Vietnam-style river patrols root out rebels and arms along the Euphrates

[UpInArms]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-1391993,00.html

THE ghosts of Vietnam drift through Iraq. Denied and dispelled by advocates of the war, they slink back in the “mission creep”, “quagmire” and “bodybag” accusations of the conflict’s critics.

On the north bank of the Euphrates on Sunday they gathered again, chattering through the rotorblade throb of two overhead Hueys; whispering through the tall rush beds dividing the paddy fields and irrigation ditches; lurking beneath the palm trees and shadows thrown by a fat orange sun; echoing the words of the young American soldier driving Bravo Company’s commander to the start line of the day’s sweep-and-search mission.

“My father was in the special forces in Vietnam,” Private Scott Carlisle, 25, said. “He did four tours there between 1969 and 1973. He was shot in the Mekong Delta, but survived, hiding beneath the body of one of his buddies after his platoon took 90 per cent casualties and the VC went through them, finishing off the survivors.

“He was a great soldier,” he added, “but a lousy husband and an even worse father. He died when he was 48. He lived life hard.”

It was early morning. Private Carlisle and more than 100 other Bravo Company troops of the 44th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division — backed by Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles and Humvees — were deploying on Operation Bear, a lengthy mission to search for the weapons caches of an otherwise invisible enemy. Across the oily brown, slow-moving expanse of the Euphrates sat the city of Ramadi, obscured by a line of palms and thick vegetation.

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[bemildred]

1. You know, it's pretty sick when they start having nostalgic looks back at

VietNam.

[izzie]

2. I think you are right. Also I wonder if we ever win any more.

I was thinking about this a while ago. I grew up in WW2 and then we had Korea and we ended up where we started in that country. People kept saying we should take over the North and just bomb every thing and others said we would start another world war, lets talk. It seems to go on the same year after year. War or talk. I think the only ones that make out are the people who sit down and reason it all out. Yet 30 years later we are still getting the boats out and shooting up another country.It is like we never get any place.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

3. "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning"

Apocalypse Now

part II