Although not as bad as the preceding year, 1969 saw some of the worst fighting in the Vietnam War. Arriving at the University of Texas that year, I immediately joined the anti-war movement and was surprised to find many veterans on the picket lines and in the marches. They knew better than anyone what a complete waste the whole thing was. I hope the two men above made it home OK.
Le soleil sombre du Viet Nam jette son ombre sur la France et l’Amérique. :(
ReplyDeleteWe should have learned a lesson from you French.
DeleteWe French should have learned from our own lessons, one country cannot determine the fate of another country, that has to be left to their own citizens.
DeleteYou Yanks should have listened to the Aussie’s about guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency. They helped Britain deal with and put down insurgencies in Burma and Malaya with great success.
ReplyDeleteYou Yanks went into too big with men and firepower, as the Aussies tried to advise your military command to go small and stealthy. Of course the main obstacles were the very corrupt regimes of South Viet Nam, and the shear willpower of North Viet Nam. 🇬🇧
Our politicians biggest mistake was getting involved in the first place. Then they lied to us about a lot of things.
DeleteThat is still happening today. You all need to keep a certain person from regaining power.
DeleteI'm doing my bit, and I've even convinced one of my cousins in Texas to vote for Harris.
DeleteI was in the Navy doing shore bombardment in Vietnam; during that, and other battles, I experienced the travesty of war first hand. I tried to explain that via letter to my father, who had never served. He called me basically a fool and a traitor.
ReplyDeleteThe peace treaty had been signed before I got out, otherwise I would have joined the anti-war movement. I did join it with other veterans in the Gulf War.
The Portland, OR, police were notorious back then for their anti-demonstration garbage — like riding horses directly into peaceful demonstrators. However, they learned their lesson with the veterans — they marched right through the horses and towards their goal.
SB Dan
I was active in the anti-war movement as a college student in Austin. The most fearless protestors were the Vets, the VVAW men. LIke you say, nothing would stop them.
DeleteClarification: The veterans marched right through the police and their horses.
ReplyDeleteSB Dan.