The US Won the Vietnam War… Twice

The Greatest Generation won WWII. They destroyed the Axis nations, then returned home to build the greatest nation in human history. At the end of WWII Winston Churchill told the English people that the war was far from over because Communism was yet to be defeated… in no time, he was removed from office.

The First Time the United States Won the War

To understand how the war was won this first time, you must understand some history:

The Greatest Generation won WWII. They destroyed the Axis nations, then returned home to build the greatest nation in human history. At the end of WWII Winston Churchill told the English people that the war was far from over because Communism was yet to be defeated… in no time, he was removed from office.

Another very vocal person who held the same opinion was also eliminated, General Patton. The history books say that he was killed in an auto accident but there have been many who believe differently. Yet another was General McArthur during the Korean War. He wanted the US to crush the North and drive into China thus destroying communism in Asia. Like Churchill and Patton, he was relieved of duty and forced to retire.

Something else took place during the 1940’s and 1950’s… Russia was sending agents into the US with the mission of infiltrating academia, the media and the US government. In the early 1960’s there was another anti-communist voice within the US… Senator McCarthy. McCarthy had a personal mission to expose Communists within US institutions thus hoping to convince the American people that we were in danger. He was politically destroyed.

The Russians had been very successful and by the ’60’s they had firmly entrenched themselves in academia, the media, Hollywood and government at all levels. They were so successful that a large percentage of the Boomer Generation by the mid-1960’s openly embraced Socialism. The global Communist machine was well positioned to influence what happened in Vietnam.

The Communist world had infiltrated countries across the globe and could not allow a victory over any Communist state. Thus, the Communist ‘machine’ took the position that US success in Vietnam had to be stopped.

Our involvement in Vietnam began in 1958 but really escalated in 1965 and beyond. The thinking that drove US involvement was that we had to stop the spread of Communism in Asia. We failed to have a victory in Korea but at least we secured South Korea as a free, Capitalist nation protected by the DMZ, and the US made the commitment to hold that DMZ forever.

Far from the victory General McArthur wanted, but one could argue that it was a noble effort which was ‘partially’ successful. South Korea has flourished since. (Note: It is 2025 now and South Korea is in grave danger because a Communist has been elected leader… the sacrifices that made South Korea a free nation may have been a waste).

So, in 1965 the US went to war in Vietnam. This is where the truth about our involvement there began to get purposely distorted and the “history” of the war began to be written… based upon lies and manipulations.

The history that would be written in the coming years had little to do with ‘truth’ and was written to ‘protect’ people. The American fighting man was the sacrifice that would be made to protect certain groups of people and to ensure the US lost the war.

America hit the beaches and ramped up for victory over the Communists in the North. The US never lost a single major battle throughout the entire war. The American fighting machine was at that time the best trained and effective machine in American history.

America fought hard and in 1967 the war was nearly over. The cost to that date was approximately 16,000 American lives.

After the war in the mid-1970’s, a documentary was produced in which the producers interviewed the North Vietnamese Generals who directed their war. The Generals reported that the North was on the verge of surrendering in 1967. They stated they would have crumbled under heavy bombing and losses in the field within months, maybe weeks.

But something changed everything… the Communist-backed “anti-war movement” began to take hold in the US. Observing this, the North decided to hang on, realizing that “the Americans would defeat themselves”.

Consequently, the North changed tactics to minimize losses and preserve resources. In 1968, they staged the Tet Offensive, believing that if they created a stunning moment, the Americans would cut and run.

When US forces and the ARVN responded, they crushed the North. Estimates suggest the North lost approximately 15,000 troops and the VC was essentially wiped out as a viable fighting force.

Despite this stunning victory, Walter Cronkite returned from Vietnam and told the American people that the “war has been lost”. Whether this was ideological sympathy or gross journalistic failure, the damage was irreversible.

Post-Tet, the North reverted to guerrilla warfare, satisfied with killing one American at a time rather than seeking decisive engagements. This strategy proved effective.

Over 58,000 Americans died in total—approximately 42,000 after 1967 and after the rise of the anti-war movement. Bombing was halted, restrictive rules of engagement were imposed, and victory was abandoned in favor of “peace with honor”.

American blood is on the hands of those who participated in the anti-war movement. This shameful reality was never confronted.

The American fighting man became the target of public anger. Thus began the plight of the Vietnam Veteran—neglected, resented, abused, and ignored. Many had to hide their service just to find employment.

The US pulled out in 1973 and the war was officially lost in 1975. When the North invaded with massive armored columns, American air power could have stopped it easily. The South was abandoned and massacred.

Post-war Vietnam became a closed ‘ghost country’. Tens of thousands were executed or died in reeducation camps. Entire villages disappeared.

The war’s history was written to protect those who claimed “we stopped the war” as a badge of honor. None wished to face the carnage they caused—American deaths, Vietnamese deaths, veteran suicides, Agent Orange casualties.

Had the anti-war movement not intervened, the US would have forced surrender in 1967. That was the first victory—stolen.

The Second Winning of the Vietnam War

The US war effort was also a successful nation-building effort. Infrastructure, agriculture, business, and free enterprise flourished while America was present.

Though the Communists tried to crush these gains, the Vietnamese people wanted freedom. Over time, they forced economic reforms.

Today, Vietnam has modern cities, rising incomes, increasing foreign investment, a strong manufacturing base, and growing tourism. Capitalist reforms—once forbidden—are now embedded in Vietnamese society.

• Ho Chi Minh City rivals major European cities in vibrancy
• Vietnam has thousands of millionaires and multiple billionaires
• Middle-class growth continues rapidly
• Foreign investment increases year over year
• Tourism reached 23 million visitors in 2024
• Poverty rate is approximately 3.4%

Everything the Communists tried to destroy—free enterprise, Western lifestyle, even nightlife—now thrives.

The seeds planted by the American fighting man could not be destroyed. While the Communists prevented a military victory, they could not stop the ultimate objective: a Vietnam on the path to freedom and prosperity.

Vietnam may remain Communist politically for years to come, but economically and culturally, the American objective succeeded.

The United States can rightfully claim that we “Won the Vietnam War… Twice.”