Vietnam: 50 Years of Reading and Reflection
I recently cited David Halberstam’s Vietnam War treatise The Best and the Brightest as one of my “All Time Favourite Books.” A comfortable retirement has provided me the opportunity to reflect on books that were both culturally influential and personally impactful. I have discovered that research and writing one essay may trigger memories that naturally lead to serious consideration of a related topics . An opportunity to fill in the blanks and close the circle. The Best and Brightest review inspired a broader analysis of Mr Halberstam’s literary portfolio. Another consequence was a flood of memories from the Vietnam War era- a time of enormous turbulence in the United States. A bolt of lightning struck me as I realised that April 30th was the 50 year anniversary of the fall of Saigon. I was then motivated to survey my own library and re-acquaint myself with my Vietnam collection. Many of the volumes were dusty, but I was gratified to observe all my underlining and margin notes- confirming I had read these volumes in real time. This mini walk down memory lane motivated me to reflect on the long term lessons of Vietnam and share my recommendations on the most outstanding literary works generated by the War. My overall emotional commitment is to remind everyone that Vietnam was a VERY BIG DEAL in America’s national journey.
Fifty years after the fall of Saigon, the legacy of the Vietnam War casts a long shadow over American politics, culture and identity. I vividly recall the TV images of the last American helicopters taking off from the roof of the American Embassy as North Vietnamese troops poured into the Capital. The corollary images of desperate Vietnamese citizens being to be evacuated is also impossible to forget if you have any sense of humanity. Nixon and Kissinger had negotiated a peace agreement they claimed represented “peace with honour” but no amount of spin can characterise the American adventure in Vietnam as anything other than a catastrophic defeat and fiasco. Losing and the entire 20 year narrative which ultimately led to defeat definitely wounded the American psyche. Certainly, the body politic has permanent scars and the American experiment and role in the world changed materially after Vietnam.
Our INNOCENCE was lost! A nation that had emerged from WWII with unprecedented confidence in its economic power, its military superiority, its moral values and its global mission was forced to take a hard look in the mirror. Serious questions arose about our use of power and our ability to achieve our stated objectives. There was a crisis of confidence and doubts were expressed about our moral rectitude and authority. Perhaps we were not the good guys- the principled fellows always wearing the white hat and saving the day. With the passage of time, public debates about the wisdom of the Vietnam intervention and the lessons to be drawn have faded from view and fallen off the radar. There was hardly any media recognition of the fifty year anniversary of the South Vietnamese collapse. I submit it is unhealthy to avoid the more difficult episodes in your history. The challenge here is there is no national consensus on the proper place of Vietnam in the narrative of American history. There is no “Greatest Generation” post World War II storyline. We have honoured the soldiers that we lost with the moving Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC, but discussions of the strategic misjudgments which led to these horrible casualties have gone silent. Vietnam, then Watergate began a fragmentation in the American identity and self definition. The current cultural and political polarisation can be traced to painful events that occurred 50 years ago.
The major negative consequence of Vietnam was a severe erosion of citizens’ trust in their government. The “Credibility Gap” emerged as a term of art and still exists today- even worse in a social media dominated era that specialises in conspiracy theories. Public trust in government stood at 75% when JFK was assassinated in 1963. By the time Nixon resigned in 1974, it stood at 35%. It has never exceeded 50% since then. A quasi permanent loss of trust and and the lesson is that once trust leaves a relationship, it is extremely hard for it to build it back. Media coverage of the War accelerated the loss of confidence. The Pentagon Papers revealed systematic deceptions, lies and dishonesty from officials at the highest level of the government. Television brought graphic war footage and images into our living rooms and reinforced the disconnect between the sunny optimism expressed in Washington with an obviously bloody situation on the ground. The casualties mounted and returning veterans spilled the goods on the nasty truth about the war. Reporting changed drastically and the focus became investigative journalism. The mantra was to search for government misconduct and destroy the evildoer. Those patterns are in full force today.
The attitude toward military service changed as the Vietnam War progressed. Veterans faced hostility and indifference on their return home. Draft evasion and avoidance became acceptable. The military draft became so unpopular it was eliminated in 1973. The draft system, with deferments for the privileged (college students) created class divisions. The working class bore a disproportionate burden in the conflict. The wealthy received deferments or magically received spots in the Reserve or National Guard. Military service is now a choice, not an obligation. The racial and ethnic profile of peoples serving in the military today is even more imbalanced- with over representation from low income black and hispanic communities. Today, upper class communities are not impacted personally by the political decisions to go to war. Vietnam changed the dynamic of universal service and unity when the nation is threatened or comes under attack.
