Veterans for Peace Forum, 5-14

November 25, 2013 | Featured, Video

Topics: Full Disclosure: An Honest Commemoration of the American War in Vietnam; Memorial Day; Vietnam Friendship Village (though we never really got there…)
Host: Dan Shea of Veterans for Peace Chapter 72

Guest Bio: Becky Luening became involved with the Vietnam Friendship Village in 1993 when her then-husband Jeff Huch was volunteer director of the US Committee. Becky was instrumental in securing charitable non-profit 501(c)(3) status for the organization in early 1996. After Jeff passed away in 1996, Becky continued to build on what he and others had begun. Currently she serves as President of the US Committee. Becky earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Occidental College in Los Angeles in 1980, and a Masters in Education at UC Santa Cruz in 2001. She resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband Brian Willson, a Vietnam veteran, and her dog Pedro. Becky is a book artist and a gardener and seeks to build local community through neighborhood involvement. She has been an associate member of Veterans For Peace since 1997.

Producers: Kelly Labonty & Jim Lockhart
kellielabonty@gmail.com & videoactivepdx@gmail.com

Host: Daniel Shea
Veterans For Peace
http://dsheavfp72.wordpress.com/
www.vn-agentorange.org
https://www.facebook.com/dan.shea.VFP

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1972: 50 Years Ago

March 30-July 1972 The PAVN (People’s Army of Viet Nam) and the NLF begin a major offensive. The goal of Easter Offensive, officially known as The 1972 Spring – Summer Offensive, (also called the Nguyen Hue (Nguyễn Huệ) offensive) was to win a decisive victory in 1972 or at least improve the revolutionary position for future peace talks. The 3-pronged attacks began in the north, center, and south of the country. Massed North Vietnamese Army artillery open a shattering barrage, targeting South Vietnamese positions across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Upwards of 20,000 PAVN troops cross the DMZ, forcing the South Vietnamese units into a retreat. The Southern defense is thrown into complete chaos. Intelligence reports had predicted a Northern attack, but no one had expected it to come across the DMZ. A week after the launch of the offensive, Nixon decides to respond with a massive air campaign against the North. The campaign was by far the largest and most comprehensive of the war, using a wide variety of aircraft as well as new ‘smart’ bombs. The US committed 74 tactical squadrons to the attack. In addition, six aircraft carriers were assigned to the bombing mission as well as over 100 B-52 bombers. For the first time, the US places mines in Haiphong Harbor to cut off the North Vietnamese from foreign support.

The South Vietnamese with heavy American air support are able to turn back the attack after a month and a half. The city of Loc Ninh (Lộc Ninh), located close to the Cambodian border subsequently became the capital of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam (PRGSVN), a distinction it held until it was disbanded after the war. While US bombing and a stiffened ARVN defense was able to turn back the PAVN and NLF offensive, it remains politically impossible to reintroduce sufficient U.S. combat troops to stem the PAVN drive. With his policy of Vietnamization at stake, Nixon implements a massive buildup of air power in Southeast Asia and a broadening of the eligible targets.