[CasearianDaoist]

Is not the real culprit the defunding of it after 1970 by the democrats in congress? Yet there was mismanagement and misjudgment under Westmporeland,but Abrams had turned that around by 69-70. It is an old chestnut, I know, but it was not really lost in the field. It was lost on the Hill. Had the plans of Abrams been followed the war would have been won, or at least the South would have remained free.

[CHARLITE]

Thank you for your fine perspective. You're right. It was "lost on the Hill." They wouldn't even support our military with sufficient funding. Hence the "defeat."

Here is a fabulous tribute to our veterans. It is a new website with photos of the WWII Memorial in D.C. and great patriotic music.

http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/PASSINGOFGENERATION.HTML

[Grut]

Is not the real culprit the defunding of it after 1970 by the democrats in congress?

There were a lot of real culprits. The South's government was corrupt; our government was never really serious about winning - only about not losing; our tactics were frequently faddish; an emphasis on military management rather than military leadership alienated the troops; bright pronouncements of impending victory which went on for years led to disillusion at home... and it has to be said, the NVA was stubborn enough and good enough to take advantage of our shortcomings.

If we could have won the war we would have. But wars are between cultures and at the time our culture just wasn't good enough.