40. Morbid Habits

In the Vietnam War, the U.S. military’s strategy at times emphasized maximizing enemy casualties, leading to directives that resulted in soldiers being encouraged to “kill anything that moved.” This approach was driven by the perceived necessity to produce high kill counts as a measure of success in the conflict.

Tragically, this mentality contributed to a significant number of civilian casualties, as the distinction between combatant and non-combatant blurred in the chaos of warfare. The emphasis on kill counts not only led to the loss of innocent lives but also left deep psychological scars on many soldiers.