//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 Welcome to the jungle 
// Story: Welcome to Vietnam, (un)fortunate pony 
// by Bronycommander 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 1: Welcome to the jungle


Vietnam 1969

Vietnam. A country that hadn’t seen peace for a very long time. Once it was a country under French colonial rule in the 19th century until the middle of the 1930s, then ruled by the Japanese from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and then plunged into the First Indochina War shortly after, as France tried to restore its colonial rule in 1946. In 1954, the French lost to the Viet Minh, the “League for the Independence of Vietnam”, a national coalition seeking independence for Vietnam from the French colonial empire.

As a result, Vietnam was divided into the North, a communist state supported by the Soviet Union and China, while the South was a democratic state supported by the United States.

But even after the colonial force was defeated, the League for the Independence of Vietnam, reformed into the National Liberation Front in 1960, wanted to overthrow the anti-communist government of South Vietnam and reunite the country. The Communist-ruled North Vietnam supported the NLF, the USA supported South Vietnam militarily. More and more ground forces of US troops, ordered to fight the National Liberation Front, were sent into South Vietnam as time passed. In response, China and the Soviet Union sent out troops to support the North.

It escalated from a civil war to a full-scale military war, which some people used to call the second Indochina War. For the US soldiers, it was known as the Vietnam War.

The U.S. government viewed involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam. It was a part of their wider strategy of containment. The North Vietnamese government viewed the war as a colonial war, fought initially against France, backed by the U.S., and later against South Vietnam, which it regarded as a U.S. puppet state. U.S. military advisors arrived beginning in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with U.S. troop levels tripling in 1961 and tripling again in 1962. U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965.

The first US troops were US Marines, equipped with their own artillery, helicopters and tanks, The US Army followed later. There was also the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, or MACV, the United States' unified command structure for all its military forces in South Vietnam during the Vietnam Conflict. It was created on February 2, 1962 in response to military assistance in South Vietnam, due to the threat of an attack from North Vietnam. Most known of MAVC was the Studies and Observations Group, short MACV-SOG, a highly classified, multi-service United States special operations unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations prior to and during the Vietnam War.

South Vietnam had its own army, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, commonly abbreviated to ARVN, completely supplied by the United States in weaponry and vehicles. Once the Vietnam War fully started, the ARVN saw less and less action in the war, mostly being replaced by American forces on the battlefield. Usually, the ARVN came after the initiation of American operations and supported American troops. ARVN forces also stayed within occupied cities and areas to defend them against counter-attacks.

In tactics, the Viet Cong, a lightly armed South Vietnamese front of communist sympathizers, largely fought a guerrilla war against anti-communist forces in the region, whereas the Vietnam People's Army engaged in a more conventional war, at times committing large units into battle. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations, involving ground forces, artillery, and airstrikes.

While the Western forces won most of the battles, the US forces had suffered heavy casualties throughout the years, the costs were rising rapidly and moral was dropping, as many had been pushed to their limits.

So, the US slowly pulled its troops out of Vietnam, planning to let the ARVN be the bulk of the remaining anti-communist aligned forces.

Hoang em Binh was one of the ARVN soldiers, patrolling the jungle with a soldier of the US Army, Ethan King. King was one of the first Army soldiers in Vietnam and served here ever since. Like many of his comrades, he had good morale at the beginning of the war. He was thirty years old, being a father and a husband, his family was what kept his spirits high. He had brown hair and green eyes.

Hoang was twenty-seven years old, having brown hair and eyes. He got drafted into the army and disliked fighting his fellow countrymen. As the Army of Republic of Vietnam got supplied by the United States, he was wearing a brown and tan uniform and had a M16 assault rifle as primary weapon, a M1911 as sidearm and a knife for close combat, the same loadout as King as they were both Riflemen, or Grunts as they were called sometimes. The battalion the young Vietnamese was in was one of the few that still saw action.

