Vietnam... the soldier and other mumblings

[The Wizard]

I've read that most of these days were spent doing and seeing absolutely nothing (hence why in WW2 such actions or activities weren't recorded as "combat"). Gets on your nerves after a while, know what I mean?

Also, a lot of these young, drafted soldiers were university students... led by NCOs that often lacked any education beyong primary. They looked down upon them instead of up to (or even on an even level), meaning morale took another blow -- this time on the all-important tactical level.

So essentially the United States did what it went to Vietnam to do for 10 years - without losing a single battle, decided it was not worth it anymore, ended the war through treaty and left. 2 years later, the country it had been propping up couldnt sustain itself.

So you tell me: how did the US lose?

Their goal was to stop a percieved Domino Effect that they envisioned would happen in all of Indochina if Ho Chi Minh and his gang of merry fellows took over all of Vietnam.

In the event, after the U.S. withdrew in '73, this did happen: 1975 was the year that North Vietnam annexed the South, the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia, and the Pathet Lao putsched Laos -- the three states that grew on Indochina's carcass, all taken over by communists.

Funny fact: red Vietnam helped overthrow the Red Khmer only a couple of years (and millions of Cambodians) later.