Vietnam: The right thing to do

[agedman]

We were in Vietnam a number of years before the Gulf of Tonkin incident. When I shipped to Germany in 1960 the Army was asking for volunteers to go to Vietnam. My future wife knew a fellow who was already there. in 1959. I am not sure exactly when the first volunteers went there, but it was while Eisenhower was president.

This is true.

For nearly a decade, the US helped the French in training and logistic support.

The French pulled out, leaving the US holding the bag.

The "gulf of Tonkin" was merely an excuse (imo) to ramp up the US involvement and allow the beginnings of gathering public support.

Eventually, the lies and deception were exposed, but by then, the nation had already become embroiled in huge domestic issues and distractions.

Vietnam wasn't lost by our good soldiers, it was lost at home through distraction and coverup.

Same thing that is going on in the various conflicts, today.

 

[carpro]

This is true.

For nearly a decade, the US helped the French in training and logistic support.

The French pulled out, leaving the US holding the bag.

The "gulf of Tonkin" was merely an excuse (imo) to ramp up the US involvement and allow the beginnings of gathering public support.

Eventually, the lies and deception were exposed, but by then, the nation had already become embroiled in huge domestic issues and distractions.

Vietnam wasn't lost by our good soldiers, it was lost at home through distraction and coverup.

Same thing that is going on in the various conflicts, today.

A long time.

Truman actually sent the first advisors, Eisenhower expanded slightly on that. Kennedy got the numbers up to almost 10,000. Johnson blew the doors off.

WE (meaning the american military)did not lose in Vietnam at all.

The South Vietnamese lost their own country, when the North Vietnamese with the full logistical backing of the Soviet Union, attacked when there were no American ground troops in the country.

Congress made sure the North Vietnamese would succeed by witholding all logistical support , including spare parts for helicopters and other weapons, from our former allies.

That was shameful enough in and of itself. Then the media decided WE lost the war and have perpetuated that myth ever since.

 

[Nevada]

Would the world really be that different had the Communists been kept out of South Vietnam?

Presently, there are KFC's in Ho Chi Minh City.

The US navy does naval exercises with the Communist government's navy.

We wear clothes made in Vietnam.

There was little religious freedom in the South Vietnam we protected, with Catholic leaders telling the Buddhists they could not hold their traditional parade, which resulted in Buddhist monks setting themselves ablaze in protest.

The North's first government modeled part of their constitution on our Declaration of Independence. General Giap learned how to toss a hand grenade from American advisors during WWII. Meaning they were not America-haters. They mostly wanted the French out.

Unlike the Koreas where the differences are stark and long lasting, I don't see that Vietnam amounted to a hill of beans, and agree with Franklin Roosevelt who thought we should stay out of Colonial France's fight.

 

[carpro]

Would the world really be that different had the Communists been kept out of South Vietnam?

Except for the 3 million SE Asians they slaughtered when we were no longer there to stop them, probably not.