american war in viet nam

The Importance of Speaking Up About “Things That Matter”

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After telling an acquaintance who is well-known in Viet Nam circles that I intended to write about the rhetorical bombshells that Thomas Vallely dropped in an early 2018 interview about Bob Kerrey and Fulbright University Vietnam, he warned me about possible backlash.  In case you're just tuning in, Vallely is Senior Adviser for Mainland Southeast Asia … Continue reading The Importance of Speaking Up About “Things That Matter”

Last Night I Dreamed of Peace: The Diary of Đặng Thùy Trâm

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July 25, 1968: Oh, my God. How hateful the war is. And the more hate, the more the devils are eager to fight. Why do they enjoy shooting and killing good people like us? How can they have the heart to kill all those youngsters who love life, who are struggling and living for so … Continue reading Last Night I Dreamed of Peace: The Diary of Đặng Thùy Trâm

West Point in Viet Nam?

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I can assure you that whoever created the original marketing and promotion campaign for Vinhomes West Point (2nd image) did not receive an Employee of the Month award.  I noticed this on Facebook and wondered how long it would last.  It was a lame attempt at honor and prestige by association by comparing the United States … Continue reading West Point in Viet Nam?

Lansdale’s Ghost

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Below is a review of Max Boot's book about Edward Lansdale by Thomas A. Bass that appeared in the May 2018 issue the Mekong Review.  In case you don't know who Max Boot, check out this Wikipedia entry.  He is one of the resident US nationalists at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).  Bass describes … Continue reading Lansdale’s Ghost

An Open Letter to the People of Viet Nam

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The open letter below, an initiative of Veterans For Peace (VFP),  is further proof that the US has yet to overcome its participation in the American War in Viet Nam ("Vietnam War") in the spirit of Vergangenheitsbewältigung, a German term that means the "struggle to overcome the [negatives of the] past". VFP is "an international … Continue reading An Open Letter to the People of Viet Nam

R.I.P. Michael Cull: A Life Well-Lived

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I received a very sad but not totally unexpected message last night from my friend, Chuck Searcy, informing me and many others that Mike had died at 8:50 EST (8:50 p.m. Viet Nam time) of pancreatic cancer, after slipping into a coma almost four hours earlier.  Here's what Chuck wrote, which best sums up the … Continue reading R.I.P. Michael Cull: A Life Well-Lived

Recent Discussion with US Students – United by Viet Nam!

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Twice a year, I have the opportunity, schedule permitting, to speak to a group of US students who are in Viet Nam for the semester under the auspices of the School for International Training's Vietnam - Culture, Social Change, and Development program. They come from a range of higher education institutions, mostly private liberal arts … Continue reading Recent Discussion with US Students – United by Viet Nam!

Fulbright University Vietnam & Free Speech: “Do As We Say, Not As We Do”

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hy·poc·ri·sy həˈpäkrəsē/ noun noun: hypocrisy; plural noun: hypocrisies the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.   This is a concept to which US Americans, including and perhaps especially those who represent the US government and affiliated institutions, pay lip service.  Presumably, this also … Continue reading Fulbright University Vietnam & Free Speech: “Do As We Say, Not As We Do”