May 3, 2005
The 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war was observed by some last Saturday.
Storybooks teach and much of the public believes the war was a disaster and American forces suffered their first defeat.
Thomas Lipscomb, the former chairman of the Vietnam veterans leadership program thinks otherwise.
He notes it never was a civil war, but that the communist north invaded the free south and basically took it over.
But Lipscomb makes an even more important point, while Vietnam remains officially communist, much of the rest of Asia, with the notable exception of China, is not.
In fact, much of Asia, which might have fallen to communism had not the U.S. intervened in Vietnam, is prosperous and free.
Besides, it was the politicians and not the troops who lost the war.
Our men and women were noble and brave.
They did as they were told by politicians who let tem down because they fought it poorly after committing to battle.
Much of Asia owes their freedom to our efforts in Vietnam, according to Tom Lipscomb and I think he's right.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C. Watch his television show, After Hours with Cal Thomas, on the Fox News Channel, Saturdays at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
