Today, Meredith Lair, professor at George Mason University and the author of Armed with Abundance: Consumerism and Soldiering in the Vietnam War examines the consumerist side of war that is hidden from most American’s views. During the episode, we mention the Long Binh Post, which currently looks like this:
It seems only fitting that you also say (though it might hurt book sales) that losing the Vietnam War was the very best outcome possible other than losing earlier or not going to war in this artificial country (French colony) created not by the South Vietnamese people but by our NATO allies.
I experienced the damage done to my generation as I served with Vietnam Vets who were suffering from PTSD and getting no help whatsoever. And my first cousin served two tours as a helicopter pilot (I can't think of a more stressful job than gauging your life and the lives of your crew against the lives of the men you're rescuing.), came home and committed suicide.
After we left, Vietnam FOUGHT communists in China and Cambodia for exactly the same reasons they fought us: not for communism but for their own ancient country's independence.
The writer. is both good and bad. It's good because she's talking about a subjects and the horrible things that happened there.
But I also have issues because she still centers the experiences of US soldiers rather than centering Vietnamese experience.
It seems only fitting that you also say (though it might hurt book sales) that losing the Vietnam War was the very best outcome possible other than losing earlier or not going to war in this artificial country (French colony) created not by the South Vietnamese people but by our NATO allies.
I experienced the damage done to my generation as I served with Vietnam Vets who were suffering from PTSD and getting no help whatsoever. And my first cousin served two tours as a helicopter pilot (I can't think of a more stressful job than gauging your life and the lives of your crew against the lives of the men you're rescuing.), came home and committed suicide.
After we left, Vietnam FOUGHT communists in China and Cambodia for exactly the same reasons they fought us: not for communism but for their own ancient country's independence.