My overriding conclusion, having read this book on and off over a few months, is that it was completely crazy for so many people to have died needlessly over such a long period. So many more maimed physically and scarred psychologically and enormous destruction and pollution of property and landscape.
Probably millions of Vietnamese died over decades of conflict through active participation in war, collateral damage, friendly fire, execution, torture, starvation. A horror story. Fifty-five thousand Americans died. Billions of dollars wasted. Planes, helicopters, tanks, trucks, APC's, bombs, missiles, it's mind boggling. The suppliers of all this to the war machine on both sides, right down to small arms and uniforms and medical equipment were those that profited, as were those who benefitted by corruption and misappropriation.
That it went on for so long is hard for this reader to fathom. From memory the Americans knew they were to withdraw as early as 1968. President Nixon could well be accountable for more than 20,000 American lives lost after that year, as he prolonged the war to save face and make the withdrawal of America at a time when the inevitable victory of the North would look like a failure of the South Vietnamese Government. The peace talks dragged on and on in a political farce. Huge bombing raids were undertaken on the North and in Laos and Cambodia on the supply lines when it was known defeat of the South was certain, but political public image took precedence over any rationale.
As I recall these bombing raids were initiated from aircraft carriers off the coast, or from Guam, several hours away by flight before they got to drop their bombs on the target area. Dozens of planes a day, thousands of tons of explosives, most of it dropped with little accuracy in regard to civilian destruction. More tonnage of explosives than used in the entirety of WW11. The missiles and anti-aircraft systems of the North including MIG fighter jets were Russian supplied and vehicles, tanks, trucks and light arms were Chinese or Russian.
As I said the other day, I sent the book to Rickyralph so I can't check stats. One incident that I recall was on a US aircraft carrier, I can't remember its name. There were several of these huge ships off the coast of Vietnam, from which dozens of fighter bombers took off each day on their deadly missions. Many more, bigger bombers, flew from the US base in Guam, several hours flying time from their targets. In this accident a returning plane when taxiing to its hangar storage collided with a parked plane and a fire started which quickly escalated into a major emergency. Before it was extinguished 172 crewmen had been killed, many incinerated in their quarters where they were trapped. Millions of $ damage to the ship and planes. Mind boggling. These ships housed thousands of people and carried dozens of planes. Imagine the cost of such a thing.
I don't know how many of the 55,000 American deaths were by accident or friendly fire, but it was a substantial proportion. Not only that there were also numerous homicides committed in the American forces. In the later stage of the American involvement there was a serious drug problem involving drug running on an organized scale. Some soldiers went nuts while stoned and fired on innocent civilians and disliked officers of their own creed. Take out the drugs, there were still murders of officers who tried restoring discipline and punished misdemeanors harshly by withdrawing privilege. There was one instance of a young Australian female singer entertaining troops who was shot dead on stage while performing. It was said an American marine aiming at an officer in the background missed his target.
Australian involvement was minimal compared to that of the US but just as horrendous on small scale. More than 500 Australians lost their lives. I recall reading somewhere once where half of these deaths were the result of accident. I recall also seeing somewhere that the first National Serviceman killed had only been in Vietnam a short time, maybe a week, and was shot by another Australian patrol who mistook his for enemy. It was his first day out on patrol. Recently I learned of a National Serviceman who was Killed in Action near Nui Dat on the 17th of February 1967. Vic Pomeroy went to the same school as me (before I was there), Camberwell Grammar. His birthdate was on a marble pulled out of a barrel. He played footy for Camberwell seconds before he left for Vietnam and was a clerk for a fashion warehouse in Flinders Lane. He was 21 when he died. He never got to be a father or grandfather.
The book Vietnam concluded in its final paragraph with a question for the US. What did it learn from Vietnam?
It answered, " Not much it seems, or we wouldn't have invaded Iraq."
I'm reading an antidote book (novel fiction) now that Lib's sister Pat sent her for Xmas, "What Alice Forgot" by Lian Moriarty. Alice fell off an exercise bike at the gym in 2008 in Sydney and woke up thinking it was 1998 with no recollection of the ten years between, nor of the three children she was now the mother of, knowing nothing of their birth or personalities or changes to herself/lifestyle. Interesting.
I did go down the river and get those blackberries on Tuesday after my post here. I felt good that night, the exercise seemed to have freed up the back. But I have relapsed, very sore now. I have a remedial massage booked for this arvo, maybe need more chiro too next week.
