But it seemed to me, the stories, and especially the visual media that were published during that time were consistently carefully chosen for maximum shock value for the American viewer. As much as could be done with pictures and video, they brought the very real horrors of war home to the viewing public, during the family dinner hour. And the opponents of our involvement in Vietnam knew how to use them to maximum effect. Yes, there most certainly were. There were those who were simply in the wrong place when a fire fight broke out and became victims of a stray bullet, seeking a target of flesh.
War is never a neat and pretty game.
As we would find out, the hero doesn't always win, and the innocents are not always saved. But the truth is, in any war, there are always innocents caught in the middle. The war in Vietnam was not at all unique in that respect. During the Allied bombing of the German city of Dresden late in WW II, tens of thousands of innocent, helpless German civilians died horrible, fiery deaths. Among them, of course, were many women and children.