It's a Vietnam War-era quote attributed by then Associated Press reporter Peter Arnett to an unnamed U.S. Army officer at the Battle of Ben Tre during the 1968 Tet Offensive. Historian Victor David Hansen, among others, could find no evidence to support Arnett's claim of an officer making such a statement. It became famous as a way to encapsulate the absurdity of modern warfare. It was resurrected more recently after the Battle of Falluja.
‘We had to destroy the village in order to save it.”
John,
Did the Brits say that? And what is the meaning?
Was it a plague? Sorry, History not my strong point.
It's a Vietnam War-era quote attributed by then Associated Press reporter Peter Arnett to an unnamed U.S. Army officer at the Battle of Ben Tre during the 1968 Tet Offensive. Historian Victor David Hansen, among others, could find no evidence to support Arnett's claim of an officer making such a statement. It became famous as a way to encapsulate the absurdity of modern warfare. It was resurrected more recently after the Battle of Falluja.
Ok, got it. Thank you.
References an event in the Vietnam War