Most of the people of Vietnam are quiet citizens who exist solely to farm their land or work in their family's profession. From the stories of my VFW friends that fought in 'Nam, the villagers and such were proud to see Americans arive. Alot of them did not agree with the V.C., but did not have the power to fight back. Especially since their young men were ripped from their homes and forced to serve in the military.
It was the fanatical leadership of some platoons and regiments that caused the so called "rape" of that land. And I can agree that, war makes you do crazy things. That said, my VFW friends told me that the VC look alike and are often dressed as farmers and civilians and would randomly attack American soldiers as they carried on their business. They snared the jungle with boobie traps, dug pits with tigers in the bottom, landmines, dirty bombs, and most of all wired little boys and girls with explosives and sent them to a cluster of American soldiers while in a city. If it was me and I'm getting eaten up by bugs in the jungle and these slope-eyed bastards are killing my friends, yes... I'd shoot everything in sight.
Looking back, I'm positive that most regret what they did over in 'Nam. Most were just following orders, those that were giving orders are in power in Congress and the Senate.
I'd like to think that I could control myself in a situation such as that, but I indeed failed... however I did see myself through a point of no return situation. During the Gulf War, I shot a man running out of a crude hut wielding a snubbed AK-47. His intention was to kill me, or any of those in my squad, but at the moment of truth his gun jammed and I returned fire with my M-16. He died instantly and not a day that goes by I don't think about what happened or the grimace on that man's face as he stared off into the sky.