The NVA hardcore? Get oughta here. When the Chinese Red Army invaded North Vietnam in the late 70's, they lost 50,000 KIA in less than 3 weeks. Add the wounded, and 11 Chinese Red Army infantry divisions were decimated in less than one month. NVA losses were negligible. The Chinese limped back across the border and never considered invasion again. It was one of he most lopsided military defeats in history.Old Grunt wrote:I have little doubt he was one hardcore MF.
BTW I didn't kill the Dien Bien Phu vet. Apparently he was a doctor. We went into an NVA underground hospital complex inside Laos about 15 minutes after the B-52s hit it. This NVA lieutenant colonel was one of the KIA. I took his diary too, and later had one of the Kit Carson Scouts read me several passages. He had a wife named "Jade" and a 12 year-old daughter. He had peace doves sketched on the front and back covers. He hated the war. I cried listening to the hour-long translation. Only one of two times I cried in Vietnam. I gave that diary away to one of the other Rangers who'd been on the BDA. I wish now that I'd kept it.
