The Vietnam War could have been prevented, had the Versailles Treaty granted Vietnam its independence, as Ho Chi Minh requested when he attended the Hall of Mirrors conference.

My father was an anti-aircraft missile fire control officer aboard the USS Providence. While he never told me, it was later declassified that the talos missiles he fired, could be fitted with nuclear warheads.

I'm not real sure about the rationale but I figure nuclear antiaircraft missiles would be used if the enemy was swarming.

After many years of quiet contemplation, Dad told me one day "We should not have been in Vietnam".

65,000 americans died during the war, 250,000 vietnam vets committed suicide. At least a million vietnamese perished.

But Vietnam did get its independence, and the US and vietnam are the best of friends.