war

Your feelings are shared by many. But I think if you re-read Jim's message, his anger and pain seems to be directed at those who chose to desert rather than fight, fled to the USA and were rewarded with US tax dolllars and santuary, then have the opinion that we couldn't have won. I think all he is trying to say is that he did the best he could, fought hard, was wounded, and the people he was fighting for didn't fight for their freedom when it was time. No, I didn't get wounded, but I am a former North Vietnamese linguist and have seen various sides of the conflict. I have heard your viewpoint many times with great interest.

That said, everything you said is true, and if we Americans put our arrogant baggage at the door for a moment to reflect, we would probably react in much the same way.

Funny thing, that I decided to stay in the military after all that. Now that I am a Chief Master Sergeant, I wonder whether it was all worth it. No regrets, just wondering. As my career comes to a close, I reflect on the war, my friends, and our losses. The answers are no more clear now than they were then. I guess how you see things depends on where you stand.

I would like to hear more about your experiences in Vietnam. Many of the things I learn don't come from books. Being in the Air Force, I never got much info on the ground war. drop me a line