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Education Reading Vietnam War

French request to US: Drop 3 atomic bombs at Dien Bien Phu

The Pentagon Papers revealed a startling event: France requested the US Air Force drop three atomic bombs at Dien Bien Phu. The French Union troops were being overrun by the Viet Minh and their well placed and deadly accurate cannon fire in the surrounding hills of the French garrison. French artillery commander Charles Piroth realizing his overconfident plan to easily silence […]

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Education Reading Vietnam War

Eisenhower and the French war in Vietnam

Eisenhower and the French war in Vietnam outlined in the Pentagon Papers is proving to teach us some very interesting lessons. The Pentagon Papers now confirm actions under Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower that span 1945 – 1955. Even before the end of World War II France was demanding the Allied nations, namely the US and Britain to […]

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Education Reading Vietnam War

US involvement: FDR, Truman & Eisenhower

They said when I was growing up that America’s involvement in Vietnam began in the 1960s with Presidents FDR, Truman & Eisenhower sending advisors to Vietnam to help a democratic South defeat an aggressive communist North. After Kennedy’s assassination the US was ultimately dragged into war following the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964. But […]

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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. The 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. […]

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Education Reading Vietnam War

Operation Rolling Thunder Part 1 of 3

For over two months I have been reading and re-reading two volumes of the Pentagon Papers surrounding Operation Rolling Thunder that have really shed a light (for me) regarding the war in Vietnam.  Battles in a long war are very difficult to read because so much pain and suffering surrounds our fallen countrymen. These pages teach […]