There Wasn't a Single Communist North Vietnamese Army Soldier inside a then Free South Vietnam

lzxray ^ | Nov 13, 2004

[nmh]

bttt!

[rbmillerjr]

mark to read later

[Calpernia]

Then I will make that the next thread :)

Bookmarking.

[Calpernia]

>>>I gather at the time you didn't know he's a FReeper?

I knew Aloha was a freeper. But I didn't know enough of the history of Vietnam to understand what his website or this picture meant.

The first two Communist North Vietnamese Regular POW's of the Battle of IA DRANG fresh from LZ X-RAY are escorted from Helicopter to Helicopter at LZ FALCON by members of the HHC, 1/7 Cav. Associated Press Photographer is running to the right to get in front of them to take the picture that is in 'WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE....AND YOUNG.' Shadow of me taking this picture is at lower left. I consider this Picture one of the best. Notice M-16 POW wounded knee on one of the POW's in the middle of the picture.

I was on another thread with Aloha where he quoted this comment, "There Wasn't a Single Communist North Vietnamese Army Soldier inside a then Free South Vietnam" made by the protesters

Then he pointed out that picture. AFTER he explained that to me, his site and intent made the light bulb go off over my head.

Ok, maybe it is because I'm blonde

But I'm really not alone in being uneducated in Vietnam.

[Calpernia]

The Ho Chi Minh Trail

The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a complex web of different jungle paths that enabled communist troops to travel from North Vietnam to areas close to Saigon. It has been estimated that the National Liberation Front received sixty tons of aid per day from this route. Most of this was carried by porters. Occasionally bicycles and ponies would also be used.

At regular intervals along the route the NLF built base camps. As well as providing a place for them to rest, the base camps provided medical treatment for those who had been injured or had fallen ill on the journey.

In the early days of the war it took six months to travel from North Vietnam to Saigon on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. But the more people who travelled along the route the easier it became. By 1970, fit and experienced soldiers could make the journey in six weeks.

From the air the Ho Chi Minh Trail was impossible to identify and although the United States Air Force tried to destroy this vital supply line by heavy bombing, they were unable to stop the constant flow of men and supplies. The main danger to the people who travelled on the Ho Chi Minh Trail was not American bombs but diseases like malaria. In the early days, as many as 10 per cent of the porters travelling down the trail died of disease.

The North Vietnamese also used the Ho Chi Minh Trail to send soldiers to the south. At times, as many as 20,000 soldiers a month came from Hanoi in this way. In an attempt to stop this traffic, it was suggested that a barrier of barbed wire and minefields called the McNamara Line should be built. This plan was abandoned in 1967 after repeated attacks by the NLF on those involved in constructing this barrier.

[Calpernia]

>>>Between loading South Vietnamese children into C-130s and cargo strapping them to the floor.

So you were part of evacuating civilians before our Air Force tried to destroy this vital supply line by heavy bombing?

[Calpernia]

Welcome to FR!

[Calpernia]

>>>While the media likes to show pictures of the helicopter on top of the CIA building in Siagon or the one being pushed into the sea off the carrier. That occurred after Nixon had been chased from office and the RATs had gone back on the word of the US to provide air support if the NVA brought tanks into the south.

This is why stories like yours, Aloha's and all other Vets need to be posted.

How many Vet websites have been up in small corners of the Net telling their story and have never gotten coverage? One of the reason's the Swifties got their message out is because of the message boards which was picked up by bloggers.

Because of their messages, I started making 'research threads' from the information I found on those Vet's sites that were out there for years. It was merely copying, pasting, and sourcing it back to them. But it made some news outlets cover the information. And it was my crash course on Vietnam.

[Calpernia]

CSM Basil Plumley, 1/7 Cav, at PLEIKU Airstrip immediately after Victory at IA DRANG, and during the Battle at LZ ALBANY.

[Calpernia]

Victorious Lt. Col. Harold G. Moore at PLEIKU Airstrip reading Congratulatory Telegram from Commanding General William Westmoreland who immediately followed him on top of this Jeep to personally salute the members of the 1/7 Cav for their "Outstanding Victory" at IA DRANG.

