Drafted, I had 2 combat tours in Nam ('72 Rung Sat & '73 Central and North VN) I never viewed what I was doing as regime change. I was focused on doing what I was told and bringing back all my men alive - which I did. The war, as I saw it, was due to some automotive tycoon playing at SECDEF who was trying to win a game of dominoes measur…
Drafted, I had 2 combat tours in Nam ('72 Rung Sat & '73 Central and North VN) I never viewed what I was doing as regime change. I was focused on doing what I was told and bringing back all my men alive - which I did. The war, as I saw it, was due to some automotive tycoon playing at SECDEF who was trying to win a game of dominoes measured in body-counts so the US could later exploit China for profit. Vietnam was just to keep Mao in his place.
I spoke Vietnamese and read up on the culture and history of the place. It was clear from the get-go that Chinese communism was never a true threat to SE Asia. As for Vietnamization, that was about turning over US assets to the locals so we could beat feet out of the country. Both the north & south of Vietnam seemed more interested in turning French colonial capitalism to their own national advantage - which eventually they did.
I don't even want to comment on Bush's shock-n-awe which was as dumber than Nam.
We did "search and destroy" operations in the Iron Triangle, cleared the areas of civilians and moved them to new villages. I was TDY to CIDG, ARVN, even Korean allies - White Horse Div.
Drafted, I had 2 combat tours in Nam ('72 Rung Sat & '73 Central and North VN) I never viewed what I was doing as regime change. I was focused on doing what I was told and bringing back all my men alive - which I did. The war, as I saw it, was due to some automotive tycoon playing at SECDEF who was trying to win a game of dominoes measured in body-counts so the US could later exploit China for profit. Vietnam was just to keep Mao in his place.
I spoke Vietnamese and read up on the culture and history of the place. It was clear from the get-go that Chinese communism was never a true threat to SE Asia. As for Vietnamization, that was about turning over US assets to the locals so we could beat feet out of the country. Both the north & south of Vietnam seemed more interested in turning French colonial capitalism to their own national advantage - which eventually they did.
I don't even want to comment on Bush's shock-n-awe which was as dumber than Nam.
Tsoi oi.
We did "search and destroy" operations in the Iron Triangle, cleared the areas of civilians and moved them to new villages. I was TDY to CIDG, ARVN, even Korean allies - White Horse Div.