Posted on 04/25/2015 10:04:44 AM PDT by Oldpuppymax
The jungles of Viet Nam were the reality for over 54,000 deaths of America’s soldiers, but the Nam war also may be the epitome of stupidity for politicians who turned a US victory into an agonizing defeat! An important book appearing on bookshelves of an American legion post details just what went wrong and it was written by the son of John H. Richardson, Sr., the senior CIA station chief in Saigon. Much maligned after news stories popped up in homeland newspapers, written by real fly-by reporters, the Saigon headquarters of the CIA chief became the boiling point for palace intrigues, coup plots and generalized political fury by new president John F. Kennedy who at first tried to prop up Viet Nam President Ngo Dinh Diem.
These reporters, flown in by anxious and self-promoting editors, lacked the background to put in perspective what Richardson and the CIA were both dealing with and trying to master. They then just buzzed around the periphery and filed stories that added to the mess. Without really trying to dig out the background on Diem, his controversial brother Nhu and the volatile sister-in-law Madam Nhu, these journos did way more harm than they did good. Did someone say Walter Cronkite ultimately called the shots in Viet Nam?
Diem survived two major power struggles on his own, early on, and perhaps, with a consistent US foreign policy, may have extracted a different direction for the war itself. Richardson details how Diem fought back the criminal gangs, rogue army generals, religious sects and a serious revolt by “hundreds of rebellious South Vietnamese paratroopers” (who) surrounded Diem’s palace to demand a new government. Richardson’s early on desire with Operation Switchback, (pg. 144), was his “desire for ‘intensive coordination’ with the military command,” perhaps, a lesson learned...
(Excerpt) Read more at coachisright.com ...
In the weeks leading up to the coup d’etat against Ngo Dinh Diem, former Vice President Richard Nixon said on at least two occasions that the issue was not Diem and someone better but Diem and someone worse. And he was right. After Diem’s overthrow and murder, South Vietnam endured a revolving-door government for a year and a half as various factions staged one coup after another—seven coups just in the year 1964.
I remember when the NY Times published the entire Pentagon Papers in a special section. They claimed that they revealed that Nixon was an evil rat.
Curious, I read through the whole thing—which was a considerable labor. The only really interesting thing I found was the revelation was that JFK ordered the CIA to assassinate Diem. Needless to say, it was buried in that enormous pile of stuff, and the Times never called any attention to it.
But it was obvious to me at the time that it was JFK who wrecked the Vietnam War, not Nixon or even LBJ. After Diem was killed, South Vietnam basically ceased to fight against the invaders, and we were stuck with having to do it ourselves. Thousands of our troops died, because JFK (author of the Bay of Pigs fiasco) was an idiotic jerk, who wanted to prove that he loved the Buddhists more than the Catholics in Vietnam. Heavens forbid that JFK should act like a Catholic! It would cost him votes!
From the article:
The disgusting picture on television several years ago of President Lyndon B. Johnson moving parts of a mock Viet Nam battlefield around while his generals stood silently nearby was another prescient moment showing foolish politicians playing games with the lives of our Armed Services!
Similar to the photo of Adolph and his disbelieving and very nervous generals.
We no doubt have a matching photo today, albeit without the mock-up or battlefield maps. This time the CIC may not even be in the room.
“who wanted to prove that he loved the Buddhists more than the Catholics in Vietnam. Heavens forbid that JFK should act like a Catholic! It would cost him votes!”
Vietnam was above 70% Buddhist. It is generally thought to be between 70 and 90 depending on who you listen to. Diem had several anti Buddhist policies. Is your argument that the Catholic faith should have dominated the huge Buddhist majority?
I don’t agree with this mentality that Diem was some sort of alternative. The mentality that a friendly dictator is a good guarantee against the communist block has caused much worldwide misery since 1945.
And there is no proof that JFK order the CIA to assassinate Diem. He supported a coup against him and that’s it. Lay out your proof JFK order Diem to be assassinated. I call BS.
Not once but twice it was clear cut that Uncle Sam had won the war.The communists were preparing to sue for peace. In 72 they were getting prepared for Occupation in the north. Well, eveyone knows what happened in 72. Same thing happened in 68-69. The Viet Cong were wiped out, northern unitw were withdrawing to the north. The north was hunkering down to resist invasion and were trying to figure what the best deal was that they could get from the AMericans. Then we stood down to give them time to regroup. The northward flight of the NVA slowed down and reversed. The honchos in Hanoi shocked that the Americans had backed off but the Americans made it obvious Both timess Hanoi thought it had lost the war .
Check the Pentagon Papers. I read it a long time ago, and it’s just one small section, but it said very definitely that JFK ordered the assassination.
The ruling classes in Vietnam at that time tended to be Catholic, because it had been a French Colony. I didn’t say that I favored the Catholics over the Buddhists. I said that JFK was extremely reluctant to be thought of as a Catholic, because it cost him too many votes. He barely got elected, by cheating in Texas and Chicago, and he had to demonstrate to doubters of the time that he wasn’t going to turn America over to the Pope, as some of his opponents charged. And what set off the final crisis was when a Buddhist Monk poured gasoline over himself and burned himself to death as a protest against Diem.
JFK was far more worried about his own reputation than he was about our troops in Vietnam. That is the point I was making.
It does not say that. You claimed it and its wrong. Its on you to prove it, not on me to hunt for something that isn’t there. JFK did not order Diems assassination.
From what I see, the Buddhists were communist, and had very legitimate position against the Diem crowd that was corrupt beyond belief. And of course the ruling class was Catholic, it was a former French colony.
It just seems unreasonable that it should run as a French colony did, with the majority Buddhists being under the thumb of the minority who gained position via the French.
JFK is the one who put our troops into Vietnam.
For decades we had had a few advisers and men there we were there in WWII, never more than a few hundred, but JFK pumped in 16,000 troops.
Make that the Buddhists were NOT communist and had a very legitimate position against the Diem crowd.
JFK didn’t order the assassination of Diem. But he may as well have when he approved of the coup.
Kennedy’s problem was his thin appreciation of the political culture of Vietnam. In that society former rulers were regarded as threats and rivals and he was warned that a coup couldn’t be controlled.
It’s my understanding that Ambassador Lodge’s predecessor Frederick Nolting regarded JFK as culpable for the deaths of Diem and his family.
Bump.....
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