It's been way too long that we VN Vets have been taking it on the chin for the lies and half truths spread my too many!
my to many = by too many
Nam Vet
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!