Attrition = A Lack Of Imagination

In Vietnam we were engaged in an unconventional war, one for which few of the lessons of World War II and Korea applied.  The template for a war of this type was the British success in Malaya, but there were truths to be learned for the American Revolution, too.  All wars are ugly, but Vietnam had already proven to be frustrating, as well, and it was clear to everyone that we would be there for a long time.  But in typical American fashion, the Department of Defense ignored many of the lessons that and been learned about counterinsurgency.  In other conflicts, it had been proven conclusively that the prevailing side achieved success by isolating areas and securing them.  Instead, we launched a strategy of attrition.
—     Col. Jack Jacobs (Ret.), a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient (and Douglas Century)
From their book:  “If Not Now, When?“
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