The Vietnam War Crimes You Never Heard Of

[LynnTheDem]

The same Vietnam War Crimes the rightwing self-delusionists deny ever happened.

Military records demonstrate that the "Tiger Force" atrocities are only the tip of a vast submerged history of atrocities in Vietnam. In fact, while most atrocities were likely never chronicled or reported, the archival record is still rife with incidents;

-An August 1967 atrocity in which a 13-year-old Vietnamese child was raped by American MI interrogator of the Army's 196th Infantry Brigade. The soldier was convicted only of indecent acts with a child and assault. He served seven months and sixteen days for his crime.


-A September 1967 incident in which an American sergeant killed two Vietnamese children -- executing one at point blank range with a bullet to the head. Tried by general court martial in 1970, the sergeant pleaded guilty to, and was found guilty of, unpremeditated murder. He was, however, sentenced to no punishment.

http://hnn.us/articles/1802.html

[A_Possum]

1. Important perspective

Flinging the Foul Mud of Vietnam

Unfortunately, soldiers -- including American soldiers -- commit atrocities in all wars. That was true even of the so-called Greatest Generation in World War II, it was true in Korea and Vietnam, and it's undoubtedly true in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Denying that is to deny the reality of war. And failing to face the harsh realities of war is what makes it so easy for the U.S. to slide into nasty, unnecessary conflicts -- like Vietnam and the Iraq War now.

Americans should never go to war except in the full knowledge that it's going to wreak terrible pain on the enemy, the civilian populations involved, and our own troops. That doesn't make the service of those who served honorably any less honorable. But anyone who denies that some American soldiers committed atrocities in Vietnam is kidding themselves. You can quibble over the exact words Kerry used and whether he should have said them when he did, but in broad terms he spoke the truth.

*******

Excellent perspective on the damage the Republicans are causing to this country with this particular attack.

[LynnTheDem]

3. Amazing how our troops are "angels" in war

Yet they're not "angels" here at home!

We had and still have to some extent a HUGE problem with male soldiers raping female soldiers here on Ft Hood army base in Texas.

It was so bad that the base commander demanded flood lights and armed guards around all the barracks 24/7.

The air force has it's own huge rapes scandal still going on.

Yet according to the rightwing self-delusionists, no US troops were raping anyone in Vietnam or any other war, except maybe perhaps "a few bad apples".

Violent crimes, including murder, are common enough on our military bases right here in the good ol' US of A. And how many towns or cities in the USA have no American citizens that have committed crimes?

Draft any town or city in this country, and you're drafting criminals as well as good decent people. But according to the rightwingnut self-delusionists, these criminals turned into little angels when they were sent against their will to Vietnam to kill lots of people.

Rightwingnuts = dumber than dirt.

[A_Possum]

4. Unless they're democrats, of course

Then they are war criminals.

[seabeyond]

2. as the autrocities go on in todays war

one of the things i have sat with listening to the deman of apology for what kerry said. harsh yes, but it happened. we know it did. and it is what war is. it is what war is today in iraq, it is all war. we would like to believe we are above this, but f*ck...........it is war

so dont tell me to embrace a lie. i will not