 From a Chaplain's Memoirs
Present day Vietnam, is in many ways, more kind to America, as a former enemy, than many friends. The Vietnamese call the war the American War, as opposed to the French or the Japanese War. In 1965, we sent 100,000 combat troops to Saigon.
Our reasons were laudable-to save a nation from a communist takeover. It jumped up and bit us in the posterior. We didn't' have a clue as to how corrupt the government was that we committed ourselves to save. And, our miscalculation moved a civil war to a war against yankee imperialism. I've been amazed at how the Vietnamese have not harbored any feelings of resentment. That might be because many of their relatives are in the United States. The Vietnamese, regardless of the route, have come to America more than any other immigrant group and have embraced the culture.
I was once a member of a group of Vietnam Veterans in an organization called The Vietnam Veterans Southeast Asian Children's Project. It was a nonprofit primarily to raise money to assist Vietnamese youngsters in their educational pursuits. With a special look at Amerasian kids--those youngster born from the liaison of an American soldier and Vietnamese more likely having occurred in the back of a bar as opposed to a 49 Ford.
Surprisingly, there really weren't all that many liaisons overall, compared to the number of GIs in country, 550,000. And, not even that many weddings. The American military made the process very complicated and it took a long time and very few combat soldiers in particular, even if they found someone, couldn't accomplish it. It is hard to cultivate love and incubate it when you're trying to kill them.
The idea behind the Vietnam Veterans Southeast Asian Children's Project was that many Vietnam Veterans had some measure of guilt about Vietnam, regardless of the direction it might take. My own personal guilt was in abandoning the Vietnamese. We made promises and simply didn't keep them.
Fortunately, we were smart enough to make some special preparations for many of our former Vietnamese allies finding their way to our shores and supporting those who were here. In fact, we have many heroic and tireless efforts of Vietnam Vets assisting immigrant Vietnamese groups. And, in retrospect, we as a government did a pretty good job, aided of course by many organizations and Churches. Let's put our hands together for this effort, Way to go
Our organization, The Vietnam Veterans Southeast Asian Childrens Project, didn't last because it didn't take long for us to realize that of all the immigrant groups, the one that needed the least amount of help, were the Vietnamese. Every Vietnamese kid in American already had two paper routes and came to the country speaking no English and six months later could speak English better than many Americans. Plus, by in large, the family values of the Vietnamese reinforced old time American values like hard work, study, and recognizing who is in charge, i.e., parents. An aside is wondering why other immigrant groups have not done as well. I think one simple observation is that the Vietnamese not only assimilated into the American culture but they came to see themselves as Americans early on. Whereas, other immigrant groups like Latin Americans often don't identify as Americans but as a rule, their hearts remain in their native country and they are just waiting for the day when they can return.
The Vietnamese in Vietnam appear to have moved on from the war. They want to better themselves, live a full life and get smarter. We formalized a new trade agreement, making us partners in more than one way. It will normalize trade relations, removing Vietnam from the list of rogue nations that includes North Korea, Libya and Iraq. The US will reduce tariffs on Vietnamese goods, while Vietnam will ease access to its market for American manufacturers and investors. And it toughens the protection of intellectual property according to those who know.
The modern day Vietnamese are a young, hard working, well-educated workforce. The only thing we might want to do is stay away from those Vietnamese tailors. I will never forget when I was leaving Vietnam, I got one of the tailors to make a couple of suits--leisure suits were in fashion. He did a great job and I was duly proud.
When I got back to the states, one morning I was putting one on and it simply fell apart--the threads disintegrated. Forget the suit, over the years I've told many a good story about my falling apart suits. It was worth it-the suit story, not my tour in Vietnam.
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E-MAIL: A PROMISE IS A PROMISE - FROM: K.T.
----NEW----
Of all the bad decisions that I think Bush has made, the breaking of his promise (obviously, we know he didn't do it but followed the advice of the Pentagon planners) for the return of the 21,000 soldiers in Iraq IS THE WORST. Very simply, because of poor planning and politics- the soldier is having to suffer. If we had the numbers of troops over there we needed, then we wouldn't have to do this. Again, another example of "nothing is too good for the troops and that is what they get, nothing."
Think back to Vietnam days and how much the DEROS meant. We looked forward to it, counted it down, all the funny calendars, marking off the days. It was what kept us going? I was extended in Korea for a month and it was devastating. Wow.
