Vietnam, Lessons and Dominoes

During the decades that followed the military triumph of the communist forces in Vietnam, the much feared spread of communism to other nations in the Far East did not happen. Thailand, Burma, Indonesia or the Philippines did not become felled communist dominos. A communist force the Khmer Rouge, had taken power in Cambodia -- largely the result of the turmoil spilling into Cambodia from Vietnam during the Vietnam war, including U.S. bombing in Cambodia. But the the Khmer Rouge did not remain in power long. Neither did the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia in opposition to that communist force.

In the United States, lessons of the war became much talked about on television and radio. Not much talked about was one lesson that the U.S. military took from the war. This was the discarding of terror bombing, bombing as psychological warfare, as had been done in South Vietnam to discourage support for the Viet Cong.

Another lesson was drawn by the former U.S. commander in Vietnam, General Westmoreland. He mentioned that the U.S. war in Vietnam was the first major conflict "fought without censorship." "Without censorship," he said, "things can get confused in the public mind." It was decided among some military strategists that the free-roaming journalism in places of military action should be replaced with restricted access for journalists and with military-led television briefings -- as occurred during the Gulf War in 1991.

A third lesson that high-ranking military men often expressed was that no U.S. troops should be committed to battle without a clear goal, a feasible plan and public support.