But this day would be specific to those of us who worked to end the war in Viet Nam, whether we rioted in the streets, accused returning vets of being war criminals, rooted for the Viet Cong to win, or, like me, just signed petitions and parroted the jackass opinions of the Fonda-Hayden-et al crowd. We would spend that day reflecting on how wrong we had been, the misery we had caused (to both our own soldiers and, ultimately, to the people of Viet Nam), and what we could do to make sure that the record was corrected in light of what we had learned since those days.
This Friday, April 29th, marks the 30th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. It would be fitting to set that date as the annual rememberance of our failure to support an ally, which led to a great human tragedy.
Below is posted the scene at the US embassy at that time.
In the words of the Jews remembering the Holocaust - NEVER AGAIN.
13 comments:
So you've switched from parroting one side to parroting the other side, you're saying? That sounds like Horowitz. How about thinking for yourself?
Give it up folk's neither the Right nor Left made any difference in the out come of the war in Viet Nam. The Vietnamese would have fought to the last man to gane their indepndence, just as I believe would have happened during our own fight for independence. Iraq, now that's a different story they dn't have the same determination and will as the Vietnamese.
It's tough enough for combat Viet Nam Vets to get past those days of fright, horror, euphoria and the rush that combat brought. Visit a Vet Center, V.A. Hospital or a Homeless Shelter to know them, those the Viet Nam War has scarred forever. It has nothing to do with who was right or wrong, Right or Left of the issue. What you chest beater's of today should be doing is ensuring the Government isn't cutting vital V.A. programs these Vets and the new combat Vets will need to get on with some semblance of a life. More V.A. money and programs are being cut right from under your selfrighteous noses. Check it out and you'll find out how Nam Vets our now being short changed again 30 years later.
Signed
100% Disabled Viet Nam Vet
2nd guessing; hind sight; monday morning quarter backing; etc. does not excuse the Americans whom in the 60' & 70's failed to backup US soldiers. You can argue against the politicans but curse yourself for not backing the US soldier, sailor, marine, etc. who risked their lives everyday.
If you want to blame anyone for loosing the Vietnam war, blame the government of South Vietnam.
It was their country, it was their war, the United States should never have gotten involved in such a mess.
Americans who died there did not die for "their country", they died for South Vietnman.
I am only glad that some Americans saw the war for the mess it was and chose to avoid it.
it was first and the last time americans saw a war, now they see lights and low sound. It is sad that 2/3 off the world still see the war and its results.
the US MILITARY did not lose that damned VIET NAM war we won out fight CONGRESS and the WHITE HOUSE LOST THE WAR
The U.S. Military DID NOT lose the war. The stupid politicians in Washington DID. If LBJ and his "kitchen cabinet" would have kept their stinking nose out of it and let the military run the war like they should have there would not be a victorious NVA/VC government there now. The only politician who saw thru the mess was John Kennedy. 3 weeks before he was killed, JFK issued an executive order removing all of our troops and advisors out of SVN. LBJ rescinded the order days after JFK was killed. Why? Lady Bird was part owner of SEALAND corp who was used to send a majority of supplies to SVN in ocean containers. Corporate money talks and soldiers lives dont.
The french and Americans broke their promise to let vietnam rule itsself after fighting off the Japanese in WW2.We dont tell the story of how Truman sent battleships to Saigon harbor to protect the French,s return after WW2. in the mid 1940,s Why?We lied about the gulf of tonkin event. We wanted their natural resources like rubber and natural gas and to retain a foothold in southeast asia.fess up America.Soldiers will continue to die for the lies and power trips that are common for all politicians.this will not change anytime soon.let me remind Americans that most of our products we are buying from kmart walmart exc are from a communist country.The poor young dead American soliers would roll over in their graves if they knew this.soliers must accept that they are just pawns.Sad but true .
As one who grew up watching the anti U.S. news in the sixties and was not drafted only because I turned eighteen to late I was relieved not to have to make the choice that so many of my peers had to make.I was very anti war not understanding the implications and went along with the left wing crowd.I see them today for the liars they are/were,and I see the devastation they have wrought around the world in the last 60 years.One need only read Ann Coulter's book,Treason,to find out the truth about the left and how they abandoned allies.Just listen to people like Ted Kennedy to find out what they are about.
we lost a war we should never had gotten into. Johnson, Nixon, Kissinger, and Westmoreland should all get credit for leading a diaster that killed and maimed far too many Americans. Pretending we were right and some how those who tried to say no betrayed the country is just like Hitler trying to spin WWI. The South VietNam Government was no better then the North.
We were fools to get involved in the war in Vietnam. If the idea was to contain Communism, we failed and as it turns out it hardly mattered. What a waste of resources (human, material, financial).
i'm having a hard time getting past the unspeakable ignorance in the first few responses. the first mocks the author's intellectual growth which the commentor hasn't the courage to undertake himself. the second is unintelligable. the third credulously poarrots the lie that the north vietnamese fighting force was comprised of dedicated nationalists fighting for independance. independance from whom?! not the soviets. not china. by '71 the north vietnamese fighhting force was barely more than half vietnamese! the fourth mixes and matches the common lies about vietnam vets being disproportionately homeless and infirmed with contemporary election-year lies about bush cutting v.a. benefits. good fucking lord i've never read such an orgy of banal imbecility!
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