Opaque Memories of War

Many of the poems contained herein follow excerpts from my books; NAM The Devils Domain, The Pimp of Saigon and Undaunted Valor. These poems were created to envision facts of war, inspired by my Vietnam War experiences; some are inspired by myths reported by biased American newspaper, radio and television media. Still others were created to reflect individual valor, human suffering and mans inhumanity to man. Myths: The biased American media reported that the U.S. Military lost many encounters with the enemy in Vietnam. The TET offensive was an NVA/VC Victory and that America had lost its first war ever as witnessed on television during the fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975. Facts: The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. The American military did not lose a battle of any consequence. From a military standpoint, the war was a major military defeat for the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army. Militarily, the 1968 TET offensive resulted in a total defeat of the Communist forces on all fronts. It resulted in the death of some 45,000 NVA troops and the complete, if not total destruction of the Vietcong elements in South Vietnam. The fall of Saigon happened April 30, 1975; two years after the American military had left Vietnam. The last American troops departed Vietnam in their entirety March 29, 1973. It is impossible to lose a war we had stopped fighting. We fought to an agreed governmental stalemate and turned over all military responsibility to the South Vietnamese army which included jets, helicopters, tanks, trucks, weapons and ammo. The U. S. peace settlement was signed in Paris on January 27, 1973. It called for the release of all U. S. prisoners and withdrawal of U. S. forces. Effective April 30, 1975 the South Vietnamese army outnumbered the North Vietnamese army by at least two to one in all categories, men, machines, aircraft and firepower. The U. S. A. supported the French military with 98% if its military costs and fought Communism in Vietnam for a total involvement for 10,000 days. With the South Vietnamese army now in charge of their own countrys destiny they never fought, but instead surrendered unconditionally to North Vietnam within nine days. The 140,000 evacuees in April 1975, during the fall of Saigon, consisted entirely of Vietnamese civilians and military. There were twice as many causalities in Southeast Asia (primarily Cambodian) the first two years following the end of U. S. involvement than there were during all the years of the Vietnam War. The media perceived loss of the war, the countless assassinations and torture visited upon Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians is due to the American media for their undying support by misrepresentation of the anti-war movement in the United States. As Americans, we must support our military men and women involved in the War On Terrorism, for once again the American media is working tirelessly to undermine their efforts and force a psychological loss or stalemate for the United States.