09/13/2021
Just had to put down my book about Dien Bien Phu (the French defeat in Vietnam 1954) by Howard Simpson. We just don't learn anything in this country and keep making the same stupid mistakes over and over again. The war in Vietnam (US involvement) was a righteous and just cause. The fight against global communist takeover is a battle worth fighting. We fought that war mainly on the ground in South Vietnam and with airstrikes in North Vietnam. So we ended up devastating the southern cities, towns and fields with little damage to the north except for Hanoi and other specific targets. This allowed the North Vietnamese army and Vietcong a safe place to rearm, reequip and train. With the Ho Chi Minh trail in neighboring Laos and Cambodia off limits to US ground forces it was possible to move fresh combat units from North Vietnam to virtually anywhere in South Vietnam. The EXACT same situation existed throughout the entire war in Afghanistan. Taliban fighters had a safe haven in Pakistan to rearm, reequip and train. Except for the raid on Bin Laden we never even harassed Taliban fighters in Pakistan. How stupid of us. We funneled billions into Pakistan during the war and funded the very people that sheltered our enemies. US convoys that traveled through Pakistan were routinely looted. I have seen pictures of US military gear for sale in the bazaars of Pakistan. I have never been to college. In the Marine Corp I was a corporal. In Afghanistan I was just a carbine operator. I could see this happening. Many commentators on Fox news reported this. Laura Logan has been quite outspoken about this. The entire war including the tragic pullout was a failure of our politicians and military leadership. Our cause in Afghanistan was just and honorable. I was thrilled to go over there, pick up a rifle, stand a post and say "here I am motherf**kers take your best shot". For nine months straight I stood post at night with my fellow contractors and Afghan interpreters 30 feet from the highway that leads to the Khyber pass, only 30 miles away. Again I was glad to do it. Play my little part. In the end we were let down by our politicians and senior military leadership. Just like the war in Vietnam. We have learned nothing. One thing that is different ; the North Vietnamese were content to slaughter opposition in South Vietnam after we abandoned the South Vietnamese army, the Taliban and al-Qaeda are headed here. This war is not over. You don't kick in someones door, punch the homeowner in face, walk away and say "glad that is over". How many innocents will be killed with the 335,000 Assault rifles and 63,000 machine guns we left there? Terrorist are flocking to Afghanistan, what repercussions will the world suffer because of our failure there?
