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When recruiters of the Armed Forces of the most powerful country in the world focus their recruitment talks on the many careers and educational funding one gets when one joins the Armed Forces, in other words, money, money, money, college, college, college, there is something amiss somewhere, don't you think ?
I didn't know this and thank you for posting it. Verifying it, you are absolutely correct. He wanted help from the US to unite the nation based on the Philippines model. Because his eight letters to Truman were ignored, he reached out to Chinese Communists. How sad. How horribly sad.
How can you think about sausages in the middle of a serious thread Ken?
I didn't know this and thank you for posting it. Verifying it, you are absolutely correct. He wanted help from the US to unite the nation based on the Philippines model. Because his eight letters to Truman were ignored, he reached out to Chinese Communists. How sad. How horribly sad. </font>[/QUOTE]It is indeed true that Ho Chi Minh sought help from the US for the independence of Viet Nam from French colonialism. He also used words very similar to our Declaration of Independence in his declaration. However, these things did not in themselves make him become a Communist nor did they make our ultimate stand against Communism wrong. It "might have turned out differently" is one of those speculations that could be made about many events in history including some of the early decisions of our own nation. In the end Ho Chi Minh became our enemy because he lead a effort to force Communism upon an entire nation - the majority of whom didn't want it.
</font>[/QUOTE]LOL that must have "bit". Is it true that you guys don't have ketchup chips? And that you all don't eat grilled cheese sandwiches with ketchup?No, I'm correct in stating that Viet Nam was a long ways from being united against us or united for Communism! The Vietnamese people in the South, and many in the North, resisted it very hard and, even today, it's not very popular among many who live under it. When given the chance people fled from it at many points in the history of the conflict. The South suffered from war weariness, poor leadership, corruption, lack of on-going support, and other factors that lead to its defeat. Mistakes were made. Choices between bad and worse were made. However, many Vietnamese patriots fought to the very end and certainly never supported the Communist way.
I appreciate your comments. There are indeed soldiers from every war with physical and mental scars. Some of them do need professional help. It has happened in my own family. Few, if any of us, go through battle without some permanent impact to our lives. That impact, however, need not destroy one's ability to function nor become an excuse for conduct that's unacceptable to society. The vast majority of veterans adapt just fine and continue on with normal lives. The vast majority understand what it was all about and use the experiences as a foundation for valuing the cost of liberty and the reality of war. There are those with legitimate problems, some who've used it as an excuse, and some who are impostors and fakers. The military teaches people to be warriors but it doesn't teach people to be drug users, spousal abusers, murders, misfits, etc. Many of those who fall into those behaviors were headed that way regardless. In fact, some studies of Viet Nam veterans in particular, have shown that there are fewer problems in these areas among veterans than the general population of their peers. Poplar perception is that Viet Nam veterans are prone to such behavior and, in fact, became drug users and murders during the war, or are homeless now because of it. That's a long way from the truth! There are a number of good references that can be read on these subjects. Stolen Valor is one excellent book that comes to mind. Vietnam magazine frequently has good articles on these subjects. The American Legion also tries to set the record straight from time to time. These resources are, regrettably, in the minority and poplar opinion has been formed more from the entertainment world, news media, and the more visible atypical veteran. It's a shame that typical veterans are portrayed this way.Originally posted by LadyEagle:
Patrick, I thank you for your service as a Veteran. You are very fortunate and blessed to be able to lead a normal life.
I work in the health care profession and can tell you there are many messed up Vietnam vets who are still messed up all these years later, on psychiatric medications, or drugs and booze. And not a few in numbers of our homeless on the streets and shelters in the USA are Vietnam vets. There are also thousands upon thousands receiving VA benefits, as well, for a myriad of injuries from psychological and physical reasons. They are fortunate, as well, I suppose. At least they got to come home alive without being in a flag-draped coffin and they are not among the MIAs.
I do wonder, since it is documented that Iraq has become the new pipeline for drug flow from Afghanistan to Europe, how many of our troops will end up with addictions, either from the battle field or from legal drugs administered for the psychological issues associated with warfare. I also assume there is a pretty big drug problem in Iraq since the drugs are flowing through there so freely. I've not seen anything in the press regarding the Interim Government and what they are doing to deal with the drug trafficking problem. Perhaps they are busy with other issues.
I also wonder if our military has some sort of deconditioning program in place to help our soldiers returning from the battlefield so they can adapt to civilian life once again. I've read where some are involved in spousal abuse because they are not deprogrammed. I wonder if the military is addressing any of these issues.
It seems a lot goes into making a soldier and preparing the soldier for battle. What processes are in place to help the soldier return to a "normal" life?
Just curious.
