An American amnesia : how the U.S. Congress forced the surrenders of South Vietnam and Cambodia

"January 27th, 1973: the United States, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and the Viet Cong sign the Paris Peace Accords, guaranteeing the right of self-determination to the South Vietnamese people. April 30th, 1975: President Duong Van Minh of South Vietnam announces the nation's unconditional surrender to the North, ending the decade-long conflict and enabling the merger of both countries into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. What happened in two short years to cause such a dramatic reversal? In An American Amnesia, respected political commentator Bruce Herschensohn re-examines the incredible actions taken by the 94th Congress and by many American citizens which forced South Vietnam's surrender, an event that brought about immense tragedy for Southeast Asians and haunts our political landscape to this day. Drawing on notes, speeches, and writings from his own experiences in Southeast Asia, as well as in the United States Information Agency and in the White House, Herschensohn fills in important facts in that period of history and warns against the danger of succumbing to a similar voluntary amnesia in the future."--Publisher's description From the Introduction... To be both brief and precise, this book came about because once a week during the fall semesters in the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University there is an evening Foreign Policy Roundtable for those students who elect to attend. Generally, one session each semester is devoted to the subject of the Southeast Asian War that divided the people of the United States, and continues its profound effect on U.S. foreign affairs. Since the students are post-graduates, most often they have already studied that war in the colleges they previously attended. As the session goes on, something happens that at first was unexpected and now is very much expected: it is revealed that large gaps have been left in their education regarding the lives and deaths of Americans, Vietnamese, Laotians, and Cambodians during that period and beyond. Some students are justifiably confused. A common dialogue has become: “How come I was never told these things at the college I attended?” The only accurate answer has been, “I can only guess. It is my belief that the professor who taught you about that war didn’t know, or did know and didn’t want you to know.” This book is meant to fill in vacancies left in too many histories of the Southeast Asian War. Much of the information used is taken from notes, commentaries, speeches, articles, and other writings of mine during the 1960s and 1970s as those events were being lived.

january 27th, 1973: The United States, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, And The Viet Cong Sign The Paris Peace Accords, Guaranteeing The Right Of Self-determination To The South Vietnamese People.

april 30th, 1975: President Duong Van Minh Of South Vietnam Announces The Nation's Unconditional Surrender To The North, Ending The Decade-long Conflict And Enabling The Merger Of Both Countries Into The Socialist Republic Of Vietnam.

what Happened In Two Short Years To Cause Such A Dramatic Reversal? In An American Amnesia, Respected Political Commentator Bruce Herschensohn Re-examines The Incredible Actions Taken By The 94th Congress And By Many American Citizens Which Forced South Vietnam's Surrender, An Event That Brought About Immense Tragedy For Southeast Asians And Haunts Our Political Landscape To This Day. Drawing On Notes, Speeches, And Writings From His Own Experiences In Southeast Asia, As Well As In The United States Information Agency And In The White House, Herschensohn Fills In Important Facts In That Period Of History And Warns Against The Danger Of Succumbing To A Similar Voluntary Amnesia In The Future.

None None Why We Forget Enter the 94th U.S. Congress The April Surrenders May Day Journeys from Nations Gone Before Paris Ho! Ho! Ho Chi Minh! The N.L.F. Is Going to Win! The Fragile Bridge to Paris Kings and Queens of D.C.’s Invisible Monarchy Hotel Journalism Erasing an Old Supreme Court Decision From Vietnam to 9-11: Finding and Connecting the Dots None Introduction Why we forget Enter the 94th Congress The April surrenders May Day Journeys from nations gone Before Paris Ho! Ho! Ho Chi Minh! : the N.L.F. is going to win! The fragile bridge to Paris Kings and queens of D.C.'s invisible monarchy Hotel journalism Erasing an old Supreme Court decision From Vietnam to 9-11 : finding and connecting the dots. The author re-examines the actions taken by the 94th Congress and many American citizens which forced South Vietnam's surrender, bringing about an immense tragedy for Southeast Asians and haunting the American political landscape to this day