SFEngr
07-28-2004, 07:49 AM
Gang,
A 16-year old high schooler saw my name on the Vietnam Wall msg boards and asked me some interesting questions. *I thought I'd share my responses with you, considering the nature of the curent election:
Q- The other site you recommended really informed me of how complex and enigmatic (to me, anyways) the Vietnam War was. *I enjoyed reading the stories of Vietnam vets. *One veteran wrote: "All but the brain-dead among them knew that it was a bad, unwinnable war that had no military objective." *
Guuuud Morning Natalie,
The quote you had in your email reflects the fact that there were two types of units fighting the war in Vietnam. *
Large Unit War: *Those in the large units such as the 1st Division (big red one) were comprised of young men often leading even younger men into combat. *Their experiences were often the first worldly impact they had after leaving the comfort of Mom and high school. *It left a lot traumatized by this experience and often lead to PTSD. *
Advisory War: *The "other" war was fought by military advisors such as the Special Forces (Green Berets) and others assigned individually to South Vietnamese Army /Navy/Air force units under the overall control of MACV. *These men were older and had the maturity to absorb some of the trauma associated with combat. *There are several sites I often refer people to for that war is at the following urls: *
SF Teamhouse: *teamhouse.tni.net
Set the record straight: *http://www.thebattleofkontu m.com/
Joe Galloway's site : http://www.weweresoldiers.n et/
An Airforce site: *http://airwarvietnam.com/faccovey264a.htm
It describes a SOG mission that went sour. *Special Studies and Observation Group (SOG) was comprised strictly of volunteers from all the services - mainly Army SF, but included Navy SEALs, Marine RECON and Air force Commandos (Blue Berets).
Also two other Airforce sites: *http://home.att.net/~coveyintel/Memoir5.htm
and: FACs " *http://airwarvietnam.com/facs.htm
Bird Dog (FAC) Songs:
http://members.tripod.com/chancefac/Books_Page/songs_of_the_o.htm
There is another site that may give you a better perspective and is being coordinated with some high school students as a project. *It's a project called, "The Long Way Home." *
Its url : *http://www.thebattleofkontu m.com/strs/index.html
This is the "Home" site to the other Kontum url.
Q-I can't understand this. *There was an objective: the US and South Vietnam tried to prevent North Vietnam from unifying both halves of Vietnam under communist leadership.
Correct! * Only, the left leaning Liberal fringe called it a civil war. *In a civil war, you had a country such as ours that fought to keep the union. *It may be subtle, but the essence of the Communist takeover of South Vietnam was considered to be part of an overall plan by the Soviet Union and Red China to dominate the world. *No Liberal-minded individual wants to discuss the fact that this “conflict” was part of the “Cold War” – it won’t fit in their picture of the world. *Yes, I’m conservative; but, it is for that very reason, I have seen the world first-person and understand what we are facing. *
On the small stage, as seen by the Liberals, it was a civil war; however, those of us that had studied the political nature of the war and seen it first hand during our tours in-country knew differently. * There were Russian and Chinese advisors at all levels helping the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). *The majority were actually running antiaircraft batteries, radio communication and some were actually flying combat aircraft (MIGs) against us.
As a damn Yankee from the NE, common sense is part of my upbringing and it’s hard for me to understand the misconceptions of reality that are espoused by the Liberal mindset. *Go to any Liberal Arts college like Oberlin and you’ll see what I mean – It’s called the “Ivory Tower syndrome, or best stated – out-of –touch with reality around them. *They have been shielded for so long in that environment that they forget the world is fraught with evil people that don’t like us simply because we are doing better than they are….It’s very simple to understand – isn’t it? *I think so! *It’s called jealousy, and you see it here on a small scale every day!
