For the better part of a decade, U.S. military men have regularly been called upon to explain the pathetic performance of their hapless protégé, the Army of the Republic of Viet Nam. Now Pentagon press officers are no longer apologizing. Instead, they are speaking delightedly of a "new" ARVN, joking about its resemblance to the rugged Koreans or even Israelis, reassuring reporters that, no, Saigon was not about to annex Cambodia. Perhaps not, but Saigon's newly ferocious forces were exulting in their unaccustomed role of conquering heroes.
U.S. officers were pleasantly startled by the...
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