American military fighting men who saw action in Vietnam between 1965 and 1973 participated in perhaps the most unusual battleground ever. Often, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers did not wear uniforms, making the enemy virtually indistinguishable until they opened fire. But equally frustrating for American and other allied fighting forces was the unusual terrain of Vietnam, which not only protracted the way, but also made victory a virtual uncertainty. I will look at some of the geographic conditions in which allied forces fought and why the terrain put our men at such a grave disadvantage.