Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 . __ . . ____/ \_ . . -*- N A M V E T -*- ( * \ . . \ Quang Tri . . G. Joseph Peck \_/\ \_ Hue . . Managing Editor \_Ashau Phu Bai . . \_* \_ . . Bob Morris Jerry Hindle \ * ) . . Distribution Managers / Da Nang . . ( \_ . . Section Editors \_ ------- \__ . . --------------- \_ I Corps \ . . PTSD: Kathleen Kelly, Ph.D. \ ------- ! . . AGENT ORANGE: Martin J. Kroll, Sr. /\_____ ! . . MIA-POW: Glenn Toothman / ! \ . . HOMELESSNESS: Lefty Frizzell ! !___ \ . . FEDERAL BENEFITS: Jim Hildwine ! \/\____! . . INCARCERATED VETS: Todd C. Looney ! ! . . Joyce Flory / Dak To ! . . MEMORIALS: Aaron Schmiedel / * / . . MEMORIES: G. Joseph Peck ! \_ . . ! Phu Cat\ . . \ * * ) . . -**- N A M V E T -**- \ Pleiku ) . . \ \ . . / / . . "In the jungles of 'Nam, some of us ( -------- ! . . were scared and wary, but we pulled _\ II Corps ! . . one another along and were able / -------- \ . . to depend on each other. That has \ \ . . never changed. Today, free of the ! * / . . criticisms and misunderstandings _/ Nha Trang / . . many veterans have endured, _/ / . . NAM VET is a shining beacon, __/ ! . . a ray of hope, and a _ __/ \ ! . . reminder that the _____( )/ ! Cam Ranh Bay . . lessons learned / !__ ! . . at such a high / \ / . . price shall not \ Bien Hoa \ / . . be forgotten - ! Chu Chi * \ __/ . . nor the errors \_ * --------- \ ___/ . . repeated!!!" ____ \ III Corps \ _/ * . . / \_____) )_(_ --------- !__/ . . ! ( ___/ * Duplication in . . _____! \__ * ___/ any form permitted . . ! Saigon/ for noncommercial . . \___ -------- / \/ purposes only. . . \ IV Corps / . . ) -------- / . . / ! . . / ____/ . . / Mekong/ . . ! Delta/ This newsletter is comprised of articles . . ! ____/ and items from individuals and other . . ! / sources. We are not responsible for the . . ! / content of this information nor are any of . . ! __/ NAM VETs contributors or Section Editors. . . \_/ gjp . ================================================================= T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 1. EDITORIALS Holiday Happenings ...................................... 1 Letter to the President.. Update ........................ 4 2. Missing!!! USS Boschwitz co-sponsors Reward Checkoff ............... 6 They haven't forgutten US!!! ............................ 8 In-Touch Program Provides Human Dimension ............... 9 3. Remember Them!!! Quotes from "THE WALL" of Incarceration ................. 12 A visit or note once in awhile? ......................... 16 "The Wall" of Incarceration ............................. 17 How to help your incarcerated brother/sister veteran .... 20 4. Court of Veterans Appeals Court of Veterans Appeals Form 1 ........................ 27 Court of Veterans Appeals Form 4 ........................ 29 5. Veteran Benefits COLA INCREASE FOR DISABLED VETERANS ..................... 32 6. Agent Orange Agent Orange Review ..................................... 33 7. Hearts n' Minds This I believe .......................................... 45 The Road to Recovery - II ............................... 47 Different Vets' Healing Mission ......................... 54 Finally Here!!! ......................................... 56 In Country .............................................. 57 IN-COUNTRY Reviewed by Vietnam Veterans Of America ...... 62 Married to a Vietnam Veteran ............................ 64 8. Dealing with 'Nam Democracy: a struggle, not a gift! ...................... 66 9. Our Flag How does burning a flag make things better? ............. 69 10. -- MEMORIES -- Fragile as a Flower ..................................... 71 'Nam is a four-letter word! ............................. 73 11. Subscribe Now! Subscribe to Nam Vet .................................... 75 12. IVVEC NODELIST IVVEC Nodelist & Parameters of VIETNAM_VETS Echo ........ 76 Some Gave All... ........................................ 81 NAM VET Newsletter Page i Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= E D I T O R I A L S ================================================================= Holiday Happenings by G. Joseph Peck NAM VETs Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 "Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a day which will live in infamy... " "Fighting was heavy today... the 38th parallel... " "To those peoples in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required -- not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich... " Flames licked the outside edges of the new logs they'd just tossed on the fire. The aroma of new-perked coffee drifted across the campsite as Randy, Bob and George - son, father, grandfather - finished getting things ready for next mornings' early start. The campfire reflected itself in the highly-polished stocks of an M-1 Carbine, M-14, and M-16 gas-powered, semiautomatics... Three generations of veterans - now united in "sport" rather than "defense"... Deer hunting season opened at first-light... Preparations finished, they positioned themselves to catch the warmth of the fire in the cold, clear night and cupped their hands around their steaming hot coffee cups. Far below them, the lights of the city twinkled as the world went about its business. Setting his coffee down, George grasped his M-1. "Now THIS, boys, is a weapon... 'course, ya gotta watch your thumb when you're putting a round in the chamber..." Randy and Bob, wanting to avoid the misery of hearing the story of the M-1 thumb again, were just about to change the subject when they noticed a different look in George's eyes, a quiet, pained, melancholy type of gaze. George's voice was barely audible... "I can still remember them coming," George continued, unaware of the deafening hush that now seemed to amplify his every whisper... "They came, one right after the other... Sam took a hit right below the eye. It was over for him in a second. Jack wasn't so lucky. He laid there for nearly an hour before he died. Doc couldn't get to us and I listened to Jack's dying at the same time I was fighting to keep us both alive. There wasn't anything else I could do... And then our company was shipped over to Bataan... and... Nights like this, when its cold and quiet except for the pop-popping of a burning log... hell... its like being there all over again..." NAM VET Newsletter Page 1 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 Randy and Bob had never been privy to this kind of gut-level communication before. George, like Bob, had never talked about his military service except to say that he'd served. The American fighting men of WWII and Korea, according to popular notion at that time, went to war, fought, came home, went about their business and said nothing. If any DID want to "talk about the things they did, the atrocities they observed and/or participated in" society had its ways of dealing with them. Section 8's, mental hospitals (often at the veterans' expense), alcohol, low- paying, unskilled jobs --- anything to keep 'em at the bottom of the pile. Mentioning whatever it was that bothered the veteran - whether it was recurring nightmares, flashbacks, or even trouble readjusting to American society was NOT the thing to do. "You know, Dad," said Bob, "I've had a lot of those kinds of things, too. We were at Chosin... and it was bitter cold and our supplies were low... and they came... and came... and came... and MY friends died, too. And we were ORDERED to take the mountain at any cost... there wasn't any going back... And then when I got back to the states... After about a year-and-a-half, though, I got that civil service job at $42 a week... I couldn't jeopardize my family and my job just because there was something that was bothering me about my military service... " Randy watched as tears began to stream down the faces of his father and grandfather. "All these years! And they kept it all inside of themselves! They never talked about it, never talked about hurt inside of them!" Randy thought. "You know, Dad... Grandpa... all these years since I've been back from 'Nam and I started to talk to either of you across the dinner table or sitting in the living room about the things I went through and noticed how uncomfortable you seemed to be, I always thought that you just didn't accept me, didn't accept the things I'd done while I, too, fought as a soldier. Until tonight I'd always thought that your quick changing of the subject or finding something else that HAD to be done NOW was just another way of your rejecting me. I'd never really considered the possibility that you were uncomfortable because my experiences were reminding you of what YOU went through... " Festooned with streams of twinkling lights, the holiday-garbed city was unaware of the bonding that took place on a mountaintop high above them... ... a "bonding" very much akin to the reported words of an Angel, 1989 years ago: "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all people; ... and on earth peace among men of good will." "President Reagan has ordered a total news blackout on the events currently transpiring on the island of Granada..." "The Sandinistas and the Contras continue to ..." NAM VET Newsletter Page 2 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 "We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this special news bulletin..." "Merry Christmas ... and the happiest of New Years" from all of your NAMVET staff and their families 'til next month... show a brother/sister veteran that YOU care!!! Ci'ao for Ni'ao -Joe- NAM VET Newsletter Page 3 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 Letter to the President... Update By Martin H. Kroll NAM VET's Agent Orange Section Editor Fort Mountain BBS - Chatsworth, GA 404-695-8703 I have some exciting news to share concerning my letter to President Bush in behalf of Viet Nam Veterans exposed to Agent Orange. I have received the little green card that you get back when you send certified mail! Whoaaaa! Of course I realize that Mr. Bush and his staff have probably not had time to read it yet considering they only received it on November 14th, but I know for sure that they got it! Yep, it was signed for by Andu Norwovsl, or that could be Andee Norworrl, or Linda Norwood, or something like that. If I should need to know exactly who signed for it all I gotta do is find someone at the White House whose first name has "nd' right in the middle of it and their last name starts with "Norw". That should pin it down pretty close, huh? Of course the Post Office did an excellent job of getting this green card back to me with the article number plainly marked as PO42 449544.. or is that 449543? or 449548 ??? Well, they marked over the 5 and the last digit several times but I can easily make out the 5 anyway. I'm just not too sure about the last digit, but I know it got there cause I got the green card back! I also want to thank all you guys for your support in this endeavor. Thanks for all the kind messages also. It has made me feel as if I am really doing something worthwhile. On another note I have noticed that the Government is passing some new legislation pertaining to Agent Orange exposure. Of course I guess everyone has heard all about it by now, huh? If you are starting to detect a hint of sarcasm by now you are very perceptive! Hey guys, all I can say at this point is that now I fully understand why no more has been done about Agent Orange exposure than has been done. Twenty five years have passed since the first spraying in Nam and the Government nor the VA nor the Chemical companies have bothered to really reach out and say "hey man, this stuff was a mistake and it might hurt you so we want you to come in for an examination to see what we can do for you guys." Got any idea why they haven't done it? There just hasn't been any real "DEMAND" for it! And there won't be as long as all you do is sit on your *ss and read this and expect that everyone else is doing it for you! I know what it is like to remain silent. Hell, I've done it for years myself but I have come to realize that until a major demand is made by the public at large, not much will be done. When you are finished reading this article, just forget about it. Make no comments at all. The rest of us are taking care of things for you. Just be kool man and don't worry about nothin cause we are all NamVets and we stick up for each other and all that stuff. For all you guys in the IVVEC Net, I'm really proud of all of you. NAM VET Newsletter Page 4 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 We went through a lot in Nam and we made it back home. We've gone through a lot in the years that have passed since we came home. The majority of us are now in our late thirties to mid forties and by God we still know what patriotism is all about. Heaven help the man that supports burning a flag cause we can pounce upon him with a vengeance equal to the wrath of God himself. We can spend hours typing out messages at our key boards and look forward to the replies. How dare anyone to suggest that it is ok to burn the flag as a political statement! I pounced upon him myself guys and we ran him out of there in no time flat! What if we pounced upon Congress like that in regards to the Agent Orange thing? Does it matter that some of us will die from that AO crap? Does it matter that your children "may" be affected also and maybe even their children? Do you really want to know more about the implications of Agent Orange exposure or are you just gonna sit back and die without caring? You guys tell me what is more important.. Should we "ALL" get on this issue and try to take it somewhere or have you all been through it so many times before that you are tired of it? I guess you all got a good laugh out of my letter to President Bush and I have no idea at all what made me think that I would even get an acknowledgement from the White House. After all, I am just one solitary veteran. Are you with me brothers? Think we can combine our about all the good times we had in Nam, what we'll do to flag burners, and other stuff with some real, honest-to-goodness plans of action? I read all the mail in IVVEC at least a couple of times a week and usually more so it won't be hard to reach me. I'm still looking for a letter from the White House and maybe next month I will have something to tell you guys if I should receive any kind of acknowledgement at all. If you personally know a Congressman or Senator it wouldn't hurt at all if you mentioned some of this stuff to them. They might be in a position to help out a little... NAM VET Newsletter Page 5 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= M i s s i n g ! ! ! ================================================================= US Senator Boschwitz co-sponsors Reward Checkoff From "Tell the World About Us" Published by Minnesota Won't Forget POW/MIA 3008 West 100th Street Bloomington, Minnesota 55431 (612) 884-5028 Submitted to NAM VET by: Mark Burfeind Post Office Box 206 Stockton, MN 55988 Input by G. Joseph Peck NAM VET's Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz notified Minnesota Won't Forget Director Dale Hanley in a letter September 2, that he has decided to co-sponsor the Helms POW Rescue Fund Bill (S1587). Jesse Helms is a North Carolina senator. The bill would provide for a checkoff on the U.S. Income Tax form enabling the taxpayer to donate one dollar to a POW rescue fund. The fund is identical to the reward fund set up by former U.S. Senator Billie Hendon, providing a reward to any Southeast Asia national who brings out a live U.S. POW. "I think this legislation is a good way to help discover and bring back any Americans who might still be over there", said Boschwitz, in the letter. "Boschwitz had been criticized earlier in the year for allegedly stating during questioning at two public events that there are no live Americans in Southeast Asia. He has since stated that his remarks were misunderstood. "Be assured that I will continue to stand firmly behind coordinated efforts both here and in Southeast Asia to fully determine if there are living American prisoners in Vietnam or elsewhere," said Boschwitz. While the fund to be created in the bill appears to duplicate the fund set up by Hendon's POW Publicity Group and 23 U.S. Congressmen, it would in fact be an official U.S. Government account to be maintained by the treasury department. In effect, Congress would take over the reward fund, and; while the Hendon reward fund is only a collection of pledges to pay part of the reward, the congressional fund would be an actual cash account of monies donated through the income tax checkoff. The bill provides that the secretary of the Treasury would be ordered to pay the reward to any eligible individual qualified according to terms specified in the bill. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs would decide if an individual is eligible. If the money has not been used by the year 2004, it would be used to retire part of the U.S. debt. Up to ten percent of the balance of the fund could be used in any year to notify eligible individuals (Southeast Asia nationals) of the existence of the fund. An eligible individual would be any national of Laos, Vietnam, NAM VET Newsletter Page 6 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 Cambodia, or Burma, unless the individual is acting in an official government capacity in releasing the prisoner. The qualified POW is described as a member of the uniform service missing as a result of the Vietnam conflict, but not any individual who was AWOL or a deserter. The bill provides for political asylum for any individual who claims the reward. This has been a complaint concerning the unofficial POW rescue fund because there has been no guarantee that such an individual could avoid being sent back to his country after claiming the reward, or otherwise be victimized by officials of a host country. The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee but has not been scheduled for hearings. An aide to Senator Boschwitz said the bill will probably not come up for action until after the Christmas break. At this point, the bill has only three co-sponsors, including Boschwitz. The other two are Charles Grassley of Iowa (R) and Joseph Lieberman (D) of Connecticut. Grassley, like Boschwitz, has only recently become involved in this subject. The fact that three Senators who have previously not been closely associated with this cause have become the first to sponsor the bill is thought by some to indicate the possibility of a resolution of the POW/MIA issue is being taken more seriously in Congress. Grassley aroused some interest lately when he indicated in a letter to a constituent that a Defense Department source had told him there are over 150 American Servicemen being held against their will in Southeast Asia. The source has not been identified at this time. NAM VET Newsletter Page 7 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 W W M M W W M M M M W W \ / M M M M OOOO W W W --*-- M M M IIII O O W W W W / \ M M II O O W W W W M M II O O W W M M II O O II PPPPPP O O ..... II AA PP PP OOOO . '' '' .. IIII A A PP PP ..' '.. A A PPPPPPP ..' ''. A A PP ..' '. AAAAAA PP .' ''. A A PP .' '. A A .' .:::::.. '. .' .::::::::::. ' .' .::::::::::::::. '. .' __ .::::::::::::::::;:... '. .' _- -_ .:::::::::::::::::::::::. '. .' _-_ _ _ -_ ::::::::::::::::::::::::' '. .. _- -!!___!!!-_:::::::::::::::::::::::. .. .' ==_ _- _= .:::::::::::::::::::::::: ', . =-_= _= = :::::::::::::::::::::::: . .' =-_ =_- = ::::::::::::::::::::::: '. .' = - -_ =_:::::::::::::::::::::. '. .' -_ -_- .:::::::::::::::::::;;;. '. .' _-_ ..::::::::::::::::::::::::; '. . _ _ .:;:::::::::::::::::::::;, . ' _ .:::::::::::::::::::::::::. '. Y .'.....::::::::::::::::::::::::::;' '. N ::::::::::::::::::::::::' `''' ': O `::::::::::::::::::::::: \v/ \ / :'E `:::::::::::::::::::::: =========================== :' U `:::::::::::::::::::::. /^\ \ :'T `:::::::::::::::::::: .: A `:::::::::::::::::: .:'T `::::::::::::::::::. .;' R `:::::::::::::::::. .;' T `::::::::::::::::. .;' E `:::::::::gjp::: .:' O `:::::::::::::...........'' G N O T F O R " Bring them home --- NOW !!! " NAM VET Newsletter Page 8 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 IN TOUCH Program provides Human dimension to The Wall By Wanda Ruffin, Project Coordinator Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 1350 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 296-1726 Submitted to NAM VET by Jim Hildwine NAM VETs Federal Benefits Section Editor VetPoint 47 - Shady Side, MD Input by G. Joseph Peck NAM VETs Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 "Dear IN TOUCH, For awhile I have been searching for a way to know my brother (Michael Lipsius). It seems hopeless at times. I was twelve years old when he was killed and had never met him. I had heard about him from the time I was a small child and waited for the day that he would come to live with us. He never did. A part of me will always be 12 and continue to wait. Thank you for giving me hope again that there may be a way yet to find Michael and bring him home to my heart. Sincerely, Jane R. Barnes" Last spring FVVM (Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial) decided that IN TOUCH was an idea whose time had come. We were receiving increasing numbers of calls and letters with messages like that above. Also we heard from veterans who were looking for families of fellow veterans with whom they had served during the months, weeks or days before they died. Some had pictures, tapes, mementoes or stories that they wanted to pass along. They had only recently begun to realize the need to make contact, fulfill promises and heal old wounds. One of our IN TOUCH participants is a woman veteran who has won two national contests for poetry she has dedicated to the memory of her friend, a fellow nurse and one of the eight women listed on the Memorial. She wants to share her poetry with her friend's parents. Another participant was three years of age when her father, a medic, was killed in Vietnam. She writes that she doesn't remember her father, but that a young adult, she "desperately" needs to know about her Dad from anyone who served with him. IN TOUCH has developed several dimensions which were not originally anticipated but which increase its healing effects. One dimension has been the involvement of persons who may not have known a person whose name is on the Wall, but who have worn a bracelet bearing the name of a person listed as missing-in- action. When Sally Kennedy learned that we had an inquiry from a man who had worn her son's bracelet since 1974, she was "thankful to know that people still care..." She wrote to our IN TOUCH participant and sent him a resume and picture of her son. NAM VET Newsletter Page 9 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 SONS AND DAUGHTERS-IN TOUCH Another important dimension of IN TOUCH grew out of a phone call from Los Angeles: "Hello, I'm not sure you can help me... My dad was killed in Vietnam when I was four years old. His name is on the Wall. Do you know anyone whose father was killed in Vietnam? ... I'd like to talk with them... I have friends whose fathers have died from illnesses. We have something in common, but I think its different when your father dies in a war, especially when you know his name is on that Wall in Washington DC." These were the words of Tony Cordero who called us fortuitously while we were in the midst of our preparations for the Fathers Day Rose Project in which, at the request of children, family and friends, we placed roses beside the Memorial's panels bearing the names of the loved ones being remembered on that special day. Tony was encouraged to learn of the Fathers Day Rose Project because he wanted to remember his father with a rose at the Memorial and also because this could be a connection with other sons and daughters whose fathers died in Vietnam. Tony was put in touch with my daughter, Wende Ruffin. The two found that they shared many feelings about their fathers "tragically heroic" (Tony's term) deaths. Tony was four when his father became Missing in Action; Wende's dad became MIA three months before she was born. Both fathers' remains have been returned and both are buried at Arlington Cemetery. They are listed on side by side panels of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. But Wende and Tony found that they had more in common than the coincidental circumstances - the feelings they shared about their dads, their childhood dreams that a man would walk up and sa, "Hi, Tony (or Wende), I'm your dad", their mixed feelings about the war and about letting others know their plight. As a result of the Friend's network, Tony has become "phone pals" with Wende and ten other sons and daughters of men whose names are on the Wall. One of the daughters who lives near a military base in Nebraska put an ad in the newspaper and received 30 responses from other sons and daughters of Vietnam casualties. This is the beginning of the establishment of a Sons and Daughters network under the umbrella of our IN TOUCH project. In addition to the connection with other sons and daughters, FVVM has facilitated some media connections for the Sons and Daughters which we hope will create public awareness for IN TOUCH AS WELL> We connected Tony with Laura Palmer who wrote an article about him for her syndicated newspaper column. We also connected him with NBC's Sunday Today for which he was interviewed by Maria Shriver and featured on their Fathers Day segment, "Missing Dad". This segment was introduced with scenes of Friends volunteers placing roses at the Wall. At the suggestion of FVVM's executive board member, Maggie Hodge, Tony wrote to Al Santoli, author of three books about the war in Vietnam and contributing