Remember all that political hay the far left and its media allies made during the Vietnam War about the wickedness of America's South Vietnamese ally and the importance of abandoning that country to the communists?
Here's the Pulitzer Prize–winning AP photo that was supposed to prick our consciences and make us turn against that "immoral" war against a communist takeover:
When I saw the video on television in 1968, they explained that the man who was shot was a spy and IIRC that the shooter was a General. It was gruesome but didn't seem like anti-war fodder to me in the moment in which I first saw it. That era changed me irrevocably. My mom died that year and I was drafted. I've never been the same but realize that many others were even more adversely affected (a massive understatement). So I try to keep it to myself. -joely
My Dad was Army SF NCO with SOGV. He knew both Col Tuan and the police Capt. His team was hunting Lem and his crew thru Saigon because they did kill at least 2 Army Soldiers earlier that day, who were with a couple of the SV military families visiting on R&R, while hunting South Viet Military and Police and families. Every time this photo was on TV or in paper print, he went ballistic and said how its too bad he didnt get to this scumbag first. What his guys had planned on doing would have made this pic a kids fairy tale story. He also would not say how the familes and SM's were really killed, just that it was inhuman. So I doubt the shot in back of head bullshit.He also said the only mistake the cop made was not turning and shooting the photographer then destroying the camera.....
I remember watching a documentary on Tet in which General Loan was interviewed and asked about that incident. He said that he had been at his curbside CP for almost 12 hours and was nearing exhaustion when Lem was brought to him by one of his squads and he intended to send him up the chain of command for interrogation. After briefing him about Lem's atrocities his men started fighting over who was going to kill him. When they started pulling knives and pointing guns at each other Loan realized he was about to lose control of his men so he shot Lem to end the dispute.
I learned about the context of this photo a long time ago. And I knew that while harsh, it was justified. People don't understand what happens to someone when their loved ones or their friends are hunted down and murdered, like so much chattel. And when in a time of war, a civil war, in this case, with the North Vietnamese invading the South, and indiscriminately killing civilians, relatives of those actually fighting, simply as a fear tactic, when caught, they should not be surprised if they meet with a bullet to the head. That the American media used this to drive us out of the war is not surprising. I hear so many of my contemporaries say that they wish that we had people like Cronkite as newscasters today, who just read the news, without trying to sway our opinions, and without giving their opinions. I always have to laugh to keep from exploding, knowing that little Walter was one of the major reasons that we left Vietnam without finishing what should have been a complete victory. The Tet Offensive was in actuality a major win for the U.S., but he painted it as a major loss, for us, and of course the public believed him, and turned against the government and the war, forcing a withdrawal of support and troops, instead of driving the war forward toward the enemy and digging them out of their strong holds in Laos and Cambodia, where they had established their main security bases. We let our soldiers down, both those who came home alive, wounded, and in bags. And no matter how many times we apologize it will never be enough.
I came home from Vietnam at the end of March 68 thinking we had just won the war at the 68 Tet offensive. Wow! Was I surprised. LBJ called off the bombing of N Vietnam and stated he would not run for reelection. This video was shown over and over again as tho S Vietnam soldiers were executing innocent VC. In a matter of hours after returning from Vietnam I knew we were not supposed to win that war. LBJ, MacNamara, Cronkite and other influential Americans robbed us of a hard fought, hard won victory at Tet. I hope they are serving a permanent tour of duty in Hell.
I remember seeing that video as a kid. The video had been edited with just a short few seconds before, and stopped just as the police chief put the pistol to his head. The news at the time stated what the guy had done, and then they said what happened next was the punishment for unspeakable crimes. I never knew for years what the crimes actually were, but I knew it had to be serious.
I was told in 1970 by a CIA Officer in Berlin (with whom I had a weekly tennis match that summer) that the S&W Md 49 that Loan used was a gift from a fellow CIA Police Liaison Officer ..........Loan admired it during a heavy drinking session and was gifted it in order to build rapport........
