Facts About the Vietnam War, Part I: They Didn’t Fight with One Hand Tied Behind Their Backs

[rangerrebew]

Facts About the Vietnam War, Part I: They Didn’t Fight with One Hand Tied Behind Their Backs
Arnold R. Isaacs
September 11, 2017


When the documentary series The Vietnam War premieres this Sunday, it will no doubt open a new chapter in America’s long debate on that war and what it meant. Writing in The New York Times a few months ago, directors Ken Burns and Lynn Novick expressed the hope that in this new conversation, Americans will focus on what the Vietnam experience can teach about “courage, patriotism, resilience, forgiveness and, ultimately, reconciliation.”

The article did not say anything about teaching facts, but one hopes that was on their agenda, too. The documentary series provides a rare chance to acquaint a mass audience with realities that have grown blurry in the national memory. In this series of articles, I will present my thoughts on misleading myths I hope the filmmakers will correct.

https://warontherocks.com/2017/09/facts-about-the-vietnam-war-part-i-they-didnt-fight-with-one-hand-tied-behind-their-backs/

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I don't think the forum goobers will appreciate you trying to interject facts into this website, rangerrebew.

[endicom]

Eisenhower refused to turn Vietnam into a war. But what did he know?

[Suppressed]

I don't think the forum goobers will appreciate you trying to interject facts into this website, rangerrebew.

@Weird Tolkienish Figure

Sorry, but the piece is one of the poorest I've ever seen.

"We weren't allowed to bomb the right place, but we dropped a lot!!" is not an indication of free fighting.  It's like looking under the lamppost even if you lost your wallet around the corner.

"Amount of munitions expended" is an absolutely ridiculous measure of fighting, when there are tactical and strategic restrictions.

What's next... "It's okay he was blindfolded -- he expended his whole magazine!"?

[GtHawk]

@Weird Tolkienish Figure

Sorry, but the piece is one of the poorest I've ever seen.

"We weren't allowed to bomb the right place, but we dropped a lot!!" is not an indication of free fighting.  It's like looking under the lamppost even if you lost your wallet around the corner.

"Amount of munitions expended" is an absolutely ridiculous measure of fighting, when there are tactical and strategic restrictions.

What's next... "It's okay he was blindfolded -- he expended his whole magazine!"?

I think the comparison of bombing in Vietnam to that of Germany is spurious. Germany was an extremely well developed country with large commercial, industrial and residential targets that could be destroyed and wreak havoc on the ability to keep the military armed and supplied and demoralized the civilians. Bombing in Vietnam for the most part destroyed what,  mostly some personnel and jungle? Also it seems to me that I heard about some rules of engagement that did tie one arm of the soldiers behind their backs so to speak.

I, as Maxwell Smart would say missed being drafted by that much, I have a friend 7 years older than me who served but rarely says more than he was in demolition and blew stuff up. I will be interested to hear what his opinion of Ken Burns version of the war.

[Free Vulcan]

This is intellectually laughable. I've known too many vets that have said otherwise.

[skeeter]

They absolutely didn't fight with one hand tied behind their back.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1SQNPbSeq4

[truth_seeker]

I was drafted in the peak month, of the entire Vietnam era. A lot of my cohort lost their lives. I have several friends that served in combat, there. And several that died. (My bunkmate from Infantry AIT, died--John Roles, Costa Mesa, California).

For the most part, those who did serve there, maintain it was a half-measured politically managed effort. IOW we could have won if we went all out.

Contrary to some, returning veterans WERE spit on, in airports as they came home.

And after several years, Nixon was reelected in 1972 by a landslide, proving it was NOT the unpopular war, the leftists would preach in the media clear up until now.

[Fishrrman]

A Ken Burns "documentary" on the Vietnam War?

No thanks.