editor of Parade magazine. Al is NAM VET Newsletter Page 10 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 currently interviewing several of the sons and daughters for a Parade magazine article which will arrive with our Sunday papers sometime this spring. An extra bonus of this connection with Parade is the fact that the magazine has agreed to fly Michele Mitchell from Tampa, Florida to Washington to visit the Wall and to be interviewed by Al Santoli. Michele contacted FVVM after seeing "Missing Dad" on NBC's Sunday Today. Parade is planning her visit to coincide with a visit here by Tony Cordero and his wife Deanna. In addition to the much needed public awareness created by Al's article in Parade, this meeting at the Wall will bring together four of the sons and daughters who have yet to meet each other except by phone. For two of those involved, it will be especially meaningful. For Tony and Michelle, it will be their first trip to the Wall, their first time to see their fathers' names surrounded by 58,232 others who share their "tragically heroic" place in history. NAM VET Newsletter Page 11 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= R e m e m b e r T h e m ! ! ! ================================================================= Quotes from those behind "THE WALL" of Incarceration: Submitted by: Dottie L. Cruz 5009 Arbor Ridge San Antonio, Texas 78228 Input by: G. Joseph Peck NAM VET's Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 "In my case, I killed a man who was reaching for a pistol, with the intent to kill. I in turn, did what I have been "trained and conditioned" to do, in the Marine Corps and in Vietnam. I "reacted to his action", to neutralize his aggression." "For so long she thought all the values I taught her were a lie, for how could they be true, if the one who taught her killed a man. I think of myself as fairly articulate, but I could never explain the circumstances to her. How could I, even I don't understand. Not then, not now. No, I was not drunk, I've never been a drinker, nor was I on drugs. It just happened. One minute we were arguing, the next ... he was dead. I reacted to a situation like I was in the Bush." "...another Vietnam casualty, after the war! We are prayerful that God will forgive both the soul of this poor and troubled brother and also forgive America, which still does not realize that something is drastically wrong if approximately 60,000 of our Vietnam vets have committed suicide AFTER THE WAR, more than were killed in action! And it is my experienced and professional opinion that a greater number are in prison. That is a sure link, for suicide is a sin and a crime. A man who is trained to fight and kill the enemies of his Nation, and later is not respected for his service and sacrifice not even given a job... So it is a simple matter to see that combat trained and experienced veterans could use arms in rage and frustration (and after losing faith in the government that lied to him) and in confusion, opposite to all we ever learned (as how our country awarded, praised, and respected the WWII vets) to commit violence against others rather than himself. What I'm saying is... that for each of us who has committed suicide, 2 or 3 others, feeling the SAME hurt, confusion, and depression, committed an assault or murder against someone else (striking out instead of striking inward). And these became incarcerated vets, who the majority are STILL in prisons!" "To be honest with you, I've been in the woods all these years since I've returned from Nam and I think I'm still in them even though I had that group therapy at... for a short time. I don't like talking about Nam that much, at least about the war factors anyway. Heck it took me about 20 years to forget it so I don't want to remember all the killing, leeches, mosquitoes, or staying wet for months at a time, or being hungry or how dog tired I was each night only to have to go out on ambush patrol. I also don't want to remember the humiliation of our guys finally pulling out NAM VET Newsletter Page 12 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 from Saigon and the sh** I heard from people back here or all the bar room fights I was in with guys who called our troops "yellow". It's over, Mam, and nothing can bring all those guys back to life or change the situation. The government didn't let us do our job or else there wouldn't be any North Vietnam today. Believe that!" "I know this is the longest letter I've ever written so I'm wound up and ready to go! Eight hours sleep in two days. It reminds me of other times. Tired and keyed up..." "Could I get you and a member of your chapter to write the warden a letter of support for us to get started? I think the more letters of support from outside will be that much more help..." "You see, Mr. H. is a Vietnam veteran incarcerated, but the institution simply does not recognize him, or the many other veterans incarcerated here. In other words, there is no existing program within this institution for incarcerated veterans. Mr. H. has done everything available to him to encourage this administration to move on this problem, but nothing will happen." "...I see now how really messed up the justice system is and how messed up and uncaring the state law makers are about veterans. It's the same with free veterans up here. The state gives and then takes away. At times I have to cry to myself that I fought and killed for a country that cared less than a damn about me. I, like many others, gave my all for a country and state... so many lives are messed up, so many families are messed up. By the grace of God, I keep trying to cry out to tell the outside world we need your help. We made a mistake and came to prison. Don't forget us in prison. Give us your all, as we gave you in Vietnam. A vet gets a bad break, but as a prison inmate and Vietnam vet, it's a tough road to travel." "...our criminal error is a very narrow perspective of what we are and have accomplished." "It still seems most people still don't feel Vietnam Veterans are entitled to anything but we know differently and the public is being shown now. In time things may improve or change." "Our incarceration is incidental to our Veteran's status. We served, entering into a "Legal Contract" with the U.S. Government. At no time were any of us told or was it put into writing that if we later became incarcerated that we would be denied our full- range of Veterans' Rights and Veterans' Benefits." "We are still sacrificing our lives from a war that began over twenty-five years ago." "The incarcerated veterans population has special needs and problems. We need to focus our attention on areas such as: specialized psychological and readjustment counseling before they reenter society; legislative changes in the way Vietnam Veterans are treated by our Judicial SYSTEM: WE NEED TO BRING ENTITLED Veterans benefits into the prisons; changes in Department of Correction's Policies affecting incarcerated veterans; Parole Board representation with special consideration for service; a State survey to determine how many veterans are incarcerated and NAM VET Newsletter Page 13 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 what programs are needed for their readjustment back into the community." "It would be less costly to treat the problem. Many of us are walking time bombs. We are housed until we are released." "There are no REAL EXPERTS OUT THERE. Mostly everyone is a novice on incarcerated vet issues. Most don't even realize there IS an ISSUE!!" "The National Incarcerated Veterans Network" should be that voice that makes people listen and understand our plight. Most people see us as a bunch of criminals trying to get out of jail, and Vietnam is that vehicle to do so. This is far from the truth. The Vietnam vets are heroes just like the WWI, WWII, and Korean vets were. We were America's fighting force and we served our country with pride. Because of this alot (sic) of us have become ill through P.T.S.D. and Agent Orange. All we are asking is for our government to cure us and accept the responsibility for what happened to us during that war and let us get on with our lives. We need your voices out there to carry these messages to our government and to the rest of the public." "We the incarcerated veteran, call on you, the lawmakers of the most powerful state in the union, to set the standard for others to follow, in finally addressing one of the twentieth centuries greatest tragedies in veteran treatment. We do not ask that you open the gates to our dismal grey walls, but to listen to our cry to be productive, to hear our please to FINALLY BRING US HOME." Leaders from behind "THE WALL" of Incarceration: Craig R. McLaren #115624 President, VVA Chapter 190 Director, National Incarcerated Veterans Network Director, P.M.I.M. Incarcerated Veterans 100 Warrior Lane Bessemer, Alabama 35023 Joseph Drumgoole #CN861-60421 President, Trenton State Veterans Program Post Office Box 861 Trenton, New Jersey 08655 Edward R. Timmons #80-0-0238 Director, Vet Self Help Project Drawer B Stormville, New York 12582 Commer Glass #F9537 President, The Vets of Graterford, Inc. Post Office Box 244 Graterford, Pennsylvania 19425 Ronald G. Triplett #132615 Chairman, V.V.A. Chapter #31 2400 South Sheridan Road Muskegon, Michigan 49442 NAM VET Newsletter Page 14 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 David Russell #180-039 Post Office Box 57 (MCC) Marion, Ohio 43302 James J. Mickel #W42340 Reporter, N.I.V.N., V.V.A. Chapter #294 Post Office Box 466 Gardner, Massachusetts 01440 NAM VET Newsletter Page 15 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX \ \ \ \ \XXXX XXXXX XXXXX.::::::::::::::.XXXXX INCARCERATED XXXX XXXXX XXXXX --------- XXXXX \ \ \ \ \ \ \XXXX XXXXX .XXXXX W W I I XXXXX. VETERANS \ \XXXX XXXXX ::XXXXX --------- XXXXX::. \ \ \ \ XXXX XXXXX :::XXXXX ------------- XXXXX:::. XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX K O R E A XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX ------------- XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX ------------- XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX V I E T N A M XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX ------------- XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX::::::::::::::::XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX::::::::::::::::XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX::' `::XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX:: ::XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX `..........''`XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX .:(O) . (O):. XXXXX:::' XXXX XXXXX ::' XXXXX .. XXXXX:: XXXX XXXXX .:' XXXXX . .. XXXXX: XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX . .. ` XXXXX XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX ' '.. ` XXXXX. XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX" ' ` XXXXX . XXXX XXXXX ``. XXXXX ' . . . ` XXXXX '. ........., XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX'' ..''.'''. XXXXX .' '.XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX" ':.:'' XXXXX .'' .:::'XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX:.. .:XXXXX.'' .::::' .XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX '.. ..:' XXXXX ..:' . .:::'XXXX XXXXX ....::'XXXXX ':::::;' XXXXX .:''. .:::' XXXX XXXXX .:::::' XXXXX .: XXXXX :'. ..:... XXXX XXXXX.::' :: XXXXX: PREPARED TO XXXXX .'' ''.. XXXX XXXXX::' :: XXXXX`: FIGHT XXXXX.' '.XXXX XXXXX' :: XXXXX ``. XXXXX XXXX XXXXX '' XXXXX PREPARED TO XXXXX XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX DIE ...'XXXXX XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX `...' XXXXX XXXX XXXXX `..' XXXXX .' XXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX /\ .' .' XXXX XXXXX /\ \ . . XXXX XXXXX / \ \...' `. .' XXXX XXXXX / NOT PREPARED TO BE DESERTED XXXX XXXXX / .'.' . .`.' XXXX XXXXX / ~ | : : : . XXXX XXXXX / |`. : : . .__________ XXXX XXXXX / ~ ~ ||.` ` : || \ / XXXX XXXXX / WRITE OR VISIT AN INCARCERATED VETERAN SOON ! XXXX XXXXX / ~ || . .'. / / XXXX XXXXX/ ~ ~ ~|| ||/ / XXXX XXXXX ~ ~ ~ || || / XXXX XXXXX || || / XXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX \_________XXXXX________|| XgjpX XXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXX NAM VET Newsletter Page 16 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 "The Wall" of Incarceration by Dottie L. Cruz 5009 Arbor Ridge San Antonio, Texas 78228 Input by: G. Joseph Peck NAM VET's Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 Dear Veterans, The Vietnam War may be over as far as a national military action is concerned, but it is still being fought in the hearts and minds of thousands of those who have been unable to escape the memories of their experiences. The MIA/POW issue is a worthy and just one, but I am writing out of concern for the veterans who are missing and in prison right here in our own country. "THE WALL" is a remembrance and tribute for the 58,473 who lost their lives in combat fighting on foreign soil, but I have not seen a memorial for the 98,500 who are missing from suicide and/or accident on their own soil. There is no memorial for those who are daily struggling through the abuse of alcohol and drugs as a means of staying alive, of coping, with the horrors yet so vivid in their minds. And who remembers, or cares, about the "FORGOTTEN WARRIOR" whose inability to deal with his experience has sent him to prison. Of the 2.8 million who were ordered to Vietnam, approximately 500,000 have been in trouble with the law, in prison, or on parole. THINK OF THAT!! Nearly 20% of these young soldiers were so effected, so scared, so troubled, that it possibly contributed to their incarceration all across this country. Some have been in prison as long as 20 years, since shortly after their return from Vietnam. Not only has it been a devastating waste to them as individuals and their families, but to the nation as well. These men and women are now in their "prime". Instead of them helping to build the national economy by productive service, they are a drain on the tax payers of each state. Yet, this class of prisoner has above average skills. Many have learned skills or earned their college degrees while in prison. As a nation, we sent these young men, of approximately 19 years of age, into the very "pit of hell" to experience that which even Hollywood wouldn't film. They were trained to kill, and kill they did. And when they couldn't cope with the killing, they turned to alcohol and drugs to numb themselves so they could go on killing, and hopefully survive long enough to get home. For many of them, when their tour of duty was over, those that survived were sent home, and in less than 36 hours, went from the jungle of Vietnam to the jungle of protesting America. Can you imagine the shock, the hurt, the anger, the rage, the disappointment and the frustration these men must have felt? They fought on a foreign land that didn't want them only to return to their own "homeland" that didn't want them either. In most cases, the government offered no "debriefing", no opportunity for gradual reentry into society, and it has offered little understanding or benefit since. They have felt strongly rejected and demoralized by the very country they fought for, took pride in, sacrificed their very lives for, and loved. NAM VET Newsletter Page 17 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 Yes, thankfully, most have coped, survived, and gone on to balanced, healthy and productive lives, but WHAT ABOUT THE THOUSANDS WHO HAVE NOT? What about those who couldn't find jobs, and are now living on the streets, homeless? What about those who couldn't cope without alcohol and drugs, and are still using it to try to survive? What about the ones who couldn't readjust, couldn't get the help they needed and requested, and are in our prisons? The Justice System has been everything but just and merciful when it has come to sentencing these veterans who have committed crimes. There is evidence that suggests many veterans have received harsher sentencing than their non-vet counterparts. There appears to be a special need among these Vietnam veterans, and that is for "comradeship". They know they need help, but their pain is such that they will only respond to those of "like kind", other veterans who have been there, who have experienced the same horrors that they experienced. Maybe that is why the V.A. Hospitals have not been effective as the V.A. Vet Centers. The same is true for the "incarcerated veteran", but many are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to establish veteran organizations behind the walls of prisons. These veterans do not receive their full, earned V.A. benefits. Some of the prison administrations are fearful their motives are to start "gangs", but they are ill informed! "VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA" (V.V.A.) has 32 incarcerated Chapters all over the country and approximately 125 incarcerated veteran organizations make up the "NATIONAL INCARCERATED VETERANS NETWORK" (N.I.V.N.)> For the most part, these organizations are led by highly intelligent men, many of them educated, who understand the effects of P.T.S.D., Agent Orange, flashbacks, nightmares, substance abuse, etc. They are trying to get treatment for all incarcerated veterans who need it, so they will be well-adjusted when they reenter society. These veteran's groups are "self-help", but they do need a helping hand. Initially, I would like to see a co-operative and encouraging effort by all State Department of CORRECTIONS> There are successful veterans groups in some prisons, many which are operating with very little funding or outside help. I see no reason why the forming of such a group should be hindered by any prison administration. These groups provide self-help treatment, therapy, education as well as assistance, and they are rehabilitating Ideally, I would like to see our Federal Government, our Judicial System, and our American citizens take some ACTIVE RESPONSIBILITY for these incarcerated veterans. While they are responsible for their own actions,, I strongly believe that many were so effected by their experiences that it is criminal of us, as a nation, not to come to their aid. As is, we have been shamefully slow. These incarcerated veterans need to be IDENTIFIED, EVALUATED, TREATED, with SENTENCE REVIEW and given the opportunity for RELEASE!! These brave soldiers were there when America called, and they would be there again! They fought, and bled, and some died. Can we ignore the cries of those who survived Vietnam, but who have ot survived their experiences, those living behind "THE WALL" of Incarceration? I thank you for your attention and would appreciate a response, as to your position and potential action regarding these incarcerated Vietnam Veterans. Sincerely Concerned, NAM VET Newsletter Page 18 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 Dottie L. Cruz NAM VET Newsletter Page 19 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 How to help your incarcerated brother/sister veteran by Dottie L. Cruz 5009 Arbor Ridge San Antonio, Texas 78228 Input by: G. Joseph Peck NAM VET's Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 A METHODOLOGY of assisting those behind "THE WALL" of Incarceration through identification, evaluation, treatment, sentence review, and opportunity for release. At this time there is no way of knowing how many of the incarcerated in this country are veterans. Statistics can range anywhere from 10% to 50%, depending on which study is considered. There has been no effort to consolidate, analyze, or disseminate this information concerning incarcerated veterans. Because of the Berkowitz Law (PL96-385 and PL96-466), many fear losing benefits for their families, and are therefore not likely to identify themselves. Others fear, rightfully so, that their experiences will be used against them during their incarceration. It is also true that many veterans themselves may not make the connection between military service and the crime they have committed, especially if it occurred several years after their service. Without these veterans being IDENTIFIED and treated, the problems will remain, resulting in repeated incarceration and additional cost to the taxpayers. It is recommended that a STANDARDIZED review mechanism be established to determine whether or not any Vietnam Veterans are incarcerated for reasons traceable to military service. This can be accomplished initially through each Department of Corrections facility by giving those who could be affected P.T.S.D. information and an initial questionnaire regarding their military service. In addition, a review of prison records and confirmation of military records (DD 214) should be done by a qualified review panel. In the interest of fairness and accountability, this board should be made up of those knowledgeable in P.T.S.D. who know what to look for, with sensitivity to understand the "experience". Those facilities who already have established veterans groups may well be qualified to administer this initial identification process. A whole class of veterans is being overlooked and denied their rights for benefits and treatment. We must begin by identification, followed by evaluation. Once the identification of incarcerated veterans has been completed, it is necessary that they be EVALUATED to determine the validity of the correlation between their crime that led to incarceration and their past military experience. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.) is legitimate and has been recognized since 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association' Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III (DSM III), P.T.S.D., acute, chronic, and/or delayed, but it is essential that fraudulent claims of P.T.S.D. not jeopardize those who are truly suffering from this disorder. To insure fairness for the deserving, while at the same time maintaining integrity, each identified veteran must be thoroughly NAM VET Newsletter Page 20 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 evaluated by those qualified and by those with professional knowledge of the disorder. This evaluation should begin with the veteran individually and initially completing a STANDARDIZED questionnaire to identify stress factors, including "Pre-Combat", "Military Involvement", "Post-Adjustment" histories, that includes how s/he felt about and perceived his/her Vietnam involvement. By involving him/her in the process of gathering data and familiarizing him/her with the assessment it facilitates memory recall. The link between combat service and incarceration cannot necessarily be found through a paper trail of either military or prison or trial records, or even through questionnaires, without a thorough psychological evaluation. In many cases, the presence of stress-related disorders may have been overlooked or considered irrelevant at the time of trial, or may have been mislabeled or misdiagnosed as a personality disorder. After completing all of the pertinent questionnaires and psychological testing, this information needs to be reviewed and evaluated by qualified mental health professionals, those with EXPERTISE in the field of P.T.S.D., followed by PERSONAL interviews and evaluations with the veteran. Data gathered alone will not show how the veteran perceived his/her own role regarding the war or his/her involvement. his/her guilt factor, or his/her overall psychological profile after the service. It is imperative that those administering psychological testing and personal interviews have the experience and expertise to evaluate P.T.S.D. profiles, with sensitivity to the "experience". It would be advisable for the final review board to contain members of varied professions, such as Vietnam Veterans, Department of Corrections, legislative members, mental health professionals, Parole officers, outreach center workers, etc., but only those with knowledge and understanding of P.T.S.D. Thorough evaluation must be followed by treatment assessment designed to meet the specific needs of the individual incarcerated veteran. The government provided very little to the adjustment needs of the veterans upon their return from Vietnam, if any at all. For many it has been twenty years since their incarceration and still their problems have not been identified or evaluated, much less TREATED. It has been a decade since P.T.S.D. was recognized, yet even with this psychological knowledge available, many are not even aware of its existence or that it may possibly apply to them. Had this information been available to them or to their defense attorney's at the time of their trial, it is further possible some would have been offered treatment, rather than the confines of helplessness and degeneration caused by incarceration. Yet, even in the bleakest of circumstances, there is hope for restoration and a positive future through treatment and therapy. It has been established that a great percentage of those suffering from P.T.S.D. are very amenable to treatment, with a good prognosis for success, once properly diagnosed. At present, treatment concerns for the incarcerated veteran is near nonexistent, with a lack of training or even awareness by many correction facility administrators and mental health personnel. From the perspective of this proposal, treatment and therapy are not synonymous, instead, therapy is only part of, perhaps the greatest part of, the total treatment process. NAM VET Newsletter Page 21 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 In one survey, 80% of incarcerated veterans reported having special needs, such as: Agent Orange testing, medical attention, P.T.S.D. counseling, upgrading of their discharge status, veterans benefits, employment assistance, substance abuse therapy and family counseling. Existing veterans self-help groups are meeting some of these needs, but they are few and their resources are limited. Much more in-depth availability must be given to each of these categorical needs. Most families have been shattered by the incarceration and those who have tried to remain intact need counseling and assistance to remain as healthy and whole as possible. It must be remembered that not only is the veteran affected by his/her crime and incarceration, but also numerous loved ones. Not only should family ties be encouraged, but also community awareness and involvement, which can be accomplished through numerous creative endeavors. