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USSR ‘secret' Vietnam soldiers speak out
Published: 16 February, 2008, 20:41
Edited: 20 December, 2009, 04:05
Russian veterans have gathered to mark the anniversary of America’s withdrawal from the Vietnam War. More than 3,000 Soviet soldiers fought in the conflict despite years of government denials that they were ever involved.
It was America’s longest and most divisive war, with almost 60,000 young men dead in a conflict that killed more than five million on all sides.
Most still think of Vietnam as a war the U.S. and its South Vietnamese allies fought against the North.
But Soviet Union’s men were there, too, doing their part to advance the spread of communism. They are some of the Soviet Union’s forgotten soldiers, veterans of a war their government denied involvement in for almost twenty years.
It was only after the regime collapsed in 1991 that officials admitted more than 3,000 Soviet troops fought against the Americans in Vietnam.
Now, some of these old soldiers are together again to mark the 35th anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal.
“Officially we were known as a group of Russian military experts. The commander was referred to simply as the senior expert. Thus, technically, there were no Russian units in Vietnam. The only thing we knew was that we were Soviet people, Soviet soldiers, and that we had to do whatever it took to stop air raids, which is what we did,” Nikolay Kolesnik, Vietnam veteran, remembers.
Soviet expertise played a vital part in training Vietnamese forces and Soviet anti-aircraft missiles to inflict heavy damage on American planes.
Those who fought alongside the Russians say it’s difficult to overestimate the impact they had.
“The Soviet Union was a huge help in the war. We have a lot of respect for Russian equipment and Russian experts. Their equipment was better than what the Americans had. That’s why we were able to win,” Lee Cong Niem, Vietnam veteran, said.
Saturday's ceremony was a chance for the next generation of soldiers to meet the men who have done it all before and for a grateful nation to thank the veterans who were its unsung allies for so long.
For years, those were the men who ‘weren’t there’, veterans of a war their government said they never fought in. Now, thirty-five years after the last of them left the jungles of Vietnam they can properly commemorate their part in one of the 20th century’s most significant conflicts.
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Canada was there too. Not only did some 20,000 Canadian's enlist with the U.S. military, we even have our own version of The Wall in Ontario commemorating the dead. But there's more to Canada's involvement in the Vietnam War. Canadian-made Agent Orange, spray-aircraft and other war materiel was sent to Vietnam by manufacturers fully aware of their product's destination. We made a killing. To all Vietnamese, American, Australian, New Zealand and South Korean veterans reading this: It has been estimated that one-fifth of the Agent Orange sprayed on Vietnam originated in Canada. In 1967 every drop of the 2,4,5-T made in Canada was appropriated by order of President Johnson and shipped off to poison you. Only a full Inquiry in Canada will reveal the true depth of Ottawa's treacherous behaviour while a member of the International Control Commission, gun-runner for the USA and treasonous poisoner of its own citizens from the massive field-testing of Agents Orange and White at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick beginning in 1956. I believe hundreds of thousands of Canadian Forces and civilians have died due to the Vietnam War. We are the only nation in history to have created so many peace-time casualties in our own population due to the spraying of the carcinogenic, teratogenic Chemical Warfare weapons called Agent Orange and Agent White. Kelly Porter Franklin Nanaimo, BC, Canada
finaly some trues are coming to light , both china and russia had sent weapons of war to ho chimg to spread commuinism and win over south east asia the rice bowl of that part of the world , ask any viet nam veteran whos rifles were used to kill there fellow soldiers , ask the marine the same question youll get the same answer the russian made ak 47 , ask the airforces whos planes were they having aerial fights with russia migs sent to china so the north vietnames airforce could train and get proficient with these weapons some were flown by chinese pilots and it would be to hard to imagine a russian pilot doing the same . no im not surprised about this article its about time the american people realize that we vietnam vets were fighting a war against the super powers being labled baby killers and being spit upon upon our return home was really hard to understand and now we are doing the same now oh sure everyboby is supporting the troops but while our military casuties are rising the mall shopping and its not my house under attack attitude is not enough just take a look at ft. hood come on citizens get off the comfort zone , and really support our troops and its not to late to thank a vietnam vet for stopping the sphere of communism, it has reteated thanks to us, the berlin wall is but one of our victories not reagans famous tirade gorbachez tear down this wall no it was us vet that did that .
We were fighting the North Vietnamese, the Viet Cong, the Russians, the Chinese, the Cubans, the North Koreans, and the Liberals in American stabbing us in the back, spitting on us at San Francisco International Airport, screaming 'BABY KILLERS', "MERCENARIES', AND THE DRAFT DODGERS WERE HAILED HEROES BURNING THEIR DRAFT CARDS AND AMERICAN FLAGS..........DONT YOU REMEMBER WHAT THE VIETNAM VETS WENT THROUGH??? AND THEN YOU LET US ROT TO HELL FOR FORTY YEARS WITHOUT TELLING US A DAMN THING ABOUT AGENT ORANGE WITH OUR BODIES BEING EATEN BY DIOXIN......THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN AMERICA..........