Nice post, Obsolete. It's great to hear individual stories like your father's. I take a more conspiratorial view to Vietnam, personally. I see the war as being *deliberately* unwinnable (as opposed to merely meant to save face) and tens of thousands of lives deliberately sacrificed to further our central bank owner's larger goals. Norman Dodd stated that while investigating tax exempt foundations he interviewed H. Rowan Gaither, president of the Ford Foundation. Gaither explained to Dodd, “Most of us here were, at one time or another, active in either the OSS or the State Dept., or the European Economic Administration. During those times, and without exception, we operated under directives issued by the White House, the substance of which was to the effect that we should make every effort to alter life in the U.S. as to make possible a comfortable merger with the Soviet Union.” In the same way, bleeding tens of thousands of U.S. dead followed by ignominious loss would severely dent U.S. patriotism and help their long-term goals for one world government...(this isn't to argue we should have been in Vietnam, we shouldn't have been).
Afghanistan was a straight-up 20 year intentional forever war to rape the taxpayer as Assange explained so eloquently here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IGU_7alJ80 . Then they just switched the grift to Ukraine to continue it...
We are on the same page. I mention saving face because at the surface level, that was important as far as continuing to sell the war to public.
I agree that there were many layers of graft, corruption and intrigue that were involved at much deeper levels. Not only with those orchestrating events, but many who set up side-cons and schemes along the way. The scope of the whole mess is insane. It deserves a post of its own.
I agree with you...you may appreciate this letter by John Welsh, the founder of the John Birch Society in 1967:
"Since we are in a war, even though an undeclared war, why do we impose, or allow to be imposed, so many incredible handicaps on our men who are trying to fight it? Our bombers are regularly required to fly dangerous missions with only a small fraction of the effective bomb load they could carry. To enter North Vietnam they must fly a specified route, well known to the enemy, which makes the operation so dangerous that the pilots call this route "slaughter alley." In bombing the supply route to the Viet Cong, known as the Ho chi Minh trail, through Laos, our bombers are required to confine their attacks to targets within 204 feet from the trail itself. So the Communists, when they see American planes coming, merely pull aside until they are 205 feet from the road, and figuratively thumb their noses at the helpless American pilots....
Vietnam is almost exactly half way around the world from Washington, D.C. It would be impossible for the United States, in fighting a war, to have longer or more difficult or more costly supply lines for its troops.... While the length, size, and complexity of the supply lines will make it easy for Communist traitors at a hundred points along those lines subtly to sabotage and misdirect and confuse the equipment our boys need in the field; and to do so a great deal more extensively than in the worst of our similar experiences so far. These disadvantages to ours elves, and advantages to the Communists, would be almost overwhelming. Is this why Vietnam has been picked for the crucial battleground?
If this Administration or any Administration really and truly did want to fight the Communists and save some other nation or people, why not run the beasts out of Cuba instead of Vietnam? Cuba was really our protege nation, and for a much longer period of time than the present gang in Washington have pretended to hold South Vietnam in that esteem. Cuba is right at our doorstep, and a Communist regime there is infinitely more damaging and more dangerous to ourselves than one in South Vietnam, on the other side of the world. For a war in and over Cuba, and even if you give consideration to some nonsense about the Soviets coming into it, most of the advantages, as to supply lines and style of fighting, would be with us instead of with our enemies. Can you or anybody else name one reason why we should not be fighting the Communists, if at all, in Cuba instead of in Vietnam? Or do the powers which control Washington want us to be fighting only where we are at the greatest possible disadvantage, and where our inability to win can be made to seem plausible?"
Thank you for this. This was really hard to read. I had to put down my phone several times and walk away. It hits close to home. I am in the military. I saw what a disaster and debacle the COVID vaccine was for us. I wish I had stood my ground, but I caved out of fear and pressure from higher up. I took the jab, and I wonder every day if this will be like Agent Orange.
I have known vets like your Dad, and the loss/ betrayal of trust they feel is real. Afghanistan is the new Vietnam, and I fear Ukraine may end up the same.
I hope you’re right, I hope people get wise to the game. I can personally attest that the caliber and quality of Soldiers is increasingly subpar. I don’t know where this all goes, but it won’t be good. The hope I hang onto is that we aren’t alone. Thanks for being real and sharing your work. Encouragement and solidarity are worth more than we know.
It’s not something that’s talked about a lot, probably an uncomfortable subject for many. It really needs to be public knowledge, so we can at least try to avoid repeating it.
