One can compare Marlene Dietrich and Jane Fonda. Marlene Dietrich is hated by many Germans. She comes from a family of German officers. During WW2 she did a lot for the US war effort. She sold war bonds, entertained Allied troops and did what she could to aid the fight against Germany. We applauded her efforts. The Germans didn't. Although many Germans now feel the Nazis were terrible they are still not willing to forgive Dietrich. Frankly I don't see a lot of difference between the two. There are many pictures of Dietrich hobnobbing with US soldiers of all ranks. Dietrich supported those who were fighting her country presumably because she thought her country was in the wrong. That is precisely what Jane Fonda did.

Hi David,

Yeah, Marlene Dietrich went to the US and built a huge movie career. Hitler offered her some high position, and the next day she took out American citizenship. Good woman.

As for Jane Fonda, Foxy, she was in North Vietnam, a peasant country, when it was under very heavy assault from the B52s. I hope I would have had the courage and decency to do the same. (Wow, you can get the boy out of the Left, but you can't easily get the Left out of the boy).

Joe

Good afternoon to you FOXY...

I'll respond to your piece rather than to that of DAVID F. simply because DAVID F. is particularly intractable with his views and opinions - besides I'm old and I'm tired, and I fought my war.

Funnily unless you served over there you'd never understand the true brutality, the immense hurt and the extreme sadness of that war. To say it was NOT a declared war, perhaps we should explain that odd anomaly to the 504 dead Aussies, the over half millions United States troops, and the millions of innocent souls slaughtered there. AND not forgetting the NVA and their own, over a million and a half casualties ? 'We all bleed when we're cut', enemy or not. Still, it wasn't a real war ? What a relief, their ghosts will feel infinitely better, secure in that knowledge ?

I will admit to everyone who reads this Forum, that it wasn't all that long ago FOXY, remarks not dissimilar to those attributed to DAVID F. would've produced a furious response in me. Now, I simply put it down to ignorance, it's for that reason, why I'll no longer discuss Vietnam with someone so blinkerd as this fellow.

One question I need to be answered please FOXY - Why is it I and my fellow Vietnam Veterans are (STILL) made to feel that we need to apologise for fighting that war ? Perhaps it's true, perhaps all Vietnam Veterans should be 'tried' as criminals ? NOT 'War' criminals, just criminals ?

Hi Foxy,

For all that, I've got some regrets. I've met quite a few Vietnamese refugees since the War, and I have to say that I'm appalled at the vindictive and vicious treatment that the Vietnamese government meted out to captured Vietnamese soldiers, in their 're-education' camps. Deliberately providing very salty rice, and very little water, for example. Sheer sadism.

One friend spent the years from 1975 to 1988 in the mountains in one such camp, planting the coffee that I used to sell at the markets. He escaped to Thailand and was able to come to Australia in about 1998. So 23 years to pay for being in the wrong army.

If I'd have known ........

Love,

Joe

Dear O Sung Wu,

I think that you've misunderstood the points David F.,
was making and you've taken them all personally.
Which is unfortunate. The Vietnam War was such an
emotive subject and it appears that it still is.

I remember my family members who served in Vietnam -
refused to talk about the war on their return. It was
simply too painful for them. Many still carry the scars
today. The brother of my best friend had a total mental
breakdown.
He was a medical officer in Vietnam and his mate's head
was blown off and ended up in his lap. He's now passed away -
but it was very difficult for his family to cope with his
suffering and mental anguish.

Take care.

I understand what you say FOXY when you refer to those scars and mental issues your family members and friends had. Some would've most assuredly come from the effects of being 'in country' ? Many more of those emotional scars, came from the Australian population itself, when we returned home ! And what a homecoming it was too ! I'm sorry FOXY, I just don't think you understand ?