If you don't know who David Drake is, you don't read science fiction. He is a Vietnam vet (with the Blackhorse) whose experiences there caused him literally to recreate military science fiction based on his experiences there. He is the creator of Hammer's Slammers , which is [if its not an oxymoron] some of the most realistic combat writing about wars that never happened that you will ever find. Recently I have been reading a Baen books reprint of some of Mark Geston's classic SF that has an introduction written a few years back by David Drake. Drake is making the point the he first encountered Geston's work on returning from Vietnam, which causes him to take a four paragraph detour into Vietnam as an American experience. What strikes me about this piece is what would happen if you changed the names. Vietnam = Afghanistan Eisenhower = Bush Lebanon = Iraq JFK/LBJ = Obama McNamara = Gates Westmoreland = McChrystal Here's the original; you make the changes yours...