Le Ly Hayslip

Many Americans did not understand why the Vietnamese peasants supported the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. The VC promoted communism, whereas the United States and the government of South Vietnam offered if not democracy, at least a form of government that was not communist. Le Ly Hayslip explains why so many Vietnamese supported the VC and North Vietnamese Army.

Hayslip was a VC cadre member for three years, from the time she was twelve years old. She asserts that the only logical choice for Vietnamese peasants was to support the Viet Cong. The VC taught them that Vietnam was a sovereign nation that should be allowed to govern itself. Hayslip and her villagers were told that Vietnam was divided into two countries simply so the United States could preserve its influence over the country. After the country's freedom and...