Why would soldiers trust the military again? If it was something like in WW11 and the duration plus six, it would be understandable but first of all, major miscalculations of the war in general. What did Bush and Rumsfeld think the Muslims were going to do. They certainly weren't going to welcome us with open arms. Give me a break!
What it smacks of is a total disregard for soldiers. All of us understand the needs of the military, mission first, all of that but in this case, it is lack of planning and Rumsfeld operating with his head up the fourth point of contact. (for non-airborne types that means your head up your ass.) I know you guys will defend Bush at all costs but I don't really see how you cannot see that this is screwed up. It just seems to be one misstep after another.
Militarily, I can understand keeping experienced troops in Iraq amidst the increased enemy hostility, over 100 killed this month alone, but mainly it is a screw up on the part of the military planners. I mean, how can the soldier trust what they say again. We are already stretched so thin. What to do! I also think that the Generals simply have been playing the game, "Well, the president doesn't want additional troops and so let's say we don't need them."
I think we are reaching a critical point where decisions have to be made about getting out regardless. I never thought Iraq would do Bush in, but I'm beginning to think more and more it might. We don't seem to have a plan and just to continue to do what we're doing isn't working. Forget all the stupid things and a question I read often is: "Do the Iraqis want a democracy anyway?" I don't think so! Think about it- the Muslim clerics would have lots to lose if Iraq were to become a true democracy.
I don't know what but I absolutely don't see what we can do. I don't want to be sitting around wringing my hands, but don't know what else to do. What I do know is, "A promise is a promise." -Kelly Thomas
RE: A PROMISE IS A PROMISE - FROM MARTIN
Consider another perspective. Perhaps we are seeing the downside of rotating units in a very short time and replacing them in units almost totally lacking of combat experiences and senses.
Never have war plans been so public as they have been for this war. Surely, the enemy saw what was coming and chose this Spring precisely to take advantage of our public war planning. I would have, and I'd have been recruiting and stockpiling, etc., while continuing low-intensity, limited operations to deceive my foes into miscalculations. I suspect thinking of this sort was involved and that adjustment to the rotation plan is our necessary response.
I think our leaders' greatest failing is that they read the lessons learned, but failed to include sections on lessons applied, like don't assume our thinking process and values mean the same thing to those we fight. I believe the extensions, though they are hard on morale, are necessary and that future rotations will see significantly more overlap; and that this is in the best interest of the solders, though they may not really understand the changes nor like them.Just my thoughts on your comments.
Martin, Vietnam class of 68-69
E-MAIL: MARTIN'S FRIEND RODGER
(A PROMISE IS A PROMISE)
In my observation, Kelly's observation is from the heart, and your observation is on the money.
Extended tours for combat units in-country, once they face up to the fact that this stuff happens to soldiers, may result in heightened efficiency and less casualties than rotating new, untested units or replacements into the battle area.
And thank God the Army learned the lessons of Vietnam in one respect: they're replacing entire units, instead of rotating men as individual replacements. In my first tour in Vietnam, I was deployed to Vietnam on zero notice with my platoon during Tet 68 with 2d Bn 505th Airborne; most of the men in our 3d Brigade 82d Airborne already had one or two tours behind them and didn't expect to go back to Vietnam.
Rumors abounded that we would be withdrawn as soon as the fighting (e.g., Tet) died down, etc., but when we realized we would be there for the full tour, everyone settled down and things smoothed out.
Best regards,
Roger, Vietnam class of 68/69
E-MAIL: FROM KT(KELLY THOMAS RESPONSE TO MARTIN)
Martin and Roger, good comments and as good as mine for sure. The last thing I would want to do is debate Iraq with two guys who know more than me. Although I am a Democrat, mainly because of my Dad's memory, I never pay any attention to parties and vote for whoever I think is best for the country.
I like George W. personally, but think he has surrounded himself with a bunch of crooks and I do think you guys give the military planners way too much credit. The guys on the ground are doing a great job under unbelievably difficult circumstances. And, the war they're fighting is the worst kind of war: an urban, guerilla war. Awful and the repercussions on many of these guys I think is going to be hell for years to come.
We're in a mess with no good ending I fear. I simply see no real possibilities. When you are dealing with the mentality of the Arabs/Muslims, nothing short of our destruction will work. I'm not sure there are any moderate Muslims personally. I think both of you are right that we did learn some things from Vietnam but not enough.
All our good intentions can't handle a bunch of fanatics bent on our destruction.
It is never ending. And, unfortunately, good tactics and rotation plans won't take care of it either.
Kelly
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