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES must also be encouraged, with opportunities available for higher education and/or vocational training. If these veterans and their families are to survive, once released, it is imperative that they prepare in obtaining needed job skills. THERAPY, especially P.T.S.D., is the most critical and difficult part of the entire treatment program. Not only is it emotionally demanding for the veteran, but it is essential that treatment be administered by a highly skilled and very gifted psychotherapist, with expertise in P.T.S.D. The cornerstone in the Vietnam Veteran's patter of criminal behavior is the need to end the pain, either by striking inward by a suicide attempt, or by striking outward, such as a violent criminal act. The core feature of P.T.S.D. is that the survivor reexperiences elements of the trauma in dreams, uncontrollable and emotional distressing intrusive images, dissociative state of consciousness, and in unconscious behavioral reenactments of the traumatic situation. It is important to understand its nature, dynamics, predictors, behavioral manifestations and the cycle of the experience, including its relation to criminal behavior. SUBSTANCE ABUSE is often another major problem that should be coupled together with, and treated alongside with P.T.S.D. therapy. The recommended modality of treatment begins with group therapy, followed by personal individual therapy with a professional. The functions of the group psychotherapy with other veterans is to share the war experience, to understand the feelings of guilt, anger, rage, exploitation and depression, and to realistically cope with his experience. Not everyone can listen to the atrocities experienced by the combat veteran, therefore, the best and most appropriate support system comes from other veterans who have experienced the same trauma. A SELF-AWARENESS PROGRAM, in addition to group therapy, Rap Groups, and professional therapy, helps the veteran get in touch with him/herself. Only then will he be able to acknowledge the problems and recognize behavior patters that led to incarceration. By realizing the correlation between combat or other experiences that trigger such behaviors, s/he can come to terms with these NAM VET Newsletter Page 22 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 experiences that have molded him/her. Once understood, s/he will begin to desire more meaning and purpose in his/her life, which is essential to his/her well being. Most of these treatment areas are not being met by the Department of Corrections, nor do the incarcerated have access to V.A. treatment centers. They are being denied V.A. care, V.A. exams, and V.A. treatment and therapy, plus availability to the successful Vet Centers. The incarcerated veteran served and suffered, probably needs intensive treatment more than most, yet s/he is in a position, coupled with political "red-tape", to receive the least consideration... confined to a "Catch-22" of indifference and apathy. It is the opinion of some experts that the prison environment, because of its negative affirmations on one's self-image, is counterproductive to even the best treatment available. The incarcerated are in an environment of constantly feeling threatened, whether real or imaginary, placing them in constant anxiety, which is additional stress, "P.T.S.D. Plus". It would be much more productive if they were treated in an environment of comradeship. From this type of setting, they could be brought forward, through counseling and therapy, out of the nightmare of the past and into the present where they could train and prepare for a productive future. Records should be kept on the progress of each individual, recognizing achievements in such areas as: therapy, group encounters, higher education or vocational training, peer counseling, community involvement, organizational participation, etc. It would not only be incentive for improvement, but provide a traceable accounting to be evaluated when seeking release. Not even considering the restoration of the veteran's lives, and those of their families, treatment has to be more "cost effective" to the taxpayers. The way we are building prison facilities to "house" criminals, to demoralize, dehumanize, and institutionalize them, is an expense few of us can afford. Unfortunately, the attitude of today's prison systems to be "institutionalism", rather than "rehabilitative". Rehabilitation, through treatment of therapy and education, makes much more "cents". Along with treatment, these Vietnam Veterans should have the option to have their SENTENCES REVIEWED. How many are in prison today because they reacted from a "conditioned response" or other experiential malady? Prior to their Vietnam tour, these veterans were intensely trained and conditioned for combat by this government's military forces. By the same token, this government did not, in most cases, take the initiative to "debrief" or "uncondition" them. Herein lies the greatest of responsibility and injustice. If justice is to be equated with "fairness", then it has utterly failed. The majority of incarcerated Vietnam Veterans, although first-time offenders, better educated, and less likely to have discipline problems while incarcerated, have, on the average received excessive prison terms of 16.8 years, compared to the statewide average of 5.7 years... a 300% increase for being a Vietnam Veteran. At the time many of them came to trial, P.T.S.D. was not known, hence, not cited in their defense by experts in the field. They may have been portrayed as reckless NAM VET Newsletter Page 23 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 killers during a time when there was little public sympathy for Vietnam Veterans. Is there any more today? Have we not gone from "protesting" to "apathy"? The majority of the incarcerated Vietnam Veterans were not involved within the criminal justice system until their service in Southeast Asia. There are those who might not be incarcerated today, had P.T.S.D. been understood when they went to trial. It is important that those involved in the judicial system understand the nature, dynamics, predictors, and behavioral manifestations, including its relation to the criminal behavior of P.T.S.D., if justice is going to be served. At sentencing many found that the things they were proud of didn't mean anything... their service and sacrifice, their decorations meant nothing. In some cases, attempts were made to use their acts of valor and heroism against them and this attitude unfortunately continues throughout the incarceration experience. Convincing evidence exists to support the concern that a number of veterans, now incarcerated, would by today's standards, have been sent to treatment, rather than incarceration. Over a decade of published literature from the American Psychiatric community has reported on the relationship between military service in Vietnam and incarceration, but these men are still waiting, still incarcerated, when some of their counterparts have been treated and gone on to live productive lives. When evaluation has been completed and it has been determined that a veteran's crime correlates with his/her Vietnam experience, and treatment has been prescribed, attention should be given in the criminal justice system. FULL SENTENCE REVIEW, by a panel of experienced and knowledgeable attorneys, psychologists and parole officers should be implemented, using STANDARDIZED measuring tools, for each incarcerated Vietnam Veteran. At the same time, our Judicial System must be educated, to sensitize the Courts, Judges, and Probation personnel in regard to P.T.S.D. and its effect on criminal behavior. With the problems of prison overcrowding and the high cost of incarceration, sentence review, coupled with treatment, is not only prudent, but humanely sound as well. It general, most lifers are incarcerated for isolated acts of violence. It is a proven fact that most are not what is considered repetitive crimes. Thus, there exists a high potential for rehabilitation and resocialization at a low recidivism rate. Most penologists will concur with these findings. Far too few have had their cases reopened on the grounds of either incompetence of trial counsel, new evidence, or mitigating circumstances, but some of those who have had the opportunity, have received shorter sentences, been ordered into treatment or won acquittals. All should have the opportunity to have their sentences reviewed, with the possibility of modification or alteration by qualified lawyers involved in an intensive outreach effort. While it may serve as a mitigating factor in a parole hearing, in negotiating a plea, in a motion for sentence reduction or in the gubernatorial grant of clemency or pardon. Certainly, ALL are worthy of treatment and opportunity for sentence review and possible release. NAM VET Newsletter Page 24 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 It has been said that our courts are the social barometers for our country's mood. The incarcerated survivors of the Vietnam experience are paying a higher price in the Judicial System they risked their lives defending, with minimum and maximum sentences consistently exceeding reported state averages. It was in those courts where the battles were lost and the prisons are the grave sites of the living dead, the "Forgotten Warrior". To insure public safeguards, RELEASE should be granted only after successful treatment, and a "paper trail" of accountability is established. Evaluation must be made by conscientious Parole Board members who have an educated awareness of the veterans' unique experience. Approximately six months prior to release, veterans should participate in an intensified pre-release program to include: counseling, orientation, parole understanding, housing, budgeting, community, employment opportunities, transportation systems and family expectations, coupled with financial assistance when needed. When no family is available, a Halfway House setting could be used to help monitor the veteran's adjustment and assist in his/her complete resocialization. The first six months are the most difficult and recidivism is at its highest, so constant support during this time is needed. State Parole, in conjunction with local Vet Centers, would be a recommended support effort for at least the first year after release. It would also be beneficial if local Vet Centers would hire some of these returning veterans to work as Peer Counselors... for who knows better the major problems faced by recently released vets. Peer counseling successes of the Vet Center is a proven way home. These veterans also need to be advised about their veterans' benefits and entitlements and assisted in receiving them. After going through the identification process, the vulnerability of evaluation, the relived trauma of therapy, the unpredictability of sentence review, and the anxiety of a parole hearing, it is my prayer that many of these deserving veterans will finally feel that they have made it home... at long last! "THERE ARE NO REAL EXPERTS OUT THERE!!" is the deduction made by an incarcerated Vietnam Veteran who has spent many years working toward his own rehabilitation, as well as for many others. Yes, there are giants in their field. Yes, they understand the clinical aspects of P.T.S.D. Yes, they are knowledgeable and educated. Yes, many do truly care, but they have not lived the "experience" of Vietnam and spent years in incarceration. While it is true these veterans have committed crimes, it may be a very narrow perspective of who they are and what they have accomplished. Some have expertise concerning the incarcerated Vietnam veteran beyond that of the professionals, simply because they have experienced it, studied it, developed programs for it, and lived it. They have expertise through experience that would be invaluable in all areas discussed and their opinions should be sought and taken seriously. NAM VET Newsletter Page 25 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 It is estimated that 20% of all Vietnam Veterans are presently in some form of incarceration. The divorce rate for all Vietnam Veterans is over 50%. The suicide rate is probably higher than the 2.5% known. Between 40% and 60% of all Vietnam Veterans have had persistent problems with emotional adjustment. Those with drug and alcohol problems is estimated between 50% and 75%. Those who are unemployed are 40%, and 25% earn less than $7,000 a year. Who knows how many are homeless? There can be no question that there is a problem and it needs to be recognized, dealt with and resolved, so that these who sacrificed can have the opportunity to live like normal Americans. There are many organizations and treatment facilities available to the veterans, but inaccessible for the incarcerated veteran. What has been accomplished, they have either done or initiated themselves, but it isn't enough. The years are slipping away. Already half their lives have been spent in suffering or incarceration... how much longer must they wait? "Our country has assumed an obligation to facilitate the healing of the physical and psychological wounds of war, not just to Vietnam Veterans, but to all America's war veterans. This healing consists of a knowledge of damage inflicted by war, an understanding of the effects of war and a sensitivity to the human destruction caused by war... including P.T.S.D." Our voted and appointed officials must address this most grave issue, must end this travesty of justice, and hear the cries of thousands of "Forgotten `warriors", the incarcerated Vietnam Veterans. These men risked their lives and sanity when they answered our country's call to duty and they are still risking and fighting, only now behind the dismal walls of every prison in our country. This nation, as a government and a society, needs to show their gratitude, acknowledge and assume their responsibility, and BRING THESE VETERANS HOME, through identification, evaluation, treatment, sentence review and the opportunity for release. Partial list of documentation: REVEILLE, Volume 3, Issue 1 NAM VET, Chuck Dean, PMIM, P O Box 440 Mountlake Terrace WA 98043 VETERAN, Vol 9, #s 9/10, Vol 9, #3, Vietnam Veterans of America Washington, D.C. THE FORGOTTEN WARRIOR: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and its Implications and Relation to Expansion of Rehabilitation Programs for Incarcerated Vietnam Veterans in the New York State Prison System, Dennis Babik CHARLIE MIKE, Vol 2, #s 10/12, Vol 3, #s 6/10, Green Haven, Stormville, New York 12582 THE EAGLE SPEAKS, Vol 6 #5, April 1989 West Jefferson, Bessemer, Alabama 35023 MCF FACTOR: April, 1989, Muskegon, Michigan 49442 PRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE TEMPORARY STATE COMMISSION ON VIETNAM VETERANS, Veterans Day, 1987 THE INCIDENCE OF READJUSTMENT PROBLEMS AMONG VIETNAM VETERANS IN NEW YORK STATE, Nov., 1987 CONTINUING READJUSTMENT PROBLEMS AMONG VIETNAM VETERANS, Disabled American Veterans, Illinois NAM VET Newsletter Page 26 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= C o u r t o f V e t e r a n s A p p e a l s ================================================================= Court of Veterans Appeals Forms 1 Input by Jim Hildwine NAM VETs Federal Benefits Section Editor VetPoint 47 - Shady Side, MD Form 1 UNITED STATES COURT OF VETERANS APPEALS NOTICE OF APPEAL __________________________________, APPELLANT, v. VA File No._____ __________________________________(name) SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, Appellee. Notice is hereby given that ________________________________, Appellant, appeals to the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals from the decision of the Board of Veterans' Appeals mailed on the ____ day of ______________, 19______, Description of decision of part thereof appealed from:_____ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Notice of Disagreement filing date:________________________ Regional Office of Appellant:______________________________ Notice of Appeal Filed by: ________Appellant _____Appellant's Attorney_______Appellant's Representative ___________________________________________________________ Printed name of appellant's attorney or representative filing Notice of Appeal _____________________________________________________________ Signature of person filing Notice of Appeal ______________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________ Telephone __________________________________________________________________ D.C. or State Bar Number (if applicable) NAM VET Newsletter Page 27 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ________________________________________________________________ Bar/Jurisdiction (if applicable) NAM VET Newsletter Page 28 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 Court of Veterans Appeals Form 4 Input by Jim Hildwine NAM VETs Federal Benefits Section Editor VetPoint 47 - Shady Side, MD Form 4 Motion and Affidavit to Appeal Without Payment of Costs UNITES STATES COURT OF VETERANS APPEALS COVA NO. ____________ __________________________________________________________________ Appellant, V. ________________________________________________________(Name), Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Appellee. Appellant herby moves for leave to appeal without payment of cost in this case and submits the following affidavit in support thereof: I, ____________________________, am the appellant in the above-entitled case. In support of my motion to appeal without being required to pay the cost I state that I am unable to pay the cost because of the hardship it will cause; that I believe I am entitled to redress. I further swear that the responses which I have made to the questions and instruction below relating to my ability to pay the docketing fee are true. 1. Are you presently employed? ___________ a. If the answer is yes, state the amount of your salary or wages per month and give name and address of your employer. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ page 2 b. If the answer is no, state the date of your last employment and the amount of the salary and wages per month which you received. ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 2. Have you received within the past 12 months any income NAM VET Newsletter Page 29 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 from a business, profession, other form of self- employment, rent payments, interest, dividends, retirement, annuity payments, alimony, welfare, social security, veterans benefits, disability compensation, workers compensation, or any other source? _____________________________ If the answer is yes, describe each sources of income, and state the amount received from each during the past 12 months. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 3. Do you own any cash or have any checking or savings accounts?_________________ If the answer is yes, state the total amount of cash owned and the average monthly balance in any account. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 4. Do you own any real estate, stocks, bonds, notes, automobiles, or other valuable property (excluding ordinary household furnishings and clothing)? _______________________ If the answer is yes, describe the property and state its approximate value. ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 5. List the persons who you are actually support and state your relationship to those persons. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 6. Have you ever filed a motions in this Court to appeal without payment of costs in any other appeal? ___________ Page 3 If the answer is yes, state the name and docket number of the appeal. _____________________________________________________________ 7. Have you retained an attorney to represent you?_______ ________________ __________________________ Date Appellant's Signature NAM VET Newsletter Page 30 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 _________________________ _________________________ Address ________________________ Telephone SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO me the ______day of_______________________ 19_____. ___________________________ Notary Public or other officer authorized to administer oath. NAM VET Newsletter Page 31 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= V e t e r a n B e n e f i t s ================================================================= U. S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Esteban E. Torres, M.C. HOUSE APPROVES 4.9% COLA INCREASE FOR DISABLED VETERANS October 30, 1989 Dear Friend: The House has passed legislation (H.R. 1335) providing a 4.9% cost-of-living increase for service-connected disabled veterans and their survivors, effective December 1, 1989. This COLA will be provided to nearly 2.2 million disabled veterans and approximately 300,000 widows and survivors of veterans who died of service-connected causes. The Administration had originally sought only a 3.6 percent increase for 1990 in their budget proposals made earlier this year. H.R. 1335 also provides an increase in the special monthly compensation payable for certain veterans who have incurred a service-connected loss, or loss of use of, a single extremity or certain other body organs or functions. This benefit, which was last increased by one dollar in 1968, will be increased from $63 per month to $66, effective December 1, 1989. Please let me know if there is ever any way I can be of assistance to you. Sincerely, /s/ ESTEBAN E. TORRES Member of Congress NAM VET Newsletter Page 32 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= A g e n t O r a n g e ================================================================= Agent Orange Review Information for Veterans Who Served in Vietnam Vol. 7, No. 1 October 1989 Input by: G. Joseph Peck NAM VET's Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA 413-443-6313 ABOUT THE "REVIEW"... This issue of the "Agent Orange Review" was prepared by VA's Environmental Medicine Office. (Responsibility for this publication was recently transferred to this office from VA's Office of Public affairs, which prepared all previous issues with support from the Environmental Medicine Office.) The "Review" is published periodically to provide information on Agent Orange and related matters to Vietnam veterans, their families, and others with concerns about Agent Orange. The most recent issue was published in October 1988. This issue describes Secretary Derwinski's commitment to veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange, explains that disability regulations are being revised, updates VA and other Federal research efforts, provides information about other VA activities (including the Agent Orange Registry examination program, advisory committees, Environmental Medicine Office), includes referral information concerning the class action lawsuit, discusses State efforts, and offers information regarding several other matters. Comments or questions about the content of these articles and suggestions for future issues of this publication should be sent to the Director, Environmental Medicine Office (10B/AO), VA Central Office, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420. Requests for additional copies of this issue, should also be directed to the Environmental Medicine Office. Please specify the number of copies you are requesting. VA facilities should order additional copies from the VA Supply Depot. If you have had an Agent Orange Registry examination and have questions about the examinations or your results, contact the environmental physician at the VA medical center where you had the examination. If you have questions about VA benefits, contact a veterans benefits counselor at the VA facility nearest you. The telephone number can be found in your telephone book under "U.S. Government" listings. SECRETARY DERWINSKI ON AGENT ORANGE Shortly after his appointment as Administrator of Veterans Affairs, Edward J. Derwinski, who served 24 years in the U.S. House of Representatives prior to 6 years in the State Department, sought and obtained a comprehensive briefing on the VA Agent Orange program. He quickly assembled VA's most knowledgeable experts on Agent Orange. Mr. Derwinski also met with individuals outside VA to get other perspectives on this most difficult and controversial issue. NAM VET Newsletter Page 33 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 On March 16, 1989, one day following the White House ceremony installing him as the first Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Mr. Derwinski attended a meeting of the Department's Advisory Committee on Health Related Effects of Herbicides. This group, which includes a number of individuals from the veteran community, meets on a regular basis to assist VA in developing appropriate policies in the best interests of Vietnam veterans who may have been exposed to herbicides during their military service. Secretary Derwinski's