"Fall of Saigon worse than Fall of Kabul" Topic

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01 Oct 2025 5:01 p.m. PST
by Editor in Chief Bill

Changed title from "Fall of Saigon worse that Fall of Kabul" to "Fall of Saigon worse than Fall of Kabul"Crossposted to Vietnam War board

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Editor in Chief Bill	01 Oct 2025 4:52 p.m. PST
You were asked – TMP link Is The Fall of Kabul Worse Than The Fall of Saigon? 53% said "no, the fall of Kabul is not worse" 20% said "the two events are about the same" 18% said "yes, the fall of Kabul is worse"
20thmaine	01 Oct 2025 5:23 p.m. PST
That's pretty conclusive.
SBminisguy	02 Oct 2025 7:36 a.m. PST
It was definitely worse for the poor guy who fell to his death after clinging to aircraft landing gear as a plane was taking off to try and escape the Taliban…
OSCS74	02 Oct 2025 7:53 a.m. PST
Future events might determine if the poll changes. When Vietnam fell I was on a destroyer in the Med import Naples It. I knew there were a lot of guys onboard were there, part of their lives wasted. But, there was no chatter on the ship about it because it was a forgone conclusion at that time. I know many ARVN went to internment camps and lives changed. However, Vietnam is not the enemy we feared. They stood up to China and stopped the Cambodian genocide. Time will tell the path Afghanistan takes.
Grattan54	02 Oct 2025 8:15 a.m. PST
The depth of the disaster in Saigon has been with us much longer. So, it has taken on a deeper historical meaning. It was also the end to the first war we lost. Time will tell if Kabul will have a greater impact a time goes by. I am not sure that it will. The attention spans of Americans are getting shorter and shorter.
Col Durnford	02 Oct 2025 8:47 a.m. PST
I voted for Kabul because at least our South Vietnamese allies held on for a few years after we withdrew support. In Afghanistan it was a few minutes.
Royston Papworth	02 Oct 2025 10:20 a.m. PST
It's funny, I thought the poll was comparing the loss of Saigon by the US, with the loss of Kabul by the British in 1842..
Silurian	02 Oct 2025 5:30 p.m. PST
If the average American thinks of Kabul at all, and precious few do, it's thought of in terms of a long over-due withdrawal not a defeat.
miniMo	03 Oct 2025 1:07 p.m. PST
US military in Vietnam for 20 years; 41,000 killed, about 30% of whom were draftees (not counting those who only enlisted because the had a bad draft number anyway). Yes, Saigon was far worse for its impact on Americans.
Legion 4	05 Oct 2025 8:24 p.m. PST
My take – The Vietnam memorial has over 58,000 KIAs/MIAs on "The Wall". Many believe that number is really is closer to being way over 60,000. Of course, those numbers don't include all those maimed for life both physically and mentally plus suicides, ODs, etc. Which if added in would be probably about 3x or more the KIAs/MIAs. So total KIA/WIA/MIA would probably much closer to round 18-20,000(?). And yes, many in Vietnam were drafted. But many were not. As the war dragged on more & more units were full of draftees. E.g. sometimes only the Plt Ldr and P/SGT were not drafted by the early '70s. I am not berating draftees. The vast majority did their duty and many case above and beyond. I know many Vietnam Vets … talk to them often and Vet functions etc. Whether volunteered or drafted. They did their duty. As a young LT in the 101 in the early '80s. Many of the senior NCOs and Officers had served in SE Asia. No draft was one key difference from Vietnam vs. the GWOT. Also the US mainland was targeted by islamic terrorists. And targeted US citizens overseas as well. The US was not in fear of VC or NCA attacking US citizens in America. However, islamists' primary targets were/are non-combatants. The numbers KIA'd in the GWOT is "only" around 7000, + or – … However, the WIA'd/maimed for life plus suicides, etc. during that war would be also 2 or 3x that. Modern improved medical tech also saved many US/Coalitions lives during the GWOT. That would have probably died in e.g. Vietnam. However, I think that the withdrawal/fall of Kabul/A'stan was more humiliating. And could have been handled much better hand … Or not needed at all.