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Why a First US Aircraft Carrier Vietnam Visit Matters (US Carrier now in Danang, for five days)
The Diplomat ^ | March 01, 2018 | By Prashanth Parameswaran

Posted on 03/06/2018 9:51:14 PM PST by cba123

Just an addendum:

The carrier is now in Danang.

--

In the next few days, a U.S. aircraft carrier will make a port call in Vietnam's coastal city of Danang for the first time since the end of the Vietnam War. Though the move has long been in the works and is just a single engagement, it nonetheless bears noting given its significance for U.S.-Vietnam ties, U.S. defense policy, as well as the region more broadly.

The idea of a U.S. aircraft carrier visit to Vietnam has been in the works since last year and first surfaced publicly in the context of the meeting between Vietnam's Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in August 2017 (See: "US-Vietnam Defense Relations Under Trump Get A Boost With First Aircraft Carrier Visit"). Both sides have since been finalized details over several subsequent meetings and have been keeping specifics close to the chest. Before the sensationalist headlines tied to the expected visit of the USS Carl Vinson roll in, it is important to understand the broader significance of the visit on three fronts.

(please see link for full article)

(Excerpt) Read more at thediplomat.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: america; relationship; vietnam
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To: kearnyirish2

........my heart tells me YES to exactly what you say but then my mind reminds me that the Japanese were as brutal and so were the Germans.

Both are very important “partners” today on a wide variety of issues. I would say the Japanese much more so than the Germans. But, I’m partial as I lived in Japan from 69 to 71 and even then most Japanese just loved Americans. I never found a Japanese person that I felt was hateful towards me.

What I write here this morning reminds me too of that old saying “the best thing that can happen to a country is to go to way with the U.S.”..................lot of truth to that.


21 posted on 03/07/2018 7:29:57 AM PST by Cen-Tejas
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To: Cen-Tejas
Da Nang - China Beach:
22 posted on 03/07/2018 7:39:09 AM PST by littleharbour ("You take on the intel. community they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you" C. Schumer)
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To: cba123
NOW ! Liberty, liberty, liberty!

Liberty is hereby granted to all non watch standing personnel.

All personnel are reminded that a visit with the ship's Corpsman is mandatory before departure on liberty to prevent a mandatory visit to the ship's corpsman upon your return from liberty.

NOW! LIBERTY !!

23 posted on 03/07/2018 7:52:36 AM PST by Delta 21 (Build The Wall !! Jail The Cankle !!)
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To: Cen-Tejas

Many victims of the Japanese and Nazis has some measure of justice after the war; this was not the case in Vietnam. The “forgive and forget” attitude of the US (actually worse; we strengthened them with trade) should serve as ample warning of how fleeting our foreign policy may be - especially for those considering enlisting. A friend who served at that time describes how he answers fundraising calls from disabled veteran groups today; he asks them to devote their energies to visiting high schools and warning young people about the dangers of enlisting. They could even bring pictured of disfigured vets...


24 posted on 03/07/2018 7:52:40 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kearnyirish2

My whole entire life was dictated, as it has turned out, by the draft number I had. So, on Feb. 7, 67 I joined the USNR. 2 years later I dropped out of my 3rd year of college to go on required active duty which at that time was 2 years.

Fortunately, though I got very close to Vietnam (on board a Navy ship), I never set foot in country.

With that historical perspective, I can say I agree with you about the “fleeting foreign policy”...........great statement.

However, I disagree with you that Vietnam era vets like me should go out and actively attempt to persuade young men or women not to serve their country. As one near 70 vet, I can say categorically that serving my country is, after my 2 successful kids, my most proud accomplishment and I’m so glad I did serve.


25 posted on 03/07/2018 9:08:41 AM PST by Cen-Tejas
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To: Cen-Tejas

How would your loved ones feel if you died in-country and 20 years later our government was making nice with the same people you had fought against? Especially if they drafted you?

