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  • Concord and Khe Sanh

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/o...,5308364.story
    chicagotribune.com

    Concord and Khe Sanh

    January 22, 2009
    Click here to find out more!

    In his inaugural address Tuesday, President Barack Obama summoned the memories of epic American fights for freedom, reciting battle sites that every school child knows: Concord. Gettysburg. Normandy. But he added one that has not ranked among those famous battles of the American Revolution, the Civil War and World War II.

    "For us," he said, "they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sanh."

    The siege of Khe Sanh, in the first months of 1968, was one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. It lasted 77 days and claimed about 200 American lives, according to official U.S. figures. Some accounts put the death toll much higher. The siege, and the Tet Offensive that started around the same time, helped turn American public opinion against the war.

    Obama's reference to Khe Sanh was brief, but it was probably noticed by millions of Americans—some who fought in the war, some who protested against the war, and some who just remember that agonizing time in American history.

    In listing Khe Sanh with three epic battles for American freedom, Obama as much as said: We're past one generation's long political divide over Vietnam. What we remember, what we honor, is the sacrifice of more than 58,000 American soldiers who died and tens of thousands who were wounded.

    That was a nice touch in a fine speech summoning Americans to find courage for the days—and battles—ahead.

    Perhaps Obama included that reference out of respect for the man he beat for the presidency, Sen. John McCain, whose resilience and courage as a Vietnam prisoner-of-war has inspired many Americans.

    One sentence in one speech won't lay to rest the lingering political divide over Vietnam. But did you notice that this campaign for president avoided the "what did you do during the Vietnam War" political harangues of recent campaigns?

    There were no questions about draft dodging, which Bill Clinton faced in 1992. No questions, as Sen. John Kerry faced in 2004, about his service record on a swift boat and his protests against the war. No questions, as Dan Quayle faced in 1988 and George W. Bush faced in 2000, about whether joining the National Guard was a dodge.

    Not that Vietnam was entirely absent. Republicans tried to make an issue of war protester William Ayers' ties to Obama. But the issue was Ayers' radical tactics, not his opposition to the war.

    Maybe this is the reason that the politics of Vietnam was blessedly missing from the politics of campaign 2008:

    McCain served with unquestioned distinction and has been a leader in achieving reconciliation both with Vietnam and within our own country.

    Obama, like many voters, was too young to serve in that war or march in protest. For them, it's all ancient history.

    Whatever the reason, it was a relief.

    Concord, Lexington, Normandy, Khe Sanh. We honor those who gave their lives.

    Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune

  • #2
    I thought that this was a nice editorial by the Chicago Tribune.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khe_Sanh

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    • #3
      I have studied the US casualties from this battle in some depth, and I can assure you that the "official" numbers are misleading, misunderstood, and grossly low.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by GraniteForge View Post
        I have studied the US casualties from this battle in some depth, and I can assure you that the "official" numbers are misleading, misunderstood, and grossly low.
        What would you recommend as a good read on the topic?

        Thanks in advance.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by LetsTalk View Post
          What would you recommend as a good read on the topic?

          Thanks in advance.
          I can tell you that the point of departure for my own research was reading
          The End of the Line: The Siege of Khe Sanh, by Robert Pisor.

          Its not a major part of the narrative, but Pisor does discuss some different ways of calculating casualties. I subsequently did a substantial amount of research in this area. With an anticipation of publishing, I did have some documents declassified, but I also was able to peruse documents that either still classifled, or so closely held as to be unobtainable.

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          • #6
            Can you imagine the documnets that will be released when (some) of us will be will into our 70's-80's. Then our generation will be able to get a real defination of our country's wars such as WWII and Korea. I dont think some of us will be alive when the truth about Vietnams conflict comes to light. So its up to the younger generations to find out exactly what transpired. Doing it would also give those fallen soldiers who have tried to tell their stories but cant major support and perhaps some amount of closure.
            Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by GraniteForge View Post
              I have studied the US casualties from this battle in some depth, and I can assure you that the "official" numbers are misleading, misunderstood, and grossly low.
              Ask anyone who was there humping around and got news from home as to the body counts on the evening news. They will verbally substantiate what you wrote GF.
              Welcome, you step into a forum of the flash bang, chew toy hell, and shove it down your throat brutal honesty. OoE

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              • #8
                Originally posted by GraniteForge View Post
                I can tell you that the point of departure for my own research was reading
                The End of the Line: The Siege of Khe Sanh, by Robert Pisor.
                I will add it to my list, thanks!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by LetsTalk View Post
                  I will add it to my list, thanks!
                  You're welcome.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Good rec, GF. Pisor's book is an excellent discourse on the battle, on Westmoreland's sadly lacking grasp of NVA intentions with good accounts of the hill fights and the North Vietnamese tank assault on the Special Forces camp at Lang Vei.

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