Vietnam, the War of Today
Vietnam was a cruel and terrible war. Ho Chi Minh was a young leader who wanted to drive the French out of Vietnam. France had always occupied Vietnam and he wanted to see his country independent. He traveled to Russia to study communism under the communist leader of that country. He came back to Vietnam as a young man and began to organize political parties under communism. As his power and influence in Vietnam grew he tried to force the people of his country to accept communism by using terrorist actions. He felt that communism would unite Vietnam and gain it’s independence. He began a series of invasions both within the country and on the borders, oppressing his own people. The US president fearing a domino effect on the countries surrounding Vietnam, sent American troops in to help the Vietnamese people resist the advances being led by the Viet Cong[North Vietnam]. The Viet Cong was counting on the terrain of the jungle and the divided opinion of the war in America, to wear down the American troops. As the war dragged on, the hardships of the jungle wore the troops down, the South Vietnamese were apathetic in their own war. They were letting the Americans fight for them. The Viet Cong’s military tactics were such that they would send people with bombs strapped to them into American camps [including small children]. The South Vietnamese feared the Viet Cong, and they often attacked the Americans, because of the threat of the Viet Cong. The Viet Cong coerced the South Vietnamese into becoming communist.
Additionally the media presented the war in a very negative light to the people in America, which caused the American people to be divided about the war. Peace movements marched on the White House and across college campuses. News of the unpopularity of the war made the troops in Vietnam not want to continue fighting. Many of them began refusing to fight, going so far as to even disobey direct orders. Eventually, Richard Nixon took office, and seeing the lack of progress, the high death toll, the lack of support of the American people, and the fact that the South Vietnamese were not fighting their own war, caused him to pull our troops. By 1975 Vietnam was under total communist control, under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. Vietnam never regained its freedom, and is communist to this day.
Saddan Hussein was the leader of Iraq. Once he was in power he used terrorist tactics to mutilate his own people. He was guilty of mass murder of his own people, and of the Kurds in the north. People just disappeared, and the death toll was rising. America became involved initially under the leadership of George H. W. Bush. The war that occurred between the American and Iraqi troops was known as the Gulf War. America pulled out when the American troops were driven back. The American troops may have been driven back, but they had accomplished their goal. Kuwait was free and recovering. America remained slightly involved in the northern border of Kuwait as a kind of peace-keeping presence within Iraq.
September 11, 2001 was a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. It is possible that Al Quaida was behind the attack. Al Quaida at the time was funding Saddan Hussein. In early 1992, faulty American intelligence claimed that Saddan had control of weapons of mass destruction. Like President Johnson feared the threat of communism, President George W. Bush [son of George H. W. Bush] feared the threat of terrorism. He gained support from other countries and invaded Iraq. The same situation exists in Iraq today as existed in Vietnam, the terrain is uneven, the enemy could be man woman or child, and the country of America is divided. Our troops are in lack of full support.
The difference is that the Vietnamese were apathetic about their own war, but the Iraqis are taking an active part. Vietnam ended as a bloody mess with no winner. Because we appeared to be of no use, we pulled out. There was no goal to reach, because there was no one to help reach the goal. The American troops in Iraq need our full support. Vietnam was a bloody mess, and the war on Iraq is close behind. What better way to support them, than to pray [1 Thessalonians 5:17]? Give them something to fight for. Don’t just sit back and watch History repeat itself.
Support our troops. Pray for them. They need us now if ever.
