The Cultural Journey Post-Vietnam
“War is a weapon, use it wisely,” historian Bernard Lewis cautioned a decade ago in reference to the Middle East conflicts. “In 1940 we knew who we were, we knew who the enemy was, we knew the dangers and the issues… It is different today.We don’t know who we are, we don’t know the issues, and we still do not understand the nature of the enemy.”
That cogent statement could have been relevant and appropriate to our Vietnam involvement over a half century ago. Fighting an ideology, communism, can become costly as I have recounted in my fictional historical novel, RECALL. The story of the war and its aftermath is portrayed through the experiences of four young men who played high school football together in the ’50’s and end up in a war in Vietnam a decade later.
Not only was a war going on, but in a cultural evolution was underway. One that would change our worldviews, polarize our politic, and divide our nation for the next five decades. I refer to that as our “cultural journey.” I want you to think about that perspective – Challenge rigid dogma… Grasp the significance of that war’s divisive aftermath… Ask yourself- Why we are who we are today?
In my novel I let my protagonist PhD, Ann Summerville, act as a “Devil’s advocate” to present contrarian viewpoints to challenge the rigid mindsets of CINCPAC military intelligence officers in their evaluation of CIA intel estimates. She shakes things up in six chapters that I devoted to intelligence evaluations intended to shape the course of the war. CIA intelligence estimates from the Vietnam era (’64 to ’75) were declassified in the 1980’s. I read them with some dismay. The war did not have to turn out the way it did.
Read the excerpt below for an example.
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In this scene Ann Summerville follows the CIA summation of the current status in the Vietnam countryside by Biff Roberts, CIA deputy station manager in Saigon. The preceding discussion in the CINCPAC conference has centered on winning the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese peasants and LBJ’s inaction on their recommendation.
Biff acknowledged him with a nod. “All things considered, we can win the war militarily, but lose it politically. Therefore, the CIA maintains a pessimistic outlook if the current strategies continue. We’re fighting a war with self- imposed limitations. The peasants fall into the VC camp by default. The VC resupply in these sanctuaries.
Let’s face it. The war has not been taken to the enemy in North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in full force. They enjoy an unlimited supply of off- limit sanctuaries.” The audience cheered this remark. They concurred that self- imposed restrictions were counter- productive to winning. Allowing enemy sanctuaries made absolutely no sense. Some expressed it in profane terms causing Noreika to tingle his glass to restore order.
“Biff continues to hit the nail smack on the head,” Captain Noreika commented to his attaché. Nice summation.
The captain thanked Biff and asked Ann Summerville to give her political insight into this current situation before the committee adjourned.
“I’m not a military expert by any means,” she started, “but the viewpoints expressed today make imminent sense. We should focus on maintaining security in the countryside. Why liberate a hamlet if there is no intention of securing the village? Why not hold your ground? Personally, I don’t think much of the proposed ‘gradual pressure policy.’ I anticipate it will not be implemented until after the November elections because of stateside political considerations. If you recall, I remarked in prior meetings that LBJ’s major focus is domestic. He focused primarily on his Great Society ambitions, not Vietnam. I predict LBJ will go into a holding pattern until next December, unless an unforeseen event forces him to act otherwise. In my opinion, his inaction indicates he’s not willing to deal with it.”
Her predictions proved to be absolutely correct as events unfolded. The committee’s consultant read LBJ’s motives better than the military. Her role as the Devil’s Advocate started to open some eyes and minds.
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I hope you will read and comment on this blog. I try to educate by offering insight into that turbulent era that adversely affected our country. I’ve developed a blog following, many who are vets who need to get their thoughts and resentments off their chests. I give them a platform. Mostly all keep it civil. Vietnam triggers a lot of passion even fifty years later.
I also hope you will explore my website: RLawsonAuthor.com to read more blogs and information on my historical narrative, RECALL. I hope you will read this story, written as fiction, but based on many facts and real life experiences. I guarantee you will learn a lot. One of my friends said it should be required reading for the younger generations.
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