participation in the Advisory Committee meeting underlined his interest in and concern about this issue and provided concrete evidence of the importance of this issue on his agenda. The Secretary's involvement in this meeting also reflected the respect and high regard that he has for this Committee and its members. On May 11, 1989, Secretary Derwinski held a news conference to announce the Department's position on a recent U.S. District Court decision invalidating a portion of the VA regulations which govern the payment of compensation for specific diseases relating to exposure to Agent Orange. Secretary Derwinski said that he would not appeal the decision. He explained that it was his view "that an appeal would not be in the best interests of the Administration or the veterans community served by this Department." He declared that VA would take a "fresh look" at the issue, that the regulations will be rewritten and published for public comment as soon as possible, and that claims that have been denied will be reconsidered. His action won widespread acclaim from Congress, veterans organizations, and the news media. COMPENSATION REGULATIONS REVISION UNDERWAY On July 18, 1989, the Department of Veterans Affairs released for public comment a "proposed rule" to amend its regulation on scientific and medical study evaluations to establish criteria for determining when a significant statistical association exists between exposure to dioxin or ionizing radiation and specific diseases. The proposal was published in the FEDERAL REGISTER. The proposed amendment was prompted by a decision of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in NEHMER, ET. AL. V. U.S. VETERANS ADMINISTRATION, ET. AL. in early May invalidating a portion of VA regulations on the handling of some disability compensation claims. The District Court struck down the VA provision indicating that due to the lack of scientific evidence concerning a cause-and- effect relationship between dioxin exposure and the development of diseases other than chloracne, any such disability and death claims based upon other diseases are generally to be denied. (Exceptions exist if the disease can be shown to have been present during military service or, for some diseases, within statutorily prescribed periods thereafter.) The Court concluded that in the process of deciding which diseases would be recognized as being caused by Agent Orange, VA used an erroneous and too demanding standard. Rather than using the cause-and-effect standard, the Court indicated that VA should have recognized any disease for which the scientific evidence shows there is a "significant statistical association" with exposure to dioxin. The Court also ruled that in evaluating the scientific literature, VA should have applied the "reasonable doubt" standard used when weighing evidence in individual claims. This long- NAM VET Newsletter Page 34 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 standing VA rule of claims adjudication provides that if the weight of evidence tending to support a claim is in balance (or near balance) with that tending to oppose it, the benefit of doubt goes to the claimant (that is, the veteran or dependent). Because a specific portion of VA's regulation was invalidated, VA claims decisions based upon it since its adoption in 1985 were also voided. Before those claims can be readjudicated, the new regulatory standard for review of scientific studies must be established. Secretary Derwinski pledged in May that the Department would proceed expeditiously in revising the voided regulations in consultation with the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards, as required by law. The Committee was consulted, and a proposed amended rule specifying the standard that will be used to evaluate scientific studies was published on July 18, 1989. As soon as all the public comments have been carefully reviewed and any appropriate changes made, a final regulation will be published. After publication of the new regulation, the Committee will review the scientific evidence utilizing the new standard. Favorable recommendations from the Committee on "significant statistical associations" will be followed by amendment of adjudication regulations. A review of prior claims from individual veterans will then be undertaken. AMERICAN LEGION STUDY PUBLISHED; COMPARED WITH CDC EFFORT In December 1988, ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH published five papers describing the results of the American Legion-Columbia University Vietnam Veterans Study, an investigation of long-term health consequence of military service in Vietnam. This study can be compared with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Vietnam Experience Study (VES) in many respects. METHODOLOGY There are important similarities and differences in the methods and objectives of the VES, described in detail in the last issue of "Review," and the American Legion study. Both studies were cross-sectional surveys of current and past health status among Vietnam veterans compared to veterans of the same era who served in locations other than Southeast Asia. Both studies used questionnaires to assess current health status. The VES included a personal interview, physical and psychological testing, and laboratory examination of some veterans. The American Legion study used only a self-administered written questionnaire. The method used to assess herbicide exposure was less rigorous than that attempted and abandoned as invalid by CDC. Investigators in American Legion study did not validate herbicide exposure estimates by using military records or by measuring levels of dioxin in blood. The Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and Science Panel of Domestic Policy Council's Agent Orange Working Group both have criticized the American Legion study because of the questionable validity of the herbicide exposure index. RESULTS Despite the differences between these studies and the controversy surrounding their methodology, both the VES and the American Legion study demonstrated that Vietnam veterans report more current and past health problems than non-Vietnam veterans. They also report more adverse reproductive outcomes and more health problems among their children. NAM VET Newsletter Page 35 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 In the VES, reported medical problems were associated with recall of herbicide exposure among Vietnam veterans. Those veterans who did not think they were exposed to herbicides during Vietnam service reported no more health problems than did non- Vietnam veterans. In the American Legion study the perception of poor health among Vietnam veterans was associated with both combat and herbicide exposure as assessed by the questionnaire. The American Legion study also revealed a strong correlation between reported combat exposure and herbicide exposure making it difficult to independently assess the impact of either of these by itself. The medical examination and testing performed on some of the participants in the VES failed to confirm most of the adverse health effects reported in the telephone interviews. The only difference between Vietnam and non-Vietnam veterans that were confirmed by medical examinations were hearing loss, the presence of blood in feces, lower sperm counts, and altered sperm morphology. There was no evidence of differences in fertility or reproductive success associated with the differences in sperm characteristics. Medical examinations were not performed in the American Legion study. Psychological diagnoses depended upon telephone interview. Both studies showed major differences between Vietnam veterans and non-Vietnam veterans with regard to psychological well-being. The American Legion study showed a much greater prevalence of symptoms characteristic of post traumatic stress disorder among Vietnam veterans than among non-Vietnam veterans. Neurologic function tests performed in the VES showed no differences between Vietnam and non-Vietnam veterans. In summary, both studies indicate that Vietnam veterans perceive themselves to be in poorer health than non-Vietnam veterans. The American Legion study indicates that this perception may correlate with subjective and unvalidated assessment of exposure to herbicides and/or combat. The VES suggests that most of the perceived adverse health effects cannot be confirmed objectively by medical examination. The perception of poor health is important and a biochemical basis for this perception cannot be ruled out. CDC SELECTED CANCERS STUDY NEARS COMPLETION With the Vietnam Experience Study completed and published and the Agent Orange Exposure Study canceled, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta are now focusing on the third component of the Congressionally mandated epidemiology study, the Selected Cancers Study.) The Selected Cancers Study is designed to determine if Vietnam veterans are at increased risk of contracting any of five specific cancers: soft tissue sarcoma, lymphoma, nasal, nasopharyngeal, and liver cancer. The data collection phase of this study component began in 1985 and is nearing completion. CDC officials anticipate publication of the study findings in 1990. NEW RANCH HAND STUDY RESULTS RELEASED On April 17, 1989, the Air Force released a mortality update of its long-term study, entitled AIR FORCE HEALTH STUDY (PROJECT RANCH HAND II), AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC INVESTIGATION OF HEALTH EFFECTS IN AIR FORCE PERSONNEL FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO HERBICIDES. The purpose of this ongoing study is to determine whether individuals NAM VET Newsletter Page 36 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 involved in herbicide spraying in Vietnam during the Ranch Hand operation experienced any adverse health effects as a result of participation in that program. The study is designed to evaluate mortality (death) and morbidity (disease) in these individuals over a 20-year period beginning in 1982. The initial mortality report was released in June 1983, and the initial morbidity report in February 1984. Follow-up mortality reports were released in 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1989. A follow-up morbidity report was published in 1988. The study has not demonstrated health effects which can be conclusively attributed to herbicide or dioxin exposure. Ranch Hand personnel were compared with selected Air Force organizational united with a mission of flying cargo to, from, and in Vietnam during the same period. Individuals were matched to each Ranch Hander by job category, race, and age to the closest month of birth. The 1989 report showed no statistical difference between the cumulative mortality of 1,261 Ranch Hands and that of 6,250 matched comparisons and the entire population of 19,101 comparisons. The researchers found that 5.8% of the Ranch Hands, 6.02% of the matched comparisons, and 5.44% of the comparison population have died. The investigative team, headed by Dr. William W. Wolfe, Colonel, USAF, MC, concluded that the overall cumulative mortality of the Ranch Hand personnel remains statistically indistinguishable from that of both their matched comparisons and the entire comparison population, although there is a statistically significant increasing trend in post-1983 death rates among Ranch Hand digestive system deaths relative to the comparison population; these findings are not suggestive of an herbicide effect. Ranch Hands are equivalent to all comparisons in cumulative accidental, malignant neoplasm and circulatory system mortality. VA RESEARCH - A PROGRESS REPORT Substantial progress has been made in a number of VA research efforts investigating possible adverse health effects of military service in Vietnam and exposure to herbicides including Agent Orange. Several of the published studies were described in detail in the October 1988 issue of the "Agent Orange Review." Investigations summarized in that issue included two VA soft- tissue sarcoma studies, the VA Vietnam Veteran Mortality Study, and the VA-funded Vietnam Experience Study, conducted by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control. Additional significant VA research is described below. ADIPOSE TISSUE STUDY VA, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recently completed a very detailed analysis of adipose tissue specimens from 200 men of the Vietnam-era age group. The specimens were analyzed for 2,3,7,8-TCDD, the contaminant found in one of the ingredients of Agent Orange, and sixteen other dioxins and dibenzofurans. Researchers used adipose tissue collected for the EPA's National Human Adipose Tissue Survey. A total of 40 Vietnam veterans, 80 non-Vietnam veterans, and 80 civilians were selected and their archived tissues were analyzed. Investigators found that the average level of 2,3,7,8-TCDD in adipose tissue of Vietnam veterans was not significantly different from that of non-Vietnam veterans or civilians. This was the case both with and without adjustment for several demographic variables. Furthermore, the tests showed no association between NAM VET Newsletter Page 37 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 TCDD levels and Agent Orange exposure opportunity estimations based on military records. MORTALITY STUDY FOLLOW-UP VA is conducting five follow-up studies to confirm or complement the findings of the VA Vietnam Veterans Mortality Study, published in the "Journal of Occupational Medicine" in May 1988 and described in the "Agent Orange Review" in October 1988. VA is updating the mortality study by including an additional 11,000 Vietnam era veterans' deaths. These deaths occurred between 1982 and 1984. Inclusion of the additional data provides enhanced statistical power for the study and also allows investigators to detect cases with longer latency periods. This is important because some diseases that may be associated with Agent Orange exposure or Vietnam service may take a long time to develop. Data analysis are completed for this follow-up project, and a report is being prepared. A separate analysis is being completed for Army veterans who served in the I Corps area of Vietnam. This is an effort to determine whether Army veterans who were stationed in the same geographic areas as Marine Corps veterans experienced mortality patterns similar to the Marines. (Marine Corps Vietnam veterans appeared to have relatively more deaths from lung cancer and non- Hodgkin's lymphoma.) The U.S. Army and Joint Services Environmental Support Group assisted VA in researching troop locations for given time periods. A report is being prepared. Given the widely accepted view of a causal relationship between smoking and lung cancer, a special effort was made to examine military medical records of Marines in the mortality study who died from lung cancer in an attempt to determine their smoking status. Unfortunately, investigators were unable to determine who smoked. VA reviewed the Patient Treatment File for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease among Vietnam era veterans who have been treated in VA medical centers. Patients will be compared with respect to service in Vietnam and other military service factors. If military service in Vietnam is not associated with an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease, then the proportion of veterans having served in Vietnam or having certain military characteristics should be similar for both the cases and control patients. A separate mortality study has been designed exclusively for Marine Corps Vietnam veterans. The only study providing an overall mortality rate of Vietnam veterans is a cohort mortality study published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC effort was restricted to Army veterans. A substantial portion (approximately 20%) of U.S. ground troops in Vietnam were Marines. Unlike the Army units, the Marine Corps units were located in one geographic area, I Corps. In view of the VA mortality study results and the lack of overall mortality rates as well as cause- specific mortality rates for Marine Vietnam veterans, a separate mortality study for Marine veterans is being conducted. In October 1988, the VA awarded a contract for the abstraction of military records of 10,000 Marine Vietnam veterans and 10,000 Marine veterans who did not serve in Vietnam. A pilot study was completed in December 1988 to test the military records abstraction forms and procedures. Identifying information is being submitted to the National Personnel Records Center to obtain the military personnel records needed for the study. Military record abstraction is expected to be completed by October 1990. NAM VET Newsletter Page 38 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 WOMEN VIETNAM VETERANS MORTALITY STUDY The health effects of military service in Vietnam are being evaluated for women who served in Vietnam. The study cohort consists of all women who were on active duty in Vietnam. Approximately 5,000 female Vietnam veterans were identified from morning reports and military records to verify Vietnam service dates; military occupations have been abstracted as well. Every cause of death among female Vietnam veterans will be compared with those among female Armed Forces veterans who did not serve in Vietnam. A comparison cohort of approximately the same size as the study cohort has been identified and military records have been abstracted. Data analysis are expected to be completed by December 1989. A report will be available in the summer of 1990. ARMY CHEMICAL CORPS MORTALITY STUDY VA researchers are also examining health effects of chemical exposures during military service in Vietnam among men who were assigned to Army chemical units, which were responsible for detecting and counteracting enemy chemical warfare by using riot control agents and for defoliating vegetation using phenoxy herbicides. Because they were involved in the mixing and application of these chemicals, they were likely to have had heavier exposure to them than ground troops. Nearly 1,000 men who served in Army chemical units in Vietnam between 1965 and 1971 have been identified from unit morning reports. This study will examine mortality and morbidity among men who served in Army chemical units in Vietnam. Data analysis are expected to be completed by September 1989. A report will be available in the spring of 1990. READJUSTMENT STUDY The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study found that a majority of Vietnam theater veterans have made a successful re- entry to civilian life and currently experience few symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other readjustment problems. Although in general, male Vietnam theater veterans do not differ greatly in their current life adjustment from their era counterparts, there is some evidence that female theater veterans currently experience more readjustment problems than other Vietnam era veteran women of similar age and military occupation. The study found that 15.2 percent of all male Vietnam veterans and 8.5 percent of Vietnam veteran women currently suffer from PTSD. The study also indicated that PTSD in the Vietnam veteran population is associated with significant levels of morbidity, reflected in higher levels of employment, family and educational difficulties. The rates of PTSD are higher for black and Hispanic veterans than among white veterans. SUICIDE IN VIETNAM VETERANS Potential risk factors for suicide among 38 Vietnam veterans were examined using 46 Vietnam veterans who died from motor vehicle accidents as a comparison group. The veterans were selected from Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's files and covered the period 1977 to 1982. No military service factor was associated with suicide. The characteristics of Vietnam veteran suicide cases were not substantially different from non-Vietnam veteran suicides with respect to known demographic risk factors. The psychological profile of Vietnam veteran suicide cases was NAM VET Newsletter Page 39 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 also similar to non-Vietnam veteran suicide cases in most instances. Symptoms related to PTSD were observed more frequently among suicide cases than accident cases. However, suicides were not associated with specific combat experiences or military occupation. The extent of combat experience in Vietnam per se as measured in this study was not a good predictor of suicide death. VETERANS' ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS ASSISTS VA Public Law 98-542, Veterans' Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act, enacted October 24, 1984, directed VA to establish a fifteen member advisory committee known as the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards. The Committee was chartered on March 11, 1985, and has held 11 meetings since then. The most recent meeting was on June 26, 1989. Under the law the Committee is charged with responsibility for advising VA on guidelines and (where appropriate) standards and criteria for the resolution of claims for VA benefits where the criteria for eligibility include a requirement that a death or disability be service connected and the claim of service connection is based on a veteran's exposure during service in Vietnam to a herbicide containing dioxin, or in connection with such veteran's participation in atmospheric nuclear tests or with the American occupation of Hiroshima or Nagasaki, Japan, prior to July 1, 1946, to ionizing radiation from the detonation of a nuclear device. To accomplish this function, the Committee has reviewed the results of a large number of scientific studies, including more than a hundred publications on Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam. The Committee is currently assisting the Department in a major revision of the Agent Orange regulations to ensure that they are consistent with the recent court decision described elsewhere in this issue. The Committee is primarily composed of medical and scientific authorities on dioxin, ionizing radiation, and related scientific disciplines. Mr. Oliver Meadows chairs the full Committee, and Dr. Armon Yanders, the Committee's Scientific Council. No Committee member is a VA employee. Mr. Frederic L. Conway, III, Special Assistant to the VA's General Counsel, serves as Executive Secretary. The next meeting is planned for November 2-3, 1989. For additional information regarding that meeting and the Advisory Committee, write to Mr. Frederic L. Conway, III, Special Assistant to the General Counsel (02C), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20420. CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT REFERRAL INFORMATION The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has received a large number of inquiries regarding the status of claims for compensation from the Agent Orange Settlement Fund, established as a result of the settlement of a class action lawsuit ("Agent Orange" Product Liability Litigation) brought by Vietnam veterans and their families against the manufacturers of Agent Orange. Neither VA nor any other Federal department or agency is directly involved in the distribution of the settlement funds. Information on this matter can be obtained by calling, toll-free 1-800-225-4712, and writing to the Agent Orange Veteran Payment Program, P.O. Box 110, Hartford, Connecticut 06104. VA AGENT ORANGE INFORMATION AVAILABLE NAM VET Newsletter Page 40 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 During the past eight years VA has produced a substantial amount of information on Agent Orange. Some of this information has been published in independent scientific journals, but much of it has been released as VA documents. PRINTED ITEMS A great deal of information is quite technical. A multi-volume publication, entitled REVIEW OF LITERATURE ON HERBICIDES, INCLUDING PHENOXY HERBICIDES AND ASSOCIATED DIOXINS, is prepared primarily for use by researchers, physicians, scientists, and others with similar backgrounds. The initial two volumes were released in 1981, in response to a requirement of Public Law 96- 151. Updates (in two volume sets) were issued in 1984 and each year thereafter. The Government Printing Office offered some of the earlier volumes for purchase although many are now out of print. Copies of all volumes are maintained at all VA medical center libraries. The literature reviews were prepared for VA by independent contractors. To assist non-technical readers in understanding the complex issues involving Agent Orange and other herbicides, VA publishes a series of "lay language" summaries, entitled SYNOPSIS OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE ON PHENOXY HERBICIDES AND ASSOCIATED DIOXINS. Copies of these booklets have been sent to all VA medical center libraries. Three technical books were also published by VA on matters related to herbicides and concerns of Vietnam veterans and their families. Since these books each focus on a single limited topic they are known as monographs. The monographs published to date are CADOCYCLIC ACID: AGRICULTURAL USES, BIOLOGIC EFFECTS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FATE by Ronald D. Hood, Ph.D.; BIRTH DEFECTS AND GENETIC COUNSELING by Annemarie Sommer, M.D.; and HUMAN EXPOSURE TO PHENOXY HERBICIDES by Terry L. Lavy, Ph.D. Each of these documents is maintained in all VA medical center libraries. In November 1982, VA's Office of Public and Consumer Affairs (now known as the Office of Public Affairs) initiated publication of the "Agent Orange Review" newsletter as part of VA's expanded program to provide information on Agent Orange to concerned veterans and their families. This periodical has been published ten times since the inaugural issue. The mailing list has grown significantly in the past seven years. All recipients of the Agent Orange Registry examination automatically are included in the distribution. Veterans service organizations and State Agent Orange commissions are programs also receive substantial quantities. Copies are available at all VA medical facilities and regional offices. Approximately 500,000 copies of the newsletter are printed. In October 1988, VA's Environmental Medicine Office prepared a series of 13 fact sheets, known as "Agent Orange Briefs," designed to answer questions regarding Agent Orange and related matters. The "Briefs" were distributed to all VA medical centers, Vet Centers, and regional offices. The following "Briefs" are currently available: (1) Agent Orange - General Information; (2) Agent Orange Registry; (3) Agent Orange Litigation; (4) Agent Orange - Research Problem; (5) Agent Orange - Priority Treatment Program; (6) Agent Orange and Birth Defects; (7) Agent Orange and Chloracne; (8) Agent Orange and VA Disability Compensation; (9) Agent Orange and Soft Tissue Sarcoma; (10) Agent Orange and Related Research - VA Efforts; (11) Agent Orange and Related Research - Non-VA Efforts; (12) Agent Orange and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma; and (13) VA Publications on Agent Orange and Related NAM VET Newsletter Page 41 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 Matters. For additional information on the "Briefs," contact the Agent Orange Coordinator at the nearest VA medical center to write to the Environmental Medicine Office (10B/AO), VA Central Office, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420. VIDEOTAPES In addition to this printed matter, VA has produced several videotape programs regarding Agent Orange. In January 1981, the initial program, entitled "Agent Orange: A Search for Answers," was released. The videotape explained what Agent Orange was, where and how it was used in Vietnam,, why concerns arose among those exposed to it, and what VA was doing in response to these concerns. The videotape was distributed widely throughout the VA system. The program received an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It was also honored by the Health Education Communication Association and the Network for Continuing Medical Education and by the International Television Association. In 1986, VA completed and distributed a training videotape for Medical Administration Service staff to sensitize these personnel to Agent Orange concerns and issues. Last year VA released another videotape program, entitled "Agent Orange: An Update," designed to update the initial videotape. All three programs were produced by the Regional Learning Resources Service, VA Medical Center, St. Louis and were distributed to all medical center libraries. VA HERBICIDE ADVISORY COMMITTEE RENEWED On June 26, 1989, Secretary Derwinski took action to formally renew the VA Advisory Committee on Health-Related Effects of Herbicides for an additional two years. The Committee, originally established in 1979, has five primary functions under its charter. The Committee has and will (1) review and make recommendations relative to VA's programs to assist Vietnam veterans who were exposed to herbicides (such recommendations may concern the information delivery system and outreach efforts, scheduling of Agent Orange-related examinations, essential follow-up activities and related matters); (2) advise the Secretary on VA Agent Orange-related programs, programs of the Federal GOVERNMENT< AND State programs which are designed to assist veterans exposed to herbicides, and simultaneously, will minimize duplication of VA and other Federal programs concerned with the Agent Orange issue; (3) receive and review information from veterans service organizations regarding services provided by VA to Vietnam veterans concerned about the possible adverse health effects of exposure to herbicides; (4) Review any comment on proposals for research on the possible health effects of exposure to herbicides; and (5) serve as a forum for individual veterans to inform VA of their views on policy issues and on the operation of Department programs designed to assist veterans exposed to herbicides and dioxins in Vietnam. The Committee meets two to three times annually in VA Central Office. Eight to twelve members are authorized. Members come from varied backgrounds. Physicians, attorneys, scientists, officials of national veterans service organizations, State officials, and individuals with other experiences serve on the Committee. Several members are Vietnam veterans. Dr. Michael Gough, a Senior Fellow with the Center for Risk Management, Resources for the Future, has chaired the Committee since 1987. Dr. Gough previously served with the congressional Office of NAM VET Newsletter Page 42 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 Technology Assessment. His book, DIOXIN, AGENT ORANGE: THE FACTS, was published in 1986. The Committee met most recently on March 16, 1989, the day after the Veterans Administration became the Department of Veterans Affairs. Secretary Derwinski participated in the meeting. Copies of the minutes are available from the Committee Manager (10B/AO), Environmental Medicine Office, VA Central Office, 810 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20420. Telephone requests should be directed to (202) 233-4117. AGENT ORANGE REGISTRY INFORMATION UPDATED Since 1978, VA health care facilities have offered free medical examinations to Vietnam veterans who are concerned that they may have been exposed to herbicides during their military service and that these herbicides may adversely affect their health. Veterans participating in this voluntary program are given a series of baseline laboratory studies, including a chest x-ray (unless one has been done within the previous six months), complete blood count, blood chemistries and enzyme studies, and urinalysis. Evidence is also sought concerning the following potentially relevant symptoms or conditions: altered sex drive; congenital deformities (that is, birth defects) among children; neoplasms or cancers, including soft tissue sarcoma and lymphoma (including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma); repeated infections; sterility; and difficulties in carrying pregnancies to term. Any veteran who had active military service in Vietnam between 1962 to 1975 and expresses a concern relating to exposure to herbicides may participate in the Registry. Approximately 240,000 Vietnam veterans have already participated in this program. Although the program is more than 11 years old, hundreds of veterans are still visiting VA facilities every month for their examination. Many of these veterans have no medical problems; others present a wide range of ailments. Vietnam veterans interested in receiving the Agent Orange Registry examination or seeking information on this program should contact the nearest VA medical facility. NEW AGENT ORANGE LAW ENACTED Public Law 100-687, signed by President Reagan on November 18, 1988, contains several provisions related to Agent Orange matters. These issues are briefly summarized below. Section 1201, entitled "Funding for Agent Orange Blood Testing," provides that certain funds appropriated to VA for the Centers of Disease Control Agent Orange Study be available for obligation until September 30, 1989 for certain other purposes. Specifically, the law provides $3 million for payment of expenses of the Air Force for blood testing for Project Ranch Hand II personnel. The funds were transferred to the Air Force for that purpose. The section also provides $1 million for payment of expenses of a survey of scientific evidence, studies, and literature relating to health effects of possible exposure to toxic chemicals contained in herbicides used in Vietnam. The law directs that the survey be conducted by an independent scientific entity under contract to VA "pursuant to a law enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act." Since no subsequent law was enacted, the $1 million survey has not been initiated. Section 1202, entitled "Extension of Health-Care Eligibility Based on Agent Orange or Ionizing Radiation Exposure," extends for an additional two years the VA priority treatment program for NAM VET Newsletter Page 43 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 veterans with medical problems possibly, but not necessarily, related to exposure to Agent Orange or ionizing radiation. Under this law, the program will be in effect through December 31, 1990. Section 1203, entitled "Treatment for Needs-Based Benefits Purposes of Amounts Received Under Agent Orange Litigation Settlement," provides that payments received under the settlement of the class action lawsuit brought by Vietnam veterans and their families against the manufacturers of Agent Orange be treated for purposes of laws administered by VA as reimbursement for prior unreimbursed medical expenses, and that these payments not be countable as income for such purposes. Section 1204, entitled "Outreach Services," requires VA to conduct an active, continuous outreach program for furnishing Vietnam veterans information relating to (1) the health risks (if any) resulting from exposure to herbicides in Vietnam, as such information on health risks becomes known; and (2) services and benefits available to such veterans with respect to such health risks. This section also requires VA to organize and update the Agent Orange Registry to enable VA to promptly notify veterans of any increased health risk resulting from exposure to Agent Orange. Section 1205, entitled "Ranch Hand Study," makes changes in the membership requirements for the Ranch Hand Advisory Committee established by the Secretary of Defense. It also provides reporting requirements concerning the progress on the Air Force study. STATES ACT ON AGENT ORANGE ISSUE During the past decade a number of State governments have established their own Agent Orange programs, commissions, and/or studies. The Department of Veterans Affairs is closely monitoring these State initiatives. Two State officials, Mr. Charles F. Conroy, Jr., Director, Agent Orange Assistance Program, West Virginia Department of Health, and Mr. Allen E. Falk, Chairman, New Jersey Agent Orange Commission, serve on the VA Advisory Committee on Health-Related Effects of Herbicides. In addition, Conroy is a member of the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards. In fact, as the only member of both of these two VA advisory committees, Mr. Conroy serves as a link between these groups. At the most recent meeting of Advisory Committee on Health- Related Effects of Herbicides, Mr. Conroy reported that several States have terminated their programs: Georgia (in 1983), Tennessee (1984), Iowa (1985), Ohio (1985), Texas (1985), Kansas (1986), Oregon (1986), Wisconsin (1986), California (1987), and Massachusetts (1988). He noted that the following States have ongoing Agent Orange efforts: West Virginia, New York, Rhode Island, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Virginia, Maryland, and Maine. He added that several of these States may terminate their programs in Fiscal Year 1990. According to Mr. Conroy, most of the States that have any program focus on information sharing with Vietnam veterans i their states and/or conducting surveys or studies. NAM VET Newsletter Page 44 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= H e a r t s n ' M i n d s ================================================================= THIS I BELIEVE by Robert A. Heinlein 1907-1988 from GRUMBLES FROM THE GRAVE copyright 1989 Robert A. Heinlein and Virginia Heinlein Trust Input by Lefty Frizzell NAM VETs Homeless Section Editor The Executive Washroom BBS - Houston, TX I am not going to talk about religious beliefs but about matters so obvious that it has gone out of style to mention them. I believe in my neighbors. I know their faults, and I know that their virtues far outweigh their faults. Take Father Michael down our road a piece. I am not of his creed, but I know that goodness and charity and lovingkindness shine in his daily actions. I believe in Father Mike. If I'm in trouble, I'll go to him. My next-door neighbor is a veterinary doctor. Doc will get out of bed after a hard day to help a stray cat. No fee - no prospect of a fee - I believe in Doc. I believe in my townspeople. You can knock on any door in our town saying, "I'm hungry," and you will be fed. Our town is no exception. I've found the same ready charity everywhere. But for the one who says, "To heck with you - I got mine," there are a hundred, a thousand who will say, "Sure, pal, sit down." I know that despite all warnings against hitchhikers I can step to the highway, thumb for a ride and in a few minutes a car or truck will stop and someone will say, "Climb in Mac - how far you going?" I believe in my fellow citizens. Our headlines are splashed with crime yet for every criminal there are 10,000 honest, decent, kindly men. If it were not so, no child would live to grow up. Business would not go on from day to day. Decency is not news. It is buried in the obituaries, but it is a force stronger than crime. I believe in the patient gallantry of nurses and the tedious sacrifices of teachers. I believe in the unseen and unending fight against desperate odds that goes on quietly in almost every home in the land. I believe in the honest craft of workmen. Take a look around you. There never were enough bosses to check up on all that work. From Independence Hall to the Grand Coulee Dam, these things were built level and square by craftsmen who were honest in their bones. I believe that almost all politicians are honest... there are hundreds of politicians, low paid or not paid at all doing their level best without thanks or glory to make our system work. If NAM VET Newsletter Page 45 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 this were not true we would never have gotten past the thirteen colonies. I believe in Rodger Yound. You and I are free today because of endless unnamed heroes from Valley Forge to the Yalu River. I believe in - I am proud to belong to-the United States. Despite shortcomings from lynchings to bad faith in high places, our nation has had the most decent and kindly internal practices and and foreign policies to be found anywhere in history. And finally, I believe in my whole race. Yellow, white, black, red, brown. In the honesty, courage, intelligence, durability, and goodness of the overwhelming majority of my brothers and sister everywhere on this planet. I am proud to be a human being. I believe that we have come this far by the skin of our teeth. That we always make it just by the skin of our teeth, but that we will make it. Survive. Endure. I believe that this hairless embryo with the aching, oversize brain case and the opposable thumb, this animal barely up from the apes will endure. Will endure longer than his home planet-will spread out to the stars and beyond, carrying with him his honesty and his insatiable curiosity, his unlimited courage and his noble essential decency. This I believe with all my heart. NAM VET Newsletter Page 46 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 VIETNAM VETERANS: THE ROAD TO RECOVERY The Problems of Seeking and Receiving Help By Joel Osler Brende, MD and Erwin Randolph Parsons, PhD Copyright 1985 Input by Kathleen Kelly, Ph.D. NAM VET's PTSD Section Editor The New York Transfer - Staten Island, NY (718) 448-2358 PART II. -------- (Continued from last month) Once a Vietnam veteran considers seeking help, he may wonder what avenue of treatment would be the easiest to follow. At the present time, his most likely route to getting proper help begins with one of the 137 VA Outreach Centers in the country, although he may also visit one of the 172 VA hospitals or seek help from a private counseling center. During the early and mid 1970s he had few places to go for such help. If he went to the VA outpatient clinic, alcohol and drug treatment program, or general psychiatry inpatient unit, he might receive some treatment for current problems in his life, but his chances of becoming disillusioned and disappointed by lack of effective treatment for symptoms of PTSD were high. Hospital treatment at that time was generally ineffective, mainly because of the lack of a proper diagnostic category. Between 62% and 77% of Vietnam veteran patients treated on general psychiatry units were not recognized as having posttraumatic symptoms and received a diagnosis of schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, alcoholism, or drug dependency. Since treatment was determined by the diagnosis, Vietnam veterans who were labeled schizophrenics were treated with antipsychotic medications. Those who were labeled alcoholics were treated in alcoholic treatment units. Those with antisocial characteristics were often labeled sociopathic or borderline personalities and were rarely helped since they were considered thoroughly manipulative, unpredictable, and distrustful of therapists. During the 1970s, many hospital staff personnel, in their failure to understand Vietnam veterans' problems, sometimes responded to their angry denunciation of the VA with comments such as: "Vietnam veterans are just a bunch of character disorders. They don't want to get well. All they want to do is drink up a storm and live here." If a veteran left and returned a second time, personnel again were likely to respond with, "Why do you want to come into the hospital again? I suppose you got drunk and had a fight with your wife. If you can't make it out there, you're probably coming back because you want to get disability compensation." Upon successive readmissions, a Vietnam veteran might even be greeted with, "Do you want to use this place as a home? Guys like you take up all our time and don't give us an opportunity to get on with our real work." NAM VET Newsletter Page 47 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 (Since 1980), however, the VA has begun to recognize that its real work is to help America's veterans with symptoms related to the battlefield. That recognition began after Congress voted to provide funds and President Carter signed Public Law 96-22 on June 13, 1979 for development of the Vietnam veterans' Outreach Program. The director of the program, Dr. Arthur S. Blank, has stated: "The ... nationwide network of Vietnam vet centers -- collectively termed Operation Outreach -- in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands ... treat veterans with a broad range of individual counseling, group counseling (rap groups), and family counseling, as well as offer assistance with problems in employment, education, and VA benefits." As a result of this program, 91 small counseling centers were placed in communities across the country, staffed by four counseling personnel in each. That number has now grown to 185. Many individual VA hospitals have also responded to the need to help Vietnam veterans. Nationwide, 15 have developed specialized treatment programs and others are in the process of developing them. The ... special hospital treatment programs.... have an average bed capacity of 24 and a 3-month average treatment time. Approximately 1425 Vietnam veterans across the country can be treated each year in these Units, although just as many are admitted for short periods of time and receive minimal benefit from the experience. There are also a number of other VA hospitals and VA outpatient clinics where therapists have developed a specialized interest and expertise in providing them psychotherapy. Not all of the approximately 800,000 Vietnam veterans suffering from PTSD need treatment in a hospital; no available statistics accurately cite how many do. And nearly all of the ... inpatient programs have a lengthy waiting list before admission, making it somewhat difficult for a Vietnam veteran to get immediate hospital treatment. However, they will be admitted more quickly when referred by a VA outpatient clinic or Outreach Center. Outreach Center counselors may be called to help a Vietnam veteran in crisis, and are able to get them hospitalized more easily. An upper Midwest Outreach counselor told us that if it weren't for the VA hospital in his city and the psychologist from that hospital who provides him with consultation about counseling difficult patients, his job would be much more difficult. If he must respond to a threat of suicide, physical violence, or a veteran's deteriorating mental condition, his consultant will arrange to have the Vietnam veteran admitted immediately if necessary. But because his hospital does not have a specialized PTSD Treatment Unit, the Outreach counselor will likely get the veteran back from the hospital relatively soon following the crisis and will continue the counseling process on an outpatient basis. Provided the veteran has a stable home environment and a source of income and his counselor is skilled, he may make continued improvement, although he may have new crises requiring hospitalization again. The demand for hospitalization of Vietnam veterans is related to the increasing awareness of the disabling symptoms of PTSD, and NAM VET Newsletter Page 48 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 is sometimes complicated by an immediate need for basic safety and shelter. Darryl, who has a master's degree in literature, described himself as sleeping in a tree in New York's Central Park for a month since he lost his job. During that month, he had been mugged twice and nearly killed by his attackers. Another Vietnam veteran, recently divorced, had become afraid of his own attacks of rage and preferred isolation, sleeping in a tent on a relative's property in Connecticut. With the changing weather in November, however, that lifestyle became impractical. Hospitalization kept him from freezing to death in his tent and, moreover, provided him with treatment for his PTSD symptoms. The shortage of treatment facilities has often created political pressure upon VA hospitals to open up new specialized treatment units. Although political pressure has often worked to force a new program to open, it has been without adequate cooperation from local hospital administrators. The lack of administrative support may stem from the disbelief that Vietnam veterans need special treatment, extra facilities, and additional staff. Even after starting a new program, inpatient administrators may fail to support it through growing pains, often taking 2 or more years, or may not realize the need for a well-trained and dedicated director and trained personnel. Qualified professionals can be found to staff specialized PTSD treatment programs when hospital administrators decide to commit themselves to support them. However, those professionals must be dedicated and willing to see a new program grow and flourish. There can be rewards for those staff who involve themselves in the work. As a nurse on a specialized hospital program said, "I know that a lot of the nursing staff who work on other wards in this hospital don like Vietnam veterans and can't understand why I do. But I have found this work the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Once you have gotten through being tested out by them, Vietnam veterans are very loyal and responsive to anyone who wants to learn about their problems and really wants to help them." For specialized mental health workers to be really effective, they must combine professional competence with integrity and humanness. They obviously need basic professional training, but also need to supplement it with reading the available PTSD literature, attending special PTSD training meetings and workshops, having informal discussions with other mental health professionals in the field, and listening to Vietnam veterans themselves without passing judgment. We, as therapists, have found videotapes effective in our own learning and research. One of us has videotaped about 40 hours of interviews and therapy sessions with these veterans. After reviewing them, we found the process very helpful. We believe and emphasize that it is the personal encounter of the therapist with the patient -- the Vietnam veteran -- that is more important that adhering to traditional psychological formulations. We hold that the therapist must be an emotionally sensitive, experiencing, and empathic person who is open-minded to learning about the veterans' experiences. In our experience, we emphasize that because veterans' reports of guilt-ridden events, such as killing and sadism, provoke considerable anxiety within therapists, traditional therapy methods may be ineffective. We NAM VET Newsletter Page 49 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 thus urge therapists to be aware of their own personal struggles about the Vietnam War and share their own feelings with other therapists or supervisors. At times it may also be appropriate for therapists to share reactions and attitudes with Vietnam veterans in "rap groups." Psychologist Robert Shapiro has described the importance of developing a strong working alliance with these veterans. However it is also important for therapists to maintain enough objectivity in order to avoid overidentifying with their patients' feelings of victimization. Tom Williams, a Vietnam veteran who became a psychologist, suggests that professionals who are veterans of Vietnam may have an advantage over other therapists. They can more rapidly establish trust and facilitate disclosure of war-related experiences. Yet, there is also the problem that Vietnam veteran counselors face potential "burn out" if their own traumatic dreams and memories are reactivated by the stories they hear or if