The entire Vietnam War, whether you are referring to the French or the American conflicts can be simplified into a simple statement.

The Vietnamese wanted a sovereign state independent of foreign intervention or domination. They were willing literally to fight forever to achieve that goal. It was an excellent example of self-determination as expressed by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. It exemplified that fact that a determined population can overcome any adversity in securing their own independence.

There are those that believe that the US military could have won the war against the Vietnamese People if the politicians had not intervened. They are deluded in their beliefs because you cannot defeat an enemy that refuses to be defeated. Had the US not finally withdrawn the war would have continued to this day even had we invaded and occupied N Vietnam. The Vietnamese were that dedicated to their own independence. They fought the French when they were a colony and they would have continued to fight the American military even had we occupied all of their lands.

We saw the same thing in Afghanistan when it was occupied by the USSR. I believe that we will eventually see the same thing in Iraq where the Iraqi People will, when the time is right, overthrow the US imposed government. We see the same thing in Afghanistan today where the US has imposed a government of the minority Northern Alliance which is opposed by most in that country.

Generally speaking the People of a nation do not accept the imposition of foreign control over their country. The will fight literally forever to overthrow the domination of a foreign power. It is a history lesson that people need to learn.