The truth about Viet Nam, and life there today.

Self Researched. | Oct 2002 | Exton

[Exton1]

The truth about Viet Nam, and life there today.

Exton

I have been to Viet Nam twice in the last two years. In fact I went with the son of someone who for a short period of time was the highest ranking representative of the South. The dirty truth is that we actually won the war MILITARILY and lost it due to politics and lies of the communist press here in the states. Walter Cronkite, a proclaimed communist, lied when he said after the “Tet Offensive” that we were in a quagmire. The truth is that we had just destroyed the Viet Cong. They spent several years and all they had at us, and we kicked their butts. In fact the communist were surprised that we did not declare victory then.

The US killed so many men during the war that women had to fight. Even today the ratio of women to men is about 5 to 1. (Many families sent their boys out of the country to work so they could send money home) In fact the country almost had mass starvation, due to the war and the stupidity of the Communist leadership. It was not until about 5 years ago that they have had enough rice and goods to export.

What happened is that the last leader of the South was a communist who basically gave the country to the North. The North Communist had estimated that it would take 3 to 5 years to take over the South. Because of the action of the South’s president, the Communists met little if any resistance and took the country in about 3 months. What is also not widely known is that Nixon’s Christmas bombing almost won the war. The communist leader in Hanoi, said that had the bombing continued for a day or two longer they WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP UNCONDITIONALLY.

In addition , the Wall Street Journal had an article about 8 years ago that talk brought up the “Domino Effect.” Because we fought the war for about 10 years, this gave surrounding countries the time they needed to become DEMOCRACIES. People in countries like Thailand, give us credit for wining the war and stopping the spread of communism.

The lesson of Viet Nam is that, you do not go to war with a country unless you plan to finish the job and win. Once we were committed we should have stayed and finished the job. And that we should always support our troops and explain to the public why we are fighting.

In addition, it has been pointed out that America ONLY spent about one or two hour total explaining to the GI’s why they were fighting. This compared to the Communist who spent nearly 4 hours a day, every day explaining to its solders why they were fighting. They told their soldiers that as poor as they were, the South was worse, because of US Imperialism the South did not even have bowls for their rice. That there was mass starvation and poverty. With stories like this many soldiers felt that their was great need to fight. So many were extremely surprised to find that it was all a lie, and that the South lived in luxury compared to them. Many said if they had known the truth they would have not fought or changed sides.

If you go to Viet Nam today you will find that the people love America and much of our culture. With the exception of the Government run War Museums, you will think the West won. Viet Nam has discos and night clubs where they sing American Songs, dress in American style clothes, and use cell phones. Although it always helps to be with someone who speaks the language, more people are learning English in Viet Nam then at any time in the past.

However, the county is very poor and change is slow because the old jungle fighters run the country, and they are extremely greedy. The average income is about $80.00 per month. When I was there I read a story about a family of four or five who got by on about $1,200 a year. The populace are fairly intelligent and realize that if they are to grow they have to get rid of Communist rule. Even though the government has repressed anti-government talk. It will only be a matter of time before even they ended up on the ash heap of history.

[Exton1]

I can write more if you want. Let me know

[RLK]

What is also not widely known is that Nixon’s Christmas bombing almost won the war. The communist leader in Hanoi, said that had the bombing continued for a day or two longer they WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP UNCONDITIONALLY.

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This has been known for years among those of us who have studied military science and tactics. The British general who wiped out the communists in the Malay Penninsula said that within two more weeks of boming, Hanoi would have thrown in the towel. But, at the time, the leftists in congress aided by the leftists in the media, stopped Nixon from doing it.

[KantianBurke]

bump

[RLK]

Because of the action of the South’s president, the Communists met little if any resistance and took the country in about 3 months.

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Sorry, not so. The North had gathered together a number of concentrated armored divisions. By that time, the U. S. military was forbidden to give the south Aid or supplies. If American airpower had been allowed to be brought in the entire armored force would have been wiped out in four hours and Hanoi would have been finished. As it was, there was no way the South could stand up to that force.

