"Kill Anything That Moves"-Book reveals new info on the USA's atrocities in Viet Nam

[Fog hit]

Re: "Kill Anything That Moves"-Book reveals new info on the USA's atrocities in Viet

so you took the time to study the group of people and decided they are a family.. and you discerned they were unarmed....
doesn't sound like a stressful combat situation to me, sounds more like you are taking a walk in the park or something.

in your situation you described here probably not a good idea to pull the trigger.... not around me anyways...i'd have your ass.


as for the topic, I did my time in 'Nam... I don't really need to read a book by some dude 43 years after the fact...especially one designed to paint us vets as a bunch of war criminals.
I went feet dry a few months after Fog Hit left country.. my big brother never did make it back (Khe Sahn, 67', hill 881N)
I never saw an atrocity.... heard about some, never saw one....don't care much.

881 and 861 were bitches. All of us at Khe Sahn were not expecting to walk or fly out of that hell hole. The Marines who fought there were the finest example of what this country is made of. I got a medal from there, signed by the head honcho Marine General of I Corp. I'd gladly give it back and every ****in medal that was earned there to have your brother back.
2nd year we lost half of our team. What a ****ed up war. Then some ass hole wants to paint us as atrocities were the norm. **** him, and all the ones who believe his bull****.
I'll say nothing more on this thread. My heart can only be heavy as a stone so many times.
God bless. you and your Brother Thrilla.

 

[Thrilla]

Re: "Kill Anything That Moves"-Book reveals new info on the USA's atrocities in Viet

People that commit these atrocities are not all the troops.

i'm sure cooks and admin personnel are not included in his opinion... as for combat personnel... well... "systemic and pervasive" atrocities gotta be committed by someone right?

**** the author and **** his book....you go enjoy it, i'll pass.

 

[Ray410]

Re: "Kill Anything That Moves"-Book reveals new info on the USA's atrocities in Viet

"Turse’s investigations of American war crimes in Vietnam have gained him a Ridenhour Prize for Reportorial Distinction, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a fellowship at Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study."

This would be the tried and true formula for endless honor and acclaim from the braying loons who reside in the alternate universe of "We hate the country that nurtures us, sustains us and tolerates our mental disease of liberalism."

 

[Tigger]

Re: "Kill Anything That Moves"-Book reveals new info on the USA's atrocities in Viet

So if i was in combat and under a stressful situation and i unloaded on a family, who was unarmed, its all just ****s and gigs?

In an area where the enemy and civilians cannot be distinguished by any useful means, and the civilians are likely to be supporting or concealing the enemy, so far as I'm concerned there is no difference between the civilians and the enemy. It's just that simple.

 

[Hard Truth]

Re: "Kill Anything That Moves"-Book reveals new info on the USA's atrocities in Viet

I'm not following - does this book reveal something we don't already know?

I thought all this was already common knowledge.

The new information that he obtained from the National Archives reveals that the indiscriminate killings were encouraged by people in leadership positions who were most concerned about achieving high body count numbers.

 

[oncewas]

Re: "Kill Anything That Moves"-Book reveals new info on the USA's atrocities in Viet

Vietnam 68/69, USMC it's just a memory now.I seen some good things we American did,and seen my share of bad things we did. I always say if you weren't doing the fighting you shouldn't be the one judging the ones who were doing the fighting. My opinion! eace

 

[blackjack50]

It apparently is just fun every now and again to beat the crap out of guys who survived Vietnam by calling their honor and service into question. The days of calling returning vets 'baby killers' isn't that far away from us, apparently.

I had a friend at school who was a Scout Sniper in the Marine Corps. He suffered awful PTSD to the point that he couldn't drive or be alone with his children. He did multiple tours: Africa (Somalia, Iraq, and a few others). He talked about child soldiers in Africa, and how our concept of war as civilians is a joke. He said Africa was where he saw some of how low humanity can sink. He fought for 2 days straight in Iraq...Fallujah I think. He had a bullet wound from Africa, and he had scars (the pink deep tissue scarring that never fades) from an IED that took him out of service forever.

I say all that to highlight something. He was a trigger puller. He never said he had to shoot a kid...but he never said he didn't. I cannot imagine the hell he has seen. And the only other people on the college campus I was on that could have understood had been there. Someone still spit on him one day when he was in uniform for some presentation. I was glad to see them handcuffed behind a campus police squad car after that.

I asked him why he didnt retaliate. He told me after that: "it happens here. There is no point in retaliating. Of course I could stop them. I could kill them. I have killed before. But I can't cure them of stupidity and I swore to protect their right to be ignorant and safe from the hell I saw."

I respect our troops. I can't fathom having to see war. To see the depths of depravity of the human mind. I know there are bad apples. There is no sense digging it up. Better to know it happened and learn how to stop it now.

 

[Risky Thicket]

Re: "Kill Anything That Moves"-Book reveals new info on the USA's atrocities in Viet

so you took the time to study the group of people and decided they are a family.. and you discerned they were unarmed....
doesn't sound like a stressful combat situation to me, sounds more like you are taking a walk in the park or something.

in your situation you described here probably not a good idea to pull the trigger.... not around me anyways...i'd have your ass.


as for the topic, I did my time in 'Nam... I don't really need to read a book by some dude 43 years after the fact...especially one designed to paint us vets as a bunch of war criminals.
I went feet dry a few months after Fog Hit left country.. my big brother never did make it back (Khe Sahn, 67', hill 881N)
I never saw an atrocity.... heard about some, never saw one....don't care much.

My best friend, 3/3 Marines, went through the meat grinder at Hill 881. He spent a long time in the hospital and rehab.

 

[Risky Thicket]

Re: "Kill Anything That Moves"-Book reveals new info on the USA's atrocities in Viet

My best friend shipped over before I did. I was USAF Security Police (69-70). I knew I wasn't going to experience Hill 881. Few people did. But, as we all did before we shipped over, we talked to friends and guys we knew who had already been over, getting all the information we could, trying to wrap our heads around what to expect. Combat school did everything it could to get you prepared. Nothing, no one, ever could give you anything close to an idea of what it would really be like. You didn't know realize it until you were in-country. Then it was, "What the **** am I going here?"

Nobody's tour was the same as anyone else's, everyone had different experiences. Nobody told you that MACV probably was the second biggest enemy in Vietnam. It almost got me killed. An old war dog took me aside and explained a few things about when and when not to call some things in and what do in situations no one ever talked about in training. Never did I see atrocities or hear directives about systemic slaughter. I heard about people wearing ear necklaces, but I never saw anyone.

Body counts will never be correct. I haven't read the book, but I know that it was SOP to increase the reported body count. I always assumed that body counts were increased each level of reporting. How could anyone possibly make any judgement good or bad on body counts? There was so much bull**** involved.

 

[Mr. Invisible]

Re: "Kill Anything That Moves"-Book reveals new info on the USA's atrocities in Viet

Personally, I"d say that the first and foremost of those responsible for the killings that occurred are those in power as they were the ones encouraging such behavior. Just my $.02.