Читать книгу Beyond Survival - Gerald Coffee - Страница 7

FOREWORD

The Vietnam war divided and compartmentalized society, often obscuring those elements of commonality by which we define ourselves as family, be it our immediate family, our national family, or our family of man. Although I dedicate this book lovingly to my immediate family, the writing has caused me to see beyond my narrow definition of family to include those with whom I served, those for whom I served, and even those I served against.

The perspective of over four decades has expanded my appreciation for the human side of the story: the personal lives and experiences of captives and captors alike, and the lives of the people with whom they are connected. These are the stories I have told in this book. In this more personal context, perspective and resolution come easier. It also sharpens our sense of urgency to learn and do better in the future.

Even to this day, the results of the Vietnam War continue to be terribly misunderstood, which I believe is the reason so many Vietnam Vets have been unable to find any positive perspective on their sacrifices there. The fact is, we won the war but we lost the peace. America’s political leaders snatched defeat from the jaws of our victory.

Consider; Vietnam was an integrel part of the Cold War with the Soviet Union and Communist China. And it should be recalled, we won that war. But the “domino theory” was as valid for South East Asia as it was for Eastern Europe. After North Vietnam went communist, Laos and Cambodia were the first two contiguous countries to fall. We didn’t get there in time to save them. But the potential “dominos” of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and possibly the Philippines were saved by our ten years of holding action against the southward tide of Chinese and North Vietnamese communism. We failed to ensure freedom for the people of South Vietnam, but millions of SouthEast Asians are living in free and prosperous countries today because we were there.

Every Vietnam Vet should hold his or her head high with pride for what was accomplished by his/her sacrifices there.