Volume 2, Number 3 4 March 1988 +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | | | | - Nam Vet - We still don't have a | | logo! | | International It doesn't have to be | | Vietnam Veterans this small. Send us | | Newsletter your ideas?? | | | | | | | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Editor in Chief: Todd Looney Assistant Editor: G. Joseph Peck Nam Vet is a special newsletter dedicated to Vietnam Veterans around the world, and provided electronically as a service to participants in the International Vietnam Veterans' Echo Conference (IVVEC) available on many FidoNet (tm) bulletin boards in the U.S., Europe, and Canada. Not all of the articles appearing in NAM VET are written by participants in the IVVEC, but the NAM VET is very much an electronic newsletter by, of, and for Vietnam veterans, their friends, wives and lovers. Articles from veterans or anyone else wishing to express themselves about Viet Nam or related experiences are invited to submit their writings for publication to the Vietnam Veterans Valhalla (143/27), the VETlink #1 (321/203), or to any node carrying the IVVEC whose sysop can forward your work from there. NAM VET is published monthly by the Vietnam Veterans Valhalla. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the NAM VET, it's staff or volunteers. The newsletter is made up of articles and other newsletters as well as other sources. We are not responsible for the content of this information nor are any of the above mentioned parties. Duplication and/or distribution is permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact Todd Looney at (408) 947-7668. Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1 March Fourth ............................................. 1 Editorial from the Vietnam Veterans Valhalla ............. 2 2. VETERAN SERVICES........................................... 4 IVVEC Messages Archived! ................................. 4 Canadian Vietnam Veteran Newsletters! .................... 5 Center for Disease Control Reports ....................... 6 Women Vets Update ........................................ 7 Table of Contents (cont) 3. MEMORIES ................................................. 8 Vietnam era service, A personal view ..................... 8 Everybody's Got A Jezebel ................................ 13 Memories of a Boy Becoming a Man .......................... 14 Sermon From Mount Dong Quang .............................. 15 Memories of My Friends .................................... 16 4. GENERAL ARTICLES ......................................... 18 Agent Orange Payments ..................................... 18 New Vietnam Veteran Cancer Study ...........................21 Hanoi is Keeping the War Alive ............................ 22 Comment on Propoganda ..................................... 27 Vietnam War Has Too Much To Teach Us All .................. 31 Taurus Doodie - A look at "Tour of Duty" .................. 32 CompuServe Review of "Tour of Duty" ....................... 33 5. BROTHER RAT'S BOONIE GOURMET COOKING ..................... 35 6. WANTED ................................................... 38 7 IVVEC NODELIST ........................................... 39 NamVet 2-03 Page 1 4 Mar 1988 ================================================================= EDITORIALS ================================================================= March Forth! er'... March Fourth! G. Joseph Peck VETLink #1 Pittsfield, MA Node 321/203 Yeah! March 4th - the ONLY day of the year that's a command to go forward. I'm really pleased to be writing this editorial on such a positive day - for you, IVVEC, IWVEC and NAM VET. "Make no little plans. For there is no magic in them to stir men's souls." Plans? Little plans? Magic? How could these things relate to YOU, IVVEC, IWVEC and NAM VET? Why should they be discussed in a monthly editorial that is intended to reflect the pulsebeat of yesterday tempered with the wisdom and experience of passing years? Why? Have you ever seen the transformation that takes place as a brother or sister Vietnam veteran, cautiously standing in the shadows, first puts one untrusting foot into the light - and then another ... and another and another and another as they discover that there exists trust and love and kindness and caring and sharing and acceptance that can always be counted on? Have you watched as they ran off into their future KNOWING that somebody gave a da*n? Have you seen the light in the handicapped/housebound Vietnam veterans' eyes when they discovered IVVEC, IWVEC, and either download or have given to them a copy of NAM VET? Have you felt their happiness as the cold and sterile, unfeeling, uncaring boundaries of their existence suddenly faded away - to be replaced with the lively conversations in IVVEC/IWVEC and the articles in NAM VET? Have you shared their delight as wheelchairs, walkers, canes and crutches vanished? Have you shared the tears of gratefulness shed by the widow of a Vietnam veteran exposed to Agent Orange - and her children - as a FRIEND finally stepped out of the shadows him/herself, embraced the difficulties, said: "Let's do it!" ... and helped? Have you seen the secure, peaceful sleep of the children at night when they finally knew somebody really cared? If you're one of our readers who says that you HAVEN'T seen anything like some of the bright spots just mentioned, all I can say is that you're not looking or listening hard enough! The voice of the Vietnam veteran spirit *I've* heard continuously shouts: "We're here. We're part of the nearly 10 million who served during Vietnam. We're women. We're men. We're the children of the Vietnam veteran. We're the widows and widowers of Vietnam veterans. We're handicapped. We WANT to trust - but our pasts have shown us many a Judas. We self-medicate. We work hard - keep our noses to the grindstone so we won't have to look up and come face-to-face with who we really think we are. As brave as some of us were in service, consciously or NamVet 2-03 Page 2 4 Mar 1988 unconsciously, we now experience fear. We're incarcerated - some of us still quietly carrying the burden of Vietnam, still not mentioning to anyone that we've served. We're all around you." And if you HAVE heard or experienced some of what we've just mentioned... all I can say is: "Make no little plans. For there is no magic in them to stir men's souls." In NAM VET, the IVVEC and IWVEC, there is the magic of friendship and caring, understanding and sharing, that helps the biggest of plans all come together... 'til next month Show a brother or sister veteran that YOU care... G. Joseph Peck, SYSOP VETLink #1 - "Helping those who served..." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Editorial from the Vietnam Veterans Valhalla By Todd Looney Again, we've had a busy month. Things have been jumping from day one. We've seen the IVVEC message base jump from the 50-100 message per month activity to over 500 for the second month running. We've expanded it's availability a nodelist of some 80 systems to well over 100, and that accounting is shaky because we've tied in with the Canadian VetNet and who knows *what* they are going to do with it. The International Women Veterans EchoConference (IWVEC) has started slowly rolling forward and we expect it to start growing as it becomes known. I submitted it's stats to the national echomail ECHOLIST which should help. Again I would like to solicit all those Sysops who carry the IVVEC to carry the IWVEC as well. It belongs alongside the IVVEC in every way. A sister newsletter is being published in Canada, the BRAVO VETERANS OUTLOOK MAGAZINE, and will shortly be available in electronic form...the second of its kind in the world! We started something here I hope....jeez, Joe and me - "trend setters"! Thanks to all of you for making this all possible. Your support keeps it rolling along, and makes it a valuable addition to journalistic history. But keep it up! Articles like last months "Mommy, Did You Kill Anybody in the War?" are few and far between, but Joe and I are *still* receiving comments about that one. The MEMORIES section has some equally intriguing article series worth looking at, and this month we are fortunate to read two - count 'em - two, reviews of the CBS series, "Tour Of Duty". If you can figure out the double meaning of the one titled "Taurus Doodie" let us know in the IVVEC. Your ideas are not only welcome by Joe and me, but needed desperately. Tell us what you want to see. Better yet, assume NamVet 2-03 Page 3 4 Mar 1988 the role of "Roving Reporter" and dig up good stories for the NAM VET. IT's YOUR NEWSLETTER TOO! Until next month, have a great life (and pass the Nam Vet Newsletter on to a friend after you've finished reading it. Leave it on busses, airplanes, in johns around your neighborhood ... well, maybe that's carrying it a bit too far but you get my drift). NamVet 2-03 Page 4 4 Mar 1988 ================================================================= VETERAN SERVICES ================================================================= IVVEC Messages Archived by: Jerry Hindle, FidoNet Node 18/6 Editors note: Jerry has been a vital part of the IVVEC since it's inception back in 1986. Again he is giving us his all by taking on the responsibility of "IVVEC ARchiver in addition to his "Paperboy" responsibilities. If you help bring a new system online, in addition to notifying Todd Looney at 143/27 about the new system, you might also steer the new IVVEC/IWVEC sysop toward Jerry Hindle's system for that "instant" message base. He has numbered all the messages from 1 - 4000 + (or whereever we are now) and has them dating back to May of 1986. If you need the messages in ASCII text format, contact Jerry and make the arrangements with him to pick them up. Fidonet node number - 18/6, Max baud - 2400, Phone - 901-353-4563 Operating hrs - 24hrs a day, 365 days a year Other info---- NamVet News is freq (WaZoo or BARK) 24hr a day Carry ALL IVVEC echo Msgs in MSG format and sequentially numbered by month. Filenames follows these rules: mmmyyvet.arc ---^ ^ ^-- ^--------- | | | | month yr vet echo archive Also if the node is PC Pursuitable I will send both the newsletter AND IVVEC echo to that node from here FREE and pick up from them anything for IVVEC. If you are a system operator and in a PC Pursuitable location, please contact Jerry regarding monthly newsletter deliver. