Vietnam was the ignominious chapter when the American Empire got its dark streak. Man fought machine and man, unfortunately, won. If JFK\u2019s assassination was when America lost its innocence at home, Vietnam was when America lost its innocence abroad. (see: The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution<\/a> in 1964). Now, it wasn\u2019t the first time the U.S. started a war under false pretenses (American Indian Wars, Mexican War, Spanish-American War) or the last (Iraq), but it was the first time America picked a fight and lost. And 58,159 of America\u2019s finest paid the ultimate sacrifice. 58,159 sons, brothers, and fathers died because President Johnson couldn\u2019t admit he was wrong.<\/p>\n

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American artists painted some of the country\u2019s most vivid artwork against this murky canvas of imperialism and government deceit. Filmmakers and musicians fearlessly plunged into America\u2019s throbbing wound and plucked out some of the rawest artwork the nation has ever seen it. Vietnam inspired the greatest war soundtrack (\u201cAmerican Woman<\/a>” by The Guess Who, “Blowin’ in the Wind<\/a>” by Bob Dylan, “Born in the U.S.A.”<\/a> by Bruce Springsteen, alluding to The Siege of Khe Sanh, “Fortunate Son<\/a>” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Gimme Shelter<\/a>” by The Rolling Stones, and “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath). Jaded disillusionment imbued some of the finest masterpieces for print (\u201cThe Things They Carried<\/a>\u201d) and the screen (\u201cFull Metal Jacket<\/a>\u201d, \u201cThe Deer Hunter<\/a>\u201d, \u201cPlatoon<\/a>\u201d, \u201cBorn On The Fourth Of July<\/a>\u201d).<\/p>\n

Vietnam cast a tall shadow over American psyche ever since. We have whispered whether each subsequent war would be the next Vietnam. America held her breath when she invaded the tiny island-nation of Grenada in 1983. Maybe it\u2019s for this reason we never gave our Vietnam War heroes-turned-politicians a fair shake. Serviceman John Kerry was a true American war hero. He earned two Purple Hearts for his valor in saving the lives of his crew. But when he returned home he was America\u2019s most hardened war critic. He tossed his medals onto the White House lawn in disgust. He was the first Vietnam solider to testify against the war. There was nary a dry eye in Congress in 1974 when Kerry asked, \u201cHow can you ask a man to be the last to die for a mistake?\u201d <\/p>\n

Thirty years later though, Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry was painted as the effete, flip-flopping elitist who lied about his war record in the Swift Boats imbroglio. Never mind that President Bush spent the war defending South Texas from the impending Vietnam air menace (when he showed up at all). No, it was John Kerry who was vilified as the most glaring reminder of our most chronicled defeat. Four years later, pundits openly discussed how John McCain\u2019s Vietnam selfless imprisonment rendered him mentally unsound for Presidency. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s tragic that America looked the other way so quickly. Our Vietnam heroes have offered some of the sagest advice for the War on Terror. John McCain was one of the earliest and adamant proponents of the Surge, which\u2014in tandem with the Anbar Awakening\u2014pulled Iraq back from the precipice. We need John Kerry, now on the other side of the Congressional tables, asking: How can you ask a man to be the last to die for Hamid Karzai? <\/p>\n

The War On Terror<\/strong><\/p>\n

I accidentally did my part for the War on Terror propaganda effort. And it\u2019s all thanks to this YouTube video.<\/em><\/p>\n