Quote Originally Posted by yamiyugikun View Post
I think the reason why senior military leaders were hesitant to use counter-insurgency/unconventional war back when the invasion of Iraq first began, was due to painful memories still left over from Vietnam. Gen. Petraeus describes the inclination of "an all or nothing victory" in warfare as a reaction to avoiding another Vietnam. That might be why the US first went in with the heavy artillery and tanks back in 2003/4.
I think it was more likely due to an assumption that an insurgency would not arise and a recognition among political leaders that 90% approval ratings don't last forever and if we were going to implement the long-standing policy of regime change in Iraq, then there was a narrow window of opportunity to leverage public support and get our foot in the door. Like any other government program, a large war is easier to start than to end.

Quote Originally Posted by yamiyugikun View Post
About 1 month ago, when I mentioned being an Army civilian at a local coffee shop where I live, this man in his 60s got so angry at me, when he heard the word "army," and nearly yelled at me, I was guessing because it was anger at the Vietnam war.
I'm not being a wiseguy when I suggest this, but some people are just jerks. I know a lot of people who served during Vietnam - my father, friends of his, uncles, et cetera. ALL were draftees. I've never heard one word out of them regarding anything bad from Vietnam. They did their time and then got out. It is not that they're repressing anything. They simply have the same attitudes that we associate with WWII vets - they did their job, went home, and got on with their lives. They weren't raised with a victim mentality. Some people were. Those people generally grow up to be jerks.