When I saw the video on television in 1968, they explained that the man who was shot was a spy and IIRC that the shooter was a General. It was gruesome but didn't seem like anti-war fodder to me in the moment in which I first saw it. That era changed me irrevocably. My mom died that year and I was drafted. I've never been the same but realize that many others were even more adversely affected (a massive understatement). So I try to keep it to myself. -joely
ReplyDeleteMy Dad was Army SF NCO with SOGV. He knew both Col Tuan and the police Capt. His team was hunting Lem and his crew thru Saigon because they did kill at least 2 Army Soldiers earlier that day, who were with a couple of the SV military families visiting on R&R, while hunting South Viet Military and Police and families. Every time this photo was on TV or in paper print, he went ballistic and said how its too bad he didnt get to this scumbag first. What his guys had planned on doing would have made this pic a kids fairy tale story. He also would not say how the familes and SM's were really killed, just that it was inhuman. So I doubt the shot in back of head bullshit.He also said the only mistake the cop made was not turning and shooting the photographer then destroying the camera.....
ReplyDeleteI remember watching a documentary on Tet in which General Loan was interviewed and asked about that incident.
ReplyDeleteHe said that he had been at his curbside CP for almost 12 hours and was nearing exhaustion when Lem was brought to him by one of his squads and he intended to send him up the chain of command for interrogation. After briefing him about Lem's atrocities his men started fighting over who was going to kill him. When they started pulling knives and pointing guns at each other Loan realized he was about to lose control of his men so he shot Lem to end the dispute.
I learned about the context of this photo a long time ago. And I knew that while harsh, it was justified. People don't understand what happens to someone when their loved ones or their friends are hunted down and murdered, like so much chattel. And when in a time of war, a civil war, in this case, with the North Vietnamese invading the South, and indiscriminately killing civilians, relatives of those actually fighting, simply as a fear tactic, when caught, they should not be surprised if they meet with a bullet to the head.
ReplyDeleteThat the American media used this to drive us out of the war is not surprising. I hear so many of my contemporaries say that they wish that we had people like Cronkite as newscasters today, who just read the news, without trying to sway our opinions, and without giving their opinions. I always have to laugh to keep from exploding, knowing that little Walter was one of the major reasons that we left Vietnam without finishing what should have been a complete victory. The Tet Offensive was in actuality a major win for the U.S., but he painted it as a major loss, for us, and of course the public believed him, and turned against the government and the war, forcing a withdrawal of support and troops, instead of driving the war forward toward the enemy and digging them out of their strong holds in Laos and Cambodia, where they had established their main security bases.
We let our soldiers down, both those who came home alive, wounded, and in bags. And no matter how many times we apologize it will never be enough.
I came home from Vietnam at the end of March 68 thinking we had just won the war at the 68 Tet offensive. Wow! Was I surprised. LBJ called off the bombing of N Vietnam and stated he would not run for reelection. This video was shown over and over again as tho S Vietnam soldiers were executing innocent VC. In a matter of hours after returning from Vietnam I knew we were not supposed to win that war. LBJ, MacNamara, Cronkite and other influential Americans robbed us of a hard fought, hard won victory at Tet. I hope they are serving a permanent tour of duty in Hell.
DeleteI remember seeing that video as a kid. The video had been edited with just a short few seconds before, and stopped just as the police chief put the pistol to his head.
ReplyDeleteThe news at the time stated what the guy had done, and then they said what happened next was the punishment for unspeakable crimes. I never knew for years what the crimes actually were, but I knew it had to be serious.
I was told in 1970 by a CIA Officer in Berlin (with whom I had a weekly tennis match that summer) that the S&W Md 49 that Loan used was a gift from a fellow CIA Police Liaison Officer ..........Loan admired it during a heavy drinking session and was gifted it in order to build rapport........
ReplyDelete