Originally posted by lada
im wondering a bit about Vietnamies veterans...
People still speak about them as Heros...
From historical point of view, they were nothing but people whitch caused big shame under US flag.
Or do you consider vietnam to be great won in history ?
All around world people mostly present war in Vietnam as lose and shame of US. Some how some people still belive in something else.
What else is it in your opinion, if you dis agree it were nothing but shame ?
Lada, a lot of people (myself included) separate the soldiers themselves from the policies of the government that issues their orders. The soldiers (of course with a few exceptions) are heroes for doing their duty when called. It is the government's policies, and the orders that resulted from them, that "caused big shame," as you put it.
Vietnam was not a military victory for the US. Far from it. The images of the US embassy in '75 Saigon are some of the most gut-wrenching things that I've ever watched. The videos of Hueys getting shoved off of carriers to make more room give me the shivers. I think many Americans would agree with me.
But Vietnam may have been a political victory -- one that kept North Korea, the USSR, China, and other communist countries from thinking that they'd get an easy victory anywhere. Of course, that's up for debate, but that's how I see it.
Was it worth it? I dunno.