General Giap

A few articles have been published since is recent passing at age 102. The last of the old-line communist military leaders from the Cold War.

One quote that I remember from a long time ago stuck out again when I read this article...

http://news.yahoo.com/mccain-general-giap-victories-came-immense-cost-212640560.html

Hours after the news of Giap's death Friday at age 102, McCain in a brief tweet praised the legendary general as a "brilliant military strategist" who once called the United States an honorable enemy.

But in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, McCain called into question the morality of the Vietnamese tactic, which he said Giap executed with an "unbending will."

"It's hard to defend the morality of the strategy. But you can't deny its success," wrote McCain.

"Giap was a master of logistics, but his reputation rests on more than that," he added.

"His victories were achieved by a patient strategy that he and Ho Chi Minh were convinced would succeed –- an unwavering resolve to suffer immense casualties and the near total destruction of their country to defeat any adversary, no matter how powerful."

"'You will kill 10 of us, we will kill one of you,' Ho told the French, 'but in the end, you will tire of it first.'"

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Is there an echo going on with our current situation? Have we really learned anything?

I agree we certainly aren't willing to accept casualties and warfare for the long haul. Ho Chi Minh and his comrades struggled for something around 28 years before they finally had total victory. We can win the war, but do not seem to have the staying power to win the peace, if peace can even be won. Perhaps we ought to just have our wars and then leave - forgetting Powell's Pottery Barn Doctrine. Finally, I think our Presidents are far too willing to engage in wars for "marginal" reasons, which is probably why Americans aren't willing to go the distance. When it's a "marginal" issue, it's not long before benefits of the best possible outcome exceeds our expenditure of blood and treasure. Recent events in Syria would have been a good example of this.

I did get a little miffed about McCain's comments... at least the headline I saw them receive (I can't actually say I read them). From the headline he seemed adamant that Giap never defeated the US in battle. I've heard McCain make that same statement in the past so didn't doubt he made it here. While that is true, does it really matter? I understand the pride of the vets etc. and I don't mean to take anything away from them, but ultimately it's about winning wars... not fighting wars.

And speaking of wars.... fire away!

kinnem said:

. . .

I did get a little miffed about McCain's comments... at least the headline I saw them receive (I can't actually say I read them). From the headline he seemed adamant that Giap never defeated the US in battle. I've heard McCain make that same statement in the past so didn't doubt he made it here. While that is true, does it really matter? I understand the pride of the vets etc. and I don't mean to take anything away from them, but ultimately it's about winning wars... not fighting wars.

And speaking of wars.... fire away!

Click to expand...

What you are mentioning was discussed in Thomas Ricks' The Generals . . .
I really liked the book.

The statement about how US never lost a battle in Vietnam matters because it show how many folks still have the wrong mind set. We won all the battles, but lost the war. So we be focusing on winning the war and not making the same mistake, instead of focusing battles we won.

Dien Bien Phu

I remember reading that during the last stages of Dien Bien Phu, General Giap had 75% of his army posted in the hills surrounding the French position. The French were in the valley. The French government asked the US to bomb the Vietnamese positions. The US had the bombers, plus an experienced airstaff (from numerous WWII missions) that had the mission been carried out, there would not have been an effective army left. President Eisenhower declined to send the bombers. The rest is history...