Collateral damage: A brief history of U.S. mistakes at war

A U.S. F4 Phantom drops bombs over a Viet Cong controlled area in South Vietnam in November 1965 during the Vietnam War.

While the term collateral damage was not as widely used during the Vietnam War as it is in modern conflicts, a statement made to Associated Press journalist Peter Arnett by an unnamed U.S. military official about actions taken against the Viet Cong in Ben Tre city has become iconic in the debate over military action in civilian areas.

"It became necessary to destroy the town to save it," the major told Arnett following the heavy shelling of the city. 

Though the validity of the quote has been questioned by some, it is indicative of U.S. strategy at the time.