The Betrayal of Vietnam 1945: One Veteran's Journey into the Past to Find A Painful Truth [Print Replica] Kindle
The American experience of the 20th century was largely defined by the Vietnam
War and the divisions that it created, yet, for most Americans the reasons for this
war remain a mystery. There have been volumes written on the fighting but
nothing that addresses why. Why haven’t the American people been given a logical
explanation for an event that affected so many lives?
When history is intentionally suppressed, altered and hidden in order to derive a
temporary benefit from misdirection, we never understand the motivations or real
reasons that events come about, and who is responsible. An event may be hidden
but its outcome can continue to affect the situation. When history is hidden, the
lessons are lost; we end up trusting people we should not trust. And not trusting
the people we should.
Why is this book important?
The history of the Vietnam War is a tangled mess, and one of the darkest periods in
America’s history, indeed. The book uncovers the hidden history of the war and
America’s betrayal of one of its allies —Vietnam. The book explores the key factors
that caused an America president to break an alliance and pursue a war against a
former ally. It also reveals a far more duplicitous betrayal by the American
government — of the young American soldiers who were duped into believing they
were defending their country’s freedom. Betrayal of Vietnam is in no way intended
to dishonor the valor of the soldiers who gave their lives fighting for what they
believed in. The book is not about the Vietnam War; it is about the events and
decisions that got America into the war.
The goal of The Betrayal of Vietnam is to dispel many of the persistent myths, lies
and fabrications Americans still believe and to prevent them from being passed
down to future generations. The sheer number of exaggerated stories told and
retold by returning soldiers who only saw Vietnam through the tightly focused lens
of their experience is overwhelming. These stories get repeated by second parties,
and each time a story is retold it becomes even more exaggerated until any kernel
of truth that existed has been squeezed out and replaced with fantasy.
Why should anyone care?
Old stories continue to hold bitterness and hatred in place as they get passed along
to the next generation. The facts are indisputable, and yet so incredible that they
have the power to change one’s perspective about the people, the country and the
war. Exposing the truth about America’s most shameful war can become a source
of individual and national healing. The book’s revelations about America’s hidden
wartime past provide an opportunity for a new understanding of what happened in
Vietnam and why we allowed it to happen, and may ultimately allow us some
closure.
Finally, Betrayal is also the story of a personal journey by a decorated Veteran of
the Vietnam War to find the missing elements surrounding this complex and bloody
conflict.
Central to this book is Ho Chi Minh, a leader revered by his countrymen, but reviled
by the French and Americans. In researching for the book, author Chambers
developed a deep compassion for Vietnam’s frail leader as he followed his path
during these crucial years. As he uncovered more hidden truths, he became aware
of the tragedy of lost opportunity. Many complicated factors combined to create
the tragedy of the Vietnam War. European imperial hubris, betrayals by the U.S.
(one being the promise to hold democratic elections in the south), and Cold War
politics that led the emerging imperial power, the United States, to throw its youth
and treasure into the maw of a brutal war against a people defending their own
land.
Death in the A Shau Valley: L Company LRRPs in Vietnam, 1969-1970 Paperback – September 28, 1998
The enemy had a single purpose: kill me and my teammates." Larry Chambers was still new to Vietnam in early 1969 when the LRRPs of the 101st Airborne Division became L Company, 75th (Rangers). But his unit's mission stayed the same: act as the eyes and ears of the 101st deep in the dreaded A Shau Valley--where the NVA ruled...
Recondo: LRRPs in the 101st Airborne Kindle Edition
Author Larry Chambers vividly describes the guts and courage it took to pass the though volunteer-only training program in Nha Tarng to be part of the 5th Special Forces Recondo School, the hair-raising graduation mission to scout out, locate, and out-guerilla the NVA. Here is an unforgettable account that follows Chambers and the Rangers every step of the way--from joining, going through Recondo, and finally leading his own team on white-knuckle missions...
