The Vietnam War: Selective Memory Loss

The use of Vietnam as a news-speak buzzword for the current Iraq War is the residual thinking of historical selective memory loss. First, the Vietnam War was the easiest this country ever fought. It was fought on overtime. Only given a second thought when it came on the six 0'clock
news after the America's workday was over. Now, name one battle we ever lost, one major unit that was wiped out to a man, or surrendered en mass. The jungle hid you from the enemy, and the muddy rice paddies soaked up shrapnel like a sponge. We were not facing fanatical Japanese, dedicated Waffen SS, nor endless human waves of Chinese infantry in below-zero Korea. It only took one field radio operator to conjure up a vast array of killing technology to send the VC or NVA scurring to their holes. Secondly, for the pundits who require military defeats to mix and match their analogies, there is the U.S. Army 106th Golden Lion Division that
surrendered to the first German units they encountered at the Belgium town of St Vith in December 1944. There were no heroic Alamo last stands, just white flags. Lastly, military duty
is a give-and-take of death. If casualties upset you, then petition Congress to disband the armed
forces, and you will have peace in your time. As for the cheap shot that Vietnam was an immoral
war? President Nixon ended the draft in 1971. As soon as that happened, all campus and major demonstrations against the war evaporated! Yet the war went on until March 1975.
Just like the war in Iraq, no draft, no concern. Well there is certainly concern over the dollar
cost.