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Reflections.

As I travel back to the United States from Vietnam, I took some time to reflect on the meaning of it all.  I mentioned at the beginning of my blog that I wanted an adventure that had some historical significance to me.  I will explain.  I am a proud son and nephew of Vietnam veterans (Navy, Marines, Army and Air Force).  Also importantly, there is Corporal Thomas M. Phillips, USMC.  Tom and his family lived in Healdsburg, California where I also grew up.  He became a Marine, went to Vietnam and was killed there, in Quang Tri Province, in 1968.   He was 20 years old.  My train passed through Quang Tri on February 9^th last week (see blog), two days before what would have been his 68^th birthday.  The town of Healdsburg lost six men in Vietnam, from all four branches of the service.  They are all buried in Oak Mound Cemetery, right next to our old football field.  In Tom’s honor, his father would do something each year to raise money to provide a scholarship for a graduate of Healdsburg High School.  I received one of those scholarships.

Corporal Thomas M. Phillips, USMC

During the year leading up to my graduation in 1983, I saw an older, quiet gentleman driving around in an early model restored car, painted a light green color, with a sign on it.  I didn't pay much attention.  Later I found out that it was Mr. Phillips, and he was raffling off that car in order to raise money to fund the scholarship.  I don't know exactly why I was the recipient.  The sponsor for the Aviation Explorer club I was the President of said he recommended me since he knew (more than I did) how much college cost, and that I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay for it.  I was surprised when I received the award during a school graduation event.  At the time I didn't know the foundation of the scholarship.  Mr. Phillips, while he may have been in the audience, wasn't even the one who handed me the check.  It was $1,500 that year--a lot of money to me at age 17 in 1983.  I made sure to visit with him at his home days later, where I found out the origin of the scholarship.  The scholarship would come in handy, and it would also help change the course of my life later on.

I had started flying lessons in Healdsburg my junior year in high school.  I was close to my private pilot license, but it was slow going due to the cost.  When I told my flight instructor, Louie Robinson about the scholarship, and asked if it would be OK to use some of it for the lessons and the FAA evaluation, he said of course it would be.  So with some of that scholarship money, I was able to finish my training and become a licensed pilot at the age of 17.  That paid off later while in college when I applied to be an officer and pilot in the Air Force.  It was a very competitive process, and I didn't have the most competitive grades at the time.  But I scored well on the Air Force aptitude exams, and having that private pilot license on my application won me a commission in the Air Force, and a chance to attend Air Force pilot training.  I did well there and flew the mighty A-10 Warthog, and other aircraft, for many years after training.

I joined the Marine Corps myself in 1984 while I was still in college, and became a Corporal also, before transferring to the Air Force as an officer later on.  I have Mr. Phillips and his son, Corporal Thomas Phillips, to thank.  I wish there was a way I could do just that.  I live a life of gratitude, partly because of them.  I am a 30 year retired military veteran, Marines and Air Force, and currently fly for United Airlines.

So it was with meaning that I wanted to visit Vietnam.  The purpose of my trip was not to visit battlefields (although I did do some of that) or to visit their museums and endure the Vietnamese spin on what they call “The American War” (I'll have my own spin on that later).  I am very familiar with the history of it.  But I did want to see the country, and perhaps symbolically, I wanted to start from the south at the Mekong Delta, and make it all the way to Hanoi.  I wanted to meet the people, make friends, see with my own eyes some of the places I had only read about in books, and generally try to see some of what other Americans saw in that country 40 to 50 years ago.  As my blog illustrates, I did just that.  And I seem to have put some of the pieces together in my mind: why we were there, what it was worth, and the legacy.

It is my opinion that the war in Vietnam was not a war by itself.  You can't talk about that conflict without putting it in context with a longer struggle.  I consider America’s Vietnam War a continuation, and ultimately the beginning of the end of the bitter conflicts we had with Soviet communism.  Those conflicts pre-dated even World War 2.  Of course, during WW2 we allied ourselves with the communist Russians out of necessity.  Once victory was gained in Europe, there was a mad dash there, the West vs East (Russia), to either free or secure land and populations, in the name of democracy or communism, free market vs. not.  It's how we ended up with NATO and the Warsaw Pact (now defunct). What many people don't realize though, is that the chess game after victory in Europe was just part of the outcome--Asia was somewhat ignored by western history.  In the months leading up to the defeat of Japan, which the USA played a major part in and sacrificed so much for (Russia didn't even declare war on Japan until a month prior to the Japanese surrender), there was a land grab going on in East and Southeast Asia.  China, Korea, and Vietnam among them.

