No More Vietnams by Richard Nixon (The Blame Game Begins) →

. RSS

Throughout our lives, it is essential to reframe our view of mistakes. We must learn to make the most of them and reshape our goals and expectations. Reading “No More Vietnams” is not an effort to learn from mistakes - just a blame game.

In 1991 the Washington Post published an article by E.J. Dione Jr. titled Kicking The Vietnam Syndrome, saying, “Wars transform nations, but the response to wars can transform them even more.”

Richard Nixon’s book, “No More Vietnams,” was not a response to the war but was instead just his finger-pointing blame on everyone who he felt didn’t support him in his book that was “actually Nixon’s diatribe against the antiwar movement, academics, the media, and everyone else he thinks lost Vietnam.” He claimed that “Vietnam was a morally correct war for the United States since we were trying to save a country from communist tyranny.”

Nixon analyzes America’s military involvement in Southeast Asia, including his role as commander-in-chief from 1969 to 1974, and concludes that it was "winnable" had the U.S. pursued the proper military strategy, at least in the period before his presidency. He implies some regret that his administration didn’t see a victory but claims that he didn’t have the support of the public to achieve that and claimed it would have undercut his efforts to open relations with China and the Soviet Union.

The loss of this war resulted in the Vietnam Syndrome, which was the attitude that the United States developed about going to war in distant places where they couldn’t win and didn’t end until the Iraq war.

Heart of Atlantis by Stephen King →

. RSS

Five stories in the Hearts in Atlantis revolve around the Vietnam War, a central theme in Stephen King’s generation.

“Low Men in Yellow Coats” is set in the summer of 1960. Bobby Garfield and his friends Sully-John and Carol, Bobby Garfield meet TedBrautigana,n who lives on the third floor of Bobby’s building. Ted hires Bobby to watch for mysterious strangers that he refers to as “low men” from another world.

One day, Bobby discovers his friend Carol has been beaten by three bullies with a baseball bat. He takes her to his apartment, where Tedmust removeeherershirttoo set her dislocated shoulder. Bobby’smothere,r Liz comes home and misunderstands the situation. She had just been raped at a real estate seminarandwass ready to think the worst.

Ted appears in some way connected to the Dark Tower and confesses to Bobby that he is being stalked by "low men" who work for The Crimson King. The Low Man captured Ted, and Bobby is given a choice to go with them to wherever they are taking Ted but decides to stay. Sometime later, Bobby receives an envelope from Ted filled with red rose petals (which surround the Dark Tower). He knows that Ted is once again free and has gotten away from the low men.

In “Hearts in Atlantis,” Pete Riley becomes involved with Carol at the University of Maine in Orono in 1966. The title not only is a metaphor for the romance but also refers to an ongoing card game that threatens to overwhelm Pete and his dormmates. Carol leaves school, joins a movement, and becomes involved with radicals and a bombing of a chemical laboratory that kills several people.

“Blind Willie,” set in 1983, Willie Shearman, who befriended Carol but held her down while she was beaten in 1960, had fought in Vietnam and remained haunted by both his actions toward Carol and what he witnessed during the war. His efforts to do penance for both involve begging as a blind Vietnam veteran in New York City, which makes him a lot of money, but he does go blind doing it.

“Why We’re in Vietnam” and “Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling” are the last two stories.

Sullyattendsafelloww soldier's funeral and reflects on the events in Vietnam, perhaps trying to answer the question of why,y but then dies of a heart attack.

In “Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling,” Bobby returns to Harwich for Sully's funeral. He finds Carol and a baseball glove sent to him by Ted.