BIGGEST American War Crime Cover-Up Of The Vietnam War (Warning* Mature Audiences Only)

What happens when a group of men are let loose in the wilderness with no oversight and a simple instruction: kill anything that moves? Tiger Force is the answer. An elite recon group of the Vietnam War whose war crimes were covered up by the US government for decades.

In this video, we look at the atrocities committed by the men of Tiger Force as they descended into barbarity in the jungle of Vietnam, and how the US government tried to hide it from the world.

Origins of Tiger Force

Tiger Force was a long-range reconnaissance patrol unit of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. It was formed in November 1965 by Major David Hackworth to, quote, “out-guerrilla the guerrillas.” He put it more frankly to another reporter. “I want 40 swinging dicks,” Hackworth had said, men who were free to use their own judgment, skill, and drive to conduct unrestrained warfare in the toughest areas of Vietnam. It usually numbered about 45 men at any one time, but people would rotate out every few months. For example, 120 different men served in the Tiger Force between July and December 1967.

Usually, Tiger Force would be dropped into an operational area and given effectively free reign to achieve their goal. Military command maintained minimal oversight of their activities - so long as they racked up a body-count, the brass were happy. Many soldiers embraced the freedom and lack of bureaucracy that Tiger Force provided, but the absence of accountability or oversight would lead the men of Tiger Force down a dark path.

Arriving in Song Ve

The events that would enshrine them in the history books began to unfold in summer 1967 when the Tiger Force was sent into the Song Ve Valley.

The Song Ve Valley was an agricultural hotspot that was allegedly a hiding place for the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA). TTiger Force was instructed to clear out remaining residents of the valley to a nearby refugee camp and then sweep the area for VC soldiers and food caches. The valley was declared a ‘free-fire’ area - shoot first, ask questions later. Civilian casualties were still unacceptable in theory, but enforcing that condition was a whole other matter.

#vietnamwar #tigerforce #history

Sources:
Michael Sallah and Mitch Weiss, Tiger Force: A True Story of Men and War, (2006)

Geoffrey C. War and Ken Burns, The Vietnam War: An Intimate History, (2017)

Nick Turse, ‘The Vietnam War Crimes You Never Heard Of’, History News Network

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[bogart]

I graduated from High School in 1965, was drafted the same year and had no idea what I was in for. I'm 76 now and it all seems like a bad dream.

[kobusswanepoel]

Stop sending young men to fight old politicians dreams and wishes!! Send the old men instead!! War Veteran myself Angola/ SA.

[johnhough]

“I’ve seen thousands of men lying on the ground, their dead faces looking up at the skies. I tell you, war is hell”— William T Sherman

[w.rustylane]

I'm a Marine & Vietnam vet and when I was there I heard stories of the atrocities the Americans were committing against the civilian population. The My Lai massacre was talked about quite a bit among sailors and Marines. Thank God I was in the air wing. Cheers from eastern TN

[CEELOW]

Just imagine all the untold stories of war's atrocities

[tinascott]

I'm 68. The draft had just ended year before I graduated, but all the guys I know who were drafted in the late 60s early 70s came back totally different people. Some turned to drugs, some heard voices, some violent outbursts. All had mental illness because of what they saw, or did themselves. WAR IS HELL AND GOOD FOR NOTHING BUT THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY.

[thedoty]

The US government absolutely did learn from those horrific events. Only how to keep it quiet.

[Tune-O-matic]

" War is when the government tells you who the enemy is... Revolution is when you decide that for yourself" -- Ben Franklin

[genejennings]

The us government doesn’t learn from mistakes it just keeps moving into new mistakes

[chriseaton]

Never underestimate the amount of cruelty one human can inflict on another human its sad

[julie]

I know a widow of one of the tiger forces. Her husband, the man with the last name, Bruner tried to stop a massacre but couldn't. He suffered extreme PTSD and became an alcoholic. His widow still cries over what happened and what he witnessed.

[congnguyen-hbfr]

As a Vietnamese, I was born when the war ended. We study about our nation's past, including the conflicts we have fought with other nations. We now know to remember the struggles faced by past generations. We also learnt not to remember bigotry, though. We extend a hearty welcome to all nationalities, including French, American, and those from which we have fought in the past.
It is common knowledge that we are a socialist society but we are different from other communist countries, you may not be aware that our national policy is centered on national freedom and peace.
We have a verse that I want to share with you.
Đất nghèo nuôi những anh hùng (Heroes are born in impoverished places)
Chìm trong máu lửa lại vùng đứng lên (Sinking in blood and fire, we rose once again.)
Đạp quân thù xuống đất đen ( Stomp the enemies into the shadow )
Súng gươm vứt bỏ lại hiền như xưa (The swords and pistols were discarded, remaining as soft as before)

We don't want war, We only protest when some country threatens our freedom and peace.
War is meaningless, wish peace for the world.

[sylvialocker]

There is an Australian reporter jailed many a year for reporting atrocities like these😢

[graybeard]

It’s disturbing that no one was ever held accountable for these acts of cruelty

[r.tothea.tother.]

The more i learn about history, the more im disgusted with "humanity". This is subhuman behavior. Pure evil.

[mrfixit]

Probably one of the most stupidest wars we had in the last 200 years.

[EVLfreak]

This is a good reason to never get involved in other countries problems.

[marvinc]

A classic example of American 'exceptionalism'. When foreigners commit atrocities, it's Barbarism. But when Uncle Sam's boys do so, it's Expediency. And anyone thinking _this_ is bad, should get himself a copy of Douglas Valentine's excellent (but highly disturbing) _The Phoenix Program_ .

[lightningspirit]

How hypocritical is America, chasing down old ss...for war crimes...but turning a blind eye to their own war criminals ...!

[potterj]

What a strange atmosphere where you're protecting prisoners from your own guys. Imagine the paranoia.