Q-I heard some say that the "war" in Iraq is the next Vietnam. *How can the situation in Iraq compare to 58,000 American soldiers having died, along with at least 3 million Vietnamese dead, including innocent civilians? *
In every war, someone tries to compare it to the previous one. *The only similarity is that we have a group of "insurgents" that are trying to prevent the Iraqis from instituting a democratic government. *Similar in some respects, but different. * The similarity may increase if the Liberal press continues to provide a negative spin on current events as they unfold in Iraq.
Q-Have you seen the movie Fahrenheit 9/11?
No - And I do not think I will. *I have read the previews and seen the film clips. *It is basically a propaganda file that slants way to the Left and has many distorted facts. * It reminds me of the films that Goebbles developed for Hitler in WW II. *Clips of the President at his ranch in Texas are shown prominently with a hint that he was always on vacation. *The same can be said of Clinton going to Camp David in Maryland. * The difference - none - It's perception - a strong propaganda tool....Both Presidents were in constant contact with their administrations by multiple means. *That fact is not part of the documentary, but a propaganda film by Moore.
Q-One recurrent topic on one of the websites was post-traumatic stress disorder. *Are you haunted by your experiences in Vietnam?
At times when I see the current state of the Country, I get really "pissed" at the antiwar crowd, but no PTSD like you see in some of the documentaries. *I have more anger against the protesters that have a naive understanding of the world and its political nature than I do about the actual war.
I was 25 when I went overseas, had been to college and lived in a Fraternity, and because I was in ROTC and had no fear of the draft - I had volunteered for the Army, so they let me complete my education. *So many of the young guys that went in were draftees and had no other experiences than high school.
You have to understand that every time we came back to the world and everywhere we went in the uniform, which we were damn proud to wear, we were assaulted by these protesters. *In every type of location from airports, train stations, busses, we were told to our faces that the war was wrong and we were baby killers and worst. *Can you imagine the impact it had on our morale? *
Can you imagine a soldier not much older than you being told to his face that he committed atrocities? Here is a guy that had just come back from seeing his buddies killed or wounded in combat and all he wanted was to get a warm greeting and see what had changed in his part of America. *To be greeted in this fashion was not only un-American, it was criminal. *Did they punish any of these b*astards - no! The Liberals in government looked the other way and called it a right of free speech. *
Who stuck up for the soldiers rights? *Nobody!
Who defended the rights of the protesters - the soldier in uniform.
I had one scraggy protester try to grab my green beret off my head in the San Francisco airport when I came back from Okinawa in 1970. *I proceeded to lock back his arm and break it at the elbow. *He's screaming that I assaulted him, but a police security guard saw the whole thing and while they got a first aid team for the dufus, they simply told me to "get lost." *And, I did!
It's interesting that the protesters are the first to start something, and when they get in trouble because they have pushed way too many buttons, they are the first to cry for the cops! *The mentality of these idgits is troubling at best.
This is the reason why Gunboat Kerry should NEVER be allowed to enter the White House - he was a rabid antiwar protester after a very brief Naval career that had suspicious awards for "gallantry"
Look at the following url site to understand the depth of his deception: *
http://www.vietnamveteransa gainstjohnkerry.org/
I think I'll end this long-winded monologue by thanking you for the opportunity to let it all hang out. *It's been a loonnnngg while since I have put "pen to paper" on this issue, about something that was part of my life for three years on active duty and another five years in the SF reserves (NG unit in Rhode Island).
In answer to your question about PTSD earlier - it's therapeutic to talk and write about something that may haunt you - it gets it in the open so everyone can understand why it hurts to talk about the memories. *
Duty, Honor, Country are not just words to me, as the latest “Army of One” ADD indicates. *They remind me of the commissioning Oath I took when I received my bars as a 2nd Lieutenant. *"… to faithfully serve and direct those under me in the completion of my assigned duties." *The officer’s Oath has slightly different wording than the enlisted Oath because we were responsible to direct the enlisted soldier in completion of whatever mission that that Congress an the President deemed necessary to perform.
