Page 158 - Stand Down Vietnam

There is also the aspect of duty other than what you
would expect the military to be conducting.

Humanitarian aid is the first thing that comes to my
mind. There are many things other than combat roles
that create situations where a soldier can be injured
or killed. The possibilities of life-changing injuries
or death have a way of following our soldiers every

day.
I think that aspect needs to be more openly discussed
and explained to the young men and women who are
considering volunteering. They need to understand the
risk factor is very high. If they are informed, will
they join? Big question – Big problem.

How many were killed in Vietnam by friendly fire? This
is where I’ll have to ask a question: Was any “fire”
“friendly” in a combat zone? Was the entire country of
Vietnam a combat zone? As it was for the Korean
“conflict”, the Vietnam “conflict” was never declared a
war by Congress. Use critical thinking; ask why not.

I think the media concocted the term “friendly fire”,
not the military. So-called friendly fire reports beg
the question of who do you believe? Do you believe the
government's version or our returning soldiers?

Yes, there was a lot of talk about soldiers calling for

fire support on their own location. It goes back to
what I just said previously, the question of the risk
of being in the military. It’s extremely high and
“friendly fire” deaths have also happened during
training exercises.