On the ground the ritual was called "the body count", air strikes used estimates (read guesstimates).
Japan
Vietnam was a countryside, with the US military living in it (and the enemy). Civilians had to vacate the area (we RE-LOCATED THEM).
The enemy was hard to find in the jungles of South Vietnam. The answer is jungles.
A war of attrition; find the enemy & then destroy him. Search & Destroy.
Yes , the venerable M60 Patton tank was present in a number of enemy engagements during the Vietnam conflict .
Australia provided their superb Centurion medium battle tank to supplement America's Patton tanks against the communist enemy in Vietnam.
The Chinese .
Serving in country; or serving in a capacity that connected him to enemy contact during the war. Example: A B-52 crewman stationed on the island of Guam, in the Pacific Ocean, is no where near Vietnam. But as soon as his bomber is over target in North Vietnam, he's exposed to enemy MIGs and SAMs. If and when his bomber safely lands back at Guam, he's a Vietnam Veteran.
Well, for one thing, North Vietnam no longer existed after the war. There was only "a Vietnam." Secondly, the former "North" Vietnam was the victor during the war...and the victor seldom needs economic aid. And third, the victor was a communist enemy during the cold war...the Commander in Chief, President Nixon, in all probability wouldn't have aided and abetted the enemy.
agent orange
It was the first US war in the enemy nation triumphed. It was a fight against communism.
The Uncounted Enemy A Vietnam Deception - 1982 TV was released on: USA: 23 January 1982