American combat troops pulled out of South Vietnam’s war with Communist North Vietnam 50 years ago today. This unprecedented defeat in an undeclared foreign war initiated and bungled by Democrat presidents Kennedy and Johnson followed a pseudo-peace treaty in Paris.
Even before the last American troops departed on March 29 [1973], the [C]ommunists violated the cease-fire, and by early 1974 full-scale war had resumed. At the end of 1974, South Vietnamese authorities reported that 80,000 of their soldiers and civilians had been killed in fighting during the year, making it the most costly of the Vietnam War.”
What came after U.S. troop withdrawal was a bloodbath. Then, came reunification of two states, as North Vietnam imprisoned the South Vietnamese in Communist concentration and re-education camps. The U.S. quagmire had been preceded by U.S. entanglement in the still-active Korean War (1950-1953), known as the Forgotten War, which was suspended in an armistice.
The Vietnam War was followed by a stream of foreign wars engaged by the U.S. on the explicit premise of altruism, from an undeclared 1991 Persian Gulf War to the longest war in U.S. history; another undeclared and, for the first time in American history, nameless, war in Afghanistan.
From 1945 until today, not a single U.S. foreign war has been declared by the U.S. government.
The last American war to be declared by the United States of America—war against Nazi Germany and its ally, Imperial Japan—ended in total U.S. victory. America has both lost (or withdrawn from) and refused to declare every war since declaring and winning World War Two in 1945.
The Vietnam War, which disunited the nation for years, is merely the most known and notorious.
Yes and Beijing Brandon was the us senator who galvanized NO $$$$ for S Vietnam 1975. Ukraine has cost $$$$ more than 20+++ years in Afghanistan. LETS GO Brandon!
As I recall, President Ford tried to make the end easier with more funding and, as you wrote, it was not approved.
That war in Afghanistan cost thousands of American soldiers’, journalists’ and personnel’s lives, however, Brian, and that’s immeasurable in value compared with the Biden administration’s relentless crusade for war with Russia over Ukraine, which hasn’t cost a single American soldier’s life (as far as I know) … yet.
I was in Saigon in 2018. It was disturbing to see the hotel where the last chopper full of evacuees took off. It was like being 20 years old and horrified all over again.
Yes and Beijing Brandon was the us senator who galvanized NO $$$$ for S Vietnam 1975. Ukraine has cost $$$$ more than 20+++ years in Afghanistan. LETS GO Brandon!
As I recall, President Ford tried to make the end easier with more funding and, as you wrote, it was not approved.
That war in Afghanistan cost thousands of American soldiers’, journalists’ and personnel’s lives, however, Brian, and that’s immeasurable in value compared with the Biden administration’s relentless crusade for war with Russia over Ukraine, which hasn’t cost a single American soldier’s life (as far as I know) … yet.
I was in Saigon in 2018. It was disturbing to see the hotel where the last chopper full of evacuees took off. It was like being 20 years old and horrified all over again.
That must’ve been chilling, Lori. I remember the fall of Saigon only from what I saw on television. I’ve never been to Asia.