The M16 had low recoil, a high rate of fire and medium damage. Simply a very versatile weapon. While it was forbidden for the Western forces to use an AK-47, as it would cause friendly fire, Hoang liked the wooden design of it.

The American smacked himself. “Bugs! I really can’t wait to see my family again. How’s your mother, Binh?” He asked his comrade in English. They were best friends since they first have met back in 1965. The ARVN soldier could perfect his English due to the South being allied with the USA. He often helped Ethan often communicate with the villagers.

“Good, she’s just worried sick about me and my two brothers, she doesn’t want to lose any of us.” He had a younger and older brother. Back in 1960, their mother and father had an argument. Father believed into the communist ideology of the North, claiming it would be better for all of them. Mother, however, was against it. They never had any problems with the democratic government, their village was far in the south and was spared from all conflicts.

Yet, in his almost fanatic believe, father took Dung, Hoang’s older brother, with him to the North. Binh was just eighteen, Dung was twenty-three back then, now thirty years old if he hadn’t been killed, as he was possible in the Army of North Vietnam. Their youngest brother, Dang, was just fourteen, now he would be twenty-three, if he was still alive. He vanished shortly after father left with Dung. Rumors said that Dang got recruited by the National Liberation Front, also known as Viet Cong to the US forces. They were known to recruit by holding their recruits at gunpoint.

That scared Hoang, fearing he could kill his brothers. No matter what, he still cared for them.

“I got ya. I’m sorry for you and your mother, this entire war cost us all too many lives already. I pray for you and your brothers that you all survive and be reunited someday.” Hoang had told King once about his family and was glad that the US Soldier cheered him up whenever he could.

“Thanks. But watch your step, there could be booby traps, landmines or snipers everywhere.”

“Isn’t my first time.” Ethan replied, always wary.

As they continued to patrol, a strange sound invaded their ears, a sound that shouldn’t be here. The voice of a child. Crying, calling out for it's parents.

“Do you hear that?” King scanned his surroundings.

“Yeah, I do. Let’s investigate that.”

They moved slowly towards the source of the crying voice, coming from tight brushwood.

Both nodded at each other and the young Vietnamese asked in his language, “Hello?”

The brushwood shook violently. “Who-s t-there? P-please…help me.” The voice belonged to a young girl. A very scared young girl.

It pained both to hear the child like this, although they wondered why child had been lost in the middle of the endless jungle of Vietnam.

“We won’t hurt you.” They lowered their rifles to show they meant to harm.

“I can’t move, I’m stuck. It hurts.” The girl cried in pain.

“Don’t worry, we will help you.” Hoang shouldered his rifle and reached for his knife, pushing the brushwood aside, while King secured the area, watching for trouble. What came into view shocked him and his friend.

Before them was not a human girl as they had expected, but a filly with blue eyes, matching coat and a blue mane with brighter strands. Her left hind leg was stuck between a few thorny branches, bleeding. Tears streamed from her eyes.

In shock, both men stared, unable to proceed what they just saw. A talking foal? No, impossible! I think the war and the heat are too much for me! Both shared the same thoughts, shaking their heads, trying to get their minds clear, but it didn’t help.

“Please, help me! It hurts!” Her cry of pain tore them out of their thoughts, proving that their minds weren’t playing tricks on them.

“Shh, don’t worry, just hold still.” Hoang cut the thorns carefully, then retrieved a bandage out of his first aid kit and bandaged her leg. “See? All better now. Here.” He gave the foal his canteen.

“Thank you.” She took a sip, enjoying it. “Ah! Refreshing! I’m Petunia Paleo. What’s your name?” She asked, now a little calmer.

"My name is Hoang em Binh, but you can call me Hoang or Binh if you like.” He smiled sadly at her.

"I’m Ethan King. You’re really unlucky to land here.” He had sympathy in his voice.

“Why? Where am I?” She asked, confused.

Like he had read script, Ethan just said, “Welcome to the jungle.”