[KneelBeforeZod]

Budget Travel had an article about little bungalows you can rent in Vietnam. Looked like a good trip

[Exton1]

There is a resort about a days drive north of Saigon. The place has a name that sounds like “Fun Tit. “ It can be a lot of fun, for two. Nice air conditioned Bungalows , pool, Ocean, only thing is that they don’t know how to make mixed drinks. You can make your own, and they charge you by what’s used from the bottle.

[Exton1]

Your partially right. The South had it’s own Air Power. But look at the facts ONE lone tank crashed through the gates at the Presidential :Palace. In fact its still there as a monument. Truth is that there were Generals who wanted to fight, but the Communist President of the South lied to them and told them not to fight. The North met very little resistance on their way into Saigon.
P.S. Even though the communist have changed the name to Ho Chi Min city, most people still call it Saigon.

[xJones]

Do the Viet Namese appreciate the *dedicated* efforts of the American left-wing and such grandstanding traitors such as Jane Fonda? Do they appreciate receiving their communist government due to American radicals?

[RLK]

But look at the facts ONE lone tank crashed through the gates at the Presidential Palace.

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For Christ sake, man. Only one tank can come through a gate at a time. That doesn't mean there was only one tank in the northern army. The North had piles of Soviet tanks. There couldn't use them earlier because they would be sitting ducks for American aircraft. When American forces began withdrawal of support directed from home, the North was free to move armor against a defenseless South.

[Illbay]

The truth is that we had just destroyed the Viet Cong. They spent several years and all they had at us, and we kicked their butts. In fact the communist were surprised that we did not declare victory then.

...

What is also not widely known is that Nixon’s Christmas bombing almost won the war.

Oh, good. Now we can all feel better, knowing that we really "won" in Vietnam.

Next up: The slaveholding states "really won" the Civil War, and to this day the free states are surprised that they didn't declare victory right after Bull Run.

[Red Jones]

Let me recount the history I read. In 1973&74 the south vietnamese had some big fights with the north vietnamese. Casualties were high on both sides. The south held their ground generally. The north was being fed ammunition and equipment by the soviets at this point. The south was being fed ammunition and equipment by the americans. In the spring of 75 the US Congress cut off funding for the south vietnamese. The cutoff was effective immediately. The congressmen were so proud of themselves that they'd 'ended' our involvement in vietnam. Of course our troops had left completely in 73 formally while our troops had done very little fighting in 70, 71, 72 & 73. The big fighting for our guys occurred in 64, 65, 66, 67 & 68. Just 3 weeks or so later, after the cutoff in funding, the north vietnamese invaded with everything they had. The south's leaders knew they were going to lose because they were going to run out of ammunition. It wasn't much of a fight, some south vietnamese soldiers did in fact run out of ammunition while resisting. The generals didn't deploy them for victory because they knew it wasn't going to happen. The south's soldiers were scattering long before it was over.

If we'd kept funding them, then south vietnam would be free today and north vietnam would still be communist. The north wouldn't have clamped down on the south the way they did which cost hundreds of thousands of lives, perhaps even one million.

[Red Jones]

our troops really did win in Vietnam from a military view. It was a political decision strictly to bring our troops out, it was a political decision also to cut off funding for the south vietnamese military in 75 which led to their defeat.

