The dominant narratives regarding the Vietnam War have consistently been interpreted by two main narrators: the Hanoi leadership and the United States. Meanwhile, the vision and perspectives of the South Vietnamese people have been disregarded when it comes to general discussions about this historical event.

North Vietnamese leaders claimed that they fought the war to drive off foreign intervention, especially from the United States, and to reach their ultimate goal of unifying the country and strengthening socialism all over Vietnam. They described the Saigon government as an “American puppet” that compliantly took orders from Washington. On the other hand, Washington viewed South Vietnam as a strategic anti-communist pawn on its geopolitical chessboard to contain the spread of communism in Asia.