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Education Reading Vietnam War

Latest Read: Fire in the Lake

Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam by Frances FitzGerald. Published in 1972, Fire in the Lake was the first history of Vietnam written by an American. A journalist and historian Frances won the Pulitzer Prize, the Bancroft Prize, and the National Book Award as result of her reporting in Vietnam in 1966.

Fire In The Lake by Frances Fitzgerald

This is certainly a very worthy book to continue my education of the American war that lasted a generation. Approaching this book, 50 years after initial publication may appear ‘ancient’ by today’s internet-connected world. I can even recall assigned chapter readings of this book in college along with Stanley Karnow’s Vietnam: A History, Philip Caputo’s A Rumor of War and Michael Herr’s Dispatches among other powerful writers.

Frances has simply written her outstanding analysis in two parts. First, addressing Vietnam, the Vietnamese people, and their long history of foreign oppression. This includes a Chinese occupation which lasted over 1,000 years and concludes with the era of French colonization of Indochina.

The second part of this book is addressing the American War effort which began during World War II and expanded under French rule until the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. At the time of publication, President Nixon was ramping up strategic bombing while withdrawing American troops. The American effort would end three years after publication in 1975 with the fall of Saigon.

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Education Reading Vietnam War

Latest Read: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu by Jules Roy. Jules was a French writer and outspoken critic of French colonialism across Indochina. Jules published this book just seven years following the French defeat. To his credit, he wrote a detailed book and a trip back to the valley writing with the knowledge available to him at that time.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu by Jules Roy

Much of the information was raw and new scholarship would remain elusive for decades. North Vietnam’s essential documents along with those of the French, British, and American governments were still classified. To this end, the facts have not really changed, only the recent access to NVA documents helps shape context today.

However, Roy portrays an honest, detailed assessment of the battle based upon a return visit to the valley. Roy is perhaps one of the early recognized authors of the siege. While subsequent authors have added valuable additions to the west’s understanding, his efforts certainly allowed for early insights by Americans just as Vietnam began to come into greater focus across our country.

Yet, America was still awash in post-World War II success and global expansion under then President Eisenhower. But the warning signs across Laos and Cambodia were ringing.

Roy introduces the appointment of General Navarre as commander of French forces in Vietnam. Navarre’s plan, with the approval of the US was to provoke Giap by duplicating the success at at Na San and ultimately push the Viet Minh into a final pitched battle at Dien Bien Phu.

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Education Reading Vietnam War

Latest Read: The Road to Dien Bien Phu

The Road to Dien Bien Phu: A History of the First War for Vietnam by Christopher Goscha. Christopher teaches History at the Université du Québec à Montréal. This is perhaps one of the new, most important books regarding France’s failure across Indochina.

The Road to Dien Bien Phu: A History of the First War for Vietnam by Christopher Goscha

In short, Christopher has written an amazing book addressing how the communist Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh established a long term strategy to defeat France. Ultimately, this reveals how America began our generational nightmare in southeast Asia. This is perhaps one of the most misunderstood battles that impacted America.

Christopher certainly is delivering new insights regarding the discovery of documents now available to western scholars. Yet, there must also be an accepted acknowledgement the folklore of Ho Chi Minh, easily nurtured by the victors, actually permits a more even and understood review of how France would collapse at the siege.

Perhaps these details reveal how the French surrender at Dien Bien Phu was a decade in the making. And for more than a generation, Americans and even French citizens would be amazed at the resilience of the Viet Minh. This was no rag-tag group of guerrillas in black pajamas. This was an effort led by Ho but driven by several key leaders with the assistance of China and the Soviet Union in that order.

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Education Reading Technology Vietnam War

Latest Read: The Kill Chain

Kill Chain: The Rise of the High-Tech Assassins by Andrew Cockburn. Andrew is a British journalist and the Washington DC editor of Harper’s Magazine and has written extensively about US military issues.

The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare

This book reveals the evolution of drone and air technology warfare. The US military strategy has certainly shifted to developing assassination machines since World War II. In addition, Andrew writes admirably about the US defense industry’s long desire to fight wars after Vietnam with advanced air technology.

The opening chapter documents human error by pilots of a MQ-1 Predator flown during Operation Noble Justice that mistakenly killed several Afghan civilians. Accordingly, Afghanistan President Hamid Kaarzai protested to President Bush.

Indeed, upon review by US military, payments to families of the dead included $5,000. Andrew is revealing this event was simply apart of a long history of hardware and human flaws regarding drone and airborne attacks. From the QH-50C drone to today’s modern Predator, drone technology continues failing to yield results from very lofty ambitions. The long and disappointing development of the Predator is very interesting. Andrew reveals much as political forces, not military or intelligence pushed this drone technology.

In addition, the 2010 leak of a drone footage in Baghdad that killed two Reuters journalists in 2007 were the result of remote pilots mistakenly viewing footage and acting upon false information. Audio statements included the idea that the Reuters journalists were carrying long rifles. Upon review, the two were in fact, carrying digital cameras.

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Education Reading Vietnam War

Latest Read: A Tiger Among Us

A Tiger Among Us: A Story of Valor in Vietnam’s A Shau Valley by Bennie Adkins. A story from growing up in a large family in Oklahoma to his indeed extraordinary heroism at the Battle of A Shau Valley in March 1966. This is truly an amazing patriot and community leader.

A Tiger Among Us: A Story of Valor in Vietnam’s A Shau Valley by Bennie Adkins

Bennie served three tours in Vietnam before returning stateside retiring in 1978. In addition, he complete two masters degrees and launched his own accounting firm. However following his awarding of the Medal of Honor in 2014, Bennie changed his life to serve again.

He was drafted in 1956 and served in Germany before returning to the 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Benning. Bennie volunteered for Special Forces in 1961. Deploying to Vietnam three times between 1963 and 1971, as a result blending life and family into his early service and initial training within Special Forces.

Then the focus shifts to A Shau. At first glance Bennie is awarded the Distinguished Service Cross from the battle. As just one of 17 serving at a Special Forces camp at A Shau, Bennie also found 400 South Vietnam irregulars serving at the camp. This included Montagnards. Bennie addressed their fighting skills, yet also the discrimination they faced by fellow Vietnamese.