they begin to feel overburdened by the responsibility of helping all their fallen comrades. During the relatively short history of the special treatment programs for Vietnam veterans, there have been few statistic available to determine success. In our opinion, only approximately 50% of those veterans who enter a treatment program with the desire to get better maintain lasting improvement. Long-term outpatient treatment may be more favorable but hospital treatment is less so. For example, the research director of a highly regarded hospital program at one VA Medical Center told us informally that over a 6-month period, 11 of 25 Vietnam veteran patients left the program prematurely because of alcohol or illicit drug use. Of the remaining 14, 3 reported no improvement. These statistics do not tell us why some veterans recover and others don't; however, preliminary evidence and subjective reports suggest that the success of the treatment is related to a number of factors, the psychological approach used during treatment being one of the most important. Thus, it remains a frequent challenge for mental health professionals to tailor the most effective treatment approach to each specific individual veteran seeking help, whether it be crisis intervention, hypnotic uncovering of a traumatic memory, or long-term intensive psychotherapy for bringing about a major posttraumatic personality change. Some do not respond to treatment or maintain the improvement they have made because there exists no stable, growth-producing, or nurturing environment for them at home or work. For those without a family or spouse, some form of a stable environment must be maintained if they are to sustain their level of improvement. We have known, in fact act, a number of Vietnam veterans who have made significant recovery without professional help but only because of the presence of a steady job and a committed and living wife and family. Those without family, job, vocational training, or other environmental support such as regular meetings with other Vietnam veterans, have much less than a 50% chance of sustaining whatever gains they may have made. Those with no jobs waiting or no job prospects at all become discouraged and demoralized, particularly if they feel they are failing their families. While follow-up statistics are not readily available on the success rate of those without good supports at home, the veterans NAM VET Newsletter Page 50 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 themselves are pessimistic about their chances of recovery if those supports are not present. Paul witnessed 30 patients admitted and discharged from the program he was in. He recounted: "I can count on the fingers of one hand those who I know have made it out there after they left this program. And those are the ones whose wives have not left them. I don't think I can make it out there if I leave the program. No one is going to give me a job. I have no wife. And when I leave here, it will be just like leaving 'Nam. Only worse." Fortunately, he was in a hospital that began organizing an aftercare program to provide sheltered employment, semistructured housing (with other Vietnam veterans discharged at the same time) and follow-up psychiatric treatment for those who desired it. In some cases the absence of support at home and stable employment have been considered such stumbling blocks to progress that treatment programs have focused primarily on resolving them. The Menlo Park VA Hospital in Palo Alto, California, which keeps 90 veterans for an average stay of 4 months, has strongly encouraged community activity as part of its program. This helps the veterans feel they are contributing in a meaningful way. Another program, not under the auspices of the VA, began in the early 1970s in the San Francisco area. It has been described by veteran-counselors Chester Paul Adams and Jack McCloskey as emphasizing the development of work patterns and job skills within vocational training programs. For 4 weeks, veterans do the routine operations of a farm in exchange for board, room, and services. The next 4 weeks are dedicated to preparing the veteran for seeking employment or for beginning vocational training in an urban environment. The last portion of the program promotes the development of alumni support groups for those graduating from the program. Such programs are rare, however, and we still do not know their success rates. There are other potential pitfalls in therapy such as different expectations in terms of recovery between therapist and the patient. If a great disparity exists, progress toward recovery may be seriously impaired. The veteran who des not present the therapist with clear goals for his own recovery may face disappointment when, after a period of treatment, he feels no better. Similarly, the therapist who is not aware of the full severity of the veteran's difficulties may expect complete recovery in a brief period and become disappointed if the problems continue or become worse. Both patient and therapist ought to be aware of the range of severity of PTSD symptoms, the process required for recovery, and the time it may take. We know of one Vietnam veteran with above-normal intelligence who, after a year in a hospital program, had improved to the point that the staff personnel expected that he would soon be able to leave the hospital and get a job. But when he angrily resisted, both the staff and he grew disappointed. The staff, nonetheless, accepted his decision to stay. During that extended period, he uncovered additional traumatic memories and emotions related to violence and the death of friends. This enabled him to "work through" and understand better the relation of these experiences to his enormous fear of taking on responsibility. "Expectation dissonance" or a disparity in expectation of progress between staff and patients can also occur in regimented NAM VET Newsletter Page 51 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 treatment programs in which patients are expected to move from one phase of treatment to another at a specified time. If at the end of the final phase of the program, not every veteran is ready for discharge, a frustration emerges for both patient and staff. The problem of "expectation dissonance" occurs so frequently that staffs must find ways to resolve it. One possible resolution is to provide post-hospital continuity of care with the trusted therapist. A second possible resolution might be time flexibility; permitting veterans who need more time to remain in the program. This approach is more likely to succeed when the staff is cognizant that different patients are in different phases of recovery and they require more individualized treatment. A third resolution is for veterans to repeat the program as often as necessary after making partial gains toward recovery. They could return to a stable home environment, and then feel free to return for further treatment if symptoms recur or in the event of a crisis. A fourth resolution is a flexible treatment program wherein both treatment personnel and patients can arrive at mutually agreed-upon goals. A good treatment outcome should be possible when the goals are broad enough, realistic enough, and specific enough to be measured, and the treatment is to be carried out by accomplished personnel. A complication that makes treatment more complex is the multifarious aspects of the diagnosis of PTSD. This diagnosis is often complicated by a patient's having PTSD in association with another problem. The professional would then have to determine the relation of all the diagnostic complexities and their origins. A veteran whose PTSD symptoms are complicated by chronic or cyclic depression, may have suffered serious losses, not only of friends in Vietnam, but of friends and family before and after the war. To help him complete the grieving process, he may need, in addition to psychotherapy or counseling, specific medications for his depression. Other patients who suffered considerable turmoil or family instability prior to Vietnam, have reacted most profoundly to any experience of loss, betrayal, or abandonment. These veterans, sometimes receiving a label of borderline or narcissistic personality, have the most difficulty establishing meaningful relationships, including therapeutic relationships. Their considerable fear of losing anyone fuels their desire to resist development intense bonds with even their therapists, which blocks their chances of improvement. Vietnam veterans with such difficulties may fluctuate from grandiose feelings of omnipotence to profound fear and depression. The combination of individual and group psychotherapy, particularly in a hospital setting, works best for such patients. They will have more personal contact with the therapist and will be subjected to peer pressure in groups of other veterans who can actively help them to contain their self- destructive behavior. For veterans whose treatment is complicated by unpredictable behaviors and memory loss, it is important to recognize that they may have yet other complicating diagnoses. For example, Tim, a 48- year-old veteran, reported frequently personality changes. On one occasion, he found himself in a strange town and did not know how NAM VET Newsletter Page 52 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 he had gotten there. Sometimes people told him that he acted strangely, but he had no memory of what he had done. While his traumatic experiences in Southeast Asia and other symptoms verified the diagnosis of PTSD, his psychiatrist found that he also had two other diagnoses: borderline personality disorder and temporal lobe epilepsy (a type of convulsive disorder). He was placed on specific anticonvulsant medications to control the personality changes, referred to a Vietnam veteran treatment program, and referred to a qualified therapist for long-term psychotherapy, a preferred treatment for his personality disorder. The diagnosis of schizophrenia is today rarely confused with PTSD, although Vietnam veterans in the 1970s were frequently given that diagnosis erroneously. However, there is a small minority of Vietnam veterans whose recovery seemed blocked because of persistent intrusive images, disorganized thought patterns, and an inability to sustain relationships with people. Such patients may suffer from a degree of psychotic thought disorder and generally require specific "antipsychotic" medications to improve thought organization ability and reduces the frequency of intrusive imagery. There are a variety of problems facing both prospective therapists and their Vietnam veteran patients. Legal problems, unstable marriages and jobs, fear of change or becoming worse before getting better, inadequate treatment facilities, untrained therapists, and mixed diagnoses all contribute to the difficulties. Despite all these impediments, approximately half of those Vietnam veterans seeking professional help make steady improvement toward a recovery from PTSD and healthy, fruitful life. * * * Next month: "Recovery Phases" NAM VET Newsletter Page 53 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 A DIFFERENT KIND OF VIETNAM VETERAN, AND HER HEALING MISSION War and Remembrance, DaNang to California By Seth Mydans Special to The New York Times Tuesday Nov 28, 1989, p. A16 Input by: Kathleen Kelly, Ph.D. NAM VET's PTSD Section Editor The New York Transfer - Staten Island, NY (718) 448-2358 ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- Le Ly Hayslip, a Vietnamese woman who was forced by the hardships of war to collaborate with the Vietcong, dabble in the black market and sell her body, is now presenting herself in a book and perhaps a movie as the face of her country's victimized peasantry. Her message, directed particularly toward American veterans, has drawn criticism from Vietnamese here. But it has also tapped a well of feelings among former American soldiers, and they have written her about their sense of guilt and nostalgia for Vietnam. Mrs. Hayslip's memoir, <> (Doubleday, $18.95), was published earlier this year. American reviewers said it filled a need to hear from the millions of Vietnamese who suffered in the war. INTO THE NETHERWORLD The story, which is now being adapted for a possible film to be directed by Oliver Stone, is about a village girl [sic] who, like many Vietnamese, gives her allegiance to the Communist army by night and the South Vietnamese Government by day. Danger and poverty forced her into the urban netherworld, where many learned to thrive in an atmosphere of black marketing and prostitution. Like some other Vietnamese women, she found escape by marrying an American. And now Le Ly Hayslip lives here in a ranch-style house on a rolling Southern California hillside. Mrs. Hayslip has returned to Vietnam six times since 1986 and has formed a nonprofit relief group, East Meets West, which has sent medical supplies to Vietnam. Last month, she opened a clinic in Ky La, the village of her birth, just south of Da Nang. That clinic was financed by Mr. Stone, who directed "Platoon," the 1986 movie that depicted the Vietnam War from the perspective of Americans who fought and died in it. Mrs. Hayslip said she hopes he will be able to film her life story on the dirt paths and in the small thatched houses of her own village, with her relatives and friends there participating. Her book, written with the help of Jay Wurts, a California writer and editor, was greeted with some hostility in Vietnamese emigre newspapers. They questioned her story and voiced suspicions about her sympathies. The reaction reflects the highly factionalized and politicized nature of the Vietnamese community in the United States. NAM VET Newsletter Page 54 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 Mrs. Hayslip says her story speaks for itself and is not unusual. Her politics, she says, are the politics of reconciliation and healing after decades of division. Fourteen years after the war ended, she said, Vietnamese may have had more success than American veterans in coming to terms with the hardships that some of those veterans inflicted. Back in Vietnam Back in Vietnam, talking quietly with her family in the meager light of an oil lamp, she asked, "What did you get out of all this war?" "They turned around and said, `We are happy,'" she went on. "I told them, `You are all poor.' They said: `It seems poor because you come from a rich place. This is the same house you were born in and you are eating the same fish from the same pond.'" American veterans are less at ease with their experiences and their feelings, she said. A man in prison wrote that he had entered "a life in crime" after serving in Vietnam. Another man, divorced and at loose ends, offered to take his skills as a bomb- disposal expert to Vietnam to sweep for unexploded ordnance. A third man, who fired artillery from a hilltop at people he never saw, recalled in a letter to Mrs. Hayslip his daily view of his target. "I often sat on a bunker and with a pair of field glasses looked at the people planting and transplanting and harvesting rice," he wrote. "In the mornings the mist would settle in the valleys, the sun's rays would reflect the mist and we would be surrounded by 1,000 lakes." * * * NAM VET Newsletter Page 55 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 It's finally here - a patch which acknowledges the other side of the Vietnam Veteran: His wife! Hardly needing any explanation, it is multicolor with Red, White, Blue, Green and Gold for the Map of Vietnam. While the text drawing below doesn't really do it justice, I think if you run it out on your printer, you'll sorta get the idea of how special this unique patch is. They are available for $5 each from VETLink #1 - Dept. 65 P O Box 2056 Pittsfield, MASSACHUSETTS 01202 (Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery) @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@ @@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@ V I E T N A M V E T S W I F E @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ :@@@@@@@@@@@: :@@@@@@@@@@@: @@@ @@@ @.............@ @.............@ @@@ @@@ @...............@ @...............@ @@@ @@@ @.................@ @.................@ @@@ @@@ (...................@@...................) @@@ @@@ @............. ..............@ @@@ @@@ @.............. MAP OF USA ..............@ @@@ @@@ @................. .................@ @@@ @@@ @................. WITH .................@ @@@ @@@ @.............. ...............@ @@@ @@@ @............... MAP OF ...............@ @@@ @@@ (........ .......) @@@ @@@ @...... VIET NAM SUPERIMPOSED ......@ @@@ @@@ @........ .........@ @@@ @@@ @.......... OVER IT ............@ @@@ @@@ I @ ............................ @ N @@@ @@@ @............................@ @@@ @@@ @..........................@ A @@@ @@@ S @........................@ @@@ @@@ @....................@ M @@@ @@@ T @..................@ @@@ @@@ @................@ @@@ @@@ A @............@ Y @@@ @@@ @..........@ @@@ @@@ N @......@ M @@@ @@@ @..@ @@@ @@@ D @@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ B Y @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ (c) 1988 VVA Chapter #65 Pittsfield, MA NAM VET Newsletter Page 56 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 IN COUNTRY A Film Guide by Cultural Information Service Made Possible By Warner Bros. Input by G. Joseph Peck NAM VET's Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 It was the longest war in United States history and perhaps the most controversial. Even after the battle scenes and body counts no longer dominated the evening news, it didn't go away. Two decades later, the Vietnam War is still with us. It gave its name to an entire generation. Today the children of the Vietnam generation are attending our schools and colleges. Many of them have only vague, even romantic, notions about the war. As a Maine high school teacher, John Stephen Knight, Jr., put it: "The children recognize that something important happened to their parents, but they are not sure what it is. They often sense that somehow this distant war has contributed to problems in their families." Samantha "Sam" Hughes, the Kentucky teenager in Norman Jewison's film for Warner Bros. IN COUNTRY, is one of these young people. This motion picture will open in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Toronto in mid-September 1989 and nationwide in October. Set in the present, it is the first film to focus on people like Sam and her family - the homeland survivors of Vietnam - the daughters, sons, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, and the veterans themselves. Sam's struggle to understand her family and find her own place in this world will strike a responsive chord in many of her peers. HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSES will empathize with Sam's desire to learn more about Vietnam where her father died before she was born. Her search for information and understanding makes this story an excellent catalyst for studies of the war. This guide includes suggestions for group projects and referrals to sources of additional sources of information. ENGLISH AND DRAMA CLASSES will recognize a universal theme in Sam's need to discover her roots before she can fly into the future. Bobbie Ann Mason's comments about how she cam to write the novel IN COUNTRY and its meaning to her will also be of interest. ALL FILMGOERS will be moved by this powerful and touching story to consider the role of knowledge and memory in healing the wounds of war. By the end of the film, Sam has become an agent of change, encouraging her family to confront and release their long-buried memories, grief, and pain about Vietnam. The private story of this family, then, mirrors the public experience of the nation now engaged in a process of healing and reconciliation. As Sam comes of age, so the nation comes to terms with Vietnam. THE STORY At Samantha Hughes' high school graduation, the speaker urges the class to consider themselves the "future." But Sam (Emily Lloyd) has some unfinished business with the past. When Sam's father, Dwayne Hughes, was her age, he shipped out to NAM VET Newsletter Page 57 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 fight in Vietnam and was killed there before she was born. Now it may be time for Sam to leave the small town of Hopewell, Kentucky. Her mother, Irene (Joan Allen), now lives in Lexington with a new husband and baby; she wants Sam to join her and start college. Sam is not sure that she wants to keep going out with her boyfriend, Lonnie (Kevin Anderson), who seems quite immature. She knows she doesn't want to end up like her best friend, Dawn (Heidi Swedberg), who is unmarried and pregnant. And she'd like her own car. About the only one holding Sam in Hopewell is her uncle Emmett (Bruce Willis) with whom she lives. A Vietnam veteran, he's cynical and reclusive, existing in a world of his own. He fixes things around the house, watches TV, and gets together with his veteran friends at the local diner. Other people call him "mentally alienated." Sam worries that he may be suffering from the effects of Agent Orange. She knows, too, that Emmett is the key to her ever learning what happened to her father. She is determined to get him to tell her about Vietnam. But Emmett isn't talking, and the other vets won't tell her anything either. Irene doesn't even know how Dwayne died. Sam's grandmother, Mamaw (Peggy Rea), recalls the closed casket funeral and laments, "It was like we never got to really watch over him." Sam complains to Emmett's occasional girlfriend Anita (Judith Ivey), "My mom acts like the Vietnam War was back in the dark ages." Anita replies, "It was the dark ages." Still, with persistence, Sam gathers clues. At a veteran's dance, the first one held for the Vietnam vets in Hopewell, she reviews a display of photographs, medals, and other memorabilia from the war years. She listens as the vets argue about the war and their lives since they got back. She goes home with Tom (John Terry), one of Emmett's friends, expecting to make love with him, only to discover how he is still haunted by the war. The pieces begin to come together when she discovers Dwayne's letters from Vietnam in her mother's old room. They reveal one side of her father. Another is evident on the pages of his in- country diary. In a dramatic gesture, Sam drives her new car out to the local swamp and pitches camp. In that damp darkness, she imagines herself with her father in Vietnam as she reads his diary. It is not at all like what she expected. In the morning, Emmett finds her. As Sam reacts to what she has learned about Vietnam, he finally unleashes his pent-up feelings and the pain he still suffers for his lost buddies. Later, they set out with Mamaw to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. On that black wall, the three Kentucky survivors of Vietnam locate Dwayne's name. It is obvious from their responses that they have found much more. "Vietnam is my story too. It's every American's story." BOBBIE ANN MASON, the author of the novel IN COUNTRY, grew up in Kentucky in a community very much like the setting of her work. Her first book of short stories, SHILOH AND OTHER STORIES, won the PEN/Ernest Hemingway Award for First Fiction. IN COUNTRY, hailed by literary critics as one of the best novels of 1985, also became a bestseller. She followed it in 1988 with a short novel, SPENCE + LILA, and in 1989 with LOVE LIFE, a collection of short stories. In August 1989, Bobbie Ann Mason was honored by the Vietnam Veterans of America with their very first President's Citation, which recognizes non-veterans who have excelled in the arts and contributed to the public's understanding of the Vietnam War and NAM VET Newsletter Page 58 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 its aftermath. Ms. Mason has talked about how she was drawn to the story of Sam and her family: "When I started writing IN COUNTRY, around 1981, the war was beginning to resurface in the national consciousness. For several years, America had tried to forget about the war, and about the men and women who served there. But some time had passed, and it began to seem important that we think about it again. At that time the first children born to American GIs who went to Vietnam were coming of age. And the young people wanted to know what had happened. "I didn't start out saying to myself, 'I'm going to write a novel about the effects of the Vietnam War on a family.' I began with the family and then I probed around and discovered what their problems were. It was as though the war came out of someplace where it had been hiding and forced itself on me. I couldn't ignore it. "Sam's questions were my questions, and I sought to educate myself about the experience of the American soldier in Vietnam. I read the oral histories, the first-person accounts. The voices of the soldiers telling their stories were the most eloquent, powerful voices I'd ever heard. But I was still afraid to try to bring some of their haunting reality into my little domestic story. "Then, while I was writing the novel, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was finished and I went to Washington to see it. It was the spring of 1983 and the day I visited, it was pouring down rain. As I walked down the mall toward the memorial, in my mind I could hear the voices of my characters, and I realized that they had to go on this journey too. When I saw the wall, I saw it through THEIR eyes, and I felt THEIR hearts pounding. And then an incredible thing happened. "Quite by accident, my eyes fell upon my own name on the wall, a version of my name - Bobby G. Mason. I found out later that Bobby G. Mason was from Florida. I learned also that there were four guys named Robert Mason whose names were on the wall. More Bobby Masons. "I knew then that Vietnam was my story too, and it was every American's story. Finally, I felt I had a right to tell a small part of that story. Seeing the mothers, the fathers, the brothers, sisters, wives, children - the families - there that rainy day, I knew we were all in it together. "'In Country' is the term the American GIs used for their time in Vietnam. They spoke of being 'in country' while the rest of us were back home here in what they called 'the World.' In a larger sense, 'in country' means America, for the war has come back home. We are all connected by the names and the reflections on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial." RESOURCES FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION FILM TIE-INS Bobbie Ann Mason's novel IN COUNTRY, originally published by Harper & Row, is being released in a Perennial Library paperback edition. An audiocassette recording of Mason's Novel, read by Tony Award- winning actress Judith Ivey, is available on two 90-minute cassettes from Caedmon. LITERATURE The literature about Vietnam is extensive and growing every NAM VET Newsletter Page 59 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 year. Here are a few recommended titles in the two categories which have the most relevance to IN COUNTRY: FIRST PERSON ACCOUNTS DEAR AMERICA: LETTERS HOME FROM VIETNAM edited by Bernard Edelman (Pocket Books, 1987). IN THE COMBAT ZONE: VIVID PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE VIETNAM WAR FROM THE WOMEN WHO SERVED THERE by Kathryn Marshall (Penguin, 1988). NAM: THE VIETNAM WAR IN THE WORDS OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO FOUGHT THERE by Mark Baker (Berkley, 1987). AFTER THE WAR THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN VIETNAM: A READER edited by Grace Sevy (University of Oklahoma Press, November 1989). FACING THE WALL: AMERICANS AT THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL by Duncan Spencer and Lloyd Wolf (Collier, 1986). HEALING FROM THE WAR: TRAUMA AND TRANSFORMATION AFTER VIETNAM by Arthur Egendorf (Houghton Mifflin, 1985). HOMECOMING: WHEN THE SOLDIERS RETURNED FROM VIETNAM by Bob Greene (Putnam, 1989). LONG TIME PASSING: VIETNAM AND THE HAUNTED GENERATION by Myra MacPherson (NAL, 1985) TO HEAL A NATION: THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL by Jan C. Scruggs and Joel L. Swerdlow (Harper & Row, 1988). VIETNAM GENERATION: A JOURNAL OF RECENT HISTORY AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES edited by Kali Tai (quarterly journal, for subscription information, write: 10301 Procter Street, Silver Spring, Maryland 20901). THE VIETNAM VETERAN: A HISTORY OF NEGLECT by David E. Bonior, et. al. (Praeger, 1986). WAITING FOR AN ARMY TO DIE: THE TRAGEDY OF AGENT ORANGE by Fred Wilcox (Vintage, 1983). WHAT SHOULD WE TELL OUR CHILDREN ABOUT VIETNAM? by Bill McCloud (University of Oklahoma Press, October 1989). VIETNAM CURRICULUM THE LESSONS OF THE VIETNAM WAR is the first comprehensive curriculum covering all facets of the war from a diversity of perspectives. Written and classroom tested by a nationwide network of Vietnam War scholars, teachers, and veterans, it is modular in structure so that it can fit any course time. The 12 units, plus a companion Teacher's Manual, cover such topics as who fought for the U.S., how the war was fought, the war at home, how the war was reported, the war in American literature, the wounds of war and the process of healing, and lessons from yesterday for today. For information on how to order THE LESSONS OF THE VIETNAM WAR: A MODULAR TEXTBOOK, contact: Jerold Starr, Center for Social Studies Education 115 Mayfair Dr. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15228 Telephone (412) 341-1967. TEACHER TRAINING To arrange for a master teacher to conduct professional development workshops on strategies and resources for teaching the Vietnam War, contact: Larry Dieringer, Educators for Social Responsibility, 23 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. Telephone (617) 492-1764. VETERAN SPEAKERS To arrange for Vietnam veterans to speak in your classroom or to your group, contact: Ken Berez, Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, Suite 407, 2100 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037 Telephone: (202) 828-2630. NAM VET Newsletter Page 60 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 NAM VET Newsletter Page 61 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 'IN-COUNTRY' A review by Marc Leepson in the Sept/Oct 1989 edition of THE VETERAN Input by G. Joseph Peck NAM VET's Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 Bobbie Ann Mason was worried about IN COUNTRY, the file based on her superb 1985 novel of the same name. The books tells the story of a teenage girl, Sam Hughes, and her quest to find out about her father who was killed in Vietnam before she was born. Mason was worried, she said at VVA's national convention early in August, because she wasn't allowed any input in the making of the movie. One of her main concerns was how the movie would portray Sam's Uncle Emmett, an emotionally unsteady Vietnam veteran. Your reviewer shared Mason's concerns. The last thing Vietnam veterans need is another Hollywoodized, mentally unstable veteran. Then there was the fact that Bruce Willis - the charismatic, wisecracking TV actor - would be playing Emmett, and that Emily Lloyd, a spunky teenager with a decidedly British accent, would be Sam. Well, Bobbie Ann Mason's and Vietnam veterans' worries about IN COUNTRY are over. Director Norman Jewison (IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, A SOLDIER'S STORY, MOONSTRUCK, and others), screenwriters Frank Pierson and Cynthia Cidre, and crew made a remarkable movie. The file, released September 15, retains the spirit of Mason's sensitive and insightful book. Willis turns in a steady performance as Emmett. And Lloyd, with a hyper-realistic western Kentucky twang, steals the show as Sam, the inquisitive, intelligent, ambitious adolescent rampaging through an event- filled summer following her high school graduation. The supporting cast sparkles, especially Joan Allen as Sam's mother; Kevin Anderson as Sam's boyfriend; Peggy Rea as her grandmother; John Terry as Tom, the vet-mechanic; and Judith Ivey as Emmett's old flame. The plot is spun out skillfully and believable. Cinematographer Russell Boyd shows off scene after scene of keenly observed pictures of small-town life, western Kentucky style. The final scene, which takes place at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, could easily have lapsed into mawkish melodrama. But the scene never crosses the line into cheap sentimentality, and it is affecting, moving, and ultimately healing. You can count on tears flowing in the theater as the credits roll. The best news about this movie concerns the portrayal of veterans. Emmett has flashbacks, he could be suffering from Agent Orange-related health problems, and he's not exactly a motivated person. However, the character - as Mason portrayed him in the book and Jewison and company do in the movie - also has a sense of humor, common sense, and uncommon insights into the human condition. He's fully flushed out and therefore is decidedly not a cartoon-like stereotype. The other vets in the film, although not quite as fully explored, still stand out as individuals. They have problems, but they also function in the everyday world. They're like nearly everybody else on the planet, you might say, except that 20 years NAM VET Newsletter Page 62 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ago, they went through quite extraordinary rites of passage. Four years ago, a talented, serious writer of fiction, Bobbie Ann Mason, published IN COUNTRY. It was to everyone's benefit that she turned her attention to a topic that every Vietnam veteran knows intimately. And now in 1989, it's also universally beneficial that a group of talented film-makers and actors has produced a memorable movie version of that great book. NAM VET Newsletter Page 63 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 Married To A Vietnam Veteran by: Shelia Allred DAV National Auxiliary Commander 3725 Alexandria Pike Cold Spring, KY. 41076 Input by: G. Joseph Peck NAM VETs Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 With Veterans Day coming up, I've been thinking about the frequent sacrifices made by veterans' families. When my thoughts run along these lines, they often focus on a woman I'll call Laura. Please join me for a moment, putting yourself in Laura's place. It's three o'clock in the morning. You're sleeping quietly beside your husband. Then, without warning, it comes on him. Your husband is on his feet beside the bed, screaming about the Viet Cong. You want to help him escape this nightmare. You want it desperately. But you can't go near him. You can't tell what he'll do. You know he's in another place and time. For him, it's 1968 and he's on the other side of the globe. I'd like to say Laura's story is unusual. But I can't. This is the world of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I've been hearing many such stories while working with the wives of other Vietnam veterans in what we call "rap groups." Called by one name or another, PTSD has affected veterans from all of our wars. But it seems to have hit Vietnam veterans and former prisoners of war at a higher rate. PTSD doesn't always crop up in such dramatic ways as nightmares or flashbacks to combat. It can appear in such simple problems as occasional sleeplessness, but it can also be far more serious. I've listened to at least a few stories about physical and psychological abuse. I've watched tears roll down the faces of women as they told of their husband's depression, explosive anger, emotional withdrawal, or intense guilt. I've also heard about PTSD coupled with chronic drug and alcohol abuse. These are the kind of problems that rip families apart. In their wake, immense waves of pain roll over the wives and children of so many veterans. I don't want to give the wrong idea. Not every woman who's married to a veteran suffers through a terrible life. Speaking just for myself, I wouldn't trade my husband Jim for anything. I love this life we have together. I'm deeply proud to be married to a man who accepted his duty during the Vietnam War when so many ran the other way. But, regardless of how my life is going, I want to look this PTSD issue in the eye. It would be difficult to draw many general conclusions about the NAM VET Newsletter Page 64 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 impact of PTSD on the families of veterans. But there are a couple of statements I'd make to the spouses of these veterans. First, you are not alone! Second, it is not your fault! On the first point, after all the publicity focusing on PTSD among veterans, I'm constantly amazed at the number of women who still believe they're all alone in dealing with the problems that the aftermath of war has leveled on their families. You should watch them come into the rap groups and learn that many other women are living with very similar problems. What relief you can see in those faces! Secondly, some of these women tend to blame themselves for their husband's war-related problems and the resulting impact on their families. This is just one of several ways in which the repercussions of PTSD can echo through the families of these vets. All this can get pretty complicated. However, let's be very clear about one thing. The PTSD among these veterans results from war. We spouses do not cause these problems, nor can we expect ourselves to somehow solve them. When PTSD causes trouble in the lives of veterans, they should seek help from a Vet Center. Furthermore, women who live in households affected by a veteran's war-related problems often need rap groups. If such groups are available in your area, the Vet Center can give you more information. If you don't know how to contact a Vet Center, you can get direction from your DAV National Service Officer (NSO). If you don't know how to reach your NSO, write to DAV National Service Department, 807 Maine Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024. NAM VET Newsletter Page 65 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= D e a l i n g w i t h ' N a m ================================================================= Democracy: a struggle, not a gift! By Nguyen Huu Tho (in) VIETNAM Update Published by the Institute for Democracy in Vietnam 815 15th St., N.W. Washington, DC 20005 (202) 628-5946 Input by: G. Joseph Peck NAM VET's Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 Editor's note: Nguyen Huu Tho was president of the National Liberation Front and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam during the war. At that time, the Hanoi government frequently asserted that the NLF and the PRG were the legitimate representatives of South Vietnam. Yet, since unification, the two organizations and their leaders have been virtually ignored by official Vietnam. PRG General Tran Van Tra, for instance, was purged for his guardedly critical book about the conduct of the war. He has recently begun to re-emerge. Nguyen Huu Tho is something of an exception. Vice-Chairman of the National Committee (equivalent to Vice President in the United States), and Chairman of the Fatherland Front, he is one of the few high NLF officials to hold a prominent position in post- unification Vietnam. But unlike most prominent officials, his titles are not matched by a party position. At 76, Tho has yet to be admitted to the Party Central Committee. Mr. Tho is also editor of Doan Ket Magazine, the mouthpiece of the Fatherland Front. In this speech, delivered at the Fatherland Front Annual meeting, Tho laments the absence of democracy in Vietnam. From various points of view, many speakers at this meeting have expressed their concern about the current situation in Vietnam. Why has our country come to this dark moment? It is not because our people are lazy, unskilled, inactive, or uninventive. The experience of Vietnamese abroad proves this. The root causes of failure are the weight of our conservative bureaucratic system, the lack of democracy on the part of the government, and struggle on the part of the people. Do not be deluded that the conservatives will automatically hand democracy over to the people, or that the people will automatically carry out reforms. These things depend on struggle, including struggle in the mass organizations such as the National Assembly, the Fatherland Front, and others. Unfortunately, the struggle of these bodies has been weak. The conditions exist for struggle, but the people dare not move. The Fatherland Front, as indicated by law, has the right to introduce candidates for election. But for years we have blindly obeyed the instructions of the Party, nominating the list of officials they send to us. Why has the Front, which is supposed to be a body for the people, simply carried out orders, instead of struggling so that the aspirations of the people can be heard? NAM VET Newsletter Page 66 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 And what about the National Assembly? This body has the right to impeach any cabinet member. But this right has never been used. We have spent much time and money organizing elections for the People's Council (the city council - ed.). Alas, what does this council do? The People's Committee is an organ of the People's Council, but ironically, the People's Committee also controls the People's Council. In the constitution, the People's Council is the highest and most powerful organ in each city, but the Council has a separate budget from the city, and in some cities, doesn't even have an office. It is strange that no one wants to struggle. Rather, people simply accept how things are. Everyone likes real cake - no one likes artificial cake. Only the untalented, the incapable, and the exploited are happy with puppet government. For many years now, this situation has been painful for all of us, but the puppet and its artificial ways still remain. Our biggest weakness is that we have no real democracy. Many of the correct aspirations of the people are not fulfilled. The people should be able to elect the representatives they like. In order for these things to change, we must struggle. This is not like the struggle against our old enemies, but it is no less important. The resolutions and guidelines of the Sixth Party Congress should be made into law. Once these laws are made, we should struggle so that they may be implemented. The role of each organ, including the Party, the government, and the elected organs, should be clarified and regularized. We should not allow the situation in which one party can speak and act for all the others. Without law, no democracy. The court system, too, must be independent. The judges should not decide their cases on orders from the government. Finally, the Front needs a clear regulation that establishes the relationship of the Front and the government. In my opinion, the success of this congress depends on the brave and heroic spirits, willing to struggle in the near future. Democracy will not come as a gift, but must be obtained by struggle. POWER STRUGGLE A number of portentous events followed the sixth meeting of the VCP Central Committee. In April, Nguyen Van Linh, the "little "Gorbachev," traveled to Cuba and Nicaragua, two countries with fairly distant relations with Vietnam. One month later, Mai Chi Tho, Minister of the Interior, also visited these two countries. No public joint communiques have been issued as a result of any of these trips. Mai Chi Tho was better received in both countries than Nguyen Van Linh, his nominal superior. As party chief, Linh would normally rate a better reception. But Tho's position, which includes control of internal security, espionage, and "civil rights," gives him enormous power. Mai Chi Tho is the younger brother of Le Duc Tho, Henry Kissinger's secret negotiating partner in Paris. Le Duc Tho resigned from the Politburo in 1986, but still wields considerable power behind the scenes, particularly through his brother. He is known to be placing his proteges in high-level positions throughout the government. During the war, Mai Chi Tho was the number two man in the Saigon City Party Branch, and was chief of the Saigon Security Department. He later became the fifth member of the Politburo. NAM VET Newsletter Page 67 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 In June, Mai Chi Tho was unexpectedly promoted to become a four star general of the army. He had no military experience, and there is no precedent for party officials to be given high military rank. Some analysts speculate that this positions him to replace Linh as party leader next year. A Party Central Committee meeting, scheduled for June, was delayed until September, and has now been postponed indefinitely, apparently because neither faction can muster enough support to force through their preferred appointments. Linh's candidate for Prime Minister, Vo Van Kiet, was unable to take the Prime Minister Post. The Front leader Nguyen Huu Tho also supports Linh and has been trying to win some real power for the National Assembly, traditionally a rubber-stamp organization. Despite his popularity and his broad range of supporters, Linh has been loosing the battle for control of the bureaucracy. He is hampered by a seeming inability to mobilize the people against the cadres, as Gorbachev has done so successfully in the Soviet Union. Mai Chi Tho is 73 years old, but much healthier than Linh, who is just a bit older. He is regarded as a hardliner in the Politburo. It is somewhat encouraging, considering his strong position, that in a recent article he wrote that the openness policy is irreversible. Ominously, he went on to say, "We should open the door, but when the door is open, some flies will get in. If we open the door wider, more flies will get in and we will have to kill them to keep the air clean." To say the least, this statement was quite discouraging to some advocates of reform. Other reformers take a different tack. They say that in order to make doi moi work, Vietnam needs a powerful leader who will dare to make tough decisions, and that General Tho is the best candidate. NAM VET Newsletter Page 68 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= O u r F l a g ================================================================= How does burning a flag make things better? by Karen Winnett S.I.R.E.N. IS CALLING -SACRAMENTO, CA.-[CASAC] (916) 971-0589 Hi, I have a question I would like to ask. It is not hard and it is in response to your great hopes regarding your attendance at the Blasphemy forum. I think it should be okay for me to ask this question since I think I may qualify as being one of those "disenfranchised" people you are talking about making things better for. I am an American Vietnam Veteran, how did your burning my flag wrapped around a cross, another symbol of faith for many, help me? What did it do to make things better? I am a disABLED person, how did your burning my flag wrapped around a cross help me? What has it done to make this country better? I am living at poverty level fighting for my independence, how did your burning my flag wrapped around a cross make things better? I am a citizen who knows her country sometimes errs, who knows politicians often lie, who knows that our government is not perfect, who knows how to vote and speak out my beliefs without hurting others, how does your burning my flag wrapped around a cross do half as much as this? How do you stand before those of us who are blinded, deafened, paralyzed, amputated and less of mind and emotion as a result of duty, honour and faith in our country and our God and look into our hearts, souls and eyes and burn our flag wrapped around a cross and do it with any sense of pride or dignity, how does it make things better for us? How do you ponder the graves and walls of those to whom that flag meant so much and burn it wrapped around a cross with no shame? How do you burn this flag that is very symbol not only of all that is best in this country but also the very symbol of a country that allows you to protest and dissent without feeling like a hypocrite? How does it make things better? When you take up the American flag and wrap it around a cross and burn them, thereby slapping me in the face and denigrating my beliefs and put me down, how is that making things better? How will it make my life better? NAM VET Newsletter Page 69 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 When you hurt someone at their very core, as burning a flag or cross does very much, to so many, how does that make things better? It doesn't, it only hurts and hurts many of us who are the very disenfranchised you speak of! Also, please tell me, in what way is ACTUP, REFUSE & RESIST, CPUSA and The Revolutionary Communist party going to make life better? By burning flags? By trying to destroy what good things do still exist in this country? Will these Communists help me they way they have helped people in the Soviet Peoples republic? Like they helped the people in Poland? Will they re educate us as they did in Nam and Cambodia? The way they help in South America? No thank you, I will die before walking willingly into such a trap. I am sorry, you may feel my brothers here in this echo are immature and that they are not as intelligent and informed as you are and that all of us here are stupid by your standards, but I at least know that I am in the company of men of honour, men who are there for each other, men who will unite and stand together for the sake of one, men who have paid the extreme and the ultimate price and laid down their lives on behalf of others and I love each and every one of them and what they stand for and the banner that stands as a symbol for them, the flag of the United States. How does your burning a flag wrapped around a cross help them? And recalling your own boasts about how you still read your field manual and being a "martial artist" and the many you have killed, you use the same emotion that you invoke in others, yet is immature for others? Well, hopefully, you will provide me with an intelligent answer to my question? I have one other question to ask as well, are you a communist? Keepin' the faith! Karen NAM VET Newsletter Page 70 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= - - M E M O R I E S - - ================================================================= FRAGILE AS A FLOWER by Bob Bunnell The Precedent BBS - Mukilteo, WA (206) 355-1295 The following is a copy of a piece that I wrote for a College English writing class several years ago. As it turned out, it was quite a release for me -- was not easy to write but eventually had (and still has) a very therapeutic effect. For that reason, I would like to share this with all out there that can, in their own way, relate to the type of circumstances, vet and non-vet alike. Thanks for letting me share this with you. FRAGILE AS A FLOWER The heat was like a heavy, muggy blanket, weighing me down and suffocating everything. The trees shimmered and danced in the glare of the tropical afternoon sun as sweat trickled into my eyes, burning them. The more I rubbed, the more they burned. Lead by Captain Joe, we had entered this large, flat valley nearly twelve hours earlier on routine patrol to locate the Viet Cong. The valley was a beautiful soft green, bordered on both sides by the darker green of hillside vegetation. The occasional cleared areas formed a patchwork of tall golden grass that swayed in the slight breeze as if swept by some