Thanks to all for the positive comments. My second tour experience spanned 19 months and included the Spring '72 offensive. As indicated earlier, I may get around to that one of these days, or maybe not. It was a far darker experience in more ways than can be explained. Triple 'A' and SAMs take all humor out of the equation.
I'm rather inclined to think the missing part to this is that my experience was not unique. Over 3 million service members served over the course of the war and I imagine a great trove of history could be found locked in those memories.
This may surprise, but I have not thought the Vietnam War was necessary, or well conceived. It was foisted upon us by the Truman Administration, fertilized by JFK and ultimately went south under the command of LBJ and his toad McNamara. Of the lot of them, I hold the latter in great contempt for a myriad of reasons largely unimportant these days. With any luck I'll meet them in Hell and we can have a little chat.
A lesson learned and applied during the first Gulf War was to use overwhelming force to affect a clear objective in the shortest time possible. That was forgotten in the second iteration and this pains me greatly.
War is not pretty. It is not amusing even though the participants cling to gallows humor as a defense mechanism. IT IS NOT A GAME TO BE PURSUED BY AMATEURS OR USED FOR DOMESTIC POLITICAL GAIN.
To draw it out, to inflict gross suffering without end on our own or the enemy is grotesquely sick. If it is decided that war must be fought, end it decisively, quickly and with profound finality. To do otherwise is tantamount to treason.
Last edited by DigitalDan; 06/14/12.