This is timely for me. I’m currently visiting Vietnam where the disastrous impact of Agent Orange and other toxins on the Vietnamese is plastered on museum walls. So many babies born with life-threatening deformations. I’m sorry your father had to suffer. I’m sorry so many had to suffer. I’m glad people like you are still writing about it.
Like your father, I was born in 1949 and like your father, my husband served in Viet Nam (he was drafted-one of those low lottery numbers). Such a sad time, so much unnecessary death. And so many of those who did make it back were never ok. Like others, I had never heard of that Project. It’s like horror upon horror. Thank you for this writing. All the best to you and your father and I thank him for his service. He certainly wasn’t thanked when he got home.
An aside - I remember those mosquito fog trucks. We still laugh about how stupid we were chasing them. Also , my family lived in the middle Texas coastal plain and our father used to spray the house at night with this disgusting smelling chemical from a canister gun. How any of us is still alive is a mystery to me. Mutant lungs or something.
If you can, watch the movie Dogfight. It speaks to the sadness and poignancy of vets returning home from Viet Nam. They were really just boys, so many of them.
I suspect there was a eugenics angle to Project 100000. It's never really gone out of style, among a subset of the elite; the whole Nazi thing just made people talk about it more quietly.
What better way to cull the herd of the "unfit" than forcing them to fight unwinnable wars?
It seems all too likely that this was a big part of the rationale. Awful to think about, but hard to argue they wouldn’t have done it for those reasons.
Also during this same period was the rise of the women’s movement, claiming the injustice of male privilege. Yup. Robert McNamara knew all about the ‘privilege’ enjoyed by all the men sent to their deaths.
Nice post, Obsolete. It's great to hear individual stories like your father's. I take a more conspiratorial view to Vietnam, personally. I see the war as being *deliberately* unwinnable (as opposed to merely meant to save face) and tens of thousands of lives deliberately sacrificed to further our central bank owner's larger goals. Norman Dodd stated that while investigating tax exempt foundations he interviewed H. Rowan Gaither, president of the Ford Foundation. Gaither explained to Dodd, “Most of us here were, at one time or another, active in either the OSS or the State Dept., or the European Economic Administration. During those times, and without exception, we operated under directives issued by the White House, the substance of which was to the effect that we should make every effort to alter life in the U.S. as to make possible a comfortable merger with the Soviet Union.” In the same way, bleeding tens of thousands of U.S. dead followed by ignominious loss would severely dent U.S. patriotism and help their long-term goals for one world government...(this isn't to argue we should have been in Vietnam, we shouldn't have been).
Afghanistan was a straight-up 20 year intentional forever war to rape the taxpayer as Assange explained so eloquently here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IGU_7alJ80 . Then they just switched the grift to Ukraine to continue it...
We are on the same page. I mention saving face because at the surface level, that was important as far as continuing to sell the war to public.
I agree that there were many layers of graft, corruption and intrigue that were involved at much deeper levels. Not only with those orchestrating events, but many who set up side-cons and schemes along the way. The scope of the whole mess is insane. It deserves a post of its own.
I agree with you...you may appreciate this letter by John Welsh, the founder of the John Birch Society in 1967:
"Since we are in a war, even though an undeclared war, why do we impose, or allow to be imposed, so many incredible handicaps on our men who are trying to fight it? Our bombers are regularly required to fly dangerous missions with only a small fraction of the effective bomb load they could carry. To enter North Vietnam they must fly a specified route, well known to the enemy, which makes the operation so dangerous that the pilots call this route "slaughter alley." In bombing the supply route to the Viet Cong, known as the Ho chi Minh trail, through Laos, our bombers are required to confine their attacks to targets within 204 feet from the trail itself. So the Communists, when they see American planes coming, merely pull aside until they are 205 feet from the road, and figuratively thumb their noses at the helpless American pilots....
Vietnam is almost exactly half way around the world from Washington, D.C. It would be impossible for the United States, in fighting a war, to have longer or more difficult or more costly supply lines for its troops.... While the length, size, and complexity of the supply lines will make it easy for Communist traitors at a hundred points along those lines subtly to sabotage and misdirect and confuse the equipment our boys need in the field; and to do so a great deal more extensively than in the worst of our similar experiences so far. These disadvantages to ours elves, and advantages to the Communists, would be almost overwhelming. Is this why Vietnam has been picked for the crucial battleground?