Regards, CPT Walter F. Emerson - a proud Vietnam Veteran who served his Country.
http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/flag17.gif
A 16-year old high schooler saw my name on the Vietnam Wall msg boards and asked me some interesting questions. *I thought I'd share my responses with you, considering the nature of the curent election:
Q- The other site you recommended really informed me of how complex and enigmatic (to me, anyways) the Vietnam War was. *I enjoyed reading the stories of Vietnam vets. *One veteran wrote: "All but the brain-dead among them knew that it was a bad, unwinnable war that had no military objective." *
Guuuud Morning Natalie,
The quote you had in your email reflects the fact that there were two types of units fighting the war in Vietnam. *
Large Unit War: *Those in the large units such as the 1st Division (big red one) were comprised of young men often leading even younger men into combat. *Their experiences were often the first worldly impact they had after leaving the comfort of Mom and high school. *It left a lot traumatized by this experience and often lead to PTSD. *
Advisory War: *The "other" war was fought by military advisors such as the Special Forces (Green Berets) and others assigned individually to South Vietnamese Army /Navy/Air force units under the overall control of MACV. *These men were older and had the maturity to absorb some of the trauma associated with combat. *There are several sites I often refer people to for that war is at the following urls: *
SF Teamhouse: *teamhouse.tni.net
Set the record straight: *http://www.thebattleofkontu m.com/
Joe Galloway's site : http://www.weweresoldiers.n et/
An Airforce site: *http://airwarvietnam.com/faccovey264a.htm
It describes a SOG mission that went sour. *Special Studies and Observation Group (SOG) was comprised strictly of volunteers from all the services - mainly Army SF, but included Navy SEALs, Marine RECON and Air force Commandos (Blue Berets).
Also two other Airforce sites: *http://home.att.net/~coveyintel/Memoir5.htm
and: FACs " *http://airwarvietnam.com/facs.htm
Bird Dog (FAC) Songs:
http://members.tripod.com/chancefac/Books_Page/songs_of_the_o.htm
There is another site that may give you a better perspective and is being coordinated with some high school students as a project. *It's a project called, "The Long Way Home." *
Its url : *http://www.thebattleofkontu m.com/strs/index.html
This is the "Home" site to the other Kontum url.
Q-I can't understand this. *There was an objective: the US and South Vietnam tried to prevent North Vietnam from unifying both halves of Vietnam under communist leadership.
Correct! * Only, the left leaning Liberal fringe called it a civil war. *In a civil war, you had a country such as ours that fought to keep the union. *It may be subtle, but the essence of the Communist takeover of South Vietnam was considered to be part of an overall plan by the Soviet Union and Red China to dominate the world. *No Liberal-minded individual wants to discuss the fact that this “conflict” was part of the “Cold War” – it won’t fit in their picture of the world. *Yes, I’m conservative; but, it is for that very reason, I have seen the world first-person and understand what we are facing. *
On the small stage, as seen by the Liberals, it was a civil war; however, those of us that had studied the political nature of the war and seen it first hand during our tours in-country knew differently. * There were Russian and Chinese advisors at all levels helping the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). *The majority were actually running antiaircraft batteries, radio communication and some were actually flying combat aircraft (MIGs) against us.
As a damn Yankee from the NE, common sense is part of my upbringing and it’s hard for me to understand the misconceptions of reality that are espoused by the Liberal mindset. *Go to any Liberal Arts college like Oberlin and you’ll see what I mean – It’s called the “Ivory Tower syndrome, or best stated – out-of –touch with reality around them. *They have been shielded for so long in that environment that they forget the world is fraught with evil people that don’t like us simply because we are doing better than they are….It’s very simple to understand – isn’t it? *I think so! *It’s called jealousy, and you see it here on a small scale every day!
