Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Truth About Vietnam, Myths Dispelled

The American media has a good deal of help. Politically, Johnson was trying too hard to fight the last war (Korea). He was so paranoid that the war would eventually bring Russia in that he was willing to do things that are irrational. I can�t put full blame on him, really no one saw China coming into the Korean war after Inchon�at least he was trying to learn from our past mistakes; but the pendulum swung too far.

Yep, what else is new? I pretty much stopped watching TV news after Tet, The only News guy that I would watch after Tet, Was Harry Reasoner, the last Newsman on TV. He just told you what happened and nothing else. He was doing the CBS Nightly, when the Edmund Fizgerald when down. You watch his reporting of that event vs what is called news today, no wonder Newspapers and TV News is in the toilet. And being a helicopter pilot Harry Reasoner did opinion piece about helicopters and the pilots that fly, that is most telling and very touching. You mention his name to a Helicopter Pilot that flew there and you will get a very wide smile.

Check this out on Harry.

http://www.jollygreen.org/Humor/reasoner.htm

http://www.searchk9.net/helitac/harryreasoner.htm

You are to be commended sir, on a surperb post, you sir ARE what I call a TRUE AMERICAN.

I have always said and beleived the single greatest truth concerning the Viet Nam war was we were not defeeted by the NVA or the VC, no after Tet we had delt them a defeet in measure as total as any enamy we have ever fought.

No we were defeeted by our own media (ie: Walter Commicrite) who took it opon themselves and deside it was their duty to end the war by any and all means, especially out right lieing.

I will never forget or regret that I was fired back in June of 1989 when I was a first year apprentice when one of the Journeyman I was working with said the reasion we lost in Viet Nam was because our troops to often ran away from the enamy in cowardice. I gave him one chance to recant that statement or else, he did not and promptly got some practice free of charge from me at falling down and getting back up a few times.

IMHO the first amendment ends when you slander my country, its vets, or our flag. I make no appologies for this stance, and if you are going to insult what I love most in my presence you had better be one tough SOB.

I have never served in the armed forces, but my father and all my uncles did. My father (WW-II vet) was extreamly active in the VFW and American Legion, so I was also heavly involved in all of the activites both had involving war vets. What affected me most was the seamingly endless flags I placed on veterens graves every veterens day, and the dates on the head stones utterly screamed, died long before thier time.

Viet Nam, the only war in our history (and possibly in the history of modern warfair) were we wone every single major battle, yet still lost the war.

Thanks again for such a truthfull and superb post. I have saved it and sent it to all my friends.
Arthur.

Thanks for posting this T. And a HUGE thanks to all of you that served there.

This war was over before I was born, but it is still an important part of our history. My uncle server two tours there, the first being at the age of 18.

I thank you all.

Also, after the fall of the Soviet Union IIRC the records that became available confirmed that the domino theory was absolutely what was planned and the Viet Nam war stopped that process.

An argument can be made, however, that the US did lose the war when the Congress chose to quit supplying the South Vietnamese with arms after the US troops left Viet Nam.

I am always amazed at the number of self proclaimed Vietnam Veterans out there. I volunteered to go in 1969, served at Bien Hoa from 70-71 and retired from the USAF in 1989. Since then I have never been to the VA, joined a veterans group or did any survey stating I served there. My state license plates (Vietnam Veteran) say it all, proud to have served. Thanks for educating and correcting some of the facts. Tom

My father spent twenty years in the Army as a pilot of both fixed and rotary aircraft. Two years in Viet Nam.

He was proud of his having served, and he was very proud of the men he served with.

Viet Nam is another glaring example of media prejudice and their twisting of facts and outright lies.

Interesting read. While I would not technically say the US military lost that war, I still fell that the United States did. We just gave up.

It's hard to win a game though when one team is only allowed to use half the field.

I see the same thing happening with our present administration and their evacuation announcements for Iraq. All the radicals have to do now is take a break, rest up, and wait for us to be out of there. I speculate that when our last significant forces leave, radical Islam will be dictating policy within a week.

Terry

I was not in Nam. I have always thought I should have been. My best friend Butch was he came home and committed suicide.

No lies from me. I have all the respect in the world for those that went and did like Terry and others.
I got out in early 63. Never got out of CONUS and never did a durn thing more than shuffle papers. Completely undistinquished. They never called me back in.
Lost a couple of friends over there is all the claim to fame I have.

BCR

Honorable service, nonetheless.

ALso, thanx to Terry and all who served.

BMT

T LEE, thank-you for this very interesting post.

Very interesting about the posers. I never would have guessed that many of them are out there. Sad cases.
Great read, Mr Lee.

REFERENCE a PM I received, the gentleman thought I and the article were demeaning those that served but never went in country. NOT TRUE and here is my answer to the honorable gentleman and fellow Veteran.



NO SIR, I and the article are not talking about those that served during the Vietnam War, it and I are talking about the posers that claim combat in RSVN. All that served during the conflict are Vietnam Veterans if on active duty and NORAD did a hell of a job IMHO. BTW, They would not let me join the VFW back in the day as it wasn't recognized as a WAR back then. So, I never did when they subsequently solicited me later on.

I will post this on the board as well to cut down on the confusion.

Best regards friend & comrade,
Terry

In order to join the VFW today:


Eligibility:
� Must be a US citizen
� Must be currently in the US military or have an honorable discharge

� Must have served overseas during a conflict for which you received an expeditionary medal, a campaign medal or ribbon, or imminent danger/hostile fire pay

and/or


� Received the SSBN Deterrent Patrol Insignia, the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), the Combat Medic Badge (CMB), the Combat Action Ribbon (CAR), the Combat Action Badge (CAB), the Air Force Combat Action Medal (AFCAM), or Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (with Gold Border)

and/or


� Served 30 consecutive days duty in Korea or 60 days of non-consecutive duty in Korea

and/or


� Be currently deployed in an area that qualifies for VFW membership.

Terry,

A great post and follow-up. Clearly the gentleman misunderstood you.

My situation re VFW and the American Legion is the exact opposite of yours. I am eligible for the VFW by virtue of the AFEM I received for overseas service in support of an ally, Nationalist China, during the Taiwan Straits action in 1958-59, but not the Legion because I didn't serve during an officially recognized period of war. Strangely, I get membership solicitations from the Legion addressed to "Dear War Veteran", but the fine print says I am not eligible!

I don't consider myself a war veteran, and I salute all who served honorably, but especially those who did see combat, including my son.

Paul

Well said Terry. I'll also toss in that the military is a big machine. There are some of us that had the opportunity to serve out on the tip of the spear but this in no way diminishes the service of the many that sat alerts in northern tier SAC bases, patrolled in a SLBM launch box, lived in Sicily rebuilding GSE gear or the myriad of other things the military does to make it work.

The only people in the military that do not deserve our respect are those that did not live up to their enlistment or commissioning oath.

Thanks for posting this.

Somebody has to do the unglamorous stuff while the LUCKY ones get shot at!

That is tongue in cheek for those that take themselves too seriously.

Pugs Sir, I learned long ago in a land far away that there is no glory in war, just honorable service and behavior. If one does the job assigned they have served honorably even if it was behind a desk.