[Calpernia]

1st Cav. Div. Commanding General Harry W.O. Kinnard welcoming the 1/7th Cav back to Home Base at An Khe. A smiling Lt. Col. Harold G. Moore is in the middle.

[Calpernia]

The officer to the right of Lt Col Moore is 1st Lt James L. (Larry) Litton, XO of D 1/7 Cav. In the Ia Drang he assumed command of D 1/7 when Capt Ray Lefebvre was wounded and evacuated. The officer in the right foreground with his back to the camera is Capt Richard Merchant who took command of D 1/7 after the battle. The NCO in the left foreground with his back to the camera is 1st Sgt Warren Adams, D 1/7.

[meema]

bump to read later

[oldngray]

Hi Ron... a small tale from last week.

I had not been to the VA clinic in more than 3 years. In the current procedures one must visit annually to stay in the "system" so when I arrived last week the Nurse Practitioner was not really happy to see me. The place was jammed and it was obvious I was just one of many she was going to have to deal with that day... and since I hadn't been in recently that meant a lot of extra paperwork.

She had a "far east" appearance but I couldn't quite "locate" her so I asked what her heritage was. She said "Vietnamese". When I mentioned my tours there her demeanor and countenance immediately changed. She became attentive, questioning, probing (verbally). Wanted to know about the battle for Hue and other places I had been. She was truly searching for some reinforcing information about what really took place.

Turns out she was working in the US embassy in Saigon in the early 70s and the information being passed around was really way out. She was evacuated just prior to the end of the war but has been searching for the truth about how the war was really fought and won by the US troops and her (south Vn) people.

The visit turned out to be a long one but very interesting. It is amazing how many people have no idea of what the truth is, even those who were seemingly "in the midst" of things. The stories, or lack thereof, by the media pundits (Cronkite and his descendants) and the lack of government clarity has hurt a couple of generations of Americans. I referred her to FR and some of your posts but have no idea if she will follow up.

In many ways the defeat of sKerry was the beginning of the parade the Vietnam vets never had.

[Euro-American Scum]

This should be required reading for everyone;

http://www.mishalov.com/death_ia_drang_valley.html

So should this.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

A must read!

Bump

[norton]

You want to support this part of your post....it's kind of personal:

"The Nixon led retreat... recovered most of POWs well before Siagons [sic] fall."

[Soaring Feather]

Thank You, Cal.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

NEVER FORGET

The 2004 Election also marked the political maturing of the Vietnamese-American Community across the country.

It has been my honor in Little Saigon to support their fight for Freedom's Return to Vietnam by helping to register 1,000's of new Vietnamese-Americans to vote for the BUSH/CHENNY Team and the 1st Vietnamese-American to ever be elected to a State Legislature in U.S. History, VAN TRAN = http://VanTran68.com

America must now come to terms with the fact that these good folks have suffered the most in all of this. I have personally met many who were tortured by their ..VIETNAMESE.. Conquerors in Communist "Re-Education" Prison Camps for years after the Fall of Saigon. My fingers have been placed in deep body scars that came from knifings all of one's body and stomachs that have been cut open, regardless of gender, just for the "Fun" of it.

The Little Saigon Cities of Garden Grove, my home town, and Westminster CA were the 1st recently to declare themselves 'No Communist Zones' and to proclaim the Free Flag of Vietnam as the official Flag representing the Vietnamese-Americans in their communities. These official city resolutions effectively prevent leaders from Communist Vietnam from publically visiting Little Saigon and invalidate the Flag of Communist Vietnam as well. Over 75 American cities, counties and states have since followed Little Saigon's lead on the Vietnam Flag Issue.

I was blessed to speak before the Garden Grove City Council on behalf of both Anti-Communist Resolutions.

See Free Flag of Vietnam Photo:

http://www.rfvn.com/picture/BieuTinh_NKK_02_15_04/BieuTinh_Nguyen_C_Ky_02_15_04_0123.JPG



See:

GARDEN GROVE snub irks HANOI

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1135666/posts


NEVER FORGET

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