BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

Yes, I saw it through.

I think the real criminal is whom ever did not forward Ho's letters to Truman.

WWII ended when I was 8-9 years old. I had interest in the news at that age and had to listen anyway because my grandmother did. I remember the Berlin airlift and the numerous other things that Russia did to takeover other nations. I remember the news about Mao and China and Truman's concern about the spread of communism, which carrier over to Dwight D. and John Foster Dulles. The "cold war" was real and intense. Stalin and Mao were continuation of the historical conquers.

Viet Nam was seen basically as the French picking-up where it was before WWII - colonialism had not as then been given up by the world.
Viet Nam was seen as communism's starting its spread in S.E. Asia - it was not known as an attempt to rid itself of colonialists. And that's what the war was about, at least early on, stopping the spread of communism, at least through the eyes of one from about the age 10 thru 28 or so.

At 28 I left the Navy after 20 years with 4 daughters ranging in age from 1 to 4. Both my wife and I working, she as a nurse in the evenings after I got home from my work day. I cared less about the war. Had a bit of contempt for the draft dodgers but gave them little thought - my military service was over and had more than enough on my mind with my family.

What really soured me was three things:
1. Jane Fonda. To this day I consider her a traitor - giving aid and comfort to the enemy. She should have been in jail rather than Ted Turner's consort.
2. The violence and vandalism that NONE of the so-called "peace"-niks condemned but tacitly, if not outwardly supported. The peace movement, in my mind, was more and more people revolting against an unfair draft and those who just saw a way to get out of "it" - again, this was and is my mind-set. I don't like political lying but in the instance I understand it.
3. A photographer caught an image of a woman, leaning over the rope that was the boundary of the pathway for the troops disembarking upon reaching home, spitting on one.

As ever has been one may hate a group but not a particular member of that group, thus I have nothing but contempt to this day for those protesters as a group. The Wall may have gone a long way toward healing for many but not for me because those 3 things.

daddybear Loc: Brunswick, NY

I have been putting it on my DVR. Just finished Tet. Everyone one of us will have differing and valid opinions based on our own perspectives. As it should be. I just think I owe myself the 18 hours

DeanR.