Afghanistan War -- Part One

Another Vietnam?

In 1887 French Indo-China, which consisted of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, was established. On March 9, 1945 Japanese forces over-threw the French and restored independence to Vietnam. Shortly thereafter the "Army of the Republic of Vietnam" (ARVN) was organized. At the time of President John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961 there was 600 military advisers (to the ARVN) in Vietnam, which indicates that President Eisenhower was partly responsible for the debacle which was to follow, but that number grew rapidly and at the time of President Kennedy's assassination it was about 16,000. The situation detoriorated rapidly during this period, with Ho Chi Minh leading a communist insurgency against the newly independent nation.

"Gulf of Tonkin Incident" - The first Gulf of Tonkin Incident which took place on August 2,1964, less than a year after President Johnson replaced the assassinated President Kennedy, was the sea battle between the North Vietnamese Navy's Torpedo Squadron 135 and the destroyer "USS Maddox" but from most all later accounts the second attack on August 4, 1964 never happened. Whether it was abnormal weather conditions which caused a radar malfunction, a figment of someone's imagination or a hoax perpetrated by our own navy is still not clear but the mere report of a second attack was enough to convince President Johnson to go on television and request authority to undertake a military response. On August 7, 1964 congress passed a Joint Resolution which granted President Johnson authority to conduct military operations in Southeast Asia without the benefit of a declaration of war. In 1965 President Johnson commented privately; "For all I know, our Navy was shooting at whales out there."

"The Tonkin Gulf Resolution" was the resolution by both houses of congress in response to the North Vietnamese attack on the USS Maddox on August 2, and the phantom attack on the night of August 4, 1964. The vote in the House of Representatives was 416 to 0 and in the Senate it was 98 to 2. (opposed by Senator Morse (D-Oregon) and Senator Grueing (D - Alaska) - Senator Morse on constitutional grounds) At the time this resolution was passed the Democrats held a total of 66 seats in the Senate and picked up two more in the November election. In the House of Representatives the Democrats held a 259 to 176 lead and picked up 36 more in the November election.

During the next 8 years things got progressively worse in a very unpopular war in Vietnam where it seemed that the only news was bad news. Demonstrators marched on Washington demanding that we withdraw from that "unjust and unwinnable war". As a result of what was fast becoming the "voice of America" President Nixon was left with little choice.

In a nationally televised address on January 23, 1973, President Richard Nixon announced that the United States had reached an agreement to end the war in Vietnam. The agreement established a cease fire throughout Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), stipulated that the U.S. would withdraw its remaining troops from Vietnam, and that the American prisoners of war would be returned. It also recognized that the South Vietnamese Government under President Thieu would remain in power but permitted North Vietnamese troops to remain in the south.

The fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the North Vietnamese Army on April 30, 1975. The capture of the city was preceded by the evacuation of almost all American Civilian and Military Personnel remaining in Saigon. (Note)Remember in President Nixon's address (above) he stated "It also recognized that the South Vietnamese Government under President Thieu would remain in power." Also while the United States was withdrawing from one side of Saigon the North Vietnamese were attacking from the other sides. Almost immediately Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. That's why many people still remember it as a "cut and run" or "the last one out turn out the lights."

Again, some of this information came from the internet but part of it (I am old enough to remember the war) came from my memory. Yes, I know the title of this posting is "Afghanistan War" and nothing in this posting even mentions Afghanistan but in my next posting I will try to point out many similarities between Vietnam and Afghanistan. Until then, thanks and stay tuned - William