United States Army War College

Rewriting the Vietnam Narrative United States Army War College

A narrow space of time between 1959 thru 1975 during what the West calls the Vietnam War and the Vietnamese People refer to as the American War defines what many consider the US-Vietnam Narrative. In 2011 the United States signaled to the world an unprecedented shift in strategic focus to the Pacific. The rebalancing of American National Power into a region devoid of the level of American Diplomacy, Information, Military, and Economic (DIME) resources applied to other regions of the world has forced the reset of regional strategic norms. This book will explore why it is in both the United States and Vietnam's national interest to improve their cooperation and partnership. Understanding Vietnamese history, geography, and culture is critical to truly understand its impact this emerging relationship. The core of this books documents the coordinated application of the elements of National Power focusing predominantly on the military. This includes what has been implemented to date as well a strategy to enhance cooperation and stimulate meaningful engagement with Vietnam and conversely within the greater Southeast Asia Region.