A must read for those who "Support our Troops," but oppose the War in Iraq
by Dr. Rand Pellegrino, D.C.

I am a Purple Heart Viet Nam Veteran.  I am here to speak the truth. I request you listen and I challenge you to to come up with a better solution.  I love America, and I believe most of you do, too.  Ironically, it is your speech and actions in your demonstration of this love which is contributing to the deaths and injuries to our brave men and women in uniform and the lengthening of the time our troops have to stay in Iraq.

Our global enemies routinely refer to our involvement in Viet Nam as an example of our military's ability and resolve.  Judging by their actions, there is a belief among terrorist organizations that if they simply mirror the strategies of the North Viet Namese Army and the Viet Cong, victory can be theirs as it was for them.  Although this is a very different war, fought for entirely different reasons, the strategies used against us are the same. 

In a interview in 1985 (ten years after the war had ended), the leader of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), General Giap, said there were two times he was ready to surrender to the United States.  In February, 1968 the NVA, along with the Viet Cong, launched the TET Offensive.  Seventy- five percent of the NVA was either killed or wounded.  It was a resounding U.S. victory.  General Giap realized  he could not win the war and was prepared to surrender... 

However, he read U.S. newspaper reports and editorials which claimed TET was a communist victory rather than an American one.  General Giap read in these same U.S. newspapers about our campus protests and anti-war activities. He came to realize that the American military did not have the support of the citizens.  He changed his strategy from aggression to attrition.  He believed he did not have to defeat America to win.  He saw that America would defeat itself.  He simply needed to hang on.  Consequently, General Giap did not surrender.  He simply hung on.

In 1971 and 1972,  the United States military launched a relentless bombing campaign against North Viet Nam.  Most major factories were destroyed.  The morale of the people and the NVA was broken.  As he stated in this same interview, General Giap was about to surrender a second time.  Again he read the news accounts of public protests, university campuses in shambles and marches in the streets in opposition to the war.  The unrest in America gave him the resolve to stick to his strategy....just hold on.   America will defeat herself.   Again, he did not surrender, but simply hung on. 

Although he made several profound statements, General Giap shared how important the American media was to his cause.  He called our newspapers and university campuses his "Fifth Column" and said they accomplished more than his own army.  In fact, as early as 1966 the (North) Viet Namese News Agency wrote "We praise the American peace champions.  The movement of the American people to protest against the war of aggression has really become the second front against U.S. imperialists."

If our "news" agencies were correct about Viet Nam, that the "reunification" of Viet Nam would "produce greater welfare and security for its people," why did over 2 million Viet Namese risk their lives (and over 100,000 die) in leaky boats to escape Viet Nam after the 1975 "reunification?"  Our "news" agencies, then and now, paint rosy pictures of our enemies, at the same time exaggerating and demonizing any short comings of our military and its leaders. 

The fall of Saigon and the rest of South Viet Nam demonstrated the wisdom of General Giap and the power of our own press and our own people who "just want peace" to defeat us.  I fear that history is indeed repeating itself with Iraq.

Although we enjoy freedom of speech in our country (I risked my life and gave my blood so all Americans could have it), certain speech can be damaging.  There are passionate arguments on both sides of Iraq.  And, understand that your fervor in denigrating our president and, by extension, our men and women in uniform, you are indeed aiding our enemies in their brutal campaigns against us.  If it were not for the twisting of the truth by the "news" agencies and the protests on the campuses and in the streets, the Viet Nam war would have ended February, 1968 and over two hundred thousand U.S. men and boys (I was 19 when I was there) would not have been wounded or killed.   If you truly support our troops and want the war to end as quickly as possible, with the least amount of U.S. causalities, show the world a unified America and encourage our "news" agencies to do the same.  And the news agencies need to report on good side of our troops and what they are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.  In private or when all our troops are home, then you can say whatever you want, but until then, you must support our troops and our government.  You do not have to agree with them, and as far as the rest of the world is concerned, the U.S. is united and resolved to win.  Do you think we would have won WW II if we had the same "news" and divisiveness as we are showing now?  In WW II there were many who did not agree with the president and they still backed him 100% in public and so did all the news agencies. 

Beside what it did to the soul of our country, the outcome of the Viet Nam war did not have a real impact on life in the U.S. as we knew it.  The war in Iraq is the pivotal war on terrorism, if we do not win, life in the U.S. will never be the same.

"We must learn from history. If we don't, we are condemned to repeat it." The words of President John F. Kennedy are as relevant today as they were then.

I would also like to bring to the attention of everyone, another problem:

As for the news media portrayal of us Viet Nam Vets, as drugged out, homeless losers, it is the media that does not have a grip on reality.  I and the vast majority of my brothers from Viet Nam came home, used our GI bill and made something of ourselves.  And I am sure my military brothers and sisters from Iraq will do the same thing.

I want to bring up how our country treats us veterans.  First I would like to thank Susan Page for bringing attention to the people this country really owes its existence to, our veterans, especially the wounded ones.  As she says, they are "old news" and quickly forgotten. 

What really irks me is how our country treats us veterans compared to illegal aliens.  If a wounded veteran needs medical help after he gets out of the service, it takes months to get an appointment at Tripler or any other Veterans Association (VA) hospital.  (In fact, VA hospitals are being closed down due to lack of funds).  If an illegal alien needs medical help, they walk into any hospital and receive care.  Not only that, illegal aliens get food stamps, housing allowances and much more.  I have a friend who got wounded in Viet Nam.  He got shot in the thigh and his leg is deformed and he has lost a lot of his hearing.  When he got out in 1970, he was given a whopping $28 a month compensation for his leg and nothing for his hearing loss.  Now 35 years later it is up to $109 per month, and still nothing for his hearing loss.  Back in the 70's when he applied for government jobs, he could not get them because his hearing was not good enough (mortars and rockets exploding around you really has an effect on your hearing).  That is the same government that claims he has no hearing loss.  Being like most of us veterans, he refused to go on welfare and has been a productive member of society all this time.  I had two disabled veteran friends who had to leave this state because they could not get the care they needed from the VA.

Our government spends billions of dollars on illegal aliens and it even gives billions more to countries that are our enemies.  Yet, when it comes to the men and women our government really owes a debt to, our veterans, there is never enough left over for them.  I am constantly getting requests for money from Help Hospitalized Vets, Disabled American Vets, Paralyzed Veterans of America,  Blinded American Vets, Viet Nam Veterans Association, USO, AmVets, etc, etc.  Why do they have to come, hat in hand, looking for a hand-out to take care of our veterans in need, while our government hands out billions to countries that are our enemies and to illegal aliens?  Many of these people our government gives money to refuse to even learn to speak English.  At the same time, those that risked their lives for this country are not even getting what they were promised when they signed up for military duty.  

It is time for our government to get its priorities straight, take care of our veterans first and give what is left over to others.  As a purple heart vet, the way I feel is the U.S. should call up the illegal aliens and see how well they defend the country because, judging by results, our government sure as hell does not think we veterans are worth anything. 

It's time to write our representatives.  I know the times I have, I usually do not even get a reply, and if enough people write, they will start to listen and respond.  We have the vote.