On 1 Nov 2006 11:01:00 -0800, "jamesgangnc"
wrote:

It was pretty much just the generic 4 year ba's with no particular
usefulness that ended up as butter bars leading packs of 11 boom booms.
A decent engineering degree got you off the hook for that snafu.

The two wars had something else in common too, they are both about us
trying to force people we do not even understand to behave the way we
think they should.

wrote:
On Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:35:32 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

That is not true at all. College guys were more likely to get a
commission and the average lifespan of a 2d lT in Vietnam was measured
in hours.

Due to heavier dependence on technology, it may not be possible or sensible
to compare the two wars.

Both wars had one thing in common. A low tech car bomb or other
improvised explosive device will still kill you.

A decent engineering degree got you 'First In, Last Out'. For some reason
the Engineers usually got called on for the land clearing, mine clearing,
and booby trap clearing operations. Of course, we had Infantry security
right behind us!