Final answer:
By the end of 1965, most American soldiers in Vietnam had been drafted and were embroiled in an escalating conflict marked by growing antiwar sentiment, and disillusionment with the South Vietnamese forces they were sent to support.
Step-by-step explanation:
By the end of 1965, most American soldiers in Vietnam had been drafted into military service. With over 150,000 troops sent to support South Vietnam, these soldiers voiced concerns about the capability of the South Vietnamese army, whose troops often sought to avoid combat in encounters with the Viet Cong, leading U.S. soldiers to refer to their missions as "search and evade" instead of the official "search and destroy". The large-scale deployment of U.S. military personnel, which included combat troops, was part of an escalating conflict marked by heavy bombing campaigns and a growing antiwar movement back in the United States.
Despite the initial support from the American public, frustration grew as casualties increased and the draft escalated, leading to intensive antiwar protests. The situation led to a divide in public opinion, complicated by disillusionment with the South Vietnamese government and the challenges faced by U.S soldiers, including encounters with the Viet Cong guerrilla warfare tactics, accusations of being unpatriotic for objecting to the war, and eventually, the difficulty of reintegration into civilian life after the conflict.