I hope that anti-American SOB cronkite is burning in Hades.
The number of US soldiers who died as a result of his broadcasts is countless!
We would/could have won, if not for him.
Well, that and having our hands tied by abusrdly restrictive ROE. Is/are the ROE’s even worse now in A-stan? If you’re not going in with total victory in mind, don’t waste our youngsters lives. Now it seems that if some civilian gets a john f’n kohn-heinz-kerry type splinter wound, the other “civilized” countries jump all over it and threaten war crimes charges. Guess what. War ain’t pretty and bad stuff happens.
I'd have to disagree for two reasons:
First, the conduct of operations pretty much ensured there would be no clear victory. Without full commitment to target and invade the North, the best result would have been like the Korean conflict.
Secondly, the Vietnamese were reluctant to do what was necessary to defend themselves from communist takeover. When the locals don't unite and defend their own liberty, the eventual outcome is never good. We're seeing it again in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The reason they couldn’t succeed with Bush’s Iraq war is simple: Not enough body bags.
And with drones and other explosions in warfare tech, the number will be even fewer in future wars. It’s very difficult to turn people against a “war that needs to be fought” when their husbands and sons are not dying in large numbers.
***We would/could have won, if not for him.***
We did win, but Cronkite’s broadcast snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Even the autobiography of General Giap admitted it was Conkrite’s speech that gave them the impetus to try again to try again even though Giap said they were ready to sue for peace.