The north vietnamese began fighting us in 64, the fighting was very hard. For every one soldier of ours killed there were perhaps 20 of theirs killed. A lot of people feel that this was due to our superior equipment in fighting the war. This is only partially true. Even when down on the ground facing the enemy without air power to back our guys up our troops performed extraordinarilly well in that war. They performed just as well as any of our troops in any war we ever fought. The climax came in early 68 when they threw everything they had at us at once. The biggest single battle at khe sanh in the north in late 67-early 68 was an example. We lost a few hundred men over 100 days, they lost perhaps 10,000. Notably, at Khe Sanh the enemy had the best soviet equipment, they also had soviet migs with soviet pilots and they had soviet artillery also. In other words, it was america's best against the soviets' best. Our best prevailed big-time. After the tet of early 68 the north's soldiers literally left the south. The fighting died down. We had actually won from a purely military point of view. We could've sent our troops into the north and completed the victory if we had merely chosen to do so. It was a political decision to not do so. We stayed in the south for several years, until 73 with our troops doing very little fighting. The south vietnamese were trained and equiped to do the fighting instead of us. We left in 73 with the south in charge. They held their own in the fighting throughout 73 & 74 with no american involvement whatsoever. They only lost after their funding was pulled by the US congress and their troops were running out of bullets.

All of this I've stated is simple fact. It is in fact a myth that we lost the war from a military point of view. It was a political decision to lose.

Our news media worked overtime getting everyone to feel as though we lost, but the actual facts are different.

[leadpenny]

There is a resort about a days drive north of Saigon. The place has a name that sounds like “Fun Tit. “ It can be a lot of fun, for two.

Are you referring to Phan Thiet?

Nice air conditioned Bungalows , pool, Ocean, only thing is that they don’t know how to make mixed drinks.

It's on the South China Sea and is about 100 miles almost due east of Ho Chi Minh City.

I'm still trying to figure out the purpose of your vanity post.

[Cagey]

Walter Cronkite, a proclaimed communist, lied when he said after the “Tet Offensive” that we were in a quagmire.

Cronkite, a proclaimed communist? Who proclaimed him? Cronkite is far from being a conservative American, but he is no communist. You do little for your vanity when you start an article with proclomations such as this one.

[leadpenny]

Thanks for your analysis. That's it in a nutshell, . . .

The biggest single battle at khe sanh in the north in late 67-early 68 was an example. We lost a few hundred men over 100 days, they lost perhaps 10,000. Notably, at Khe Sanh the enemy had the best soviet equipment, they also had soviet migs with soviet pilots and they had soviet artillery also.

. . . however, I don't remember any accounts or reports of the North's air power engaging our air power over Khe Sanh or anywhere else over the South. Also, you might get an argument, as to the largest battle, from the 'grunts,' both Army and Marines, who fought at the Battle for the Hue Citadel that took place at the same time as Khe Sanh.

[cibco]

You've given a pretty good bullet summation. It would make a good insert in the present day history books.

[afz400]

From what I have heard, Viet Nam can undercut China on wages (10 cents an hour vs 35 cents). The Chinese are now starting to complain that they dont make enough, which will make American companies take their factories to VietNam. Vietnamese are skilled enough to make the same products the Chinese are making (furniture especially). Of course in the meantime American furniture workers are without jobs and will probably end up working at WalMart or Rooms to Go for miniumum wage. Makes it all worth 50,000 Americans dead, doesn't it?

[sneakypete]

By that time, the U. S. military was forbidden to give the south Aid or supplies.

And this even included things as basic as ammunition for their guns,and fuel to run their trucks and tanks. The Dims in the US Congress are the ones that won the war from the North Vietnamese,not their counterparts in NVN.

[Red Jones]

you're right, that might not be correct about biggest battle, depending on how you measure it. But that battle lasted over 100 days. The enemy massed 20,000 troops at us, tried to over-run a camp with 5,000 or so americans in it. I read a slim book about that battle. It said the enemy had Migs with russian pilots working that battle. It said they had big artillery pieces also. I talked to two people who were there, they told stories. Our troops were so well dug in and prepared that when the enemy attacked it was just a killing field for them. They made it a very high priority to over-run our troops. We made it a very high priority to not let them.

Somebody should make a movie out of it.

[sneakypete]

But look at the facts ONE lone tank crashed through the gates at the Presidential :Palace. In fact its still there as a monument.

Of course. It was inevitable that this happen. The south had already surrendered before the NVA came into Saigon. The president of SVN told his army to quit fighting because they had nothing left to fight with,and more deaths would have been pointless.