Some people say you shouldn't blame the grunts any only hate the leaders. But they are the ones who actually commitred the crimes in Nam. If a gangster raped your daughter then murdered your whole family you wouldnt forgive the gangster and blame politicians that create the poverty that lead to crime!
2007-09-29 12:30:03 · 34 answers · asked by star runner 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
They gave their lives for freedom their is no higher calling for any person to achieve!!! SO thank them every time you see one for protecting your right to hate them
2007-09-29 12:34:02 · answer #1 · answered by Michael F 3 · 9⤊ 0⤋
Like Iraq, Vietnam was an illegal war. I will not disagree that there was a lot or racism against the Vietnamese people by our GIs there. While I will not try to blame all of it on the officers, it is part of the military culture to create a sense that the enemy is less than human. In other words, racism is part of the military culture as a way to "motivate" the troops. Instilling racial hatred is part of the training.
As far the war crimes go, those were committed by a small minority of the troops or were orders from up the chain of command. The orders to use napalm, Agent Orange, cluster bombing, etc all came from high in the military command. Any soldier who refused to follow such orders were court martialed & sentenced &/or dishonorably discharged. In addition, most had no choice but to join the military because of the draft. Again, refusing to serve meant trial & sentencing. To blame them for following orders is extreme, I would think. Also, to blame everyone who served for the actions of only some of them is also wrong. You don't blame the gangster's 6 year old baby sister for the rape her brother committed.
Because of the lessons learned from the way we generally treated our Vietnam vets, we are much more supportive of our troops today. We are more likely to place the blame on those who actually make the decisions that place them there. I believe that is the way it should be.
2007-09-29 12:52:07 · answer #2 · answered by bob h 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I have been knocking around Vietnam for several years, going to small villages, going to large towns. I have talked to old people, young people, communists and anti-communists. I had a group of ladies down near the former DMZ tell me that I looked like the pilot that was captured after they shot down a US jet. (I assured them I had never been a pilot.) No one has ever criticized me or faulted me as an American.
The Vietnamese put up with a lot, and they are still digging up unexploded ordinance from the American War - there was a bomb dug up on a bridge project just outside of Ha Noi earlier this year.
They don't hate us. They have every reason to do so. They got over the war. Of course, they won.
Now, war crimes are war crimes, whether commited in VN or Iraq. And there were war crimes committed - I remember guys talking about killing civilians. Lt. Calley and My Lai also comes to mind. Anyone that says there were none is so full of it that their eyes are brown. Even my dad, who fought against the Japanese alluded to things that were done in his time.
Now, if you wish to hate, pick some specific people please, not categories. I don't recall seeing anyone in VN or any vets in the anti-war protests that had a decal on their foreheads saying "I am a rapist. I killed unarmed civilians." SO, kindly be a bit more focused with your spite. You can try starting with the people that are responsible for the war crimes in Iraq - yes, war crimes. And I would say the biggest war criminals are the ones that invaded an innocent country - through lies and lies and more lies.
2007-09-29 18:46:41 · answer #3 · answered by Sp II Guzzi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not every vet did the things you claim. Indeed, I would say the number who actually committed crimes in Nam are/were low. To hate a whole group because of the actions of a few is not right. ie, If the gangsters name was Capone, should you now hate all Italians. Next time you make an analogy, please, compare apples to apples. A soldier killing on orders is not the same as a criminal murdering for profit.
2007-09-29 12:39:52 · answer #4 · answered by SteveA8 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Greetings. vets committed the war crimes in Vietnam? if you want to go that route then check any newspaper in this country and try to add up all the war crimes you find mentioned on any day in the news. Mercenary soldiers in the pay of our government with license to kill in Iraq that are not subject to our law or Iraqi? Gitmo concentration camp where prisoners are held without being charged with any crime and denied American legal rights even though being held on a American military base, which makes it American property, or try the torture of prisoners by our loyal mercenary torturers hired by the republicans. or our disregard of the treaties that we have like the Geneva Convention, the Hague accords, the whole ball of wax. Vietnam was illegal. the vets there did not start the illegal war, our government did. THe vets in the 'Nam did not issue the orders to do what they did. The biggest war crime there, if that is what you want, is the bombing of civilian targets by both the Air Force and Navy Air. Every single bomb dropped on civilians is a war crime. we dropped tons daily. Do the same in Iraq now. you want to hate vets, go ahead. Just remember the next time the politicians decide to kill us off in their illegal wars maybe we will decide to hate you and let you go and fight for us for a change. we will sit here with a beer watching a ball game and you go out in the mud and blood and watch your comrades get killed right next to you. then come back here and we will spit on you and call you a war criminal , just as the civilians did to the Nam vets. I cannot for the life of me understand why any vet from the 'Nam went in for Iraqi freedom. Insanity? must be. should have known better.
2007-09-29 12:44:57 · answer #5 · answered by Rich M 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
My friend,as a Viet vet, may I say that Vietnam was thirty years ago and WHY.T.F. are you bringing it up now?
What happened then is happening now as well in Iraq. The politicians LIED to the country and got involved in something they have NO BUSINESS IN and CAN'T GET OUT OF!
The soldiers doing unconscionable things to people are NOT innocent BUT--if they hadn't been put in such a nightmarish reality, there would be no rapes, murders, theft, drug use, etc. etc. happening!
Yes! Blame the F'n politicians and try and forgive those who partially go insane for their tour of duty...IN HELL!
Note also that then, as now, all the warmongering is done by politicians who DID NOT wear the uniform but ran cowardly for cover. (A certain "un-elected", current, "alleged" President and vice President come to mind!)
2007-09-29 12:41:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Committed crimes? You utter fool. You have no idea what we went through. You want to hate someone for a really good reason? Hate yourself for taking all that money from your parents for an education and blowing it all on drugs and video games. And don't call it "Nam" you haven't earned that right.
2007-09-29 12:46:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Have you any concept of the conditioning US soldiers were exposed to before being shipped to Vietnam? The average age of the soldiers was 18, can you even begin to imagine how they felt? The climate was hostile, the people were hostile, the Vietcong had dug an extensive network of tunnels from which they successfully waged war on the US soldiers. They suffered appalling injuries and languished in disgusting conditions in underfunded hospitals, when they returned home they were an embaressment to the Government and a reminder of a senseless war no-one won. You have no idea and your ignorance shows in your post.
2007-09-29 12:38:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
During that time the Draft was in place So whether you agreed that we should have been there or not, these men did not have a choice.
When they returned to U.S. soil they were treated horribly by some members of society and not given the medical care that was desperately need. Many lives were lost in that war and many families were forever changed.
2007-09-29 12:38:55 · answer #9 · answered by Laurie 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
poor analogy gangsters chooose life of crime and rape is caused by evil not poverty if u cited someine who robbed a bank because they were starving could see it more
soldiers were drafted by government and sent there by force.Today's soldiers are not much different they are suckerd in with offers of schooling and other things. Besides only a handful soldiers commited a crime shooting an enemy with a gun who is shooting at you is not a crime. Those who killed/raped civilians should be punished
2007-09-29 12:37:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
Yes. Why would you? Every war has solders that commit crimes. Vietnam is no different. The incidence was low. Has Someone been telling you that the American solders that fought were all criminals? That's hilarious! You don't believe them do you? You don't believe the movies hollywood churns out, do you? My God, educate yourself, young man. Don't let the liberals hollywood and media fill your mind.
2007-09-29 12:37:52 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 0⤋