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USS Maddox of the Gulf of Tonkin incident
Episode 2531 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the secrets surrounding the Gulf of Tonkin incident. The featured story comes from the South China Morning Post and is titled: America does not do accidental war if history is any guide. It was submitted by Alex Lo. He has been a Post columnist since 2012, covering major issues affecting Hong Kong and the rest of China. A journalist for 25 years, he has worked for various publications in Hong Kong and Toronto as a news reporter and editor. He has also lectured in journalism at the University of Hong Kong.
Lo uses three historical incidents to illustrate how the U.S. uses some incidents to start wars and others to be swept under the rug. One was The USS Maine of Spanish – American War notoriety, Another was the Gulf of Tonkin affair involving the The USS Maddox. The third was the USS Liberty incident that occurred in June 1967, where 34 American sailors were killed and 171 were injured during the Six-Day War.
Being a Vietnam Veteran, your podcaster chose to examine the Maddox incident featured in the story.
According to Lo, It’s not a mechanical cause and effect where an (objectively real) accident or event leads to a violent encounter, which spirals out of control leading to escalation and then an all-out war.
In every step of the way, the leaders from all sides involved interpret or pick and choose the version(s) of events that best suit their agendas and/or policies.
Let us hope that our leaders have learned from the past and will not get us into another war that results in the creation of a black marble walled memorial with the names 50,000 Americans who gave their lives for their country in that war.
Listen to episode 2531 and discover more about the secrets surrounding the Gulf of Tonkin incident.
