Vietnam...Facts vs. Fiction

Capt USNR, (Ret) Marshal Hanson

[Dan(9698)]

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

Lyndon Johnson was a creature of the media even more than Bill Clinton.

He had a special television cabinet made with three TV receivers in it so he could watch all three networks at the same time.

Everything he did was in response to the news media. His daughter told of him walking the halls of the White house at night worrying that he would be the "President who started WWIII."

Every time the Military started to make progress, he called a bombing halt. It would break down when the North was resupplied.

He was driven from running for reelection by the News Media.

[RBlain]

Captain Hanson:

I am so profoundly delighted to read your article, obviously researched, about what really happened in Vietnam. No doubt there are many other details you could have added, enough to write several books, but you saw fit to limit your publication published 1-3-06. One of many facts that I recall, edited to no end by most U.S. publications and media at the time was our purpose in going to Vietnam in the first place. I was brought to tears the first time I read General MacArthur’s Farewell Address to Congress, because he outlined exactly what would happen if he was not allowed to proceed north of the 38th parallel, which then became a prophesy that for the most part became true.

My first assignment to SEA was in December of 1965 to Udorn RTAFB, Thailand. I was assigned to the 606th Combat Air Squadron, which was located on the Air America Ramp at Udorn. We flew “trainning” missions up and down the “trail” where some of our 250-500 lb bombs fell off the airplane (T-28-D-5). We also trained both Thai and Laostian “students” how to fly. Our mission, as I understood it, was to train them so we could eventually pull out and leave them to fight their own war, and we would continue to supply them with most of whatever they needed. At least in my mind, it was never our intention to “Win the War”. It was our intention to train the locals in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam to fight their own war.

When I served in Vietnam from 1969-1970, I was first assigned to the AC-47’s. And on almost every mission, no matter how much fire we drew, we always had to get permission from 7th AF HQ in Siagon, which included the Vietnamese counterparts, to return fire. In September of 1969, we turned Tha Trang AB over to the Vietnamese, and I was reassigned to Phu Cat, where I also was reassigned to C-7A Cariboo aircraft. We re-supplied most of the forward fire camps, which were operated by USMC, US Army, and Vietnamese.

My question was then and remains, how could we lose a war we never intended to win in the first place? Our job or so I understood, was to train and equip the Vietnamese to fight their own war, and at some point we would withdraw. This point was somehow missed by the American newspapers and media. I won’t bore you with the rest of my thoughts, but I sincerely appreciate your article!

[oldcorps1947]

I find the stated facts and fictions interesting. I however, see some flaws in the study.
1. On the subject of suicides. It is my opinion that the CDC study was flawed, because the data was limited to data collection as to cause of death as reported on death certificates. I contend it is not possible to locate any data reporting base that could determine if deaths by auto, falls, drowning, drug over-dose, alcoholic disease, death by police, hunting “accidents”, or “accidental” over dose were in fact deaths not by suicide. The study was also was limited in time span and sample taking.
2. The issue of if we lost or won the war. Anyone that has attended military combat school, should recall that a war is not won when you kill all the enemy or by winning every battle or “winning the hearts and mind of the people”. It is won when you have destroyed the enemies willingness to fight. I contend Americans lost the war, even though the miliary was winning. The American public lost the willingness to continue to fight.