conditions were different. Vastly different.

An entire generation of Americans had been taught to be willing to "pay any price" to stop the Communists. "Godless communism" was perceived as a viable threat, worldwide. We believed that if given a toehold anywhere, they would take over, enslave the people, and, worse, close down markets. That was touted by the US government and believed by a majority of the people.

Not having learned the lessons of Korea, we believed we could win any war with superior technology and material.

No one believed at the time that the motivation of the Vietnamese, all the north and most of the south, was national liberation and unification, first, and communistism a distant second. Ignoring history, we did not believe they would resent Russian or Chinese influence or occupation just as much as that of the US. For the US the war was about Russo-Chinese communism with the concomitant closure of trading areas.

The US public ("Merkans", as in LBJs "mah fellow Merkans") was told the war had a beginning, middle and an end, that there was "light at the end of the tunnel". Support faded as it became evident there wasn't.

Merkans were told that a limited involvement could save SouthEast Asia. It became clear "they" wanted it more than the US did, and whoever wanted it the most would get it. Support faded.

Early in the war a guy could die believing he was helping the free world. Later, NO ONE wanted to die for what was no reason at all.

Early in the war people believed that the American soldier was noble, possessed of higher ideals than your average "gook". Later we learned that under enough pressure these normally wonderful kids would be willing to line civilians up in a ditch and mow them down.

There was a lot of public support early in the war. It became degraded as time went on and it became clear the public had been misled.

I read a book recently, I can't remember the title. In it a wise old sergeant tells the PFC who's hoping against hope that his personal struggles in war mean something. The sergeant tells him: "It's always about money, and they spend our lives like dollar bills." Wise.

On of the biggest casualties is that of some of us who went into that affair believing our politicians, and left it knowing they would sell out anything, anytime, anywhere for any narrow gain which strikes their fancy at the moment. We became very aware that one could love their country way, way too much to trust our government no matter the political persuasion.

In short, when Merkans could believe there was a noble cause, we supported the losses. After they couldn't, support waned fast, and we wanted no more casualties.

Great resource on that war is "The March of Folly" by Barbara Tuchman. Great sections on how the British screwed up during the period which led to the US Revolution, and how the Roman Catholic Church in effect forced the Reformation.

Arf

PS The US left over 500 LIVE POWs behind, all of them who were captured in Laos and Cambodia. It's been too politically embarassing to deal with it. B