Vietnam generated a wave of military protests over a multi year time frame. The campuses were on fire and urban centres under siege. A permanent anti-establishment counterculture was established. Music eg Bob Dylan types focused on anti war hymnals. Conventional and traditional cultural attitudes were attacked as artificial and hypocritical. All the Vietnam related cinema was vividly anti war- John Wayne left the building. Instead, we see the insanity, incompetence and insensitivity of our political and military leaders. Remember Platoon, The Deerhunter, Coming Home, Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now. The anti-establishment first manifested itself on the left, but the backlash created a right wing response dismissive of the new politically correct elites. The Nixon “Silent Majority” swore at and physically attacked students protesting the war. There was no love lost. Young National Guard members killed 4 members of their own generation at Kent State. The sons and daughters of those construction and industrial workers are now the people you see sitting behind Trump at his rallies. The people Trump is describing as left wing lunatics and “enemies of the people” are the sons and daughters of those people who became skeptical of the system after Vietnam. Polarisation has spread to foreign policy and national security. The idea that partisanship stops at the water’s edge is long gone. Bipartisanship on issues of war and peace disappeared after the distrust fostered by Vietnam. The Cold War consensus is gone and divisiveness rules the day. The bitter taste of Vietnam created a long and nasty hangover. Demonising political adversaries is now standard practice.
Vietnam was a jarring and disruptive event in American history. The books below are excellent sources on the political realities leading to the conflict, the conduct of the war itself, the traumatic experiences of the troops and the lasting impacts on American society. They are not out of date. They are timely because there are many lessons relevant to our current challenges and difficulties.
1. A BRIGHT SHINING LIE by Neil Sheehan.
My favourite big picture Vietnam book after The Best and the Brightest. It is a Tour De Force that won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize. The lead character is Colonel John Paul Vann, an American original who served extended tours of duty in South Vietnam. He was an early “advisor” to the South Vietnamese regular Army. The book is brutal and Sheehan’s cynicism became pronounced with the passage of time. There is systematic government deception, a denial of reality and scorching stories on the corruption and ineffectiveness of our South Vietnamese allies. An abiding admiration for our ground troops combined with a disdain for their leadership. Incredibly well documented. Sheehan was depressed after his departure from Vietnam and had a tough go of it after returning to the real world. It took him years to finish the book. He also is the journalist who wrote the original Pentagon Papers story after receiving the documents from Daniel Ellsberg. A challenging read- not for the faint of heart but a classic. Fun fact, his parents were born in Ireland and his middle name was Mahoney.
2. FIRE IN THE LAKE by Frances Fitzgerald.
Another Pulitzer Prize winner. It focused on Vietnamese history and details how America completely misunderstood the culture. This ignorance led to horribly misguided policy programs. She goes well beyond the battlefield and shows the massive disruptions to Vietnamese society caused by the conduct of the War. LOTS of Vietnamese civilians died!!
3. WINNERS AND LOSERS by Gloria Emerson.
The 1976 National Book Award Winner for Non Fiction. Another female war correspondent. She writes of the impact the war had on Vietnamese citizens, American veterans and anti war activists. Poignant stuff. The full scope of the devastating human toll- the psychological harm and the social distress is portrayed in vivid detail. The best book on the human carnage associated with war related trauma. It packs emotional power and is blessed by moral clarity. Another intense experience though.
4. RUMORS OF WAR by Philip Caputo.
Great book by a Chicago guy- Loyola educated. He was a Marine Lieutenant in Vietnam and traces his journey from idealism to disillusionment. The war corrupted everything it touched- innocent young men became brutal and violent. Good people did bad things. The gap between patriotic rhetoric and battlefield reality truly hits you over the head in this work. The moral decline when facing the stresses of a guerrilla war is inevitable. It was impossible to distinguish between friend and foe. Formidable book.
5. DISPATCHES by Michael Herr.
Similar to Caputo, he focuses on the challenges of combat. He is a correspondent, not a soldier. Completely different style- he writes in a stream of consciousness manner. Very visceral and emotionally wrenching. The chaos and incoherence of combat in close quarters jumps off the pages. The famous British writer- John LeCarre says it is his favourite war book. He is great on how GI's adjusted to their circumstances by embracing dark humour. The main goal was to survive without suffering a complete nervous breakdown. The psychological dimensions of the war are in full force here.
6. VIETNAM by Stanley Karnow.
The best history of Vietnam. He had covered the region for years prior to American engagement. He expertly delineates the main themes of Vietnamese history and documents their anti colonialist struggle against the French. He had relationships with Vietnamese leaders going back to the 50’s and many North Vietnamese military and political leaders agreed to be interviewed by him after the war. A very complete picture here- not just the American point of view. He is balanced and avoids big picture moral judgements. He is more of an old fashioned “just the facts” reporter. He emphasised that the American effort was filled with tactical victories, but no strategic successes. His book led to a 13 episode PBS series “Vietnam” which won a host of Emmy and Peabody Awards. Ken Burns did his own Vietnam documentary program 25 years later, but the Karnow based series is superior in my view. Read the book and stream the series.
7. THE THINGS THAT THEY CARRIED by Tim O Brien.
This book has achieved almost cult like status among Vietnam readers. It is on high school and college reading list everywhere. It is a collection of short stories that bounce back and forth between reality and fiction. Magical realism personified. Moral ambiguity is the theme. I include it because of its popularity. Frankly, I didn’t get it and was underwhelmed.
There are many other first class works, but I always limit my recommendations to books I have actually read. Enjoy and prosper!!
