Never has a war been looked back on by so many. More books have been written about the Vietnam War than any other American war—more than thirty thousand and counting. Histories, novels, memoirs galore, and movies and television programs testify to how deeply Vietnam is embedded in the American soul and how it continues to inform and affect American foreign policy and military strategy. Yet the combined efforts of all the scholars and novelists and filmmakers have somehow fallen short of providing definitive answers to the most basic questions:
Was the war a victory?
A loss?
A draw?
Was the US right to be there? Were our sacrifices worth the price? The facts of the war are known, but are interpreted variously and debated endlessly. This book does not attempt to settle those debates, but to add new stories, new images, and new reflections on a defining era in the history of America.
MPC
Military Payment Certificates, commonly referred to as MPC, was a form of currency printed by the U.S. Government and used to pay U.S. military personnel deployed to certain foreign countries. It was used in different areas from a few months after the end of World War II until a few months following the end of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam – from 1946 until 1975.
MPC were issued when the local citizens of a country in which U.S. military personnel were stationed might not trust local currencies, as the future of their governments was unclear. Preferring a stable currency like the U.S. dollar, local civilians often accepted payment in dollars for less than the accepted conversion rates. MPC not only provided a stable currency, but also helped to control black market activities. MPCs were fully convertible to U.S. dollars upon leaving a designated MPC zone, and convertible to local currencies when going on leave (but not vice versa).
RIBBONS
Red: National Defense Service Medal (NDSM)
Awarded to service members who served honorably during a designated time period of which a “national emergency” had been declared. For the Vietnam era, that period was from January 1, 1961 to August 14, 1974.
Previously, the NDSM was awarded during the Korean War, June 27, 1950 to July 27, 1954. For the Gulf War, August 2, 1990 to November 30, 1995; and for the War on Terror, September 11, 2001 through the present.
Yellow: Vietnam Service Medal (VSM)
Presented to any service member who served on temporary duty for more than 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days, attached to or regularly serving for one or more days with an organization participating in or directly supporting ground (military) operations, or attached to or regularly serving for one or more days aboard a naval vessel directly supporting military operations in the Republic of Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, or Laos.
Green: Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (RVCM)
A military campaign medal of the former country of South Vietnam. Established in 1966, it was awarded to members of the United States, Australian, and New Zealand military forces serving six months or more in support of Republic of Vietnam military operations.
MEDALS
Medals, pictured at right, were awarded with their corresponding ribbons.
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Left: After a fierce firefight on Mutter's Ridge in October 1966, Marine Gunnery Sergeant Jeremiah Purdie reaches out to try to help his captain, Capt. James J. Carroll, who lies mortally wounded.
Right: Purdie is pictured at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedication ceremony in Washington, DC in November 1982. He’s reaching up to touch the name of Captain Carroll inscribed on the Wall.
The earlier photo was taken by the famous Time-Life photographer Larry Burrows. The later photo was taken by Burrows’s son, Russell. Larry Burrows was killed while covering the war in 1971 when the helicopter he was in was shot down.