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-03 Page 5 4 Mar 1988 ***** FREE VIETNAM VETERANS NEWSPAPER IN U.S.A. ***** * VIETNAM VETS NEWSPAPER IN CANADA FOR POSTAGE FEES ONLY * by: Shawn Cake - Canadian VetNet I've managed to talk to Ms. Diamond at the B.R.A.V.O. about allowing an electronic version of BRAVO VETERANS OUTLOOK MAGAZINE. I asked them about putting an electronic data version of their magazine/newsletter to be used on the Vet-Net FIDO system and on CompuServe VETSIG. They responded by allowing me to set up B.R.A.V.O. / Canada so as to distribute the B.R.A.V.O. Veterans Outlook in Canada. They are most excited about Vet-Net and VETSIG using B.R.A.V.O. articles, to increase their distribution and public visibility. It sounds as if we're all getting together..........They have thousands of buddy finder data chits on file, which would make one hell of a computer data base......Tony also produces the BRAVO Veterans forum T.V. show, which he will relase for airing on public stations (PBS) to BRAVO chapters. The shows are excellent... We will be airing some in Canada very soon now. Call them at : Brotherhood Rally of American Veterans Organization 5338 Topanga Canyon Boulevard Post Office Box 669 Woodland Hills, CA 91365 USA (818)-999-4218 As for Tony Diamond or his wife... they are good folks who put more than just their mouths in gear when it comes to vets ..... For CANADIAN VETS or VET SUPPORTERS: Brotherhood Rally of All Canadian Veterans Organization c/o 2992 Parson's Road Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6N-1B1 Viet-Vet Remote Bulletin Board (403)-450-2308 operates from 18:00-08:00 weekdays, 24 hours weekends. The magazine is available free, except for the cost of postage in Canada, which is about $1.50 Canadian funds to anywhere in Canada. It is a fairly thick tabloid format newspaper, and very professionally done. B.R.A.V.O. Canada is a free form VietNam Veterans Support Society operating in Canada. We are unlike VVA in that we DO NOT REQUIRE you to show DD214's to become a member supporter. We recognize that many non-vets want to help those who served, and they should be able to do so freely. Anyway, we aren't a congressionally chartered vets group, and don't want the hassle of holding DD214 copies... NamVet 2-03 Page 6 4 Mar 1988 CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND INJURY CONTROL STATUS OF CDC STUDIES OF THE HEALTH OF VIETNAM VETERANS AS OF 1/88. STATUS OF CDC AGENT ORANGE STUDY. The Centers for Disease Control has determined that a scientifically valid study of the effect of Agent Orange on U.S. ground troops cannot be conducted. The same determination has been reached by the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and by the Domestic Policy Council Agent Orange Working Group (of the Executive Branch.) For further information write to: Veterans' Health Study (F-16), CEHIC/CD, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333. STATUS OF CDC VIETNAM EXPERIENCE STUDY. Data collection for this component is now completed. The CDC contractor, Research Triangle Institute, completed 15,323 health status interviews. Another contractor, Lovelace Medical Foundation, Inc., completed comprehensive medical examinations of 4,474 of the interviewed men. About half of these vets had served in-country, and about half had served during the same years but in other countries. Findings from the interviews and examinations will be published during 1988. In a separate Mortality Assessment Study, CDC investigated the causes of death of 446 veterans who were selected for inclusion in this component but found to have died after leaving active military service. A report, comparing causes of death of men who served in Vietnam with men who served in other countries, was published on 2/13/87 in the Journal of the American Medical Association and in MMWR. CDC also published a monograph describing the study in greater detail. STATUS OF CDC SELECTED CANCERS STUDY. (The selected cancers are: lymphoma, soft tissue sarcoma, nasal and nasopharyngeal cancer, and primary liver cancer.) Data collection is proceeding. The study anticipates approximately 2500 cases and 1600 controls. As of 9/26/87, a total of 2,042 cases and 1,345 controls had been identified. Findings of this component are to be published in late 1989. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-03 Page 7 4 Mar 1988 WOMEN VETERANS UPDATE Submitted by the San Jose Vet Center VA Admisistrator Thomas K. Turnage responded to a recent report from the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans that covered such areas as health care, the homeless issue, and data collection. Turnage described what steps the VA would take to implement the Committees findings including: * Providing VA women veteran coordinators in outreach activities to homeless veterans and ensuring that separate statistics be kept on women veterans so that they can be better identified and their needs can be better evaluated. * The stocking of pajamas for women at medical center canteens that meet better comfort criteria. * Developing hair care service for female inpatients at VA medical centers * Developing a list of women veterans organizations as part of efforts to inform female veterans about VA benefits. Turnage also said the VA would be expanding specialized substance abuse treatment programs for women veterans as the number of female veteans seeking treatment increases. He emphasized that all VA facilites have counseling for physically abused veterans, male and female alike even though many medical centers don't have female patient loads large enough to support a separate program for abused female veterans. Turnage has also taken steps to encourage other governmental agencies to keep better statistics on women veterans and to encourage the female vets themselves to remain in the federal government. The VA Advisory Committee on Women Veterans was formed in 1983 to review VA policy and procedures and make recommendations to the Administrator. The 21 member committee is chaired by retired Air Force Major General Jeanne Holm. Its biennial meeting is scheduled for March 23-25 at the VA's Central Office in Washington, D.C. NamVet 2-03 Page 8 4 Mar 1988 ================================================================= MEMORIES ================================================================= VIETNAM ERA SERVICE, A PERSONAL VIEW, #2 of a series - Chuck Sterling - Las Cruces, NM - NASW, Las Cruces, NM (Opus 15/4) This is the second of a series of essays documenting my experiences and recollections while in the U.S. Navy during the period from early 1967 until my release from active duty in mid 1969. I'm going to occasionally refer to a "cruise book", published by MCB 40 after our return from Vietnam. It looks alarmingly similar to a high school yearbook, and is long on pictures while short on text, but will help me to organize this series and to refresh my forgotten memories. From the "cruise book": Before the 1968 Tet offensive, Hue, Republic of Vietnam, had been relatively untouched by the war. The Imperial Capital of a unified Vietnam, its most famous and meaningful structure was the walled citadel. The Viet Cong brought war to the ancient city. Mobile Construction Battalion Forty knew the city well. It (MCB 40) paved its streets and experienced its culture. East of the Annum Cordillera mountain range, and thirteen kilometers to the south along Route One, lies the combat base of Phu Bai. Over ten thousand servicemen are stationed here. Sectioned into six defense sectors, it is divided in half by Route One. Besides the MCB 40 personnel in Camp Campbell, the other camps are: XXIVth Corps (Army), Eighth Radio and Research (Army), Marine Air Group Thirty- six (Marines), Field Logistics Support Group Alpha (Army), and the camp of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. The Phu Bai base is protected by highly complex weaponry, alert men on the line, and an efficient Base Defense staff. Medical facilities include the 85th Med Evac and 22nd Surgical, which are able to handle large groups of casualties. There is a large airport, to handle supplies and personnel, and to support MAG 36. Eighth Radio and Research listens to foreign broadcasts around the clock. MCB 40 maintains high quality construction work throughout the area, supported by its asphalt and concrete batch plants. NamVet 2-03 Page 9 4 Mar 1988 At night, there are movies, clubs, letters, and special interests . . . and one's thoughts. Illumination flares light the sky, silhouetting the base and the Vietnamese graveyards which dot the landscape. Then there is tomorrow, and the next day, and finally the movement home. I'll return to the cruise book from time to time as this story unfolds. I was an E-3 when I arrived in Vietnam and was about to receive my promotion to E-4 on the 15th of December. The chow hall was a bit short of help, so I got volunteered to mess cook (same as KP). I'm surely glad I got the promotion on schedule. Mess cooking was not my idea of a good time, and at that time E-4's did not pull that duty. I stayed about a week longer than necessary because they really DID need the help, but then went back to the communication crew and my regular job. After a few days or so of watching the routine, emptying sh**cans and sweeping clean floors, I finally tried to handle a radio watch. I found out there is more to it than I thought and pretty much klutzed it up for a day or three. After a week or so, I got so I could copy routine radio traffic as fast as anyone felt like sending it. Now, this was voice, not morse code, but you had to hear through the static, understand and write what was just said as more was being said, with "clarification" of critical words in phonetic spelling. A typical message might start... "Break" - - "Dandy Pat, Dandy Pat, Mink Ranch, Mink Ranch, over","Mink Ranch, Dandy Pat, Roger, over","Roger, Pat, I have routine traffic for your station, over","Roger, send it, over","Roger, routine traffic follows... ", and we'd proceed to send a message about how many barges of six inch aggregate or three inch aggregate, etc. we had that day shipped, or whatever other information needed to be sent to the regimental headquarters in Da Nang, and receive information from them the same way. This was usually done with our 100 watt single sideband Motorola radio, but sometimes we had to resort to the telephone (which we called land lines for some obscure reason) if the communication channel (which we called a "push") was noisy or weak. After months of sending and copying messages I got pretty good at it, and found myself having to slow down when sending to new operators, especially when spelling phonetically. I took a lot of "heat" when I first started standing radio watches because I was an equipment operator (heavy), and what the h**l was I doing in a radio room anyway, be careful what you touch, and so forth. Later, few would believe me the first time I told them my rating was echo-oscar-figure-three. NamVet 2-03 Page 10 4 Mar 1988 We had a bit of hardware to install from time to time, mostly field telephones for the perimeter, but aside from laying comm line in the ditches and hooking up the phones, there wasn't much to it. A couple of the guys went up the poles to string wires above ground, but I never drew the short straw, never had to "gaff out" when the tracers lit up the place and spend a day yanking splinters out of my knees. The comm gang had darn good working conditions, considering. Both places where we spent most of our time, the shop and the command post, were air conditioned, and both had refrigerators (for batteries and refreshments), not to mention telephones... Remember the MARS stations? We handled those calls for the guys that wanted to call home, and had many opportunities to call home ourselves as a result. We had little to complain about on that score. We manned the radios in 8-hour shifts, rotating the shifts so nobody got too bored or too much gravy. Usually, the busiest shift was during the day, when the "commercial" net was in operation, and there was constant telephone traffic through the PBX-ish field exchange we had in the command post, with the evening shift being gravy. The third shift, 11-7 got busy again for a few hours when many routine messages were sent to all stations from the regimental headquarters, or whenever the base went tactical during an assault or rocket attack. NamVet 2-03 Page 11 4 Mar 1988 Turn on the switch in the bulls-eye, check to be sure the red light goes on to indicate the siren should be screaming, let it run for 30 seconds while the tubes in the public address system warm up. Turn off the switch, wait for the siren to slow down, and announce, "Rocket attack, rocket attack, everyone into their mortar pits; rocket attack, rocket attack, everyone into their mortar pits. Then key the Motorola and calmly say, "Break" - - "Dandy Pat, Dandy Pat, Mink Ranch, Mink Ranch, We are tactical, out","Mink Ranch, Dandy Pat, Roger, call us when it's over, out". Initially, I thought announcing the rocket attack after running the siren was redundant, but some of the guys said they hardly ever heard the siren, but always heard the announcement, no matter how drunk they were. From the cruisebook: Suddenly, there was war. It come as a shocked awakening in the middle of the night... the half- blind stumbling run for the mortar pit... and the stomach twisting sound of the rocket attack sirens. NMCB Forty spent over three months in Phu Bai before it learned the fear of rocket attack. The first one came at 6:35 a.m. on march 22nd. Seven more attacks occurred before redeployment to Davisville. A total of seventy-two rockets hit the Phu Bai base, Camp Campbell taking three of those. One Southeast Asia nut took a direct hit, and another was partially obliterated. The Generator plant was totally wiped out along with one of Bravo Company's trucks. Sixteen men were wounded and received Purple Hearts. To be sure, there was always apprehension of future rocket attacks. But there was always clear thinking and quick recovery. Dr. H. M. Iannotti and his team of Corpsmen treated the injured with the highest professional competence, maintaining confidence and control throughout. Delta Company completely replaced the shattered huts in two days. Bravo Company began work on the generator area immediately after the attack and worked around the clock, resulting in complete camp power in thirty- six hours. Alpha Company trucked in four new generators from Da Nang within ten hours after the attack. None of us will ever forget being surprised by BRAACK--VROOM, Or the surge of adrenalin in our bodies as the siren whined, Or the communicator shouting "rocket attack, rocket attack" over the PA system, but we will appreciate the gravity of war. NamVet 2-03 Page 12 4 Mar 1988 More from the cruisebook later... During the first attack, someone decided that it was necessary to cut the power on the camp to reduce the likelihood of fire. As was the case with many such decisions, it was a good idea, and a bad idea. The next attack came at night, as most did, and as soon as the siren got loud enough to hear at the generator shack, over the growl of the Caterpillar diesels driving the twin 200 Kilowatt generators, the blasted lights went out, the PA system died, the siren wound down, the only thing left was the flashlights and the PRC-77 radio with the battery pack. What a bummer. It got a bit interesting for a while, trying to figure out what happened. It was kind of shock to find out nothing knocked out our power, but that it was simply turned off on purpose. That particular SNAFU only happened once. The usefulness of the PA system became evident later on when the camp went tactical twice in the same evening. We used the siren and PA to announce both the attack and the "all clear". For "all clear", the siren would be on for ten seconds, off for five, on for ten, and so on, for a few cycles. This caused quite a bit of heat in the motor, and the bearings seized up. The only "all clear" heard for the second attack was the PA. That was not a very important announcement, because it was the "all clear", but it would have been a different story had it been the attack signal that failed. We had a different attitude about the public address system after that episode. NamVet 2-03 Page 13 4 Mar 1988 Everybody's Got A Jezebel by Mike Dealey You've probably heard me talk about Jezebel in some of my stories. And you'll hear it again...he was a great troopie. Name was Gerabelli, a WOP from New Jersey somewhere. Once upon a time, this piece of brass at an awards ceremony mispronounced his name as Jezebel...and the handle stuck. Darn good man. Good in a firefight, dependable, level-headed. He was kinda cautious and sometimes negative about the operations, but that's just the Nam for you. The main thing is, ol' Jez was always keeping the troops amused. Dude had a terribly quick wit, a master of the retort. Lively, always talking about something. And those jokes!. He was constantly thinking up these totally dumb things to say. Everytime he'd come out with one of these gems, all in earshot would groan. Yet, invariably, his dumb little witticism would have enough humor in it to enlist some smiles. Everybody shaking their heads thinking, "That's ol' Jezebel for you." He really raised the morale. Gave the guys something to think about for a precious few moments besides where the next bullet was coming from. It is one of the major travesties of Vietnam that it would take a life like that. Jezebel bought it in the Da-Krong Valley. His last words were, "LT, don't forget me." I'll never forget. Never, ever. We can't afford to forget people that good. What a better world this would be if we had more Jezebels instead of some fat-cat politicians I could name. The world may forget SFC Allen Gerabelli, but it'll never forget Jezebel. Not as long I live. I guess Jeri's got one, too. You know that other thing I wrote for this issue called Sermon From The Mount (if it didn't get renamed)? I got that from her. She said she was working post-op in '69 and taking care of this dude who'd been shot up pretty bad, and he gave it to her just before he checked it in. Told her he wanted to give her something, and that's all he had of value. NamVet 2-03 Page 14 4 Mar 1988 She ran across it cleaning out her didi bag a while back. Yellowed, corner torn off, mud-splattered (maybe blood), and about to fall apart where it had been folded. But she was carrying it like it was gold. I had never seen it before, and I knew that anything from Nam upsets her, so I told her she ought to throw it away. Unlike most women, she never cries, but her eyes were shinier than I've seen them in a long time. She wouldn't hear to throwing it away. Said the reason she brought it to me was, she knew I was going to the bank that day and wanted me to put it in the safe deposit box. I guess he was her Jezebel. We've all got one. I know Todd does. Goes with the territory, I guess. Don't mean nothin'. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Don Griffith Enterprize BBS Pinole CA Memories of a Boy Becoming a Man Part IV Nha Trang April 1969 I arrived in the holding compound for men assigned to the First Field Forces. This was my first experience with the Vietnam style Army barracks. They are one story buildings with tin roofs and cement floors. The lower half of the walls are sheets of plywood (for modesty I guess) and the upper half are screen. The bunks are the old style Army bunks. They seem to be two inches wide and three feet long. The mattresses were the thickness of 3 sheets of paper, and the springs were like a sheet of iron. I had just finished my fifth shower of the day and it was only lunch time. I couldn't seem to get off of me the feeling of being filthy dirty. I guess it is caused by the perspiration but, I just felt yucky. There wasn't much to do there. I spent my days doing meaningless, make work assignments, when they are available. When there were no assignments, I just sat around on my bunk, waiting for something to do. Had I known, I would have enjoyed the showers even more. When I would reach my final assignment, plumbing would be non-existent, but I am getting ahead of myself. NamVet 2-03 Page 15 4 Mar 1988 There is one advantage to our compound. Across the street is a Enlisted men's club. There I got my first taste of the 3.2 beer that has been sitting in the can since the Korean War. I am sure that it really didn't sit there for that long but heat and steel cans were not the best way to store weak beer. One of the handiest tools that we had is a "church key", (a beer can opener). Next to a P-38, it was the most used implement in Vietnam. A P-38 is a small can opener used to open C-Rations. I also got my first taste of hard liquor. It will become a constant companion during my tour of Nam, the remainder of my Army service, and beyond into civilian life. I was finally informed where I was going. I would be joining 5/22 Field Artillery. The battalion headquarters are located in Ban Me Thout. I was taken