Is there much that can be done, within the broad confines of policy and armed forces organisation, to make Vietnam less traumatic?
In the Australian case we laid a minefield which was completely out of doctinal character. It was not an effective barrier and the VC lifted and re-laid the mines which caused about 50% of Australian casualties after 1968. So avoiding that minefield, while Vietnam would have still been a clusterfuck, would have significantly reduced Australian casualties.
One idea I have is using the Marines in the Mekong war, where their ampbious skills would be put to good use.