Letter to the editor: We should have taken control of Tehran
· The Washington TimesOPINION:
President Trump’s battle plan for Iran lacked and continues to lack the use of infantry soldiers to take the capital and thereby control all of the country’s military. This is how the Allies ended World War II.
Mr. Trump’s failure to send the infantry to take Tehran and remain is and remains a fatal omission. Iran’s military would have had no option but to obey our orders on all issues, military and civil. Ergo, negotiating is time and effort wasted.
The U.S has the right to take Iran’s capital, along with control of all of Iran. To negate negotiating all nuclear issues, an emergency deployment of a brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division to Iran is the perfect tool to bring Iran to heel.
On Feb. 12, 1968, we received orders for an emergency deployment of one brigade with vehicles, aircraft and artillery. The next day, the solders and I from one battalion boarded C-141 transports, which took off for Vietnam with two more to follow.
We arrived on Feb. 14 and were sent to Hue for combat.
I was reassigned to a special staff position at brigade headquarters. Six months later, the entire brigade was assigned to protect Saigon from the enemy. I was transferred to an infantry company, where I was given a platoon to lead in combat operations.
I remained in Vietnam for 25 months.
MAJ. JAMES M. DORN
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U.S. Army (retired)
Chino Hills, California