Q-I heard some say that the "war" in Iraq is the next Vietnam. *How can the situation in Iraq compare to 58,000 American soldiers having died, along with at least 3 million Vietnamese dead, including innocent civilians? *
In every war, someone tries to compare it to the previous one. *The only similarity is that we have a group of "insurgents" that are trying to prevent the Iraqis from instituting a democratic government. *Similar in some respects, but different. * The similarity may increase if the Liberal press continues to provide a negative spin on current events as they unfold in Iraq.
Q-Have you seen the movie Fahrenheit 9/11?
No - And I do not think I will. *I have read the previews and seen the film clips. *It is basically a propaganda file that slants way to the Left and has many distorted facts. * It reminds me of the films that Goebbles developed for Hitler in WW II. *Clips of the President at his ranch in Texas are shown prominently with a hint that he was always on vacation. *The same can be said of Clinton going to Camp David in Maryland. * The difference - none - It's perception - a strong propaganda tool....Both Presidents were in constant contact with their administrations by multiple means. *That fact is not part of the documentary, but a propaganda film by Moore.
Q-One recurrent topic on one of the websites was post-traumatic stress disorder. *Are you haunted by your experiences in Vietnam?
At times when I see the current state of the Country, I get really "pissed" at the antiwar crowd, but no PTSD like you see in some of the documentaries. *I have more anger against the protesters that have a naive understanding of the world and its political nature than I do about the actual war.
I was 25 when I went overseas, had been to college and lived in a Fraternity, and because I was in ROTC and had no fear of the draft - I had volunteered for the Army, so they let me complete my education. *So many of the young guys that went in were draftees and had no other experiences than high school.
You have to understand that every time we came back to the world and everywhere we went in the uniform, which we were damn proud to wear, we were assaulted by these protesters. *In every type of location from airports, train stations, busses, we were told to our faces that the war was wrong and we were baby killers and worst. *Can you imagine the impact it had on our morale? *
Can you imagine a soldier not much older than you being told to his face that he committed atrocities? Here is a guy that had just come back from seeing his buddies killed or wounded in combat and all he wanted was to get a warm greeting and see what had changed in his part of America. *To be greeted in this fashion was not only un-American, it was criminal. *Did they punish any of these b*astards - no! The Liberals in government looked the other way and called it a right of free speech. *
Who stuck up for the soldiers rights? *Nobody!
Who defended the rights of the protesters - the soldier in uniform.
I had one scraggy protester try to grab my green beret off my head in the San Francisco airport when I came back from Okinawa in 1970. *I proceeded to lock back his arm and break it at the elbow. *He's screaming that I assaulted him, but a police security guard saw the whole thing and while they got a first aid team for the dufus, they simply told me to "get lost." *And, I did!
It's interesting that the protesters are the first to start something, and when they get in trouble because they have pushed way too many buttons, they are the first to cry for the cops! *The mentality of these idgits is troubling at best.
This is the reason why Gunboat Kerry should NEVER be allowed to enter the White House - he was a rabid antiwar protester after a very brief Naval career that had suspicious awards for "gallantry"
Look at the following url site to understand the depth of his deception: *
http://www.vietnamveteransa gainstjohnkerry.org/
I think I'll end this long-winded monologue by thanking you for the opportunity to let it all hang out. *It's been a loonnnngg while since I have put "pen to paper" on this issue, about something that was part of my life for three years on active duty and another five years in the SF reserves (NG unit in Rhode Island).
In answer to your question about PTSD earlier - it's therapeutic to talk and write about something that may haunt you - it gets it in the open so everyone can understand why it hurts to talk about the memories. *
Duty, Honor, Country are not just words to me, as the latest “Army of One” ADD indicates. *They remind me of the commissioning Oath I took when I received my bars as a 2nd Lieutenant. *"… to faithfully serve and direct those under me in the completion of my assigned duties." *The officer’s Oath has slightly different wording than the enlisted Oath because we were responsible to direct the enlisted soldier in completion of whatever mission that that Congress an the President deemed necessary to perform.
Regards, CPT Walter F. Emerson - a proud Vietnam Veteran who served his Country.
http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/flag17.gif