tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974694457863876508.post3560756806496923979..comments2024-03-08T00:15:32.720-08:00Comments on Pushing On: Wolf Lehmann's Vietnamldehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09900575082064703895noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974694457863876508.post-8274503850214435732019-11-16T00:32:19.412-08:002019-11-16T00:32:19.412-08:00The documents referred to in the comment above wer...The documents referred to in the comment above were successfully removed from the Embassy in April 1975. Ambassador Martin might as well have left them behind, as their significance, so the authorities noted, was mainly historical rather than operational in nature. The car was stolen in December 1977 in the United States not Saigon in its final days, which perhaps may account for Wolf Lehmann's supposedly 'interesting' lack of comment regarding them. Said documents were subsequently recovered and are now available for perusal in the Gerald Ford library. What is interesting to me is why an honourable man like Ambassador Martin, who had lost a son in the defence of South Viet Nam, and who did his utmost on behalf of that betrayed and callously abandoned nation, should be criticised for the loss of a suitcase while those who politically engineered and expedited the downfall of a country, with all the attendant loss of life and human misery which that entails, should remain to this day with their reputations enhanced by their treachery.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974694457863876508.post-91587279754196012832019-09-20T17:17:52.069-07:002019-09-20T17:17:52.069-07:00I would also point out that Mr Lehmann is less tha...I would also point out that Mr Lehmann is less than forthcoming about the security of documents. In truth Ambassador Martin carried out suitcases of backchannel, top secret documents in suitcases that were later stored in the trunk of his car. The car was later stolen and those documents were scattered about. Completely against all laws and regulations. There was an investigation and only Mr. Martin's age (supposedly) kept him from disciplinary action. Interesting that Mr Lehmann did not cover this 'intelligence breach' as part of the final days. Mellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14581708410435008546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974694457863876508.post-55995017498848212632019-09-20T14:37:14.493-07:002019-09-20T14:37:14.493-07:00"honorable Exit" by Thurston Clarke tell..."honorable Exit" by Thurston Clarke tells the story of the End of the Republic of Vietnam with emphasis on personal and detailed research on the major element of evacuating Americans {military, civilians, retirees,etc.}, Foreign Nationals, and the many Vietnamese who had to make the agonizing decision to leave their native land. Many details of the book directly contradict Mr. Lehmann's version of events. In particular is his lack of memory on the "the North Vietnamese will halt the attack on Saigon so negotiations for a three party coalition government can take over South Vietnam. The 'Halt' theory is much propounded by Kissinger, Martin, and quite a few others. Martin, in particular, uses this theory as his rationale for many poor decisions made during the final days. Mr. Lehmann's description of Frank Snepp's role seems almost ad hominum as compared to other sources including Snepp's recalled book. As for my bona fides - I was a military advisor to a Vietnamese unit earlier in the war. I have read extensively about the months that Mr Lehmann discusses. Mr. Lehmann's recollection is not what I would use as a completely authorative source. about the final days of "Saigon."Mellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14581708410435008546noreply@blogger.com