In my last blog I discussed JFK’s decision to become involved militarily in South Vietnam in 1961. With attribution to noted historian, Barbara Tuchman and my historical narrative, RECALL, I pointed out the two traps his administration fell into- Quests to defeat the Soviet proclamation and support for “wars of liberation” in Algeria, Cuba, and […]
The Vietnam War Revisited- Part VII – A War of Attrition
If you read my prior blogs addressing this subject you will understand where I’m going with my discussion of Barbara Tuchman’s analysis of the Vietnam War. My last blog in the series outlined the background leading up to the Vietnam War. This blog picks up as Kennedy takes office. Kennedy’s mindset was moving closer to […]
The Vietnam War Revisited – Part V -What If’s
Stalin died in March of 1953 opening a path to international settlement of war in Indochina at the Geneva conference in 1954. The new Russian premier, Malenkov, proposed “peaceful coexistence,” lessening Cold War tensions temporarily. But the Korean armistice freed Chinese troops to aid the Viet Minh in Vietnam, raising another serious concern to Eisenhower […]
Other Vietnam Veterans’ Viewpoints – Terry Garlock
I get Vietnam War articles emailed to me from veteran pals from time to time. For a long while we rarely discussed that contentious war outside of family, friends, and fellow vets. Many vets of that era over fifty years ago still harbor resentment for the disrespect they received upon returning home. And many know […]
The Vietnam War Revisited
– Revisiting the Vietnam War – During 2018, I posted thirty-five blogs addressing the history, the controversies and the myths surrounding one of the most misunderstood wars in our history. Vietnam was a war that divided the nation and influenced our national psyche and mindsets that persist into the present wars in the Middle East. […]
Political Interference in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War -Political Interference My recently published fictional historical novel, RECALL, documents countless episodes of political interference in military affairs. To name a couple, DC civilian micromanagement imposing limiting rules of engagement and the pursuit of ill-advised strategies evolving from political considerations, not military deliberations in many cases. The conduct of the war was often […]
