OT: Familiar words from 40 years ago
Al Mundy
Time line of the Vietnam War
The South Vietnamese Army is run by officers personally chosen by President
Diem, not for their competence, but for their loyalty to him. Diem has
instructed his officers to avoid causalities. Their primary mission, he has
told them, is to protect him from any coups in Saigon.
May 1963 - Buddhists riot in South Vietnam after they are denied the right
to display religious flags during their celebration of Buddha's birthday. In
Hue, South Vietnamese police and army troops shoot at Buddhist
demonstrators, resulting in the deaths of one woman and eight children.
Political pressure now mounts on the Kennedy administration to disassociate
itself from Diem's repressive, family-run government. "You are responsible
for the present trouble because you back Diem and his government of
ignoramuses," a leading Buddhist tells U.S. officials in Saigon.
August 26, 1963 - Ambassador Lodge meets President Diem for the first time.
Under instructions from President Kennedy, Lodge tells Diem to fire his
brother, the much-hated Nhu, and to reform his government. But Diem
arrogantly refuses even to discuss such matters with Lodge.
September 2, 1963 - During a TV news interview with Walter Cronkite,
President Kennedy describes Diem as "out of touch with the people" and adds
that South Vietnam's government might regain popular support "with changes
in policy and perhaps in personnel."
Also during the interview, Kennedy comments on America's commitment to
Vietnam "If we withdrew from Vietnam, the Communists would control Vietnam.
Pretty soon, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaya, would go..."
November 2, 1963 Saigon celebrates the downfall of Diem's regime. But the
coup results in a power vacuum in which a series of military and civilian
governments seize control of South Vietnam, a country that becomes totally
dependent on the United States for its existence. Viet Cong use the unstable
political situation to increase their hold over the rural population of
South Vietnam to nearly 40 percent.
March 6, 1964 - Defense Secretary McNamara visits South Vietnam and states
that Gen. Khanh "has our admiration, our respect and our complete
support..." and adds that, "We'll stay for as long as it takes. We shall
provide whatever help is required to win the battle against the Communist
insurgents."
July 1, 1964 - General Maxwell D. Taylor, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, is appointed by President Johnson as the new U.S. ambassador to South
Vietnam. During his one year tenure, Taylor will have to deal with five
successive governments in politically unstable South Vietnam.
August 7, 1964 - In response to the two incidents involving the Maddox and
Turner Joy, the U.S. Congress, at the behest of President Johnson,
overwhelmingly passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution put forward by the White
House allowing the President "to take all necessary steps, including the use
of armed force" to prevent further attacks against U.S. forces. The
Resolution, passed unanimously in the House and 98-2 in the Senate, grants
enormous power to President Johnson to wage an undeclared war in Vietnam
from the White House.
December 24, 1964 - Viet Cong terrorists set off a car bomb explosion at the
Brinks Hotel, an American officers' residence in downtown Saigon. The bomb
is timed to detonate at 5:45 p.m., during 'happy hour' in the bar. Two
Americans are killed and 58 wounded. President Johnson dismisses all
recommendations for a retaliatory air strike against North Vietnam.
January 27, 1965 - Johnson aides, National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy
and Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, send a memo to the President stating
that America's limited military involvement in Vietnam is not succeeding,
and that the U.S. has reached a 'fork in the road' in Vietnam and must
either soon escalate or withdraw.
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interesting wording.. all the players are there.. insurgents, warlords,
unstable governments, surges, car bombs...
Guy Le Deuche
crusty bastards like you were pushing up daisies by now.
On Wed, 09 May 2007 01:14:56 GMT, "Al Mundy" <unkn...@yahoo.com>
wrote: