The Vietnam War ended officially on Jan. 27, 1973, with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords. The governments of North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the United States, plus the revolutionary National Liberation Front (NLF, which included the military Viet Cong) were parties to the agreement.
The 50th anniversary of the event provides a benchmark for analysis. Intense, angry division among Americans over the war tore our country apart for many years. Fading of that is a blessing. Yet accurate assessment of lessons can remain elusive, clouded by misconceptions and passage of time.