Generally when people speak about the United States of America's involvement in Vietnam they begin with JFK's administration in the 1960's. OSS agent Colonel Archimedes L.A. Patti's book "Why Viet Nam? Prelude To America's Albatross" makes it clear that crucial decisions about Vietnam were made by FDR and Truman in the 40's. Colonel Patti tells us about his personal experiences in Indochina in 1945 when he led a small team of OSS agents into Hanoi, to prepare for the Japanese surrender and to rescue Allied POWs. These were the first months of America's involvement in Indochina. Patti explains his contacts with Ho Chi Minh, the colonial French and the Chinese military. In 1945 many doors of opportunity were open to the U.S. As the years passed those options, those doors, closed forever. This book will make you think about how different history might have been had those in power made different decisions.

with Ho Chi Minh, the French and the Chinese, when many more options were available to the United States. As time passed those doors of opportunity closed. ( )

Col. Patti was the only OSS officer assigned to Viet Nam in WWII. He tells how President Roosevelt did not want the French colonist to re-occupy their former colony of Viet Nam. But then Roosevelt died. It was President Truman's turn.

The named U.S. Army military attache, a Major, who was to meet the Viet Cong in the jungle to asses their side is in the book. French army intelligence learned of the meeting and ambushed and machinegunned to death the attache in a vehicle flying the American flags just miles from the meeting. The French idea was to make it look like the Viet Cong betrayed him, not the French.

Is the name of that U.S. Army Major to be found on the wall at the Washington, D.C., Viet Nam War memorial? It should be!