If this Administration or any Administration really and truly did want to fight the Communists and save some other nation or people, why not run the beasts out of Cuba instead of Vietnam? Cuba was really our protege nation, and for a much longer period of time than the present gang in Washington have pretended to hold South Vietnam in that esteem. Cuba is right at our doorstep, and a Communist regime there is infinitely more damaging and more dangerous to ourselves than one in South Vietnam, on the other side of the world. For a war in and over Cuba, and even if you give consideration to some nonsense about the Soviets coming into it, most of the advantages, as to supply lines and style of fighting, would be with us instead of with our enemies. Can you or anybody else name one reason why we should not be fighting the Communists, if at all, in Cuba instead of in Vietnam? Or do the powers which control Washington want us to be fighting only where we are at the greatest possible disadvantage, and where our inability to win can be made to seem plausible?"
There's a lot of other good points made strongly suggesting that the war was being fought for ulterior motives: https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+John+Birch+Society+on+Vietnam.+(Worth+Repeating).-a084313098
A great essay laying bare the truth of it all. War is a racket indeed.
The worst kind
Thank you for this. This was really hard to read. I had to put down my phone several times and walk away. It hits close to home. I am in the military. I saw what a disaster and debacle the COVID vaccine was for us. I wish I had stood my ground, but I caved out of fear and pressure from higher up. I took the jab, and I wonder every day if this will be like Agent Orange.
I have known vets like your Dad, and the loss/ betrayal of trust they feel is real. Afghanistan is the new Vietnam, and I fear Ukraine may end up the same.
I hope you’re right, I hope people get wise to the game. I can personally attest that the caliber and quality of Soldiers is increasingly subpar. I don’t know where this all goes, but it won’t be good. The hope I hang onto is that we aren’t alone. Thanks for being real and sharing your work. Encouragement and solidarity are worth more than we know.
Thanks for reading. Like you, I hope there are more who see this all for what it is.
How have I never heard of Project 100,000 before?! It's interesting that this was happening right when they were launching the Great Society.
What are we gonna do with all of these newly "liberated" people?
I dunno. Maybe kill them?
Seymour Hersh has a great speech about the subject, it’s on YouTube (sorry don’t remember the specifics)
They were canon fodder, much in the same way that I think the current swarms of migrants will be.
It’s not something that’s talked about a lot, probably an uncomfortable subject for many. It really needs to be public knowledge, so we can at least try to avoid repeating it.
This is timely for me. I’m currently visiting Vietnam where the disastrous impact of Agent Orange and other toxins on the Vietnamese is plastered on museum walls. So many babies born with life-threatening deformations. I’m sorry your father had to suffer. I’m sorry so many had to suffer. I’m glad people like you are still writing about it.
A terrible chapter for so many. It’s Important to remember these things and not allow them to keep happening. Thank you for reading.
Like your father, I was born in 1949 and like your father, my husband served in Viet Nam (he was drafted-one of those low lottery numbers). Such a sad time, so much unnecessary death. And so many of those who did make it back were never ok. Like others, I had never heard of that Project. It’s like horror upon horror. Thank you for this writing. All the best to you and your father and I thank him for his service. He certainly wasn’t thanked when he got home.
An aside - I remember those mosquito fog trucks. We still laugh about how stupid we were chasing them. Also , my family lived in the middle Texas coastal plain and our father used to spray the house at night with this disgusting smelling chemical from a canister gun. How any of us is still alive is a mystery to me. Mutant lungs or something.
Thanks for reading and for the kind words.
The fog trucks were crazy, It is wild to look back on all of these things that felt so normal to people at the time but now are obviously insane.
If you can, watch the movie Dogfight. It speaks to the sadness and poignancy of vets returning home from Viet Nam. They were really just boys, so many of them.
I am so sorry that your dad…and you… had to suffer through all that. Thank you for sharing a difficult story.
A difficult read and one that was surely more difficult again to write. I'm grateful for your work. All the best
It’s a difficult subject, but important to keep things like this in mind to avoid allowing it to happen again. Thank you for reading.
I suspect there was a eugenics angle to Project 100000. It's never really gone out of style, among a subset of the elite; the whole Nazi thing just made people talk about it more quietly.
What better way to cull the herd of the "unfit" than forcing them to fight unwinnable wars?
It seems all too likely that this was a big part of the rationale. Awful to think about, but hard to argue they wouldn’t have done it for those reasons.
This was great. I’m glad to hear your father is in remission. May you both lead long and fruitful lives.
Thanks for reading and for the kind words!
Also during this same period was the rise of the women’s movement, claiming the injustice of male privilege. Yup. Robert McNamara knew all about the ‘privilege’ enjoyed by all the men sent to their deaths.
We are responsible for the slaughter in Ukraine. We are an evil, corrupt, war mongering empire. Very sad.