Operation Commando Vault 1969

John Bingham · Post by **John Bingham** » Fri Mar 29, 2024 9:40 pm

I guess I owe an apology to OML because he is one of the best contributors here and my original question was loaded with blame. It seemed like an interesting point at the time but in retrospect was disrespectful.

phuketrichard · Post by **phuketrichard** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 7:32 am

Brody wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 8:27 pm .
.
Setting aside the contentious issue of how and why America entered the Vietnam conflict..

What would you have the American and South Vietnamese governments do exactly?

Just continue to let North Vietnam have free and unfettered access through Cambodia and Laos to use as communication, transportation and resupply routes?

North Vietnam seems complicit to me, using these 'neutral' countries in contravention of stipulated agreements.

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And what's with all this haranguing of OML?

This guy is a fascinating addition to this forum. He has firsthand experience during a historically impactful and tumultuous time in world history. Why drive him away?

Whether you agree with him or not, let's have a civil discourse. I certainly get a lot out of his insights and find he adds to the breadth and depth to the forum.

Much better than a bunch of ex tefl jobbers and degenerate hippies talking in circles. Yes, I'm looking at you JB/PR

1st; I love his stories and insight and always get something out of his posts!!!! Thank you

2nd. What would you have the American do? NOTHING
Did Laos &' Cambodia ASK the US to come in and bomb their countries? Dont recall that and both would have gotten thru the war in better condition with the viet cong just transiting their countries.

it was an internal conflict, same as whats going on today in Sudan

The bullshit domino theory was just that.... Bullshit!
South Vietnam fell after years of wasted death and billions of $$$

Brody · Post by **Brody** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 10:28 am

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Sat Mar 30, 2024 7:32 am
2nd. What would you have the American do? NOTHING
Did Laos &' Cambodia ASK the US to come in and bomb their countries?

Don't be obtuse. A country can't claim neutrality and then turn around give tacit approval for NVA forces to transit freely. When you've done that, you've stopped being neutral and then you get treated as not being neutral. I don't know about Laos but in Cambodia the NVA sure didn't treat them kindly whilst using their country as they saw fit.

Brody · Post by **Brody** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 10:54 am

An absolutely fascinating chapter in the Vietnam conflict is the operations of MACV-SOG

These green berets operated 'behind the fence' in Laos and Cambodia observing and reporting on and also disrupting the massive infrastructure of supply chains operating there with impunity. Thier work was so secret that they were sworn to secrecy for 20 years and wore sterile fatigues and used untraceable weaponry, their teams also included Cambodian, Vietnamese and Montagnard troops.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_ ... ions_Group

Pick up any book on MACV-SOG and be ready to have your socks blown off.

Here is a good one

Another great one:

phuketrichard · Post by **phuketrichard** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 11:53 am

HS friend of mine joined in '69 and ended up the special forces and spent some time in the secret war fighting with the Hmongs.
Got to hear a few stories, even thou he and I never saw eye to eye on his participation in the war

Fridaywithmateo · Post by **Fridaywithmateo** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 12:25 pm

This is my favorite book on military subjects of the times. The colonel in the movie Apocalypse Now was based on Col. Hackworth. This for me was the kind of book that was hard to put down. It's long, but man it is a fantastic read. Recommended,

John Bingham · Post by **John Bingham** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 4:56 pm

Fridaywithmateo wrote: ↑Sat Mar 30, 2024 12:25 pm This is my favorite book on military subjects of the times. The colonel in the movie Apocalypse Now was based on Col. Hackworth.

I haven't heard that theory before but will check it out further. In Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" the Mistah Kurtz character was supposedly based on Léon Rom, a Belgian soldier and colonial administrator who decorated his flower beds with skulls. In Apocalypse now Colonel Kurtz might have been based on Tony Poe (Anthony Poshepny) who worked for the CIA in Tibet and Laos. He collected heads too, as proof that the tribesmen working for him had assassinated Communists. Another theory is that the character was based on Roger Trinquier, a French soldier who developed many anti-insurgency techniques. Kurtz is a fictional character of course so could have been based on any number of people who went a bit crazy in the jungle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_Rom

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Poshepny

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Trinquier

Operation Commando Vault 1969

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