For America, WW2 lasted only 4 years, and was costly in terms of both lives and our economy. Politically, however, the battles continued in Europe, and this time it was East vs. West.  For East Asia, deals were made to stop the advancement of Russian sponsored communism, and to limit conflict in the short term.  Countries were arbitrarily divided and lines were drawn on maps, without much consideration of cultural histories or even political leanings in some areas.  After the heinous brutality brought by the Japanese to Asia in the 20s, 30s and 40s, many Asian countries were left in devastation, poverty and disorganization.  Some order was offered through pragmatic leadership, religion, state sponsored communism and democracy, and the assistance those sponsors provided to Asian governments.  How all of that fit into history is the point here.

In Vietnam, the French were there, trying to defend their colonial presence against the Viet Minh and the entrenching communist politico.  The French were not nice to the Vietnamese, before or after WW2. (I'll save my opinion of their role in Vietnam).  In any case, even with US aid the French could not prevail, and they left, but not without some cultural influence in Vietnam, and a lot of hurt feelings.

Enter the United States.  By the 1960s, there was an established North and South Vietnam (not their official names), divided at the Ben Hai River (see blog post 9 Feb).  The North Vietnamese, led by Ho Chi Minh (who we supported during WW2 but didn’t later on) and with Russian and Chinese support, wanted to unify Vietnam.  That meant make it all communist—in other words, take over the south.  South Vietnam was already attempting a democracy, but they sucked at it, and some would say their democratic government wasn’t even legitimate.  They feared the North, and rightfully so.  The North was already known for its own brutality toward the south, and at the time, the communists in general were known for that same type of brutality, in Europe as well as Asia.  Re-education camps, mass executions, corruption, power mongering.  We entered Vietnam to defend democracy and America’s idea of freedom, to try and stop the spread of communism, and to help the South Vietnamese, pure and simple.  We fought there as a strategic defense of the South, not as invaders of the North.  But the war failed strategically, politically and socially.  Fresh in our minds at the time was the Korean War, where we also tried to contain communist expansion—our forces making it to the Chinese border at the Yalu River.  Chinese intervention there resulted in a stalemate where it had all begun, and that conflict still persists to this day.  

America’s war in Vietnam went on for almost 10 years.  President Nixon began US withdrawal and got us out.  Deals were made in Paris—Vietnamization, ‘peace with honor.’  By the end of 1973 we were mostly out of there, leaving the South Vietnamese to defend their own country, with a promise of almost carte blanche military equipment support from the US.  But ultimately the US Congress wouldn't support funding the South’s effort to defend itself against Northern aggression, and that promise was broken.  Nixon threatened the North—if they violated the Paris peace accords, we would bomb them.  The North feared that.  When Nixon resigned, there was no more threat, and the North rolled right into the South and dominated.  Before 1975 was over, there was no longer a South Vietnam.  A million South Vietnamese were put into re-education camps west of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City).  More than 250,000 did not survive.  More brutality took place in other areas.

But the losers (the South Vietnamese) don't get to write the history.  And you won't find any of that information in any Vietnamese museum these days.  Quite the opposite.  I know, because I went to one, and it was made very clear to me what they want their ‘history’ to be.  1975 wasn’t the end of anything for Vietnam.  In 1978, they were compelled to battle the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia leading to occupation, which resulted in the Chinese coming across the Vietnamese border for three weeks of battle.  Vietnam occupied Cambodia for another 10 years.  The economic toll was tremendous, Vietnam was starving.  After Glasnost and Perestroika (openness and restructuring) was initiated by Gorbachev in Russia, and the collapsing Soviet Union, Vietnam eventually left Cambodia and followed suit.  Uncle Ho wouldn’t recognize the Vietnam of today.  Two US Presidents, Bill and George W have since visited Hanoi.

At its peak, we had over a half-million servicemen in Vietnam at one time.  By the time we left Vietnam, over 50,000 Americans were killed, and many more scarred, physically and emotionally, because of what is endured and witnessed in war.  The fierce battles on the ground and in the air were intense--as much, or more so than previous conflicts.  Not only that, but never before or since have individual U.S. servicemen been subjected to such continuous and frequent battle for such long periods during their tours.  Toward the end of the war, many of those who served with so much courage (voluntarily or not), fought well, faithfully supported their brothers, lost friends and witnessed so much sacrifice, came home and were forced to shed the pride they earned and bury their wounds down deep, after being met with scorn and shame from some of their own countrymen once they arrived.  Shame on those who let that happen.  I am thankful that even the demonstrators I have seen organized at the main gate to the military base I worked at never looked at me with hatred or distaste.  And the few I accidentally met off duty made their point, but not with offense toward me or the military.  I respect them for that, even if I disagreed with their cause.  I think they felt the same way.  Americans have a greater appreciation for the military charged to protect us, regardless of the circumstances.  Even if the cause is in dispute, there is no lack of moral support for the sacrifices of those who serve.  We should take pride in our servicemen and women. Some day we just might need them—maybe a whole lot of them.

