Why did the U.S. government not do everything in its power to recover every soldier left behind in Vietnam?
Because they did not really care! Says cynical me. There are recovery teams that have found remains and have repatriated them. They have found some from WW2 in the Pacific Islands and brought them home a few years ago.
They were sick and tired of the whole Vietnam War and just wanted out at ANY cost!! Most remains were in Indian Country and would have cost the lives of more men to retrieve, and any POWs that were rumored to be held would have required the same or more...if we could have done that we could have just won the war!
Unfortunately, this is a duty I am somewhat familiar with. First) Remember, Vietnam specifically was still "HOT" during the wind down and after, and sending in recovery personal with armed escorts for security was a non option, and as the ONLY option, wasn't going to happen. Second) given the type of terrain and conditions, finding and recovering would be extremely difficult. Third) Dealing with the political hot mess both in country, and here at home, MORE U.S. Troops being used there was very bad optics. Unfortunately, this is the sad truth in wars and fighting, people die, and it sounds honorable and all to want to find the dead and bring them home, but it's not always possible, practical, or with out risks and costs! To assume that 'We" abandoned those who died in Nam is not cool, we haven't abandoned them, we simply have to deal with the realities of a country still struggling with itself who was damn glad to be rid of us, and good riddance too!
Because wars are fought for corporate interests above all else. (No other possible explanation for why we been in Afghanistan for 20 years). Govt is merely middle and lower management....the public face of the show. The marching orders come down from the corporate interests. It is not profitable to worry too much about the little people fighting it, so they don't. Read: War Is a Racket - Wikipedia
To Ura-Kl, Thank you brother for your response. I too am familiar along with you. To this day I wrestle with guilt for the ones left behind; Even though I know “we” didn’t leave them. I know we had no business being there. Peace to you brother
I know war is war. However WW11 was invoked by Hitler and Pearl Harbor. I will never be convinced that Vietnam was for the same reason.
Having grown up in a household of a WW II vet (my dad) I was in full support of the war and when it came time to serve I went. After seeing what a cluster Fu__ it was I came back with a whole different view. I read Stanley Karnow's History of Vietnam trying to understand what the hell we were doing. I never protested the war but in my gut it felt like such a waste of guys my age (58,000 dead). The nature of war-- there will always be those left behind -------don't feel guilty brother glad you made it home
President Eisenhower’s farewell address warned us about the military/industrial complex that became very powerful after WWII/Korea. “Now this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence—economic, political, even spiritual—is felt in every city, every Statehouse, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet, we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources, and livelihood are all involved. So is the very structure of our society”.
My Uncle Charlie was in the European Army of Occupation at the end of WW2 and was assigned to Graves and Registration. He told me and my cousins about searching the German and Belgium landscape for the remains of Allied and Axis servicemen. Some of the remains were still "fresh", while others had been dead for years. I remember one story about a lost Sherman tank and it's crew that were found the summer of '45, it was at the bottom of a pond with the crew still inside. He told how he and a buddy would strap on .45s, get in a Jeep and do the weekly mail run. He told us boys how you could get ANYTHING you wanted for a pack of cigarettes. I also heard tales of the mountains of arms and ammo that were collected and destroyed, and how they would sometimes be able to fire some of the weapons, if the officers and non-coms were OK!
And then there are those that died in those places we where not supposed to have been. Laos and Cambodia.
I Don’t ask me how, but I’ve always had a deep gut feeling that the POW/MIAs are in Laos. Peace to you brother
Forget your gut feeling, there are lost warriors in both Laos and Cambodia. Graves registration has been working there for years and a search on Google or other search engine will uncover some more info.
Sir, I believe that there are POW/MIA soldiers still alive in Laos; Still being held against their will.
I too believe there were POW's left behind in Cambodia, Laos. and North Vietnam but considering they would be our age now late 60's to 70+ year olds I don't think any would have survived the harsh treatment they would have lived under. IMO I think they were held in hopes of being used as pawns by the N Vietnam to gain war payments from the US which never happened. Face it --we were used and abused and it continued with the government denial for years agent orange was killing us. To this day vets who served in Thailand supporting the war effort are still denied agent orange exposure benefits--- even though it is documented it was used in Thailand. My distrust of the government started at a young age --18