I’m not recommending anyone dissuades young people from enlisting; I was describing one person’s reaction to phone calls raising money for those who did - and had a worse experience than you (disabled vets). Young people have now had every warning; in my lifetime it was the reversal concerning Saddam Hussein (who we cheered and armed in the 1980s, then attacked a few years later). Saddam’s troops were killing US troops with weapons WE HAD GIVEN THEM.

I’m glad you came through your experience in one piece.


26 posted on 03/07/2018 10:03:12 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kearnyirish2

.........your first sentence is THE POINT..............no doubt! LOL, no 2 people in my family think the same thing EVER about anything.

I had a boyhood friend named Bobby Roberts. As little ten year old boys We use to play cave man along a creek on his mothers 500 acre goat ranch. We would hunt each other with Daisy bb guns! Rarely would either one of us hit the other.
The rule was to shoot below the waist. His mom promised a “whuppin” with my belt” if anybody got hurt. Never happened.

8 years later, Bobby caught a round in the forehead somewhere in the Danang area and was dead before he hit the ground. So, on the one hand I HATE that we’re buddy buddy with North Vietnam but on the other hand I’m glad that as a country we don’t still hate Japan and Germany...............so, it’s just not an easy call............period.


27 posted on 03/07/2018 1:35:11 PM PST by Cen-Tejas
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To: Cen-Tejas

Understood - and sorry about your mate.


28 posted on 03/07/2018 4:55:35 PM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: Old Teufel Hunden

One of the biggest in the world. HK is not just the island. It handles the largest container ships in the world.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Hong_Kong


29 posted on 03/08/2018 3:44:45 AM PST by mindburglar (I have an above average brain stem)
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To: Old Teufel Hunden

One of the biggest in the world. HK is not just the island. It handles the largest container ships in the world.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Hong_Kong


30 posted on 03/08/2018 3:44:46 AM PST by mindburglar (I have an above average brain stem)
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To: mindburglar
You said: " It’s also the biggest deep water port outside of HK that is on China’s doorstep."

I took that to mean that it's one of the deepest deep water ports, not the busiest. I would agree with you that it's a huge port and one of the busiest also. Someone once told me that the sea lane between Singapore and Hong Kong is one of the busiest in the world and I can believe that.

However, even though it's obviously a deep water port as far as that goes it's not that deep. At least where I was. All of the big ships have to anchor out in the harbor. We did and I don't consider an LPH to be that deep of a drought. No Aircraft carriers can get in there. Are those container ships flat bottomed? I do remember that they have floating dry docks there as well. I think the ones we had in Subic are now in Sasebo.
31 posted on 03/08/2018 4:16:07 AM PST by Old Teufel Hunden
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To: Old Teufel Hunden

Victoria Harbour which is the body of water between HK island and Kowloon isn’t very deep. Half if it is filled in too. So yes, big ships don’t go through there.

I don’t know much about shipping but HK harbour out by Lantau appears to be deep enough. That’s where our carriers stop.


32 posted on 03/08/2018 5:24:43 AM PST by mindburglar (I have an above average brain stem)
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To: kearnyirish2

Thank you.


33 posted on 03/08/2018 4:42:23 PM PST by Cen-Tejas
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To: littleharbour

Kite surfed there last year! Great beach! I hit Nha Trang as well! Will definitely go back!


34 posted on 03/08/2018 4:56:10 PM PST by sit-rep
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To: laplata
Did you come from Da Nang?

Sorry too be so slow. No, I am an old soldier from the same war and I got a yen to go back and see how the country had fared. I found I had enough money for the airfare and some to spend in 2003 so I went back. I have been going back there since as often as I can save the money to do it. I have a friend who is a Catholic sister in Đà Náng. It is more pleasant than the other big cities, even Nha Trang in the last 10 years.

35 posted on 03/18/2018 9:55:56 AM PDT by ThanhPhero
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