Revisionists and journalists with similar political agendas have guided an entire generation of young Americans to believe that America lost the Viet Nam war. Sadly, many older citizens have allowed time and a politicized ‘media’ to cloud and/or alter their memories.
The facts are certain. American troops and airmen lost not a single battle during that war. The combined military forces of America, Thailand, New Zealand, and Australia, four of the supporting nations of the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), South Viet Nam and South Korea won the war against North Viet Nam and the Viet Cong, plain and simply.
The stated military goals were precise. SEATO forces were to neutralize or push the ag-gressor forces out of South Viet Nam. South Vietnam was to be armed for it’s own self de-fense. In fact, the Viet Cong were effectively neutralized. North Viet Nam’s army was pushed back home. The rail bridges connecting North Viet Nam and China were sev¬ered. The Ho Chi Ming trail was rendered inoperative to vehicles. Haiphong harbor was mined, greatly restricting the flow of war materials into North Viet Nam from the Soviet Union.
The enemy was forced to sign peace accords in Paris, ending the military conflict on SEATO’s terms. Prisoners of war were repatriated. America’s war ended then. Our Con-gress subsequently voted not to re-engage after North Viet Nam violated the accords later.
So why do most Americans believe that we lost that war? Is it because of the fierce fighting at the onslaught of the 1968 Tet Offensive that was, in fact, the Viet Cong’s last hurrah? Is it because of the film footage of our embassy personnel being evacuated from Saigon in 1975, three years after our war ended? Is it because of the anti-war demonstrations and turmoil at home during the war? Is it because of anti-military sentiment still fostered by left wing politicians? Is it a classic example of a ‘Big Lie’ told often enough to establish credibility in gullible people?
How have the revisionists been so successful in creating a believable lie? It may be simplistic to imply that Americans inappropriately trusted TV journalists, political commenta-tors and editorialists, collectively termed ‘the media’, instead of historians, but the answer may be that simple. To this day, most Americans do not understand why we became engaged in that war, the stated objectives or the true outcome.
Twelve days of intense air assault in 1972 by 700 of our aircraft in an operation named ‘Linebacker II’ converted our air superiority over Viet Nam into air supremacy wherein our bombers, including B-52’s, could fly uncontested to any target in North Viet Nam. North Viet Nam’s supply of SAM missiles was expended and it’s supply lines severed. The vulnerable and impotent enemy signed the peace accords in Paris. Our war ended in victory.
Our WW2 victory on the island of Iwo Jima was not nullified because we returned the Island to Japanese control two decades thereafter. Similarly, our victory in Viet Nam was not nullified because three years after our departure, North Viet Nam reneged on the peace accords and overran South Viet Nam, unopposed by the departed SEATO military forces.
Military victory is not diminished by what politicians give away later. We won that war. Buffalo Head
LOSE. The war wasn’t tight. We didn’t loose it.