Tribal Soldiers of Vietnam

About the Book

Throughout history, tribal groups have participated in nation-state wars. A review of the historical data in relation to the First and Second Indochina Wars reveals that the primary motivations for tribal participation is long-standing animosities with traditional enemies. Modern wars of national liberation and Maoist warfare theories have made certain tribal groups a target or liability. Warfare by proxy will only intensify indigenous tribal animosities. Under the communist system, specifically through the “parallel hierarchies” and the “front organizations,” traditional leadership will be undermined and replaced. Under the Western system, efforts are made to maintain the status quo concerning tribal leadership. In the case of Vietnam, the communist insurgency resulted in the assimilation of tribal minorities, whereas Western counter-insurgency practices resulted in a strong tribal separatist movement. The ultimate conclusion reached is that warfare by proxy produces far reaching disastrous consequences. Lessons learned from Vietnam can certainly be applied by the reader of this thesis to the current situation in Afghanistan.

About the Author

AUTHOR BIO David K. Moore was born in Fresno, California, in 1952. After serving in Vietnam and the 82nd Airborne Division as a paratrooper, he completed a BA in Anthropology and German Language and Literature from California State University Sacramento, studying in Heidelberg as an exchange student and Berlin as a graduate student. David then worked a number of years as an archaeologist in Guatemala and Israel, also living with the Bedouins. After leaving archaeology, David earned a MA in Applied US History from George Mason University. David has been working at the Library of Congress for over twenty years, currently as a German Acquisitions Specialist. He has published over forty articles on a variety of topics, as well as appearing on CBS Evening News and a variety of cable and public channels. This is his second book.