Vietnam was a hot spot for the Cold War effort.  I believe we went there as part of that effort. Not many people in America remember nuke drills in the classroom.  I do.  Real or perceived, America was under a threat during the Cold War, and I'm sure Russians felt the same way. Vietnam was a place where we wanted to take a stand against that threat, and we did.  Ultimately, communism, as it existed prior to the 1990s, failed.  Diplomacy and new Western military and economic power, brought to bear in the late 70s and in the 80s, caused one of the world’s superpowers to break down enough to let a little free western light shine in.  That light spread all over Asia and Europe.  Russia could compete technologically and militarily, but they couldn't afford it.  Their Warsaw Pact crumbled.   What exists today are many more first-world countries in Asia with a hybrid, global economy, mostly free markets and open societies, regardless of the political infrastructure.  Parts of the Middle-East and Africa are still behind the times.

In 1975 President Ford said in a speech, “Today America can regain the sense of pride that existed before Vietnam.  But it cannot be achieved by refighting a war that is finished as far as America is concerned.”  A week later, Saigon fell.  I know what he was trying to achieve, and it was a great, positive speech of hope and pride, but I do not agree with those words.  The long fight for Vietnam and the consequences it brought were pivotal in the reorganization of our military and led up to the end of the Cold War.  Technology, equipment, communications, tactics, techniques, intelligence, strategy, America’s awareness of military sacrifice, the all volunteer force—all of it changed because of that war, and became very useful in the years ahead.  We were far better prepared and better equipped going forward.  I was a benefactor of those changes.  For our Nation’s military, our newfound battle rhythms, leadership, equipment and tactics saved countless American lives during future conflicts.  Diplomacy often prevailed, and conflicts were shorter for the most part (or not entered into in the first place), and in any case fought more smartly, with servicemen and women supported by their homeland—servicemen bent on living up to the courage and sacrifices made by their fathers and uncles who fought in Vietnam--and driven to defend the honor of those veterans. 

The courage that our servicemen have always displayed, and our capabilities—ground, sea and air, did not go unnoticed by the world, although they are sometimes forgotten.  Recent events tend to remind us of them.  I believe that for America, the important outcomes described above will be a lasting legacy of the Vietnam War, a legacy provided by those who served there.  I felt it when I enlisted in 1984 and continued to serve--many of my instructors and senior leaders throughout the beginning of my military career served in Vietnam.  Eventually, their influence and hard won lessons (and those of our political leaders) became entrenched in our military’s ethos.  Americans who served in Vietnam should remain proud of their contributions, courage and sacrifices.  They led our nation forward, were noble, and should be recognized for the final outcome.  The same is true for any other veteran of America's wars.

Today, Vietnam is a beautiful country.  I spent time in several areas of Vietnam, tourist and non-tourist.  Enough to recognize some of the regional differences in that country.  Since many of the Vietnamese speak English, I was able to make conversation easily.  While I could detect some unease at times when they found out I was from America, I think it was more or less a general awkwardness.  I did not see one American flag anywhere, but posted some in appropriate locations, which will probably never be found.  One of them will pass through Quang Tri several times a week.  While I didn't care for some of the habits (motorbikes on sidewalks, pollution, litter in the South), I really enjoyed their customs (food, celebrations, work ethic, agriculture).  Except for crossing the street, I never felt at risk or nervous about traveling.  I was amazed at the hospitality the Vietnamese offer, and not just in the hotels or restaurants.  Random people I met offered me gum, chips, cookies, a book to read, a conversation.  “It is in our culture,” as one of my guides on the jungle trek explained to me when I asked if Vietnamese people ever tire of the tourists.  He said that Vietnamese hospitality applies not only among the Vietnamese citizens, but to foreigners as well, “even to Americans” he said.  I didn’t like how he put it, but he was right.

To anyone who served in Vietnam--thank you.  I was only there for two weeks, but I will never forget the experience.  It is a special place and one I would like to go back to--there's more to see, and it is now a welcoming and somewhat free country, as it always should have been.  To Corporal Tom Phillips, if you're out there somewhere: your life touched mine, thank you for everything--I made it home OK.  I wish you did too. Semper Fi.

Best reference to Vietnam Veterans Killed in Action is at: 

http://www.vvmf.org/

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