Vietnam all over again?

After watching the war unfold for eight years, I feel qualified to make a pronouncement: It is starting to look like Vietnam all over again.

Again, we face a primitive but determined foe on terrain we consider inhospitable, but which he uses to advantage, lives on and makes it his home. Our troops have become camp- and road-bound to an unhealthy extent. They make clumsy forays into the field, which sometimes do real damage to the enemy, but fail utterly to break his will or spirit. Enemy formations improve in size, competence and performance while those of our own deteriorate.

General officers, in comfortable quarters well out of range of enemy fire, shuffle maps around on their desks, pen orders/directives to the troops, and hope for results. Progress is slow or non-existent. Missiles and bombs are hurled at the enemy profusely, most of which do little more than blow gigantic holes in the ground somewhere.

More troops, planes, and bombs will not win this war. An earnest application of heart, faith and spirit from commander in chief down to the lowliest soldier just might. A little vision and imagination might not hurt things either.

Dennis P. Roberts

Spokane