I suggest we tell our children that the United States ignored the lessons of history by getting involved in Vietnam.

Tell them that Congress shamefully approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which was based on a manufactured incident of little consequence, and which was used by LBJ to broaden the war without actually declaring war.

Tell them of Presidents who talked of peace while planning for war.

Tell them of the lies and deceit of those in power.

Tell them of the indiscriminate bombing and the use of the poisonous herbicide Agent Orange on a small country, of the numerous civilian casualties and millions of refugees caused by our actions.

Tell them of the unfairness of the military draft, and the shameful treatment of the Vietnam veterans. Their reward for doing their duty was to be poisoned by Agent Orange, vilified by the people, unable to get decent jobs, victims of post-traumatic stress disorder, even driven to suicide.

Tell them that wars cost money, that LBJ wanted to have the war but didn’t want to pay for it, which would have meant raising taxes. That was the beginning of our national debt; the dollar was also a casualty of the war.

Finally, tell them of the danger of mindless flag waving.