Do you think our final exit from Vietnam was a "breach of faith?"

Personally I believe that America's soldiers were sold down the river right from the first day of "The Vietnam Affair".

It is rather difficult to justify supporting the re-imposition of an European, Catholic, colonial regime on an Asiatic, non-Catholic, country and to do so in the names of "Freedom", "Democracy" and "Liberty" - but the US government did it.

It is rather difficult to claim that cancelling an election which you had already agreed to - simply because you were well aware that the people you wanted to win were going to get their clocks cleaned is "Upholding International Law" - but the US government did it.

It is rather difficult to say that supporting a bunch of venal, corrupt, murderous, thugs is "Fighting For The Rights Of The People" - but the US government did it.

Of course, lying about being attacked and ignoring the findings of your own intelligence apparatus simply because telling the truth and taking the findings of the people you are paying to tell you the real facts wouldn't let you do what you wanted to do isn't likely to win you any friends either - but the US government did that too.

If the US government had accepted what its own experts were telling it back in 1945 there would never have been a Vietnam War and the Vietnamese (even though under a "Communist" government) would be conducting a thriving trading relationship with the United States of America right now. As it is, there was a Vietnam War and the Vietnamese (even though under a "Communist" government) is conducting a thriving trading relationship with the United States of America right now.

The difference - about 282,000 "Allied" military deaths, about 444,000 "Communist" military deaths, and about 587,000 "civilian" deaths.

COL Charles Williams, The breach of faith with Vietnam demonstrated America's 'lack of will" as evidenced by Congress failing to appropriate additional funding.

Allowing peace protests created that 'lack of will'.

The current situation in Baltimore is another demonstrated lack of will!

The military requires that someone be in charge! Our Nation and all of our Nation's government agencies need someone to be in charge. Until leaders across the Nation accept the responsibilities of protecting citizens rights, life, liberty and property we have a problem.

I personally feel that while peoples 'rights' are mandatory; respect for the rights of others should be sacrosanct and that; any and all who demand "their rights" should forcibly be compelled to observe the rights of others.

We were there to keep the South Vietnamese free, Nixon was all about "Peace with honor" something he failed to achieve on both counts. We bailed out on people we were trying to help, no honor there. Peace, well how long did it take for Saigon to be subjugated by the north? The war continued after we bailed out.

The war may have been lost, but it was not the fault of the soldiers who fought and died there defending the freedom of those oppressed. This was not only a slap in the face to not only the Vietnamese but to the Hmong and the Degar, aka the Montagnard as well.

I also was 13 when this happened, and I distinctly remember my father's reaction to this "withdrawal". He was absolutely livid. So many lives wasted both young draftees and older senior NCO's. Why? That is something we can only speculate about, the absolute truth may eventually come out, but I doubt it.

I know this is a touchy subject and may evoke strong feelings but I would like to invite some of my contacts in on this.

So how about it
SSgt (Join to see), SSG William Patton.