We won that war three times. I use “we†to define those of my generation like me who fought there. Well, actually we won it the first time and the ARVN won it in Tet when they beat the Viet Cong main force units, and March of 1972 when crushed they the NVA mechanized army that came down highway one.
In each case Democrat politicians snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The first time was when Johnson’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told him what was required and he impolitely told them to go to hell as follows. A link to the entire article follows, which I first saw published in the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings.
“Seemingly deep in thought, President Johnson turned his back on them for a minute or so, then suddenly discarding the calm, patient demeanor he had maintained throughout the meeting, whirled to face them and exploded.I almost dropped the map.
He screamed obscenities, he cursed them personally, he ridiculed them for coming to his office with their “military advice.†Noting that it was he who was carrying the weight of the free world on his shoulders, he called them filthy names-shitheads, dumb shits, pompous assholes-and used “the F-word†as an adjective more freely than a Marine in boot camp would use it. He then accused them of trying to pass the buck for World War III to him.
It was unnerving, degrading.â€
Vietnam 1965: The Day It Became the Longest War
http://extendedremarks.blogspot.com/2006/12/vietnam-1965-day-it-became-longest-war.html
Thanks for the link, it took me a while to read it.
I have a coupe of friends I’d like to share it with, with your permission of course.
Regards,
HLB
Figures. LBJ was filth.