Did this book change your views on the Vietnam war?

Use this forum to discuss the November 2019 Book of the month, "Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath", by Randy Miller.
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MsH2k
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Re: Did this book change your views on the Vietnam war?

Post by MsH2k »

ciecheesemeister wrote: 17 Nov 2019, 14:45 It didn't change my opinion of the war. I thought that the war was ill-advised and resulted in unnecessary loss of life, and that opinion remains unchanged. What it did is educate me about a conflict about which I knew very few details despite being alive at the time it was taking place. I think that this book stands to educate the public about the Vietnam war, and that is a very positive thing.
Ditto
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Post by AvidBibliophile »

Herbstlicht wrote: 13 Nov 2019, 04:14 Wars are messy, and we can consider ourselves lucky if we only read about it in books. I love reading military novels, as it brings me one step closer to understanding wars and people, as history is often biased and only one-sided.
These unfortunate souls are indeed "also victims of their system" and unjustly so. With the Vietnam War in particular, I don't think much of it will ever be clear... but it happened, we had representation there, and those veterans are still paying the price from the memories and exposure. Thank you for opening up the important discussion about it.
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Post by Wyland »

I got the perspective that it was an unnecessary war on the part of the US. It's also worth noting that many citizens afterwards became quite vocal against the war.
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Post by ReyvrexQuestor Reyes »

Wars had been fought since we could remember. The most primal reason had always been similar to the basic reasons animals had fought for -- territory. The privilege for ownership was never lost even to animals which would mark their space with scents, the same way that modern limiting lines were marked by cartographers on maps to designate sovereign boundaries of nations. But man is a more intellectual animal than any of the species belonging to the animal kingdom. Even the intangibles, such as ideologies became coveted possessions of a political group. The groupings in this transcend national boundaries of nations because allies could be had even across oceans. The Vietnam war could be viewed as not just a conflict of two parts of Vietnam located on opposite sides of the 17th parallel, but rather as a war between Communism and Democracy.
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Post by Kansas City Teacher »

It actually gives me a lot more respect for the veterans who came back.
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Post by Akpome1 »

Well, my views on the Vietnam war were not changed at all because I never experience it. I have only read about it. Though war events are not always palatable, some wars are inevitable. We can only pray that we do not experience any of them. It is better we are told of what happened as it is in this book.
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Post by ohlendorfbe »

I don't really think this book changed my mind about the Vietnam War, but it did open my eyes to some of the travesties that ensued. My brother was involved in this war, while I was in 8th grade at the time. I do feel that Communism should be fought against in any way possible, but so many things were done wrong, and some of them on purpose, during this conflict. I had heard of Agent Orange, of course, and have a friend who has some effects from it, but the great extent of its effects I never imagined. The lack of aid for these veterans is deplorable!
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Latest Review: Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath by Randy Miller

Post by melzim25 »

No, Deadly Waters did not change my views regarding the Vietnam conflict. As veteran of that conflict I will sat that the author Randy Miller pretty well described the environment as it was, in country, attitudinally of the Vietnamese and so forth. I do take exception to the portrayal of the enlisted men as not particularly or sophisticated. I did not do any duty aboard the tin cans or cruisers, the surface Navy as it were, I was a submariner and my shipmates on all four duty stations were above the level classwise that Randy portrays the enlisted men. .
The return to civilian life was aptly describe for more than a lot of servicemen though. It is a sad blight on our Country that the men and women that were sacrificing for our Country, right or wrong, were so unfairly treated by the cowards and selfish stay at homes as they were. And our government. that is not the same as our Country, shall bare that shame for ever. Melzim25
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Post by Amina_Ibrahim »

Vietnam war was unnecessary. Just America being America. They can't just stop killing other country's people for oil or minerals or just enjoyment. And then in school books they somehow ridiculously change the perspective and make themselves out to be heroes.
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Post by Nkoo »

All I know about wars, I read in books and watched in movies. Wars are sometimes absolutely unnecessary and could be averted. I do not have an altered view based on this book. This book reveals some of the inconsequentialities and misrepresentations of the Vietnam war.
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Latest Review: Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath by Randy Miller

Post by melzim25 »

The Vietnamese Conflict was indeed necessary. Many folks do not realize that the United States was a signatory to the mutual defense pact SEATO. Drawn up for the same reason as was NATO and ANZAC, SEATO was design to prevent the global spread of communism and because our Country was a signatory, it was duly bound to honor that treaty. The problem was in the way our politicians handled the conflict, micro managing it from over 8000 miles away discussing targets etc. over lunch every Thursday. If a country goes to war without the conviction to win it, that country will lose every time. Our military would not have been mired in the Iraqi conflict or the Afghanistan conflict now if the politicians allowed our military to fight and win. Never in the course of history being nice and trying placate an enemy been successful.
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Post by raikyuu »

I was never really a "pro-war" person. There are people who suffer in such wars as the Vietnam war. It eludes me as to how such wars are perpetuated.
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Post by mensah2 »

This book has actually confirmed my views about the Vietnam war. I have watched several video on these wars. This book is just a confirmation on my previous knowledge.
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Post by Brendan Donaghy »

melzim25 wrote: 09 Dec 2019, 16:50 No, Deadly Waters did not change my views regarding the Vietnam conflict. As veteran of that conflict I will sat that the author Randy Miller pretty well described the environment as it was, in country, attitudinally of the Vietnamese and so forth. I do take exception to the portrayal of the enlisted men as not particularly or sophisticated. I did not do any duty aboard the tin cans or cruisers, the surface Navy as it were, I was a submariner and my shipmates on all four duty stations were above the level classwise that Randy portrays the enlisted men. .
The return to civilian life was aptly describe for more than a lot of servicemen though. It is a sad blight on our Country that the men and women that were sacrificing for our Country, right or wrong, were so unfairly treated by the cowards and selfish stay at homes as they were. And our government. that is not the same as our Country, shall bare that shame for ever. Melzim25
'were so unfairly treated by the cowards and selfish stay at homes'
By the politicians who sent them to war, you mean?
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Post by LyorBoone »

Upon finishing this book, I feel disheartened by the small paragraphs that were dedicated to this era in my history books at school. I suppose summarizing all the relevant happening of the time only takes a chapter, but I learned a lot from this story. This book definitely changed my mind in thinking the protesters a totally innocent people expressing their views against the war. Of course, I want to say most of them had their heart in the right place, but the hate they inspired makes me think of social justice warriors today. We live in world where citizens are quick to name call just as quickly as a mud-slinging politician. It's a time where I think "Family Feud" will stop feeling like a cute name for a game show and make a return to society as a common part of life.
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme” - Mark Twain. Dare we say the same thing about every story that gets told in the world?
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