Free Republic

I would rather pay money to go to the dark side of hell with people like Sgt. Luom than receive a fortune go to Elysian Fields with bill clinton or other shallow, soul-less weasels such as he. You're right about firepower. In addition there must be a worthy cause, and one that is clearly, emphatically, passionately, and relentlessly expounded in public discourse. This was not done in Viet Nam, and is not being done now in Iraq or Afghanistan. A virulent stupid virus has infected this country. It's adverse implications will be felt, and suffered, far beyond what most people imagine.

The "tank man" deserves all credit for being an inspirational human being possessing both a backbone and a conscience, and willing to use both. Too bad the world doesn't know about another "tank man," Republic of Viet Nam Marine Sergeant Huynh Van Luom. During Hanoi's 1972 blitzkrieg offensive an NVA armor column was about to cross the Dong Ha bridge. Had it crossed the river (a la "Saving Private Ryan" final scene) Hue, Da Nang and all of Military Region I would have been in jeopardy. Sgt. Luom stood on the Dong Ha bridge, faced down the lead NVA tank which was not about to stop, and disabled it with M-72 LAW antitank missle. No reporters were there. Sgt. Luom's act was one of incredible defiant courage; he was at far more risk than the Tiananmen "tank man," yet he remains unknown to the poorly informed US public.
The injustice in all this is disgusting.

Wow!!! Is history every upside down!! Fact: the former Saigon government instituted a land reform program in 1970 that distributed-FREE-about 2,500,000 acres of rice land to about 800,000 formerly landless tenant farmers. Land tenancy rates went from about 60% to 10% in the Mekong Delta. The communists talked a good 'land reform' program but it was a hoax and cadre were told never, EVER, tell the people about collectivizing land. Why? It will make farmers mad that's why. Both rice acreage and rice production increased between 1965-1975 in S. Viet Nam. After the Hanoi idiots took over rice production plunged, and never equalled 1975 totals until 1985, after which severe malnutrition created high infant mortality rates. The myth that Hanoi-or Mao Tse-tug-or Lenin-"gave land to the peasants is whole cloth monumental deceipt. The opposite occurred. Guess what? I was a dove before I went to Viet Nam, the first time, and became what some would call a "hawk." Why? Easy, the communists are ruthless, lying idiots. Always were, still are.