out to the airport once again, myself and 3 other class mates. I was in for another delightful flight, courtesy of the Air Force to Ban Me Thout, in the central highlands. I was beginning to think wistfully about my excellent flight to Vietnam. ----------------------------------------------------------------- SERMON FROM MOUNT DONG QUANG (as re-told by Mike Dealey) MATTHEW five-five: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall not be selected for night patrol." MATTHEW five-six: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall fly B-52s." MATTHEW five-seven: "Blessed are the merciful, for it gives you time to grease the suckers." MATTHEW five-eight: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for it shall be they who clean the sh_tters every day." MATTHEW five-niner: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God and score beaucoup acid." [This was neatly handwritten on what appeared to be a mimeographed copy. Circa 1969, I'd judge. Author(s) unknown.] NamVet 2-03 Page 16 4 Mar 1988 Memories of my Friends Joy Hanson Friend's BBS, Omaha, NE Node 143/99 Memories of my Friends I am of the "tail end" of a generation, you know the one I mean. Every war has had one. We are the ones that are just old enough to remember the beginning of a war, and just old enough to get sent over the last year or so. I graduated from High School in 1972, and Vietnam was a part of my life from a very early age. My father M/Sgt Paul R. Salisbury retired, was sent over to Nam the first time in 1962. I wasn't even 8 years old, and all I knew is there was a chance I would never see him again. It was so hard to go for months at a time without hearing from him. I never knew if he was alive or dead, I just prayed. Like so many others, that's all we could do is pray, and cry, and hope. Daddy came back with no outside scars, but each war leaves one more cut in someone's humanity. By the time the Air Force sent him again in 1968 I knew more of the danger that faced him. I couldn't believe what I was seeing on the television that was happening. Now I know that what we saw was by-in-large not the whole truth. I found out about the violence and what it did to people later in bits and pieces. Part of it came in the haunted look that would show up in friends eyes when they would hear names and places on the television. It came in the face of a good friend who forgot he was in Omaha Nebraska, and believing he was back on a "search and destroy" in Nam, shot out the windows at a Denny's restaurant late one night. It showed up sitting up all night with another friend, and holding him while he cried remembering the anniversary of a buddies death. It came in seeing a classmate standing with a cane, thanks to someone being a pretty good shot in Nam. It came in the terror of the night when I was raped by a returning Marine. It even showed up at the end of a bottle for friends and family who just couldn't deal with what they had seen and heard and done. Reality even came in some funny ways. In the late '60's I lived in Hollywood California, and knowing the people that worked in the Hollywood Wax Museum, I would wander in to see what was going on. One day I noticed that the wall behind the "Dracula" exhibit was padded with thick Gym mats. When asking one of the employees WHY they were there I was given an example. Sitting on the platform were two fake "mannequin's", one lying in a coffin, the other sitting on a chair. They would wait and when a large enough group of people would be standing around, they would suddenly move. It scared the snot out of the visitors! The only problem with this plan was if a Nam Vet was in the group. Instead of yelling, or jumping, their reaction was to bounce off the wall (hence the gym mats) and punch the poor face that was in front of them. It got to the point where the "mannequins" would only work if they KNEW there were no Vet's! Long hair on the guy's told them they were safe. I'm one of the lucky ones......I only know two names on "The Wall" but I know those who know many, many more. I haven't gone to " The Wall" yet, I am just not ready to face that particular reality. I haven't put all my "ghosts" to rest yet. I guess that's why I'm writing this. To share with others who can understand part of what I am trying to explain. I know I can never fully understand what it was like in Vietnam, I was lucky enough to never have been there. But I CAN understand the effects it has had on good decent, human beings who have been there. And I can get really angry that America seems to have forgotten her Sons and Daughters that have served in the Armed Services. NamVet 2-03 Page 17 4 Mar 1988 So I just keep on plugging away and hope that somehow, somewhere, I can make a difference. To let even one Vet know that I want to thank them, because let's face it......If it wasn't for the American servicemen and women I wouldn't be in a country where I could express my views this freely! My father was killed in a auto accident in February of '87, and the one legacy he left me was pride in what he stood for. And pride in the men and women who fought along side him. I am very proud to not only have been a dependent child, but a dependent wife as well. And with the Grace of God, I shall teach MY children the same pride. NamVet 2-03 Page 18 4 Mar 1988 ================================================================= GENERAL ARTICLES ================================================================= (from the NY Times, February 28, p. B1) AGENT ORANGE PAYMENTS PLAN LIMITS THE NUMBER OF AWARDS A long-awaited master plan for the distribution of a $200 million Agent Orange settlement funds to aid Vietnam veterans who claim to have been harmed by the herbicide was filed yesterday in Federal District Court in Brooklyn. The plan proposes to restrict sharply the number of cash awards to permit larger awards to the most severely affected claimants. It also provides for two $30 million endowments for social services to veterans and to any of their children suffering from birth defects. A distinctive feature of the 623-page plan, prepared by an appointee of Chief Judge Jack B. Weinsten, is that claimants would not have to prove that Agent Orange originally caused their injuries, only that they had ailments and that they were exposed to the herbicide in or around Vietnam during the spray- ings from 1961 to 1972. But under the plan only 5 percent of current claimants would receive any cash awards. These would not exceed $25,000 in the most severe cases of total disability and would be paid out over 10 years. Payments for death would range up to $5000 and also be payable over 10 years. The plan called for Federal legislation to make the awards nontaxable and exempt from consideration as income in determining Social Security and other benefits. More than 200,000 claims -- many times the number expected -- have already been filed under the pretrial agreement last May settling a group liability lawsuit against seven manufacturers of Agent Orange. Many of the claims, however, may be judged invalid. The plan, drawn up with the aid of veterans and consultants, is still subject to rejection or revision by Judge Weinstein after a public hearing in court next Tuesday. Lawyers representing veterans say they would take issue with some of the plan's provisions. Kenneth R. Feinberg, a Washington lawyer who prepared the plan for Judge Weinstein, said he anticipated controversy. But he said, "My one consistent view is the need to prioritize and to help the living." "The claims submitted reflect an enormous amount of suffering and despair," he said in his report to the judge. "It is NamVet 2-03 Page 19 4 Mar 1988 impossible to determine to what extent, if any, Agent Orange contributed to this suffering. But both the physical and psychological problems of the members of the class are stag- gering." Among these, he said, are an array of ailments from disfigurement to fatal cancers as well as 60,000 claims of birth defects among veterans' children and 24,000 miscarraiges by veterans' wives. Among the key provisions of the plan are these: o The $200 million Agent Orange settlement fund -- $180 million plus interest put up by the chemical companies -- would be split into three parts. The largest, $130 million, would go for cash payments to the most severely affected group of veterans and the families of deceased veterans. The program would end on December 31, 1994. o An additional $60 million would be divided into two $30 million endowments administered by a non-profit foundation. One would create 25-year fund to provide services to families of children suffering from birth defects. A second would create a 10-year fund to provide outreach and counseling services and grants to assist veterans and their families. o The remaining $10 million would be set aside for administrative costs. o In a departure from what the plan calls "the traditional tort approach to compensation," claimants would not be required to establish that exposure to Agent Orange caused their ailments, because of the difficulties of scientific proof and the administrative costs involved. Instead, claimants would be required to provide only medical proof of their disabilities and Vietnam service information that would be compared with Defense Department records of herbicide spraying. o Only those totally disabled according to Federal or private insurance standards and the families of deceased veterans would be eligible for cash awards. But in this group, awards would be given only where the victims ranked among the 50 percent with the highest exposure to Agent Orange, according to military records. And the awards, payable over 10 years, would not exceed $25,000 for the most severe disability and $5000 for a death, provided they were not self-inflicted or the result of battles or accidents. o The two $30 million endowment funds would be for those veterans and their families who did not qualify for cash awards. The funds would not be distributed to claimants but would be used for a hot line, counseling programs and research so long as they did not duplicate existing programs. o Claimants rejected for compensation or other services would have a right of appeal. The funds would be administered by a NamVet 2-03 Page 20 4 Mar 1988 board of directors made up primarily of Vietnam veterans. Mr. Feinberg, the lawyer who prepared the plan, told Judge Weinstein that he hoped the payment and service funds would be operational within a year. Mr. Feinberg -- a partner at Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler -- said he had been guided by the suggestions of veterans that they preferred larger awards for disability than for death in order to avoid the implication that a veteran would be worth more dead than alive. Mr. Feinberg, who played a major role in fashioning the settlement last May 7, acknowledged that the number of claimants was far greater than expected at the time of the settlement. But he said no fund would ever be considered adequate. "It could be $500 million or $700 million or $1 billion and it would not provide for all the victims and their families," he said. He voiced regret that the Government, which had commissioned, bought and sprayed the dioxin-contaminated herbicide, had consistently declined to take part in any settlement. U.S. Position Criticized Earlier this month, Judge Weinstein dismissed the remaining claims by Vietnam veterans against the Government. But he critized the Government's position, which he called "vindictive" and "harsh and unyielding." He ruled that the children were free to try to sue again in the future. Mr. Feinberg's plan drew quick opposition from two of the leading lawyers in the veterans' lawsuit who had been devising their own guidelines for distribution of the $200 million fund. One of the lawyers, Gene Locks of Philadelphia, said he favored a plan that would relate cash awards linked to dioxin, such as soft-tissue sarcomas, a form of cancer. He also expressed doubts about allocating a large part of the money to the two funds proposed by Mr. Feinberg. But he said he did not have all the figures available to Mr. Feinberg. "We will scrutinize it carefully," he said of the plan. Thomas Henderson, another leading lawyer for the veterans, who had worked with Mr. Locks on the distribution issue, said he too had serious doubts about the plan as proposed. Mr. Feinberg said he was prepared for revisions in the plan, especially as better figures became available through questionnaires to be sent to the claimants. He said he had discussed his proposals with Judge Weinstein but that the court might impose other changes. "Anyone who tries to predict what Judge Weinstein will do is making a mistake," he said. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-03 Page 21 4 Mar 1988 By WILLIAM M. WELCH Associated Press Writer (Sept. 14, 1987) WASHINGTON (AP) -- Fresh findings that suggest a cancer risk for some Vietnam veterans have reopened a political and scientific debate over one of the vexing legacies of the Vietnam War: Agent Orange. Congressional veterans of the war, voicing anger at alleged foot-dragging by the Veterans Administration, plan to call this week for hearings into the government's handling of a scientific inquiry into the potential human damage sewn with the toxic defoliant. "There is a lot of outrage at the way it's been handled, and a lot of suspicion," said Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill., a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and chairman of the 50-member Vietnam-Era Veterans Congressional Caucus. "The evidence is there that something is wrong for Vietnam veterans," he said in an interview last week. A study of the deaths of 50,000 Vietnam-era veterans by Veterans Administration scientists released this month showed excessive rates of death due to lung cancer and certain cancers of the lymph system among Marines who served in the war. While the study said Agent Orange was only a suspected cause, it was viewed by some veterans leaders as the most important U.S. statistical finding to implicate the broad-leaf herbicide that was widely sprayed in Vietnam to destroy enemy ground cover. The finding was puzzling, however, because it found no similar cancer risk among Army veterans corresponding with that of the Marines. Kang and his colleagues speculated that one reason for higher cancer incidence among Marine but not Army ground soldiers was that the Marines were confined to one of four military regions, I Corps, where much of the heavy fighting took place. But Young, the administration's expert, said records show the III Corps region around Saigon, where troops were mainly Army, received the heaviest concentrations of Agent Orange spraying. Records show 65% of the were sprayed in the III Corps area. "To even go so far as to say it (an Agent Orange link) is possible is reallyfar out," he said in an interview. While no link has been proven between Agent Orange and the ailments of veterans, seven companies that manufactured the herbicide have agreed to pay $180 million into a fund to go to veterans to settle a class action suit. No distributions have been made pending appeals by opponents of the settlement. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-03 Page 22 4 Mar 1988 (Washington Post - July, 1987) Hanoi Keeps War Memory Alive to Fuel Demand for U.S. Aid By Keith B. Richburg Washington Post Foreign Service HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - America has left a powerful legacy here. Some of it is realistic, some exaggerated, but all of it is being preserved to fuel two seemingly contradictory Vietnamese preoccupations. One is to keep fresh the memory and human cost of the war with the United States. The other is a strong desire, 12 years after that war's end, to normalize relations with the United States and receive American aid. Where the two themes meet is Vietnam's belief that the United States should pay for what Hanoi's leaders call its past "war crimes" through large-scale aid. A decade ago, Vietnam's demand for U.S. aid helped scuttle an effort by the Carter administration to restore relations. The Vietnamese have not said much about it since then. But now, the issue is being subtly raised again by new leaders attempting to reform their country's economy. The link with the past is preserved in the display here at the "American War Crimes Museum" of an impressive collection of U.S. military hardware with labels reflecting Hanoi's view of the decade-long war. Beneath a 175-mm. howitzer gun, a sign tells visitors: "The U.S. imperialists mostly used this howitzer in their numerous criminal acts in the Iron Triangle area." An M113 flame thrower is described as "used in burning villages of the South Vietnamese countryside." Inside the museum are other photographic memorials to what the Vietnamese refer to as "atrocities of the U.S. imperialists," including photographs of the massacre of villagers at My Lai. To an American, the often-macabre recital of "atrocities by U.S. imperialists" may seem trying or highly one-sided in its historical accuracy. Any suggestion of killings of civilians by the Communist side are routinely dismissed as "propaganda." Rarely is mention made here of the South Vietnamese Army as having played any role in the conflict. Yet, however open it way be to debate among Americans, Vietnam's version of the Vietnam War - in the monuments, the constant references to "atrocities" in Vietnamese-made films about the war - illustrates the depth of emotions that persist and the still perceptible "wounds of war," as foreign minister Nguyen Co Thach put it. Much of the legacy of America's involvement here is less subjective. There are still countless thousands of Amerasian children - fathered by GIs - left behind in the south, who have grown into young adults. Also, western and Vietnamese health officials are still trying to determine the health effects of the spraying of the defoliant known as Agent Orange by the Americans. Dr. Arnold Schecter, a New York physician working with the Vietnamese on the Agent Orange question, said persons tested in south Vietnam to show higher levels of the potentially NamVet 2-03 Page 23 4 Mar 1988 cancer-causing dioxin found in Agent Orange than the average in the United States and Europe, and further study is needed. The Vietnamese, without statistical proof, blame a higher-than-average number of deformed babies on the wartime use of the defoliant. It is this collective legacy, as Vietnam sees it, that lies at the heart of Hanoi's insistence that the United States should pay for past "crimes" through massive monetary aid. But Vietnam's world view is not shared by official policy makers in Washington, for whom the only continued interest in Vietnam is the emotional issue of the 1,800 servicemen still missing from the war. The differing perceptions threaten to collide, as the two sides prepare to resume talks over "humanitarian issues" that Hanoi hopes might pave the way for eventually normalized relations. It has happened before. Vietnam's demand for U.S. aid a decade ago was a major impediment to the normalization of relations attempted during the Carter administration. No one here specifically uses the term "reparations." But the feeling is unmistakable: the Vietnamese want American reconstruction aid and feel they deserve it. During the past few months, as Washington-Hanoi talks have resumed - with President Reagan naming a retired chairman of the joint chiefs-of-staff as his personal emissary - the Vietnamese appear once again to be raising subtly the dormant issue of America's financial "obligation" to Vietnam. Thach, interviewed during a recent trip here, raised the problems of Vietnam's many "victims of war" and said that if the Americans expected Hanoi's help in accounting for missing U.S. servicemen, "then the Americans can help us on our wounds." Thach said that he was sharply criticized by his colleagues at the Sixth Communist Party Congress in December for cooperating with the United States on the MIA issue and not having received anything in return. At a luncheon with a visiting American journalist in Hai Hung Province near Hanoi, a local Communist Party official asked continuously about the reasons for the U.S. government's reluctance to "pay" for its past actions. NamVet 2-03 Page 24 4 Mar 1988 During another interview, Bui Tin, a high-ranking journalist for the Communist Party daily newspaper Nhan Dan, began by listing American "crimes." "Twelve million tons of explosives were dropped," he said. "One-third of our forests were fully destroyed. Hundreds of towns, roads and bridges were destroyed. It's a little bit surprising that the Vietnamese don't show more hatred towards Americans." "We are eager to turn a new page in relations between Vietnam and the United States," he said. "So the Americans should show their friendly hand towards Vietnam - it would be a great sign." Officially, the American government has said