What is not surprising is that there are those who still believe the Vietnam War was winnable, a country whose history and culture Pres. Johnson, his administration, and the military commanders on the ground did not understand. Our leaders made the same mistake in Afghanistan and Iraq. History never repeats itself, but it is spiracle.
Dereliction of Duty is an essential read. I've read over a dozen books on Vietnam and this was well researched, sophisticated, and intellectually honest. Bravo
I meant to say first and foremost, thank you to General McMaster for his service and to anyone who served.
I think the merits of Vietnam War would best be ferreted out with a debate. One of the first things that comes to mind for me is that Vietnam seems to be a thriving country today. My question would be what would be different today had we “won the war?” Would Vietnam be better off? My understanding is that they would not be but I can’t begin to know other than what I have been told by the authors of the few books I read.
One other thing that has confounded me is how our vets like the General end up supporting folks who did all they could to avoid service in the war. I like to think that GM did not support the president when he served in office as it was additional service to our country.
What is not surprising is that there are those who still believe the Vietnam War was winnable, a country whose history and culture Pres. Johnson, his administration, and the military commanders on the ground did not understand. Our leaders made the same mistake in Afghanistan and Iraq. History never repeats itself, but it is spiracle.
Dereliction of Duty is an essential read. I've read over a dozen books on Vietnam and this was well researched, sophisticated, and intellectually honest. Bravo
Sorry, i posted by accident.
I meant to say first and foremost, thank you to General McMaster for his service and to anyone who served.
I think the merits of Vietnam War would best be ferreted out with a debate. One of the first things that comes to mind for me is that Vietnam seems to be a thriving country today. My question would be what would be different today had we “won the war?” Would Vietnam be better off? My understanding is that they would not be but I can’t begin to know other than what I have been told by the authors of the few books I read.
One other thing that has confounded me is how our vets like the General end up supporting folks who did all they could to avoid service in the war. I like to think that GM did not support the president when he served in office as it was additional service to our country.
For every book that says we could have won the Vietnam War, there are 10 that say the opposite.
Sorley is a must read … so is Mark Moyar:
Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954–1965
Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War, 1965-1968
AND Dereliction of Duty.
https://open.substack.com/pub/markmcinerney/p/april-30-a-memory-that-still-breathes?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1b56qu