How Do Iraq and Vietnam Compare?

How do the troop levels and casualties compare?

American involvement in Vietnam began in 1950 under President Harry Truman, and “ended” five administrations later with Gerald Ford in 1975. It began with the deployment of five hundred military advisors to the country in Southeast Asia. At the start of 1965 American forces in Vietnam stood at 27,000. By the end of that same year the American fighting force had reached approximately 200,000. By 1969 that figure reached beyond 500,000. In terms of casualties nearly 58,000 Americans were killed, while another 153,000 were wounded.

With regard to Iraq, American involvement has extended over a decade and three presidencies and seems likely to include the next presidency. In terms of figures we see a difference in terms of deployed combatants. In 1991 during the Gulf War, 500,000 allied troops were arrayed against the Iraqi forces. The number of casualties during the engagement was 149 allied soldiers killed, with just over 500 wounded. The number of military personnel was greatly reduced following the cease-fire and during the containment period. In 2003, at the outbreak of the most recent conflict, American forces numbered 150,000. That number did increase to 175,000 at the beginning of 2005. The number of soldiers killed recently exceeded 2,000.

How do the polls compare?

Initially the American public supported involvement in Vietnam. However, by late 1967 a plurality agreed with the statement that it was a mistake to have gotten involved in the war. Regarding Iraq, there was support domestically and internationally for UN intervention in 1991 after Saddam invaded Kuwait. In 2003 President Bush succeeded in rallying public support for the second war against Iraq. However, recently that support has greatly declined. According to a CNN/USAToday/Gallup poll conducted just prior to the Libby indictment, public opinion is evenly split between those who think the current war was (49%) or was not (49%) a mistake.

Are there parallels in the ways Presidents Johnson and Bush sold their wars?

In January of 1967 President Lyndon Johnson issued his annual message to Congress regarding the State of the Union. Johnson cited the “very costly war” in Vietnam as necessary and justifiable on the grounds that “the people of South Vietnam have as much right to remain non-Communist—if that is what they choose—as North Vietnam has to remain Communist.” Further, the “ United States and [its] allies are committed by SEATO Treaty to ‘act to meet the common danger’ of aggression in Southeast Asia.” Repeatedly he warned that if South Vietnam fell, other free countries would fall as well--like dominoes.

In his State of the Union Address in 1968, President Johnson stated, “He [the enemy] continues to hope that America’s will to persevere can be broken.” Johnson continued, "he is wrong. America will persevere. Our patience and our perseverance will match our power. Aggression will never prevail.”

In a speech made in October of 2005, President Bush said freedom has been “assaulted by enemies determined to roll back generations of democratic progress.” He hinted that freedom in the region is dependent on success in Iraq, reminding some of the domino analogy used during Vietnam. The enemy, he said, “wants to gain control of a country, a base from which to launch attacks and conduct their war against non-radical Muslim governments.” Bush continued, “the militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow all moderate governments in the region and establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia.” Bush claimed that a radical Islamic empire seeks a foothold that would allow militants to spread their beliefs across Asia and Europe.

How have President Bush and President Johnson characterized their respective enemies?

In his 1967 State of the Union Address, President Johnson quoted Thomas Jefferson: “It is the melancholy law of human societies to be compelled sometimes to choose a great evil in order to ward off a greater.” He described the enemy as “a stubborn adversary who is committed to the use of force and terror to settle political questions.”

Like LBJ, President Bush has condemned our new enemy for using terror tactics. In an October speech he stated, “The terrorists’ goal is to overthrow rising democracy.” He continued, “The enemy considers every retreat of the civilized world as an invitation to greater violence.” 

How would the Vietnam War end? How would the Iraq War end?

President Johnson stated that he could not say when the war would end. In 1967 he said: “I wish I could report to you that the conflict is almost over. This I cannot do. We face more cost, more loss, and more agony. For the end is not yet. I cannot promise you that it will come this year—or come next year. Our adversary still believes, I think, tonight that he can go on fighting longer than we can, and longer than we and our allies will be prepared to stand up and resist.” (The war went on another eight long years.)

However, Johnson reminded the American people that the United States was not alone in its mission. He cited the South Vietnamese allies who provided security while “reducing the terrorism and armed attacks…to levels where they can be successfully controlled by the regular South Vietnamese security forces.” He held out the hope that the South Vietnamese finally had a civilian government that people could "respect and rely upon and that they can participate in, and that they can have a personal stake in.” Johnson hoped “that government is now beginning to emerge.”

In a recent speech, President Bush stated, “Because of the steady progress, the enemy is wounded. But the enemy is still capable of global operations.” He continued on, “The progress has reduced the danger to free nations, but it has not removed it…. Wars are not won without sacrifice, and this war will require more sacrifice, more time and more resolve.” As he has said repeatedly, we would remain in Iraq as long as we were needed. He indicated he did not know how long that might be. Like LBJ, President Bush sought to provide a glimpse of hope: “he elected leaders of Iraq are proving to be strong and steadfast…. Iraq has made incredible political progress…. With our help, the Iraqi military is gaining new capabilities and new confidence with every passing month.”