Do any Veterans see any similarities between the Iraq War and the Vietnam War?

I watched Restrepo and Korengal.
I assume that this was a pretty accurate representation of life out in Indian Country.
Outside of the geography and uniforms it was a total flash-back to '68.

That's an interesting question. Over the past few months, I have been re-reading several of the books I read as a young officer and before I deployed overseas. You can definitely see a lot of parallels between Army leadership in Vietnam and in Iraq and Afghanistan. A big difference is the quality of the enlisted Soldiers and the training but there are a lot of similarities. Another parallel that I have seen is between the sides we supported in all three conflicts and the enemy we faced. In Vietnam, the RVN forces had poor, corrupt leadership while the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces were driven to succeed. That is similar to the Afghan Security forces and the Taliban.

There are similarities between the guerrilla warfare tactics of Vietnam and many other conflicts to include Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and the next country in the middle east to be named. One thing that always stands as a commonality is the valor which all US service members served. Luckily, there are some differences, like not being nearly as political driven as Vietnam. The measure of success has not been the body bag count but the target objective.

A heartfelt thank you to all Vietnam Veterans for showing my generation true sacrifice. I came home whole, 50 years later and it's still evident my dad left a big piece of himself in Vietnam.

I can only assume. But, I feel both wars didn't have the support of the American people. Both wars mission was not clear to people at home and the people fighting. Both soldiers suffer extreme PSTD. I could go on. I am assuming mind you. I was in OIF II and never served in Vietnam.

Aside from losing popularity among the people and then putting pressure on the government to back out, fighting an unconventional war and not being able to do the job in its entirety..... No I don't see many similarities.

Both were fought through unconventional methods.....as well as dealing with insurgency.

Vietnam, not so much. Operations resembled the Philippine Insurrection a bit more die to the varied carrot/stick approach.

NO. War is war and politics will never change. But, compare the aftermath. Vietnam, we treated veterans like crap. That did not stop that generation on improving the military. Let's see in 40 years.

Ok... I'm going to dissent.

We invaded Iraq, defeated the resident standing Army and took out the standing government. We went into South Vietnam as advisors... on behalf of the South Vietnam government. This was of course after the french left. It then escalated from Low intensity to medium intensity conflict. We finally left because its hard to help a government that really doesnt want to govern nor help itself. The last part resonates with Iraq to me as a similarity.

In Iraq we then attempted to execute what we had done with Germany.... A Marshall Type plan if you will... And then it went to hell! No argument from me... That failed. Over the last half dozen years there have been numerous groups that have been insurgent in the country... The latest is ISIS. They are having sucess... But they are not all Iraqi... They are from all over the place.

Our involvement in Vietnam was to help stabilize (bail out\rescue) their government and train the South Vietnamese Army to stop the Communist Norths desire to unite as a one Communist Vietnam. The Truman Doctrine if you will. This was a Vietnamese vs Vietnamese civil war... Lets be honest with this. Yes they were being supplied by communist countries.... But we were doing the same thing all pver the wirld also. We did managed to beat the NVA in almost every engagement; however, when it became a guerilla, or lttle war (termed in the Napolianic War on thr Iberian Penisula.... And actual spanish for "small war") and an insurgency.... It gets really hard to fight that type if war.... Especially when the countries government does little to help... This point is true through history. The Greek City State wars are a great example.

Here is the last point I'll make. In, I believe 1954, GEN Max Taylor said.... Don't become involved in a conflict on the Asian land mass... This was of course after Korea.... Three times since... Probably six if you count some of the insurgents we have helped over the years... We have failed to listen to this advice. On each occasion this has not worked out well. Maybe its time that our Government leaders take heed to that counsel? Before we try to "help"... If we want to destroy and depart.... Cool... The American Military can annilate any force on the planet... There might not be a planet left afterwards... But we could. We are not nation builders on the asian land mass... But then neither was Alexander the Great.

My 2 cents

More like Germany and Hitler but we where allowed to see it all the way threw