed, well-equipped, highly foot-mobile regulars, capable of engaging in conventional operations of limited duration. Concurrently, their civil organisation has grown from a mere shadow to one of considerable substance, which in some provinces collects almost four times as much taxes as does the Republic of South Vietnam…

Substantial quantities of portable war materials have been brought into South Vietnam by land and sea, as well as 8,000 to 10,000 North Vietnamese soldiers in the year 1964. The Communist buildup in the South is continuing. As Viet Cong resources and capabilities have grown, so have their liabilities. They have been forced to draft teenagers directly into their regular units. They have… redoubled their rates of taxation and increased their other demands on civilians in areas under their influence. Logistics requirements for food [and] weapons have greatly increased…

The Viet Cong is a tough enemy but no tougher than his opponents. He is not a superman, nor is he invincible. It is impossible to predict how long it will take but the Republic of Vietnam and the United States are committed to stopping his aggression. Our military effort in Vietnam is an essential element in achieving the objectives of freedom, peace and progress in that war-torn country, which has fought so long and valiantly for those goals.”