Experts Weigh In on 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Withdrawal from Vietnam
March 29, 2023 marks 50 years since the U.S. withdrew from the Vietnam War. Two of our Syracuse University faculty experts and military veterans weighed in on the anniversary. You can learn more about them and see their comments below. If you’d like to schedule an interview, please email Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.
Retired Vice Admiral Robert Murrett is a professor of practice at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School and deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law. He writes:
“The 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War serves as a reminder of the challenges of good intentions, and how they can be mismanaged in the face of global certainties. The dedication to duty by forces from the U.S. and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), as well as other coalition units from Australia, New Zealand and Korea, was remarkable – in the face of mounting casualties and declining public support. Throughout all of this, The Best and the Brightest could not contend with the fierce opposition that we faced in Southeast Asia, and years of policy and strategic missteps.
From a current perspective, it is worth noting that Vietnam and the U.S. have moved on in ways that have some promise. We currently have a defense agreement with Vietnam which was signed by Secretary Ash Carter in 2015 , and as a result of the 2007 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, Vietnam exports more goods to the U.S. than any other country. Most of the older Vietnam generation never thought that such steps could be possible in our lifetime, and they do provide perspective and renewed association between the U.S. and Vietnam with the passage of time.”
Sean McFate, is a professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and author of The New Rules of War: How America Can Win — Against Russia, China, and Other Threats. He is also a U.S. Army veteran. He writes:
“One tragedy is we failed to learn lessons that we paid for again in blood. This month also commemorates the end of Vietnam and also 20th anniversary of Iraq War. There are too many parallels for comfort. What it tells us is we have brave troops but inept strategic leaders. Tragic. Too dark? Hard not to be. We lost Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s also possible in the future the U.S. and Vietnamese militaries will fight side by side against China. Alongside with Japan. Old enemies and new ones.”
