In this Jan. 9, 1964 file photo, a South Vietnamese soldier uses the end of a dagger to beat a farmer for allegedly supplying government troops with inaccurate information about the movement of Viet Cong guerrillas in a village west of Saigon, Vietnam. (AP Photo/Horst Faas)
via sociallowlife
On May 16, President Barack Obama will award Specialist Leslie H. Sabo, Jr., U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry. Specialist Sabo will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions in combat on May 10, 1970, while serving as a rifleman in Company B, 3d Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division in Se San, Cambodia.
As a veteran of combat in Vietnam, I am often asked about current wars. Recently I have been asked about soldiers posing with corpses or urinating on corpses in Afghanistan. The “patriotic” media wants us to understand what it is like to be a soldier in war, not to condone the conduct but to ask “who are we to judge?” They want to know about rules of war: “Are there rules about taking pictures with dead bodies?” When I see these pictures, I am not shocked. I have similar pictures from Vietnam. And I’m in them. Such pictures are part of our warrior culture. Not everyone takes them, but they are not in any way unusual. (via Why are we still in ‘Vietghanistan?’)
While this blog focuses exclusively on World War II, I thought it was important to share this thought-provoking piece on war and what happens to young men confronted with the harsh realities of death, carnage, and fear.
If you are a fan of history - particularly military history - this is a must read. Please share with your followers!
via kanly
A US Special Forces soldier pulls out of a spider hole a dead North Vietnamese soldier from a outpost of Ben Het, after an attack to break out encirclement from enemy troops. June 21, 1969.
(Source: talesofwar)
via baedekersandbeasties
March 30, 1965. The scene immediately after a bomb attack on the American embassy in Saigon. Many Vietnamese and two Americans died.
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