Vietnam...Facts vs. Fiction

Capt USNR, (Ret) Marshal Hanson

[SMARTY]

This should not remain your personal recollection but should be known to any one who pretends to an understanding of the US experience during that period. No one in my family served in Viet Nam but I was old enough to meet and befriend many returning soldiers. They were my school friends, by brother's friends, friends of friends etc. I NEVER heard negative conversation about the US Military from them. In my experience, they were ALL terrificly composed, manly and self assured gentlemen. The wormiest little dirt balls I ever knew were the guys who were dodging the draft and badmouthing the US effort and US policy.

[quadrant]

If any guilt attaches to anyone because of the war in Vietnam, it is Lyndon Johnson directly and Robert McNamara indirectly.
Johnson for putting American troops into a conflict that he did believe in. McNamara for devising and approving rules of engagement that were as stupid and he is vain.

[demkicker]

[advance_copy]

Thank you to the Americans who served in Vietnam. These brave warriors performed an important mission in our battle against Communism.

[sheltonmac]

You probably need to take your attitude somewhere else today...I didn't post it for your unfounded drivel.

Sorry. I was merely responding to the unfounded drivel in the article you posted. The American media is to blame for "the countless assassinations and torture visited upon Vietnamese, Laotians, and Cambodians"? Come on.

[RebelBanker]

Thank you for the great information as well as for your service.

Welcome home!

[sheltonmac]

If any guilt attaches to anyone because of the war in Vietnam, it is Lyndon Johnson directly and Robert McNamara indirectly. Johnson for putting American troops into a conflict that he did believe in. McNamara for devising and approving rules of engagement that were as stupid and he is vain.

That's essentially my point. Johnson certainly bears more blame than the media.

[joe fonebone]

bump for later

[sailor4321]

You kicked his ass, figuratively speaking. Thank you from a 1st Air Cav vet, central highlands 67-68.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Great post!

I did learn something.

[GreyFriar]

Thanks for the post. Ping

[pabianice]

It's all here...

[ArrogantBustard]

the state required I submit my DD 214 as proof of "in-country" service, not just "Vietnam era" service.

Neat! That should weed out almost all the fakers and frauds. I've never seen Viet Nam plates in Virginia ... we have Pearl Harbour Survivor plates here, DMV requires official documentation of having been assigned to PH on 07DEC41. Not sure what the documentation required is; the only fellow I knew who qualified is dead.

If you can see around the curvature of the Earth, my thumb is up.

[ConsentofGoverned]

" was impressed by the fact that in order to display the plate on my car, the state required I submit my DD 214 as proof of "in-country" service, not just "Vietnam era" service."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...........
I was writing letters to the editor of my local paper in response to those defending Kerry's Vietnam treason during the election. All the letters were from those claiming to have served in Nam. I went to the paper with my DD214 and asked if they required the letter writers who claim to have served in Nam provide proof of their service there..
lo and behold the paper never published another letter from these so call Nam Vets who had been praising Kerry..always wondered if the asked for proof of service before they published these self proclaimed vets..to this day those who frequently wrote to the OP ED page claiming to be Vietnam vets has dropped to 0. hmmm

[pabianice]

Nice job.

pabianice

RVN 70-71

Patrol Squadron ONE, US Navy

[smoothsailing]

I can see your thumb! Thanks! :)

[Stashiu]

Welcome home and thank you for your service!

[onedoug]

Thanks for your service, RVNAD.

The Vietnam war is still going on. It's outcome will depend on the outcome to the WOT. If we win, they'll drop communism in the north (as it exists less and less southward).

If we lose, it won't matter anymore.

Great book, pabianice.

[TheCrusader]

"Those who drag us into war are never to blame. It's always the fault of those who didn't support it 110%."

You sound like a sniveling little coward who would need to be "dragged into war" no matter what the threat to America and our way of life was.

But if blame for a war the U.S. partook in has to be assigned to the President who sent the troops, then you need to blame your liberal Presidents JFK and LBJ for Vietnam. Eisenhower gave the OK to send a few hundred military advisors to Vietnam, but no combat troops or U.S. equipment. JKF decided to send U.S. combat troops to Vietnam to the number of 10 thousand. LBJ eventually increased the number to 500 thousand troops in Vietnam. The war ended prematurely under Richard M. Nixon, due to extreme pressure from the liberals and their media friends.

[Nam Vet]

I am really amazed that there were only about 1,000,000 of us left in 2000. Almost 14 million claiming VN Vet status is amazing. Thanks for the article.

Nam Vet