Categories
Education Vietnam War

How we NEVER could have won in Vietnam

We never won in Vietnam. Over the weekend I found a November 2009 Newsweek issue about how the could have won in Vietnam.  The headline addressed historical lessons regarding current US military goals in Afghanistan.
never won in VietnamThe lead was an attempt at revisionism regarding the war.  It may be a trend to boast we could have won fighting the NVA and VietCong.  To be honest the Pentagon Papers are now proving to be the ultimate trump card against revisionist history.

So far I have pushed through about half of the Pentagon Papers 7,300 pages. The early volumes alone provide clear evidence we NEVER could have won in Vietnam.

Categories
Education Watergate

Robert Bork’s Saturday Night Massacre

Robert Bork died this week. While many recall his failed US Supreme Court nomination I will always remember his actions as Nixon’s hatchman during the infamous Saturday Night MassacrePlease jump to the 4:43 mark of this video:

At the time Nixon’s Watergate affair was spinning out of control. Archibald Cox, appointed as the Watergate Special Prosecutor demanded access to newly revealed White House tapes after Alexander Butterfield, the President’s Deputy Assistant acknowledged a taping system was installed by Nixon.

Nixon refused to comply with a court ruling that indeed he turn over his tapes and then ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Cox. Richardson refused and was fired. Nixon then ordered Richardson’s Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus to fire Cox but he also refused and was also fired by Nixon. Next in line was Robert Bork, then Solicitor General. He did comply with Nixon’s order and fired Cox.  Within hours Nixon ordered the FBI to seal off the offices of the Special Prosecutor, The Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General.

It was a clear and last act the Imperial President and it was a watershed moment in our constitutional.  The next day tens of thousands of Western Union telegrams flooded Congress by the American public insisting on impeaching Nixon.

Bork’s role in the Massacre, firing Cox sealed his fate fourteen years later when President Reagan nominated him for the Supreme Court.

Categories
Education

USS Arizona memorial

Lest we forget. Since visiting the USS Arizona memorial in Pearl Harbor I have been deeply moved by the beautiful yet haunting architecture honoring our fallen countrymen. Today’s 71st anniversary is no different. My panoramic shoot onboard the Arizona memorial in late 2005:
uss arizona memorial
My deep and heartfelt thanks to the US National Park Service for granting me access to photograph panoramic imaging aboard the memorial in the allotted timeframe.