by Rory Walkinshaw

Created on: March 17, 2009

As strange as it sounds, the War in Iraq may go down as one of the greatest American success stories ever. It sounds odd, but one of the America's longest, most brutal wars actual showcased how far the US had come as a nation and as a people. It has proven that America can fight a controversial, unconventional, and often divisive struggle without being torn apart by it. In a way, Iraq has allowed Americans to forever erase the ugly memories of another far off war.

For decades, America was haunted by the legacy of Vietnam. It loomed over us like a giant shadow reminding us of our past failures and defeats. Vietnam tore the country apart and infected America's men and women in uniform with the same problems the country faced at home. It was quite possibly the Army's, and the country's, darkest hour.

It didn't start out that way. When America first became committed to major combat in Southeast Asia in 1965 and 1966, it seemed as though everything would go right. The battles of Ia Drang and "Operation Masher/White Wing" were fought by determined, well-motivated American GI's eager to take the fight to the enemy. New elements of warfare, especially the use of helicopters, were being tried out and Gen. William Westmoreland's strategy of "search and destroy" was expected to repel Communist aggression and save South Vietnam.

By 1968, in the aftermath of the Tet Offensive, all that optimism was lost and war effort, along with the nation, seemed to be on a downward spiral. Americans bitterly opposed the war and faced the awful choice of serving their country and betraying their beliefs or vice versa. Discipline in the Army rotted as it became infected with drug problems, racial issues, combat refusals, and the destrcuctive influence of the Black Power movement. Even elite units like the 101st Airborne were not immune.

Today, in Iraq, the story is different and, it seems, America had learned her lessons and bettered herself. The problems that plagued the military in Vietnam seem a world away. Discipline and morale are high. Americans are busying themselves with productive tasks to help the Iraqi people get back on their feet. The surge and its success have proven that the Americans can adapt to new environments and achieve success. Not only that, the Army Corps of Engineers had put in thousands of man hours and millions of dollars to help revive Iraq's struggling infrastructure.
Indeed, success in Iraq has erased the specter of Vietnam and the impossibility of winning a counter-insurgency war from our conscience. We will never forget the valuable lessons of that conflict, but neither must we allow it to cripple our sense of wha we can do as Americans.

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