this is cnn's demoralization tactic
Historian Christian Appy states "search and destroy was the principal tactic; and the enemy body count was the primary measure of progress in the US strategy of attrition. Search and destroy was a term to describe operations aimed at flushing the Viet Cong out of hiding, while body count was the measuring stick for operation success. Competitions were held between units for the highest number of Vietnamese killed. U.S. Army and marine officers knew that promotions were largely based on confirmed kills. The pressure to produce confirmed kills resulted in massive fraud. One of the most thorough studies found that American commanders exaggerated body counts by 100 percent. Furthermore there was little distinction made between armed combatants, neutral civilians and unarmed individuals for "enemy KIA".[67]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War_casualties