that there can be no talk of normalization until the question of missing U.S. servicemen is resolved, and American officials have repeatedly resisted Vietnam's efforts to link that question to broader political issues, such as future U.S. aid. Vietnam recently agreed to meet with Reagan's envoy, retired Gen. John Vessey, to discuss the MIAs, but Thach said Vietnam will use the meeting to raise other "humanitarian issues." Statements from Washington indicate that Vessey's mandate from the president would not allow him to discuss larger questions of aid and normalization. Even assuming the MIA issue were settled, U.S. officials have repeatedly said that there would be no normalization until after Vietnam has withdrawn its troops from neighboring Cambodia, which it invaded in 1978 and continues to occupy. Secretary of State George P. Shultz repeated that stand in Singapore last month, telling America's Southeast Asian allies, "We will not move towards normalizing relations with Hanoi until a settlement has been reached . . . which involves the withdrawal of Vietnamese forces from Cambodia." But even if the MIA question were resolved and Vietnam had withdrawn its troops from Cambodia - Hanoi has said repeatedly it will do so in 1990 - the prospects for any substantial American aid would remain slim. "If the Vietnamese think we're going to rush in there with aid, they're out of touch with reality," one American official said recently. "Foreign aid is a dirty word in Washington right now. We can't even get more aid for our friends." This official said what the Vietnamese fail to understand is that since the fall of Saigon, "Vietnam's intrinsic importance to the United States is zilch, zero. Vietnam's only importance to the United States is the effect it has on its neighbors. Our primary national interest in this region is with Thailand and with ASEAN," the six-country non-communist Association of Southeast Asian Nations. NamVet 2-03 Page 25 4 Mar 1988 Although that view is not officially expressed U.S. policy, it represents a large if not dominant sentiment among American policy makers and other Vietnam specialists debating the best policy Washington could adopt to deal with Hanoi. According to this sentiment, even the issue of missing Americans, which Hanoi has seized upon as its only bargaining chip with the United States, may become less potent if a new administration in Washington in 1989 pursues it with less zeal. There is, however, another, somewhat opposing view: that Vietnam, in the middle of an economic reform program predicated on an opening to the West, could potentially be lured away from its reliance on the Soviet Union, its principal military ally and foreign aid supplier. Moscow currently provides about $2 billion a year in aid. According to this view, the United States could turn Vietnam at least toward the west by dropping its preconditions, normalizing relations and becoming involved in trying to help shape the country's development. By recognizing Hanoi and becoming involved here, this view holds, the United States would be in a better position to influence Vietnam in other areas more critical to American interests, such as Vietnam's foreign policy in the region. "It is difficult to believe that because of the MIAs you permit yourself to leave a big important country completely white on your map and in a very important region," one Western European diplomat said in Hanoi. "If Ronald Reagan really wanted to do something politically interesting in his final year, he would show that the United States is big enough to make amends with a former enemy and in the process make the United States operational in this region once again." Proponents of this view note that the Vietnamese, despite their constant references to "American imperialism" and past "atrocities," actually harbor more resentment toward the Soviets than they do toward Americans. Reports from recent travelers seem to support this view. The Vietnamese in the north and the south seem genuinely friendly toward Americans. The Soviets are believed to have several thousand advisers and technicians in Vietnam. Thach, in the interview, suggested that Vietnam would not mind "diversifying" its aid source away from the Soviets. "Diversification is a good thing," he said. Most analysts agreed, however, that even if Hanoi resumes some level of ties with Washington, Vietnam is unlikely to end its close ties to the Soviet Union any time soon. The level of Soviet aid, they said, is greater than any western country would be willing to match. Some observers here and in Bangkok noted one important factor NamVet 2-03 Page 26 4 Mar 1988 that could force the United States to become more engaged in Vietnam, even if there is an intrinsic desire to close the door on Indochina. That factor is a large ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-03 Page 27 4 Mar 1988 COMMENT ON PROPOGANDA By Jim Horn The United States Army chooses to call some of its motivation efforts with American soldiers "troop information." I was taught as a psychological warfare officer that American law prohibited the use of psyop forces either in military recruitment or "against" our own forces. These policies imposed from above display an ignorance of the very tenets being taught psyop troops. We were taught that propaganda was not originally intended to be a dirty word. Propaganda merely means to present your own side of things in the best possible light, much as a defense and prosecuting attorney do in court. There, almost everyone involved understands what is going on, what the duties of each element in the process are and generally what is at stake, even a life or certainly freedom. Oddly enough, with propaganda, where millions of lives literally are at stake, far fewer understand the process and even those who do violently disagree on objectives, morality, and use within a free society. Thus it is exceedingly difficult for psychological operators to reach those who agree with our general objectives and are prone to either support or even to act on information provided. Psycholgical operations professionals are barely. A tour of duty in psychological operations unit in the Army is something to be avoided dilligently. Thus most officer personnel, even on active duty, are reservists. Even those people, if they are wise, quickly get themselves reassigned as soon as politely possible, attempting forever to conceal their bad luck on their records and certainly to their professional contemporaries, who might use such information to their disadvantage. One of the rules of psychological operations is to concentrate on the "soft target" where possible. It is the principle expressed so well back in the days of general corporal punishment in school: A mother is supposed to have admonished a teacher "Sarah is a very sensitive girl. If she is bad, just slap the boy next to her and she will straighten right up." In the United States, however, we must create a second professional group, the troop information officer, a position that is not a full time job below a very high level. Next, I would like to treat you to something from the blister pak on a device called a Flyshooter(TM)(R). This pistol like device is springloaded and largely resembles the little guns made of plastic which shoot "darts" with suction cups on the end. Instead of a suction cup, however, the end is a circular object strongly resembling an oversize suction cup, except that the circle is much larger than a cup, and rather than solid rubber, the circle is a mesh that looks more like a fly swatter. The dart is attached via string to the pistol, for easy reloading. Estimated maximum range, as indicated by the string, is about three feet. By now, you have guessed that this gun, sold by Martin Paul NamVet 2-03 Page 28 4 Mar 1988 Inc., POB 1907, Denton, Texas 76201, is designed to kill flys! If you are so inclined, a fun toy, right? Lets enjoy what is on the package back: "THIS PRODUCT IS: o Your protection against the fly and is intended for BUGS ONLY! o Recommended for everyone ages 8 & over. o Easier to use and more effective than a flyswatter. o Designed to shoot its swatter only. o Made of durable & washable, polyethyene & polypropylene." "FLY FACT TRIVIA Did You Know? o Flies are enemies because they are one of the biggest disease carriers in existence. o Flies carry bacteria that can cause TYPHOID, TUBERCULOSIS and many other diseases known and UNKNOWN to man! o One fly can carry over 88 million disease-causing micro organisms on the inner and outer surfaces of its body. o There are over 87,000 different fly species. o The fly is one of the fastest flying insects there is! o A fly's vision is sharp only 24 to 36 inches! o Flies feed and reproduce on filth, decaying matter, water, and even known to lay its eggs in live flesh(open cuts or sores)! o One successful hatch can be well over 2 million! o One season can breed as many as 25 generations! o A fly can infect food by merely landing on it! o In China campaigns were organized to reduce and possibly eleminate the fly population. People devoted a few minutes of their day to swattting and killing flies. o Let's all combat the dangerous germ-carrying insect invaders!" Copyrighted 1985 by Martin Paul Inc. Used with permission. Further reproduction must include the material in this article other uses must be cleared with Martin Paul, Inc. After this useful information comes some very useful and amusing information on fly hunting, useful ranges, stalking techniques, etc. NamVet 2-03 Page 29 4 Mar 1988 If you are still with me at this point, you have read a more effective "troop information program" than existed in the days of the Vietnam War, and probably today, given the pressures that are being exerted by our enemies. I would estimate that even today if a general officer were to order the dessimation of the equivilent amount of TRUE historical information about communism to his troops, his career would be cut short much like that of General Walker. Walker even ended up without the respect of his peers, after having been painted as something of a "nut." Please note that none of the material above is likely to inspire a person who believes that all life is precious to rush out and start killing flys. They will probably continue to scoop up daddy long legs spiders and carry them safely outside. However, this information in the hands of someone who WANTS to kill flies is invaluable! It is highly likely that the same person who is squeemish