American soldiers could not tell who were enemies and who were allies. As one soldier put it, "You don't know if someone on a bike is waving 'Hi' at you or throwing a grenade."
Seek and Destroy (aka Search and Destroy, S&D) missions often resulted in the deaths of many civilians. The point of the mission was to deploy American soldiers in the "boonies" and search for enemies or enemy trails. This was thought to be the best strategy against guerilla warfare.
Agent Orange was a chemical used to destroy forest cover from the enemy. Although not intentional, the chemical had influenced the food chain, having major side affects including increase in various types of cancer and genetic birth defects.
Allies from the war who were also exposed to Agent Orange, US veterans, Canadians, South Koreans, Australians, and New Zealanders were allowed compensation. However, Vietnamese victims to Agent Orange have not yet been allowed compensation, thus further distancing the trust between the Vietnamese people and the American government.
