In Vietnam, the United States grasped defeat from the jaws of victory. As documented in Mark Woodruff’s “Unheralded Victory: The Defeat of the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, 1961-1973,” the enemy were defeated in battle, the insurgency was crushed, and “Vietnamization” (building out the south’s defense forces) was well under way. Then we abandoned our allies. Congress cut off all support. When Soviet-backed North Vietnam promptly violated the peace treaty and invaded the South, we shrugged and turned our back.
In the end, America lost more than Vietnam. Sensing weak American resolve, the Soviets went on the offensive in Asia, Latin America and Africa. U.S. power was in retreat on almost every front … until Ronald Reagan came along.