about killing flies will be totally wiped out by some of the disgusting information presented here, particularly if it is delivered by a person known, loved, or respected by the listener, who professionally would be called the "target audience." Also notice the useful insertion of general facts, such as the assertion that the fly is one of the fastest flying insects there is. This harmless fact lends credence to other, possibly less debatable "facts," though in this instance, I have no doubt that all the information presented here is true to the best of the authors knowlege. All of this, among other things, illustrates the use of what psychological operations personnel call the "target audience" and "key communicators." In this case, the objective is to get the squeemish target to merely not prevent the person who wants the Flyshooter(TM) from buying and using it. The shooter is the "key communicator" while the objective has been established by Martin Paul in the noble strategic objective of selling more Flyshooters. The trick is getting the desired action from the "target audience," who is unlikely to believe a toy manufacturer in Denton, Texas. Depending with the ferver with which the information is delivered by the "key communicator" to the "target audience," the "target audience" may well go out and buy one of the contraptions as a gift for our key communicator, but that is really frosting on the cake. As often as not, a very useful psychological operations objective is to cause the target audience not to stand in the way of a course of action desired by the producer of the psychological operation. The term psychological operations is used professionally, sometimes faddishly referred to as "disinformation" by some in preference to propaganda for several reasons. Most important is that a lot of the product has nothing to do with radio broadcasts, television shows, or even loud speakers and leaflets, often thought of as the full scope of the propagandists duties. Quite often, what someone does is as important as what that person says. That a prominent American NamVet 2-03 Page 30 4 Mar 1988 would visit Hanoi, the site of the infamous Hanoi Hilton torture center for American airmen was as important as anything said by Jane Fonda. With this in mind, along with some idea of "target audiences" and "key communicators" is easier to understand just who Fonda was talking to. Fonda, was talking to a world wide audience of believers. To them, she was a "key communicator." These members of her true target audience were in turn "key communicators" to a circle of friends and professional associates, who would not believe or even some of the strange dilectic references used by Fonda to talk to "American GIs." In the end, these thousands of "activists" if one is uncomfortable with the term fanatics influenced the ultimate target audience, the American electorate to stand aside as we abandoned South Vietnam. In doing so, the Democratic Party, a major witting and unwitting vehicle of this effot, lost a great deal of its credibility with Americans. This was a cost well worth the ultimate result, according to the small band[in worldwide terms] directing the effort. Therefore, as you read Fonda's sometimes obscure references you can be assured of two things. First her speech "to GI's" was, if heard at all by its ostensible target, would move without serious rebuttal, thanks to victories won years ago by comrades who had destroyed the troop information program in Germany and the U.S. Second, she was providing willing agents useful and inspirational material with which to to demoralize Americans in service and out. Indeed, her message "to GI's" would eventually arrive, delivered with spittle and in extreme cases a bullet for emphasis, usually at an airport. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-03 Page 31 4 Mar 1988 "Vietnam War Has Too Much To Teach U.S." From Newsday, (week of Dec.1, 1987 ) a leading Long Island Newspaper, by William Pfaff, National Columnist. The old, depressing, arguments about Vietnam go on because the questions about Vietnam are questions urgently present today in the Middle East, in the Phillippines, the Gulf, and Central and South America. A basic question: Was the United States responsible for the fall of South Vietnam to Communism? Responsible because it could have prevented that outcome and failed to do so? Some same yes. If the answer is yes, and the United States possessed the power to "save" or to "lose" Vietnam, it follows that it has the power to save or lose other countries elsewhere today. If the answer is no, a fundamentally different view must be taken of American power and responsibility- past, but also present. At a debate in Paris last week, some Vietnamese survivors of the collapse of the Saigon government accused the Nixon administration of having consciously abandoned them by signing a peace accord with North Vietnam in January 1973 and withdrawing U.S. forces. The peace treaty and "Vietnamization" of the war were acts of greater-power cynicism. This, surely was clear at the time. The Nixon administration had discovered that it could not win the war, or that it could not do so at a cost acceptable to the American public. But how is it that South Vietnam's fate could be settled in this way? Why was the government in Saigon fatally dependent on the United States? With such a dependence, what real claims to legitimacy could it make? The failure of Vietnam's non-Communists may be explained in terms of particular events or personalities, or by the peculiarities of Vietnamese political and social structure at the time, the superior organizational techniques of the Communist, or the fatal compromise the non-Communist made in *aking foreign support. It is a fact that the anti-Communist Vietnamese failed despite vastly greater economic and military assistance, first from France and then from the United States, than the Viet Minh and its successor, the Viet Cong, ever received from their allies in China and the Soviet Union. There is no satisfactory single explanation for what happened. It is a matter now for historical investigation and reflection. In the end, however, what happened was the Vietnamese responsibility. This is something Americans failed to understand at the time, and something which some Americans, and some Vietnamese, refuse to acknowledge today. It is time to be serious about what happened in Vietnam, and to examine it with the dispassion appropriate to an event that was NamVet 2-03 Page 32 4 Mar 1988 a political tragedy for Vietnam, and for Cambodia and Laos as well-deliberately implicated in the war by the North Vietnamese, provoking immensely destructive American reactions. It was a tragedy for the United States, the most divisive and *isorienting event since the Civil War. Its problems are still with us, and we might learn something from the past. The wind of revolution that swept fire across Vietnam blows elsewhere today, across the Moslem world, in the Pacific, in the Americans. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Taurus Doodie By Thom Patten I think CBS is to be commended for it's handling of Vietnam in it's highly touted and seldom watched series "Tour of Duty". Why, I had forgotten what a great sound track that war had! I'd all but blanked out the thrill of a combat assault done to the Stones "Paint it Black", not to mention how absolutely cool it was to be movin' thru the bush to Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale". I knew that CBS had hit the mark when my 15 year old son watched one of the first episodes, leveled his eyes, looked right at me and said- "Duuuuude...." All seriousness aside though, I was checking this Tour of Duty thing out. It's perfect ... it's the war we always wanted. The time chosen was 1967. That's back when we were still kind'a serious about the war. I mean it's a good thing they avoided post-Tet 1968 when I was there. All those drugs and the attitude problems! Holy Cow! That's no way to portray the military. Good for you CBS...tell it like it should have been! Oh, and the language. Thanks for not allowing the actors to use all those dirty words that I heard when I was there. Y'know the whole thing was bad enough without all that filthy language. For goodness sakes, the things they used to say about peoples mothers...I mean sheeeesh! And thanks most of all for not showing the dirty, filthy, prickly-heat, immersion foot, day in and day out, hopeless mud and filth, splattered bodies, pieces- of-humans-beings-all-over-the-place, stinking, sweltering, no- win, die-for-nothing kind of existence that Vietnam was to so many young visitors. I realize that it's kind of hard to capture that type of effect on TV but believe me, you've avoided it magnificently. Last but not least, thanks for not showing the series during the past holiday season. As much as we wanted to, we couldn't stop the war during Christmas and I don't mind telling you, it was a bummer. Why, one of my dearest friends was killed on December 13, 1969 and I don't guess I have to tell you what a bummer that was. NamVet 2-03 Page 33 4 Mar 1988 No sense in bringing everyone down by rubbing their noses in the reality of war. Heck, if we're not careful about how we portray war, people might get the wrong idea and not show up for the next one! So thanks CBS. Thank you for giving us Vietnam in a way so reminiscent of the old Combat series. Thanks for making Vietnam more palatable and for cleaning up that stinking little war so that children of this generation can grow up with the same realistic perceptions of war that our generation grew up with. That is what your doing CBS, isn't it? *Isn't it?