VIETNAM WAR STORIES: SURVIVING EXTREME CONDITIONS AND GOVERNMENT BETRAYAL

Insights into understanding Vietnam Uncensored

THE idea the battlefields of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia posed severe existential threats did not escape us. However, our training in the Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force indoctrinated us to understand and resist misery, injury, and death.

In the grand scheme of things, it was all temporary. “Suck it up!” would often come if we complained and we did.

Of all the things in our lexicon of survival, quitting was not an option — survival was. Let’s face it: by the very nature of occupying a war zone equated with the concept, everything would pose challenges, injury, and mortal threats.

We needed to find a way of returning to that mythical place called the U.S.A. Our lives depended on proving our metal daily. Of course, we could not know of our government’s duplicity and disregard for our lives.

Equally, we would never understand their failure to orchestrate a just peace when the enemy came to negotiate or for their total dismissal in breaking all promises that would signal an end to the slaughter of more than 58,000 American boys and three million Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotians.