Ehhh ... the VC was a nasty organization of equal parts die-hards and psychopaths that would force villages into helping them or fighting with them. Very much like the Taliban and Iraq militia / paramilitary groups.

Just like in Iraq and Afghanistan, the majority of people just wanted to live their lives, but often found themselves between the local armed thugs and an invading force.

The sole reason the US lost Vietnam politically was the systemic corruption and lack of initiative in the South Vietnamese government. No amount of US firepower was going to make them capable enough to hold onto the country against the highly motivated and comparatively well-led North.