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TigerNet Elite [71743]
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Vietnam War
Mar 30, 2022, 8:45 PM
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Clover and many others here on Tnet were there.
The deal for folks of that era, and those explaining it to us now are different folks. Much of what younger folks believe these days is not accurate as to us Tiger kids.
This was a war in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1955 to the fall of Saigon in 1975.
President Kennedy moved in, and LBJ took it to another level. No need to second guess now -> that is what happened.
18 countries got involved.
58,281 USA boys died and 303,644 were wounded. 18 year old kids who were not lame or could not afford college were drafted. My unit got one 17. They were forced to be heroes. Most here have no concept of a draft or how to plan your life as to that. Bush got in the National Guard, Clinton escaped to Oxford. Many kids were fleeing to Canada. Go to college, shoot yourself a leg were options. I know kids who did both.
In the 60's kids has less information available. CBS, NBC, ABC were pushing the war hard every night. That was all we had back then as to news.
Kids we grew up with were falling in VN every day. I lost life friends. It made me angry.
Some musicians protested and some made a lot of $$ doing that as kids in VN died. Going to VN was not a choice for many. USA soldiers were not the enemy, but some portrayed it that way and got rich doing that.
I am a fan of many of those tunes. Some was great music. So called "hippies" marched, and most had no clue. We were all more innocent in the 60's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-RVwILsb9o
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Ultimate Clemson Legend [100624]
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Yep..and unforgivable how they were treated returning home!
Mar 30, 2022, 8:55 PM
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Sad to this day and jobs were difficult to get too!
303,000 injured is an unreal figure of pain & suffering to grasp, even today!
At my advanced age I have dropped down 10 rungs concerning war and racing head strong into it..especially understanding how our Leaders sell it and profit from it too.
Let them & their children & buddies go first, I say!
Believe that people from most all countries are finally getting smart enough to question authority more b/4 being offered up as canon fodder.
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TigerNet Elite [71743]
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Re: Yep..and unforgivable how they were treated returning home!
Mar 30, 2022, 9:08 PM
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Opposing the War and aiding the effort to kill our boys was not the same.
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TigerNet Champion [120543]
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Re: Vietnam War
Mar 30, 2022, 9:25 PM
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My dad was one of the wounded, but he went on to serve another tour anyway. He worked under the Department of Army Special Photographic Operations, they traveled around in Cambodia, Laos, South Vietnam, usually with a spook as an accompaniment, and reported back to the Pentagon. He never fired his rifle but did take lots of pictures. You have probably seen some of them.
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Heisman Winner [79921]
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Just saw the one,
Mar 30, 2022, 11:59 PM
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but it was too boo-koos.
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Valley Legend [12545]
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Re: Vietnam War
Mar 30, 2022, 9:32 PM
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Actually Tagaloo our involvement in Viet Nam started in 1919 when President Woodrow Wilson refused to meet with a young Ho Chi Minh in Paris. From then on our fate was sealed. In 1he early 50’s (53 I think), the US was flying 90% of the re-supply missions into Dien Ben Phu when the Viet Minh kicked the dog crap out of France. We were neck deep there for a long time. One reason we supported the French so strongly is that we knew if they ever left, we would have to go in. I spent all of 1970 there.
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All-Time Great [88004]
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I blame John Foster Dulles and Ike the most
Mar 31, 2022, 4:14 PM
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for not going along with the election results in 1956. Ho Chi Minh was elected overwhelmingly. He was a national hero and fought the Japanese with us and France in WWII.
Dulles feared communism so much and believed the flawed domino theory and this slowly led to our involvement and ultimate failure.
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All-In [10726]
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Re: Vietnam War
Mar 30, 2022, 9:40 PM
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I have a really good friend who has shrapnel in his body and injuries that still affect him 50 years after he got home. When I graduated high school just after turning 18, we faced the lottery system for the draft. So many years later I don't remember my number but the draft stopped before it got to me and I was able to go to college. If my number had been called, I would have gone and my life would have been so different because I would not have met my wife in college or maybe never made it home.
Our 50th high school reunion was cancelled because of COVID so we had to deal with Nam our senior year and COVID 50 years later. We started high school when segregation ended, Viet Nam was full on, protests, hippies etc, etc were going on which probably explains why so many of us are just a little bit off the wall. As a History major, I know all wars are HE!! but Nam was especially bad because nobody understood why we were there. I am not really sure what the difference is between Korea, Viet Nam and Ukraine but I pray we don't get drawn into Putin's War.
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Gridiron Giant [15448]
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Re: Vietnam War
Mar 30, 2022, 9:45 PM
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I CANNOT imagine being fresh out of high school and being sent to a h e l l hole like that!
At that age I was SO naive, sheltered and green from head to toe. My lottery number was drawn my senior year of 1972 but the draft was ended shortly thereafter.
May God bless all who served, wounded and died. As well as they families.
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Top TigerNet [30391]
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Re: Vietnam War
Mar 30, 2022, 9:54 PM
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I blame LBJ the most.
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Orange Blooded [2180]
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Re: Vietnam War
Mar 31, 2022, 5:13 PM
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You should and LBJ was also behind JFK assassination.
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Mascot [16]
TigerPulse: 85%
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Re: Vietnam War
Mar 30, 2022, 9:59 PM
[ in reply to Re: Vietnam War ] |
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My very low draft lottery number sent me from being a freshman at CU to serving four years in the Air Force. Was to tall and too scared to face a draft into the Army. Served as bomb tech on B52 base in Thailand. Bravo to all who did the dirty and dangerous work over there. We in the blue served but we did not SERVE as much. Thanks to all who were there.
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Orange Blooded [2467]
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Re: Vietnam War
Mar 30, 2022, 11:37 PM
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USAF here as well. Fortunately I served during mostly quiet times. Was a paramedic and worked @ Maxwell AFB, Al Base ER and covered flight line incidents. Still headed north for all Tiger home games!
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Rock Defender [55]
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Re: Vietnam War
Mar 30, 2022, 10:02 PM
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My uncle did a couple of tours there after graduating from Clemson. I applaud him and everyone else for their service. My oldest son has been over seas multiple times and time changes but stays the same in some ways. Let’s just hope we never reach the point of our soldiers coming home unappreciated again. God Bless!
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Scout Team [196]
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Re: Vietnam War
Mar 31, 2022, 2:38 PM
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Students today don't have to worry about keeping their grades up to maintain 2S status and every course you took at Clemson the original grade stayed with you even if you took the course and got a better grade
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