My Dad argued that the Vietminise hate China, and could have been an ally against them.
The Vietnamese very much hate China. For several reasons.
That’s why they turned to Russia for help to fight us.
China supported Pol Pot in Cambodia.
China and Vietnam fought a short war in 1979.
China claimed much of Vietnam’s waters in their land grabs. Most of the Gulf of Tonkin.
When I spent several weeks there in 2020 they openly stated their hatred for China. They allow Chinese tourists, but no residents. They explained that they would not accept China’s Belt and Road projects.
My Dad argued that the Vietminise hate China, and could have been an ally against them.
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“I for one would rather sniff French shit for five years than eat Chinese shit for the rest of my life.”
Ho Chi Minh
1946
I don’t have time to read the article - I will later to refresh my memory. IIRC, Ho Chi Minh studied in the USA. He modeled his constitution of his envisioned united Vietnam after ours. Asked for our help to unite them (kick the French out???).
Or - maybe that was just some propaganda that Fonda and Kerry put out there.
A friend of ours dad was in the ARVN. Taken and held in a camp for 4 years after the war before they even knew he was still alive. Then many years later with just an annual update. I think for a couple of years at the end they actually got to visit him. She, her baby sister, and her mom would beg for food. Her two brothers worked in the fields.
She said she was jealous of her brothers, who each got 2 balls of rice a day to eat (seeing as they worked the fields). She and her mom got one ball each. Her baby sister died of starvation.