* ----------------------------------------------------------------- VETERANS REVIEW "TOUR OF DUTY" TV SERIES Submitted by the CompuServe VetSig Forum Television ratings may go up and down, but one thing that has remained steady is the No. 1 rating of NBC's "The Cosby Show." Shows on competing networks are given the death knell when placed in the 8 p.m. Thursday slot. Such may not be the case for CBS' "Tour of Duty," a gritty, 60-minute venture into the Vietnam war. Oh sure, it is cleaned up and sanitized for family viewing, but it is still a war story. Those who lived through the real thing have plenty to say about it -- good and bad. Talk about "Tour of Duty" was so popular in the Military Veterans Forum that comments from the message board are being forwarded on Nov. 1 to CBS. Although all are in agreement that the Vietnam War was much uglier and the language and gestures more profane, the plot is a fairly accurate depiction of what happened. The characters are "a bit thin," according to some, and many complained about the stereotypes: the loudmouths, the kid who doesn't want to kill, the naive lieutenant and the super sergeant. Says one Veterans Forum member, "Then again, I guess the services are full of cliches just like that. The test will be whether or not we get to know and care for these guys eventually. I've been catching the old `Combat' series late nights sometimes, and I'm kind of surprised to find out that it covered a lot of ground as far as personal relationships went." Another member likes the show because "it doesn't have an axe to grind." He says, "Some of the characters in the show say that the war is wrong, but just as many take the other view. The show itself hasn't shown a bias either way." The vets like the way the North Vietnamese are not shown as "cardboard bad guys," NamVet 2-03 Page 34 4 Mar 1988 but rather as real people. Since only one in 34 of the men who served in Vietnam was in combat, some of the veterans expressed hope that the show would include those who were not in the rifle platoons. But, as one member said, "Combat is likely to bring in the ratings, while 37 minutes of some guy filling out forms won't sell any Datsuns." Yet another offers this thought: "Television is such a pablum medium that you really shouldn't expect `Tour of Duty' to tell it like it was. Who knows, maybe it will improve the image of the Vietnam veteran, because all the actors are good looking guys just doing their duty. There are no whacko baby-rapers, misfits or other stereotypes with which veterans have been tagged." No matter what the veterans may think of the show, they believe it should remain on the air and are urging each other to write to the advertisers on `Tour of Duty'in support. NamVet 2-03 Page 35 4 Mar 1988 ================================================================== BROTHER RAT'S BOONIE GOURMET COOKING ================================================================== by Mike Dacus This column is episode two in "As the Stomach Turns". When last we met, we considered the finer points of gourmet trail cooking and the intricacies of Boonie Rat and Co Van My eating habits. Today's episode finds us rising bright eyed and bushy tailed from our NDP, scratching and pondering our first repast of the day. Hang in there, campers and we will get it all done. BOONIE BREAKFAST a la FRANCONIA (AND JUAREZ) INGREDIENTS: One can of C Ration Ham(chopped) and Eggs(scrambled?) One can of B-2 unit rubber cheese, any flavor (plain is best) Tabasco Jalapenos (if you can get them, otherwise Vietnamese Red peppers) Nouc Mam One can B-2 nut roll One packet of C Ration Cocoa Three packets of C Ration Creamer One packet of C Ration Coffee Three packets of C Ration Sugar One canteen of water (preferably without iodine tablets) One canteen cup Two 1cm squares of Composition C4 DIRECTIONS: See the recipe in last month's column for Trail Mocha and combine the ingredients for this gourmet treat. Next, open the can of ham and eggs. Carefully add about 1 to 2 teaspoons (C-rat spoons) of water down the sides of the ham and egg lump so that it will sink to the bottom of the can. This water is to prevent scorching when the can is heated. Next, open the can of rubberized cheese. Cut the congealed ham and eggs in a cross about half way through the chunk. Spread the cuts and insert wedges of the cheese. Dash the omelet liberally with tabasco. Now, insert jalapino or red pepper slices beside the cheese wedges. Dig the trench for your C-4 and set the can over the C-4 and close the opened lid of the can. Light and allow to burn out. Allow the can to sit for a few minutes to warm all the way through from the steam generated by the C-4 heating the water in the can. Open the canned nut roll. Eat your omelet with the Trail Mocha and dunk the nut roll in the Mocha (it's the only way to get down this dry but good tasting roll). You will note that we have used several cans and several auxiliary C ration items in this meal. This is a breakfast to eat early on NamVet 2-03 Page 36 4 Mar 1988 an operation to get rid of all the weight of the cans and other bulky stuff (it's better than carrying it or leaving it for Charlie). OLE LIFERS NEVER DIE (THEY JUST SMELL THAT WAY) BASE CAMP BREAKFAST INGREDIENTS: One pound of ground beef (lean if you can get it) 1/4 cup of flour 1/4 cup of oil 1 cup of milk one medium potato one onion salt, pepper, MSG, garlic powder, tabasco DIRECTIONS: Grate the potato and enough of the onion to add flavor to your hash browns. Fry the mixture of potato and onion in a skillet or on a grill. Use just enough oil to keep from sticking. Cook until golden brown on the outside. Drain the hashbrowns and put on a plate. Now, brown the hamburger breaking it into small pieces until each small piece is between gray and brown in color. Push the meat to one side of the skillet and drain the grease from the skillet. To the empty half of the skillet add the 1/4 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of flour. Brown the flour by stirring with the oil. When you have the flour browned, stir the oil/flower paste in with the hamburger. When you have these ingredients mixed together, add salt, pepper, MSG, garlic (lots of garlic so no-one can stand to be down wind of us) and tabasco to taste. After seasoning, add the cup of milk and stir until a white sauce forms in the browned meat. You may want to add more or less than a cup of milk to achieve the consistency of SOS you prefer. Spoon the SOS over the hashbrowns and chow down. SGT Bilko never had it so good. THE ALL-GOAT PARTY INGREDIENTS One goat with all standard equipment Various assorted vegies, condiments, and potables Other stuff DIRECTIONS It's party time down in Co Van ville again. Time for the advisor to go build rapport and prove his manhood. This time, kiddies, we're going to a goat party. Since we didn't really prepare the dishes, we will have to speculate on the technique and the contents in some cases. First, take the goat out in the back yard and kill him, saving all the good parts. Now, we have the wherewithal to prepare an interesting party. NamVet 2-03 Page 37 4 Mar 1988 BARBEQUED GOAT Select portions of the roast and hams of the goat to prepare. Slice the meat into very thin slices just large enough to handle well with chopsticks when cooked. Make a marinade of Nouc Mam, soy sauce, sesame seed, garlic, MSG, oriental red peppers, and oil. Soak the goat meat for several hours before cooking. Cook the meat over a brazier basting with the marinade until done. Serve with garnish and oriental rice. GOAT GUT STEW Select and clean the choicest inner parts of the goat. Chop into bite-size pieces. Select vegetables and cut into chop-stick size pieces. Season with nouc mam, peppers, salt and pepper, and oriental spices. Place the ingredients into a large pot, cover with water and cook over a low to medium fire for several hours until the meat is done. Garnish with local tree leaves and serve in rice bowls with china spoons. GOAT HEAD CHEESE SALAD This dish deserves no further introduction to an audience of tender young (?) ex-GI's. Here is the golden opportunity to make a confession to your host and counterpart. Simply explain that it is against your religion to partake of such dishes. If he should happen to ask your denomination you can explain that you are an orthodox gastronomic coward. POTABLES - GOAT BLOOD COCKTAIL You knew you were saving all the goat for some purpose. Take the blood you have collected and mix it with equal parts of vodka, gin, or what-ever other potable the advisor was able to get on his last trip to the Class VI store. Serve at ambient temperature. I understand that this drink has some part as a Co Van puberty rite. This drink is better after several shots of straight booze. Don't forget. Don't ever let them see you cringe. Next Month, (if there is a next month) we will feature any recipes we receive from you, the readers. Roam through those long term synapses in the gray matter and come forth with your best rendition of meals prepared with C's, LRRP's, USofA food, or Vietnamese ( or Cham or Ra De, or Bru, Camir, or Chinese). Send them to me, or Todd, but get them in early. Editors note: I know I for one have thoroughly enjoyed reading this articleeach issue. I will admit that I haven't tried out all the scruptious recipes Mike has collected. Somehow, just *remembering* them some of them is enough! NamVet 2-03 Page 38 4 Mar 1988 ================================================================= WANTED ================================================================= By: Alex Humphrey If you would like a rubbing taken of the name of a relative, friend or loved one from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, you can get it done by writing: Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Inc. 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW Suite 106-108 Washington DC 20016 Attention: Name Rubbing ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-03 Page 39 4 Mar 1988 ================================================================= IVVEC NODELIST ================================================================= The following list of bulletin boards are some of the FidoNet nodes carrying the International Vietnam Veterans EchoConference (IVVEC). They most certainly do not represent all of the BBS systems carrying the IVVEC, but we will list others as they request us to do so. Node# MaxBaud BBS Name Phone # Location =========================================================== 123/6 9600 SOFTWARE_CENTRAL 1-901-353-4563 MEMPHIS_TN 200/100 2400 THE_BOARDROOM 1-213-498-6425 BELMONT_SHORES_CA 161/509 2400 ENTERPRIZE 1-415-758-1650 PINOLE_CA 161/1 9600 NERD'S_NOOK_#1 1-415-672-2504 CONCORD_CA 370/5 9600 ATHENS_FORUM 1-404-546-7857 ATHENS_GEORGIA 124/106 2400 CHAI_WAY_II 1-214-250-3323 DALLAS_TX 15/4 2400 NASW_New_Mexico 1-505-646-2868 Las_Cruces_NM 321/203 2400 VETLINK#1 1-413-443-6313 PITTSFIELD_MA 143/27 2400 Vietnam_Veterans 1-408-293-7894 San_Jose_CA 141/250 9600 Wilton_Woods 1-203-762-8481 Wilton_CT 362/501 2400 Coconut_Telegrph 1-615-698-4858 Chattanooga_TN 11/109 2400 Peoria_Opus_Net 1-309-691-5416 Peoria_Il 125/7 2400 Survival_Comm. 1-707-545-0746 Santa_Rosa_CA 109/648 2400 FALCON'S_ROCK 1-301-345-7459 COLLEGE_PARK_MD 227/1 9600 Michiana_Tech 1-219-258-0286 Mishawaka_IN