[caisson71]

Call it what you want and we can argue semantics all day long. Had we stayed, fought the war like a war and not political chess, we would have prevailed. Read the post war interviews, there was no doubt that we had military superiority. We did not have the political fortitude. We did not have civilian leadership with conviction. Our civilian leadership took the politically expedient route, tucked their tails between their legs and QUIT. Had we stayed and prevailed, maybe South VietNam could have become another South Korea?

[familyofman]

"Had we stayed, fought the war like a war and not political chess, we would have prevailed."

I agree that we would, could & should have won, but as you say the "leaders" didn't allow that to happen. That is really the tradgedy that Colin Powell and others learned from. If you don't want to win - you probably won't. To quit after putting so much in imho is bordering on criminal.