For MFrench and many others--You nailed it about LBJ and Sec Def -McNamara (hereinafter-L & M)
1. 4400 SAMS were allowed to enter the ports of Haiphong from CHINA because L&M were afraid that CHINA might enter the WAR. Hell, the CHINESE and RUSSIANS were already there shooting us down! We lost about 625 jet aircraft in NAM. Some of the most intense AA since WW2.
2. L&M prohibited us from shooting down and MIGS in 1964-again worried the CHINESE would intervene.(this was disregarded like many of OBAMA/BIDEN orders were)
3. We were order to stop bombing MIG bases
4. We were given very strict return fire rules--but not as Stricklands as Obama/Biden's
5. We were using OLD, outdated and inferior equipment---M-16s became jammed because of cost cutting on quality of barrels and quality of ammunition. I flew in a WW2 leftover plywood recon a/c( we lost 1/2 our Men in 2 weeks from AA). On the DMZ we were using old ammunition boxes for bunker material vice concrete and rebar(reserved for the ARVN)
6. About 1/2 of our MARINE ground forces were located on fixed defensive outposts on the DMZ in range of horrific artillery weapons and out of our range pea shooters
Have to stop here-but it goes on and on and never really reported by our "media", s/f
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