invisible hand. Officially the valley was called the Dong Bo after the river that meandered its length. Later, we would come to know it by our own name: DEATH VALLEY. While on a brief rest in the cooler shade of the treeline, I allowed myself a momentary escape and marveled at a lively pink wildflower standing proudly upright against its emerald-green bedding. A whispered "Move out.." jolted me back to reality. As we began to move into the valley, I glanced over my shoulder for one last look at that small flower. It had been trampled. Captain Joe wasn't supposed to be on this operation. He had recently received orders for transfer back to "the world" for two years of postgraduate study at his alma mater. This period was to be followed by a three-year stabilized assignment as a geography instructor at West Point. "Five years with the wife and daughters!" he had shouted. His powder blue eyes sparkled, and the sun glistened off his closely cropped blond hair as he skipped around the camp waving the radio message. No, Captain Joe wasn't supposed to be here, but he had exercised his command position for one last go at it. Other patrols in this valley had been rather uneventful: either a sporadic sniper harassed us, or there was a brief hit-and-run fire fight. This time was different. We had been in contact off and on for nearly three hours, the intensity building. In addition to several slightly wounded patients, I had two critically wounded to treat. Now we were just trying order among our Vietnamese soldiers and get our wounded back to camp. We NAM VET Newsletter Page 71 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 reached a huge barren clearing. We Americans had vehemently advised against entering this exposed area. The Vietnamese soldiers, now on the verge of panic, pushed out toward the center of the field, trying to escape the loud cracks and snapping thuds of the increasing gunfire. The clearing was the most direct route out of the valley and to safety, but it was also completely bare and flat. The only cover of any type were the occasional large ant mounds. It was a deceiving cover, though, since the Viet Cong forces were infiltrating around us throughout the tree line. "My God," I thought, " ... we're going to be surrounded." The cry, "Medic!" came more often now. When anyone attempted to rise off his stomach and rush forward, the tree lines to our right, behind us, and to our left erupted with heavy volumes of gunfire. During all of this action, I would catch glimpses of Captain Joe. His camouflaged flop hat shielded his eyes and the radio hand piece held tight to his ear, as he called base camp for help. The next moment he would be gone from sight, lying flat on his stomach as another hail of gunfire swept the area. Then he was back up to his knees again, surveying the scene, shouting orders, trying to pull off a miracle. "Stay down flat!" he had shouted to me. "I can't get no lower skipper. My buttons is in the way," I shouted back. Now there were five of us hugging one large ant mound. A Vietnamese sergeant on one side of me, and our Chinese interpreter on the other side, had just received grazing gunshot wounds to the head. "Medic!" Captain Joe shouted, flashing his warm smile. "I don't make house calls," I said. Then the round you never hear hit its mark. "I blew it," muttered Captain Joe as he slumped forward, his flop hat turning crimson above both temples. I crawled over and began to treat him. They say I dragged him for some time, reaching the safety of the far tree line at dark. I don't know. They say God doesn't listen to prayers of dying men. I don't know. I do know that on that hot afternoon I learned how fragile life can be, as fragile as a flower. Captain Joe wasn't supposed to be there. Derald R. Bunnell Copyright 1983 Date of action: 6 February, 1966 Location: Phu Quoc Island, Republic of Viet Nam NAM VET Newsletter Page 72 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 'Nam is a four-letter word by Mike Dealey NCC-1701 BBS On 11/11/89 at 1100 hours in Dallas, the "Texas Vietnam War Memorial" was dedicated. Posh affair, all the movers and shakers were there: The mayor, governor, even the Prez. Head of the VNVA, and on and on...all-star cast of speakers. I went with great anticipation. But by the end of the ceremonies, I was bummed to the max. My first let-down was the edifice itself. Names carved in red marble. Why red? Blood? The symbol of Communism? I don't like red. Black would have been so much more fitting. Moreover, the monument has a decorative grating over it that immediately made me think of tangle-foot. I kept wondering, "Why do they have these guys under tangle-foot?" Then I listened to Bush rattle on about "Veet Namn" (rhymes with damn) and fighting in the "swamps" of Southeast Asia. Obvious his speech writers didn't know of whence he spoke. I heard almost every speaker give lip service to how this memorial was being dedicated to show the State's belated appreciation to our "boys" for fighting and dying in a war that ended 14 years ago. Hey (I thought) my clock says it's been TWENTY years, Jack! And I can't even remember being a "boy" no more. Better late than never? I don't know, is it? And in the next breath they would say the memorial is NOT just for Nam vets, but for vets of all wars. Then why do they call it the Vietnam Veterans Memorial? Why are only VN war KIAs on there? Why did they dilute the tribute this way? Well I'll tell you why. Because in the first 3 years of trying to raise funds for the Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial, they only got $18,000 towards the $2.5 million needed. It was only after they officially changed the name to the Veterans Memorial were they able to get people (and organizations) to donate. People wouldn't donate to a fund for VIETNAM vets. 'Nam is still a four-letter word. Several speakers made the point that Nam vets are no different from vets of other wars. Oh? Well, that's from people who weren't there, so take it with a grain of salt. But something one speaker said really struck home. Said, "The one thing Vietnam showed was that armies can't win wars. Armies can only win battles; politicians win and lose wars." Is that it? Is that what we put up with all that sh*t for... to prove the obvious? If that's it, well...f*ck it! The Veterans Memorial (nee Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial): 3,271 names of Texans killed in Vietnam. Every speaker felt obligated to enumerate this statistic. They NAM VET Newsletter Page 73 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 would look at their notes to make sure they got it right... 3,271. Nobody referred to it as "...this plethoric chiseling of names." None called it anything like "Texas' own KIA regiment." It was always three-thousand two-hundred and seventy-one ... exactly. For me it was deja vu. Once again people are telling me the important thing here today is body count. Playing the numbers game all over again. ("When in doubt, double it.") ("1,640 confirmed; 3,271 probable.") ("Never turn in a round number.") Made me want to start searching for blood trails. But nobody at the podium brought up kill ratios... an even more important statistic. Kill ratio is for a combat unit what cash flow is for a company. You can't stay in business without a positive kill ratio. And when the competition has an almost infinite pool of warm bodies for replacement, you need a kill ratio to the max. And, indeed, most experienced U.S. combat units in Nam had a K/R of 10:1 or better. Yet none of the speakers pointed out that those 3000-odd GIs took out probably five full divisions of enemy troops. Nobody said, "They done good." They only said they died for their country. Was that the goal, to die for your country? No! There was no goal because there was no war. There were no strategic objectives because our leaders didn't know how to fight a war that wasn't a war. The only objective in Nam was survival. And here, in this memorial, we have etched the names of the guys who lost the toss. Saturday's dedication clarified in my mind that nothing's really changed. The public is still not willing to thank the Vietnam vets for their services, without hedging their words so that no one will think they're condoning "that war". 'Nam is still a four-letter word. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm just a perfectionist. Maybe I wanted everything to be picture perfect, and it wasn't. I don't know. But I do know this: If it's for KIAs, those 3000-odd names are way too many. If it's for dedication to country, it's not near enough. Either way, it just ain't right. NAM VET Newsletter Page 74 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= S u b s c r i b e N o w ! ================================================================= -- SUBSCRIPTION FORM -- The Nam Vet Newsletter is a nonprofit publication available free of charge to anyone wishing to have a copy. It can be obtained in electronic computer format by anyone having access to a computer and modem by dialing up any of the IVVEC hosting bulletin board systems listed in this issue of the Nam Vet. It can also be mailed to you in printed format if you are willing to pay the $1.67 cost for postage and the mailing envelope. If you desire to have the Nam Vet mailed to you in printed format, please complete the subscription form below, clip it out, and mail it to: Nam Vet Newsletter Vietnam Veterans Valhalla 28 Cecil Avenue San Jose, California 95128 If you send your payment in check or money order, please make it payable to Todd Looney. NAME_____________________________________________________________ STREET ADDRESS __________________________________________________ CITY/STATE/ZIP __________________________________________________ AMOUNT ENCLOSED ($1.67 per month desired) _______________________ If this subscription is for someone else, to whom shall we credit the gift? ______________________________________ December89 NAM VET Newsletter Page 75 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 ================================================================= I V V E C N O D E L I S T ================================================================= Parameters of VIETNAM_VETS echoconference... This message will be placed by myself or Todd Looney in the VIETNAM_VETS echomail area at regular intervals. This message constitutes the parameters regarding the use, access and distribution of the VIETNAM_VETS EchoConference. LEGALITIES: VIETNAM_VETS is an International "veteran-support" EchoConference that is privately owned and operated as both a support mechanism and outreach effort by its originator, Todd Looney and G. Joseph Peck, President, Berkshire Veterans' Center, Inc. VIETNAM_VETS is jointly moderated by Todd Looney and G. Joseph Peck. The ECHOMAIL COORDINATOR of VIETNAM_VETS is presently G. Joseph Peck - FidoNet 1:321/203; AlterNet 7:46/203 (1-413-443-6313). VIETNAM_VETS is carried as a courtesy and service to America's veterans on the FidoNet echomail "backbone" and through parts of AlterNet and other networks. Where policies of FidoNet or other networks and those of VIETNAM_VETS conflict, every effort will be made to reach an amicable solution to any posed problem. Todd Looney, Originator/Co-Moderator, and G. Joseph Peck, Co-moderator/EchoMail Coordinator, herein reserve the right to remove VIETNAM_VETS from a network should the policies of that network prove to be obstructive rather than conducive to the mission of this EchoConference. OVERVIEW: For some Vietnam Veterans, every day is a bitter struggle to survive as they try to find some way to either escape the horrible memories of that war or to come to terms with themselves so they and their families can begin a normal life. For other veterans of the Vietnam era there is often a fervent desire for comradery with members of the military who also served during that troubled time in our nations history. Until May of 1986 and the creation of the International Vietnam Veterans EchoConference (IVVEC) at Todd Looney's Vietnam Veterans' Valhalla, finding a way to satisfy the needs of these - the toughest, most persistent and determined veterans in ALL of U.S. history - as well as give non-veterans and others a chance to interact and learn firsthand from the Vietnam veterans about the war and its complexities, was difficult at best. IVVEC has changed all that! DESCRIPTION: VIETNAM_VETS is an "open forum" type conversational conference for the discussion of topics related to service in the SouthEast Asian and other theaters, crisis support and possible intervention, state and federal benefit entitlements, employment rights and guarantees, discharge upgrading, and other veteran service-oriented topics. PURPOSE: The purpose of the International VIETNAM_VETS EchoConference (IVVEC) is to be the support vehicle through which the veteran, particularly the Vietnam veteran, and his or her family will have an opportunity to communicate about his or her NAM VET Newsletter Page 76 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 war experiences, often for the first time since returning from Vietnam. Each of us - as veterans, significant and/or concerned others - participate in the IVVEC to help each other with support, suggestions, ideas and comments. Together, as one of America's proudest groups, we can share resources and experiences which will strengthen and build our fellow veterans and may help provide a guide through the labyrinth of state and federal services many of us have honorably earned and have every right to expect. HANDLES: The use of "handles" in VIETNAM_VETS is allowed, only if the handle that you use is the name you normally use on the board on which you access the conference. MESSAGE CONTENT(S): Personal attacks on individuals whose sometimes-strong opinions differ from the IVVEC "norm" are discouraged. The object is to learn from and support others, not argue with them or "go for their throat"! Aside from the parameter concerning attacks upon other users, it is hereby stipulated that messages in the conference will use tasteful language. Flames, comments, suggestions and such should be addressed to the conference moderator/coordinator via netmail at 1:321/203 and NOT posted in the EchoConference. ADVERTISING: Advertising of for-profit organizations is not allowed. Acceptable advertising is that which announces a veteran-oriented BBS, supports a veteran-related enterprise of a veteran-member of the EchoConference, or of the efforts of a nationally recognized veterans' group or organization. DISTRIBUTION: The conference is commonly known as the International Vietnam Veterans EchoConference (IVVEC) and is distributed throughout America, Canada and parts of Australia as "VIETNAM_VETS". Distribution in America is generally via the FidoNet backbone which is part of the distribution topology currently in effect. Other nets distributing the VIETNAM_VETS EchoConference must follow proper procedures for zonegating as established by the FIDONET International Coordinator. All messages in the echo must have a FidoNet compatible origin line. The Origin line should contain the word ORIGIN: followed by the originating systems name, zone, net, node and point number if applicable. Distributing messages between systems of various networks without authorized zonegating and/or changing of distribution topology beyond the original transfer is in direct violation of the distribution topology of this conference. I. Nodelist as is 09/06/89, Sorted by Area Code Max Net/Node Name, City Telephone No Baud ========= ================================= ============== == 7:520/563 3 EEE's BBS, Clifton NJ Ed Edell 1-201-340-3531 96 107/563 EEE's BBS Clifton NJ Ed Edell 1-201-340-3531 96 141/488 Alice's Restaurant Branford CT 1-203-488-1115 24 141/250 Wilton Woods Wilton, CT 1-203-762-8481 96 124/201 Hardwired Dallas, TX 1-204-931-2987 24 344/117 LSO QuickBBS, Everett WA 1-206-334-3088 96 344/9 The Precedent, Everett WA 1-206-355-1295 ? 138/35 US HDS Human Service Seattle, WA 1-206-442-8127 24 NAM VET Newsletter Page 77 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 343/26 AFMINS BBS 1-206-488-4309 96 343/111 Lessor Puget TB Edmonds, WA 1-206-742-8067 24 138/52 Burrell's Ballpark Tacoma, WA 1-206-752-4672 24 138/4 PTC Net Mount Vernon, WA 1-206-757-5248 24 138/49 The Cohort Puyallup, WA 1-206-848-2646 96 138/101 Story Board Puyallup, WA 1-206-848-5317 96 138/3 Reg17 ADVISOR EMERITUS Puyallup WA 1-206-848-9232 24 200/200 CSULB Long Beach, CA 1-213-494-8737 12 200/100 The Board Room Belmont Shores CA 1-213-498-6425 24 124/117 NCC-1701 Node 1 Dallas, TX 1-214-240-8821 24 124/106 CHAI Way II Dallas, TX 1-214-250-3323 96 136/200 The Chai Way II Austin, TX 1-214-358-3738 24 124/4210 Hardwired Dallas TX 1-214-437-4075 96 124/110 Flying Dutchman Dallas, TX 1-214-642-3436 96 124/14 Chrysalis Dallas, TX 1-214-985-9054 24 157/501 The PC-Key BBS Girard OH 1-216-545-9205 24 157/1 Auer Register Cleveland, OH 1-216-883-0578 24 227/1 Michiana TechLine Mishawaka, IN 1-219-258-0286 96 227/150 The SX Project Whiting IN 1-219-659-2711 24 013/33 Avi-Technic Lutherville, MD 1-301-252-0717 96 109/648 Falcon's Rock College Park, MD 1-301-345-7459 24 261/1004 The PainFrame 1-301-488-7461 ? 013/30 The Futurists BBS Perry Hall, MD 1-301-529-0716 96 109/717 Tin Badge BBS Silver Spring, MD 1-301-589-2016 12 109/722 Ronnie's Roadies, Camp Springs MD 1-301-736-0135 12 261/628 Liberty Hall Reisterstown, MD 1-301-833-8933 24 261/1044 Firestation BBS, Baltimore, MD 1-301-866-8613 24 261/1007 FINAL FRONTIER 1-301-947-4404 ? 104/51 P2 B2 South Denver, CO 1-303-329-3337 24 104/28 Pinecliff BBS Boulder, CO 1-303-444-7073 24 128/16 Firenet Leader Colorado Springs CO 1-303-591-9600 24 104/739 The Phoenix Parker, CO 1-303-841-9570 24 135/35 The Sober Way Out BBS Miami, FL 1-305-445-6917 24 135/27 Bitsy's Place Miami Beach FL 1-305-865-0495 96 232/4 Runways End OPUS Peoria, IL 1-309-691-5416 96 115/20 North Shore BBS Evanston, IL 1-312-491-2611 24 115/529 Elk Grove Repeater Elk Grv Vlg IL 1-312-529-1586 24 115/761 ICS/TRIX 1 OPUS Chicago, IL 1-312-761-7887 24 011/202 SouthSide BBS Indianapolis, IN 1-317-882-9330 12 285/622 Friend's BBS Omaha, NE Joan Renne 1-402-896-2669 24 370/5 Athens Forum Athens, GA 1-404-546-7857 96 370/11 Classic City Vet's Conf, Athens, GA1-404-548-0130 ? 370/10 Classic Quick Echo, Athens, GA 1-404-548-0726 24 128/13 COSUG-Colorado's User Clrdo Spg CO 1-719-633-4563 24 385/6 Bink's Barn Lawton, OK 1-405-357-2473 24 385/4 Info-Net Lawton, OK 1-405-357-6181 24 147/14 Dark Star TBBS Oklahoma City, OK 1-405-691-0863 96 363/10 Midas Touch Orlando, FL 1-407-648-1133 24 363/9 MaMaB--Mark's Bedroom, Orlanda, FL 1-407-894-0807 96 157/506 Beacon Hill OPUS Transfer, PA 1-412-962-9514 24 321/109 PIONEER VALLEY PCUG #1 Amherst, MA 1-413-256-1037 96 321/203 VETLink #1 Pittsfield, MA 1-413-443-6313 24 321/210 Berkshire_Estates Pittsfield, MA 1-413-499-1327 96 154/200 PC-Express Greenfield, WI 1-414-327-5300 24 139/640 Fox Valley Tech Appleton, WI 1-414-735-2513 24 125/78 Living Sober BBS San Mateo, CA 1-415-342-2859 24 143/20 SeaHunt BBS, Burlington, CA 1-415-343-5904 96 143/86 Cat's Tail BBS STOP San Mateo CA 1-415-349-8245 24 161/208 G.A.D.M. Multi-User Hayward, CA 1-415-581-3019 ? NAM VET Newsletter Page 78 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 125/31 Echo Coord San Francisco CA 1-415-621-5206 96 161/56 Nat'l Family Forum Freemont, CA 1-415-651-4147 24 161/1 Nerd's Nook Concord CA 1-415-672-2504 96 161/509 Enterprize Pinole, CA 1-415-758-1650 24 161/7 Mover Mouse BBS Fremont, CA 1-415-883-1644 24 011/700 FCAU IBM Net Toronto, ON 1-416-427-0682 96 148/120 Genetic Research Vat Toronto ON 1-416-480-0551 24 014/703 Telen-Quest BBS 1-417-882-5108 ? 019/43 McScott's BBS, Blytheville AR 1-502-532-6212 96 105/61 Shotgun OPUS Portland, OR 1-503-760-4521 24 105/16 Net 105 EchoMail Hub Portland, OR 1-503-761-3003 24 305/101 NASW New Mexico Las Cruces, NM 1-505-646-2868 24 381/401 Border Connection White Sands, NM 1-505-678-1318 24 322/230 Denis's OPUS, Ayer, MA (Ft.Devins) 1-508-772-6373 ? 382/1 Crystal Palace Lake Travis, TX 1-512-339-8037 24 387/401 Comp-U-Gen II San Antonio TX 1-512-496-9373 24 387/601 NCOA Intl BBS San Antonio TX 1-512-653-0409 24 382/14 Corona Del Mar Rockport, TX 1-512-729-7026 96 110/20 EDS Data Dayton, OH 1-513-455-2431 24 221/156 Waterloo CBCS PUBLIC Waterloo, ON 1-519-746-5020 96 153/130 VETSTAR (Northwest) 1-602-462-8752 24 114/13 Corwin's Keep Tempe AZ 1-602-644-0179 24 132/101 BBS Source Archive Nashua, NH 1-603-888-8179 24 153/123 DAETECH Burnaby BC 1-604-420-2641 96 153/133 Hot Line Data Network Langley BC 1-604-533-0421 24 220/20 Old Frog's Almanac Nanaimo BC 1-604-758-3072 24 153/508 Ebenezer Christian BBS Mission BC 1-604-826-6607 96 108/50 The ZOO BBS Independence, KY 1-606-283-2040 24 108/105 Global Time Systems Cincinnati, OH 1-606-341-7910 24 108/90 DATANET Info System Erlanger KY 1-606-727-3638 24 150/803 Jersey Vertex Moorestown, NJ 1-609-869-0139 24 362/1 The Mines of Moria Chattanooga, TN 1-615-344-9601 24 362/501 Coconut Telegraph Chattanooga, TN 1-615-698-4858 24 010/215 Silver BBS San Diego, CA 1-619-226-4502 24 202/401 jabberWOCky Escondido CA 1-619-743-9935 24 109/639 The RENEX BBS Woodbridge, VA 1-703-494-8331 24 109/124 ZEPHYR National Capital Area 1-703-620-5418 96 109/604 ShanErin Alexandria, VA 1-703-941-8291 24 379/201 Metro Link Charlotte, NC 1-704-553-9534 96 125/7 Survival Forum Santa Rosa, CA 1-707-545-0746 96 125/12 The Grape Vine Santa Rosa, CA 1-707-546-4938 24 161/502 Wildcat Benicia CA 1-707-746-5820 24 106/132 Fast BBS OPUS Katy, TX 1-713-392-0093 24 106/114 The Fireside Houston, TX 1-713-496-6319 24 106/357 TMBBS Houston, TX 1-713-497-5433 24 106/108 Stormy Weather I Houston, TX 1-713-644-4345 96 106/113 The Opus Network Houston, TX 1-713-780-4153 24 106/386 Info Center Exchange Houston TX 1-713-872-4429 24 106/111 Shutterbug's OPUS Houston, TX 1-713-880-4329 24 103/507 Philosopher's Log Anaheim CA 1-714-535-1258 96 103/501 Mount Silverthorn Tustin, CA 1-714-544-3369 24 7:441/1 Lord Frog Of Swamp 1-715-362-3895 ? 013/1033 NY Transfer Staten Island, NY 1-718-448-2358 24 012/7 HPCUA Honolulu HI 1-808-422-8406 96 012/1 Aura Net Honolulu, HI 1-808-533-0190 24 130/5 CUSSNET UTA Arlington, TX 1-817-273-3966 24 366/38 Jolly Green Giant Shalimar, FL 1-904-651-3875 96 019/5 Micro Application El Paso TX 1-915-594-9738 24 381/201 Pro Link San Angelo, TX 1-915-944-2952 24 NAM VET Newsletter Page 79 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 161/943 Eagle's Nest Sacramento, CA 1-916-334-2822 96 161/39 Nightline Mather AFB, CA 1-916-362-1755 24 161/11 The Byte Boutique Sacramento CA 1-916-483-8032 24 161/5 River City II OPUS Sacramento, CA 1-916-646-9678 96 161/34 Now and Zen OPUS Fair Oaks CA 1-916-962-1952 96 151/601 VMC-BBS Winston-Salem NC 1-919-744-0883 24 151/100 NC Central Raleigh, NC 1-919-851-8460 96 151/1000 REDCON Raleigh, NC 1-919-859-3353 96 632/350 Yarra Valley BBS Melbourne AU 61-3-848-331 12 NAM VET Newsletter Page 80 Volume 3, Number 12 December 5, 1989 Some Gave ALL ... Some Still Give!!! O O O SOME GAVE ALL ... ________O__________________________________O______________ ! O O ! ! pow mia pow mia - BRING THEM HOME NOW! - pow mia pow mia ! ! O O ! ! ~~~~~ ~ ~ O~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~ O ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ! ! ~~~~ ~ ~~ O ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~O~~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ O~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ O ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~ ! ! ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~ O ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ O ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ ~ ! ! ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ O ~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ O ~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ ! ! ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ O ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ O ~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ O ~_~_~_~_~_ ~ O ~ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ! ! ~~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~ O ) O ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ /(O) / O \ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ / / O \~~~~ ~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ! ! ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~ / PRISONER / \~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~~~~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ / / MISSING \~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ! ! ~~~ ~ ~~ ~~ / OF /\ \~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~ ! ! ~ ~~~~ ~~ ~ / / \ IN \~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ! ! ~~~ ~~~ ~ / WAR / ~~ \ \ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~ ~ / / ~ ~~ \ ACTION / ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ! ! ~~ ~~ ~~~(__________/ ~~ ~~~ \ / ~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ! ! ~~~~~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~ \ / ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ! ! ~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~ \ / ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~ ! ! ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ \ /~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ! ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~ SOME STILL GIVE ! ~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ! ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ! ! mia pow mia pow - BRING THEM HOME NOW! - mia pow mia pow ! !__________________________________________________________! NAM VET Newsletter Page 81