great student of military history, but also someone who understood the government more than most. of that generation that served in vietnam and whose vietnam experience no doubt colored the rest of his military career and how we thought about things and as you point out, not only did he command in europe, he was chair of the joint chiefs during the involvement in panama, and then desert storm and desert shield. right. which were key transformative moments after vietnam for the u.s. military. you bring up a great point, john. i came in at the end of the vietnam war. i was at west point when we stopped sending soldiers there, so i never served in vietnam but i know general powell s generation, don starry, dennis rhymer, julius becton, i could go on and on of the general officers who cut their teeth in vietnam. i realized what they had to do