thedrifter
03-30-03, 06:53 AM
Article ran : 03/30/2003
Veterans see similarities between Vietnam, Iraq wars
By ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF
When Camp Lejeune Marines fighting in southern Iraq reported last week that enemy forces were using women as human shields and arming children for street combat it sounded familiar to Larry Fitzpatrick.
It sounded like the Vietnam War.
“Probably the worst problem was with the kids setting off mines or booby traps and carrying weapons that they would fire at our troops,” said Fitzpatrick, a retired Marine Corps sergeant major.
“This is no different than what we experienced in Vietnam and it’s going to get worse when the troops get in Baghdad.
“In house to house fighting you don’t know who is behind the next door. The toughest is yet to come.”
The war in Iraq has been more difficult than planners thought, and for Vietnam War veterans like Fitzpatrick the parallels are too great to ignore.
Veterans say the similarities start with war protests at home and include political wrangling in Washington, hand-wringing in Hollywood and criticism by the news media. Tactics used by an enemy fighting on its home soil also bring back bitter memories.
“You know what caused the U.S. to stop bombing North Vietnam? It was politics and publicity from the protesters,” said Vietnam veteran Clinton Williams of Jacksonville.
“The problem is the public at large hasn’t served in the military,” said retired Army airborne Col. Harry Meinhardt of Hubert. “We didn’t feel that way in World War II when we deliberately bombed Dresden (Germany) that was filled with 80,000 refugees fleeing from Russia or Hamburg (Germany) with 100,000 civilians.”
Like the Vietnamese did, Iraqis are fighting for their homeland in territory and weather conditions they know well, Williams said.
“If we got invaded you know we’d be fighting like scalded dogs,” Williams said.
During the Vietnam War and now in Iraq, tactics used by the enemy make it difficult if not impossible for U.S. troops to tell the military from the civilians. According to reports, Lejeune forces have encountered Iraqi troops wearing civilian clothes to sneak up on U.S. forces and then attack.
That hit home for Williams and Fitzpatrick.
“We always felt that the Vietcong working in the rice fields by day were some of the same ones who could have been shooting at us at night, but how could you prove it?” Williams said.
“The Vietcong wore civilian clothes in Vietnam,” Fitzpatrick said. “They led the North Vietnamese regulars who knew the territory.”
Media reports are also part of the equation, Meinhardt said.
Camp Lejeune Marines have been involved in heaving fighting at An Nasiriyah over the past week and each time there are losses Americans focused on the few U.S. casualties instead of the massive damage that coalition forces have inflicted.
“According to the news media we lost it as soon as we got the first casualty,” Meinhardt said wryly.
Although the wars have similarities, Williams said he hopes one thing won’t be the same.
“Right or wrong we still need to support all our troops,” Williams said. “They’re just doing their job. I’m just hoping and praying to God that these troops won’t have to put up with being spit on when they return.”
Contact Eric Steinkopff at
esteinkopff@jdnews.com or 353-1171, Ext. 236.
Sempers,
Roger
Veterans see similarities between Vietnam, Iraq wars
By ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF
When Camp Lejeune Marines fighting in southern Iraq reported last week that enemy forces were using women as human shields and arming children for street combat it sounded familiar to Larry Fitzpatrick.
It sounded like the Vietnam War.
“Probably the worst problem was with the kids setting off mines or booby traps and carrying weapons that they would fire at our troops,” said Fitzpatrick, a retired Marine Corps sergeant major.
“This is no different than what we experienced in Vietnam and it’s going to get worse when the troops get in Baghdad.
“In house to house fighting you don’t know who is behind the next door. The toughest is yet to come.”
The war in Iraq has been more difficult than planners thought, and for Vietnam War veterans like Fitzpatrick the parallels are too great to ignore.
Veterans say the similarities start with war protests at home and include political wrangling in Washington, hand-wringing in Hollywood and criticism by the news media. Tactics used by an enemy fighting on its home soil also bring back bitter memories.
“You know what caused the U.S. to stop bombing North Vietnam? It was politics and publicity from the protesters,” said Vietnam veteran Clinton Williams of Jacksonville.
“The problem is the public at large hasn’t served in the military,” said retired Army airborne Col. Harry Meinhardt of Hubert. “We didn’t feel that way in World War II when we deliberately bombed Dresden (Germany) that was filled with 80,000 refugees fleeing from Russia or Hamburg (Germany) with 100,000 civilians.”
Like the Vietnamese did, Iraqis are fighting for their homeland in territory and weather conditions they know well, Williams said.
“If we got invaded you know we’d be fighting like scalded dogs,” Williams said.
During the Vietnam War and now in Iraq, tactics used by the enemy make it difficult if not impossible for U.S. troops to tell the military from the civilians. According to reports, Lejeune forces have encountered Iraqi troops wearing civilian clothes to sneak up on U.S. forces and then attack.
That hit home for Williams and Fitzpatrick.
“We always felt that the Vietcong working in the rice fields by day were some of the same ones who could have been shooting at us at night, but how could you prove it?” Williams said.
“The Vietcong wore civilian clothes in Vietnam,” Fitzpatrick said. “They led the North Vietnamese regulars who knew the territory.”
Media reports are also part of the equation, Meinhardt said.
Camp Lejeune Marines have been involved in heaving fighting at An Nasiriyah over the past week and each time there are losses Americans focused on the few U.S. casualties instead of the massive damage that coalition forces have inflicted.
“According to the news media we lost it as soon as we got the first casualty,” Meinhardt said wryly.
Although the wars have similarities, Williams said he hopes one thing won’t be the same.
“Right or wrong we still need to support all our troops,” Williams said. “They’re just doing their job. I’m just hoping and praying to God that these troops won’t have to put up with being spit on when they return.”
Contact Eric Steinkopff at
esteinkopff@jdnews.com or 353-1171, Ext. 236.
Sempers,
Roger