dude, I don't want to contest you but I always thought Juan Valdez was the last American to die for the Vietnam War (Helicopter accident in the evac). No secret how I remember his name.

The helicopter evac of Saigon ("suddenly we had disposable helicopters) was Operation Frequent Wind, which ended 30 April 1975.

2Lt Van de Geer was killed 15 May 1975, in the Mayaguez Incident. Details.


Of course, it doesn't really matter which man was last to die; what matters is that someone always is, in John Kerry's words, the last to die for a mistake.

The question now, of course, is how many more will die for our current mistake.

(And when "Robert S." Rumsfeld will get around to writing his memoirs.)

I would like to shout out to the spirits of my family veterans; first and foremost my Granpop-- Medic on the Burma Trail; Uncle Walt-- Pearl; Uncle Laird-- Battle of the Bulge.

I would also like to give props to all the women who participated in The War with none of the glory but much of the burden.

Wow, ortho... that snippet just made me cry. I've tried formulating some responses here, but I throw up my hands; I can't seem to articulate what seems to me so very, very obvious. I don't understand war at all. I'm amazed to the depths of my soul that any world leader can successfully convince people to participate in it.

"Here's an idea: let's send a whole lot of your young people off to be murdered, mutilated and traumatized! Let's spend billions to do it!" And then the masses say, "Sure! Great idea!"?

Beyond politics or discussions of specific wars and how justified they may or may not be, I just really don't understand at all the apparent fundamental human instinct to do this. I kind of get the concept of the greed and hunger for power that motivates the instigators, but I'll never understand the acquiescence of those providing the cannon fodder.

A close friend of my family, HM Ron Manning, was in the helicopter piloted by Lt Van de Geer. His remains were identified only a few years ago.