Is Iraq another Vietnam? Some vets say, 'No'

[Barrett808]

Is Iraq another Vietnam? Some vets say, 'No'
by Tom Clarkson
Baghdad, Iraq

There are a number of professionals in Iraq today who are qualified to answer the question: Is Iraq another Vietnam? They are men who served in Vietnam and are now helping rebuild Iraq.

In just a few weeks, I found more than 60 of these veterans working in a variety of capacities throughout Iraq. From 1964 to 1971 they served in the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy from the Gulf of Tonkin to the DMZ.

Their present ages range from 51 to 70.

The once hard-bodied young Soldiers are a little paunchy now, a little grayer, a little slower. But they are no less committed to serving their country. In fact, 11 are still in uniform -- three colonels, five lieutenant colonels, two master sergeants, and one warrant officer five.

...

About 10 projects are being completed every day. So far, PCO has completed 1,727 projects.

We're doing this one right!, the Vietnam veterans in Iraq emphasize.

(more)

http://www.dcmilitary.com/army/stripe/10_39/commentary/37406-1.html

[liberal N proud]

1. In some respects NO - Vietnam is a Jungle - Iraq is a Desert

[Demeter]

2. No. Iraq Is MUCH WORSE

and much less justifiable from the get-go. Iraq will hang around the GOP necks for generations. It will dissolve the Grand Old Party, and worms will eat their flesh.

[jojog]

3. W had a plan to get out of Vietnam

[Cha]

7. Exactly!

And what else would someone say who was earning money to "rebuild" :wtf: was bombed by the US government?

[WhiteTara]

9. albeit faulty...IIRC it was hanging onto

helicopter doors and pray you make it up. Welcome to DU jojog :hi:

[bemildred]

4. The stupidity is the same, the consequences much more dramatic.

The US "got away" with Vietnam, it will not "get away" with
this one.

[Spoonerian]

5. Viet Nam is really what Iraq (Grenada, Panama, Bosnia, etc.)

are/were all about. The only thing conservative miitarists such as these 60 learned from Viet Nam was that they must be sure to schedule their wars against surer cupcakes in order to prove to themselves that they are the toughest and rule the world.

Let's hope that they bit off a little bit more than they can chew this time when they figured they could easily march up the Euphrates and depopulate cities of 300,000.

[newyawker99]

6. Hi Spoonerian!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Crunchy Frog]

8. Sound like the sort of people who don't think Vietnam was

Vietnam either. Well, what a relief to know that there's so much progress there and we really are doing this one right.:sarcasm:

[Jim__]

10. When they were in Vietnam, did they think they were doing it right?

As I listened to the generals speak on the Sunday talk shows this week, I remembered General Westmoreland when he came back to the US over Christmas '67. He spoke to a joint session of Congress and was given a standing ovation. He went on all the talk shows. He gave the same message everywhere, we'd already won in Vietnam. The enemy did not have the strength to launch a major attack in the interior of South Vietnam. It was basically a mop up operation now. The he went back.

February '68 was Tet.