Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 . __ . . -*- N A M V E T -*- ____/ \_ . . ( * \ . . Managing Editor \ Quangtri . . ---------------- \_/\ \_ Hue . . G. Joseph Peck \_Ashau Phu Bai . . \_* \_ . . Distribution Manager \ * ) . . -------------------- _/ Danang . . Jerry Hindle \|/ ( \_*Chu Lai . . --*-- \_ ------- \__ . . Section Editors /|\ \_ I Corps \ . . --------------- \ ------- ! . . IN-TOUCH: Ray "Frenchy" Moreau /\_____ ! . . INCARCERATED VETS: Joyce Flory / ! \ . . VETERAN BENEFITS: Jim Hildwine ! !___ \ . . VETERAN EMPLOYMENT: Fred Sochacki ! \/\____! . . KEEPER OF THE LIST: Joyce Flory ! ! . . GUEST CHAPLAIN: Rev. Ed Brant / Dak To ! . . / * / . . ! \_ . . ! Phu Cat\ . . \ * * ) . . \ Pleiku ) . . -*- N A M V E T -*- \ \ . . / / . . "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 _/ Nhatrang / . . many veterans have endured, _/ / . . NAM VET is a shining beacon, __/ ! . . a ray of hope, and a _ __/ \ ! . . reminder that the _____( )/ ! Camranh 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 . . _____! \__ * ___/ for NONCOMMERCIAL . . ! Saigon/ purposes ONLY! . . \___ -------- / \/ . . \ IV Corps / For other use, contact: . . ) -------- / . . / ! G. Joseph Peck (413) 442-1660 . . / ____/ Managing Editor . . / 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 . . ! __/ NamVet's contributors or Section Editors. . . \_/ gjp . . . Fifth Annual NamVet Page i Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 1. From US to YOU Because I care ........................................... 1 Happy Birthday NamVet! ................................... 4 Copyright Notice ......................................... 5 POINT OF VIEW: The Black Veteran ......................... 6 Two Sides to Clinton Election ............................ 10 2. Thanx Veterans! Thanks Vets .............................................. 12 Memorial Day - 1992 ...................................... 12 A special note of thanks ................................. 12 3. Drums be not Silent A Viet Vet Speaks Out on POW/MIAs ........................ 13 How do you tell a small boy? ............................. 16 They haven't forgotten US!!! ............................. 17 POWs Abandoned, Perot Tells Senate Panel ................. 18 Remember? ................................................ 20 4. NamVet's Electronic Chapel Chaplain Ed's Monthly Editorial .......................... 21 The Electronic Chapel .................................... 27 5. THIS Veterans' Day Offerings at The Wall .................................... 28 The Wall: Bond for veteran, fallen friends ............... 30 6. In-Touch Siblings In Touch ........................................ 32 In-Touch: What is it??? .................................. 35 IN-TOUCH Registration/Request Form!!! .................... 38 7. Sister Vets VWMP's Sister Search ..................................... 40 Monumental Difference .................................... 41 VWMP's Sister Search Form ................................ 42 Women In Vietnam - Thesis Questionnaire .................. 43 8. Don't drink the water! Proposed Peripheral Neuropathy/Lung Cancer Regulations ... 47 Break out the Clearasil ! ............................ 49 Ranch Hand Investigators Release Sixth Mortality Report .. 50 9. Uncle Sam & NamVet want YOU to know Ask the Veterans' Affairs Counselor ...................... 51 Unit Associations ........................................ 55 10. Forgotten - again? OH, How Far It's Come .................................... 56 Incarcerated Veterans Residential Therapeutic Program .... 58 A visit or note once in awhile? .......................... 67 Hey... Let 'em know YOU care! ............................ 68 11. NamVet/IVVEC Concentrated Service NamVet/IVVEC Service Department! ......................... 73 12. Breaking Squelch & The Lighter Side IVVEC PhoneBook Listings ................................. 74 Creation According to the Recruiter ...................... 80 Political Virii .......................................... 81 NamVet Distribution Survey Form .......................... 82 NamVet Article Submission Guidelines ..................... 83 Some Gave All... ......................................... 86 "We all share the came color of blood" Fifth Annual NamVet Page ii Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== From US to YOU ================================================================== BECAUSE I CARE By G. Joseph Peck NamVet's Managing Editor VETLink #1 BBS - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 FIVE YEARS! Almost NEVER thought I'd see this day - and yet its arrived folks. We're making slow-but-sure progress towards communicating with one another, towards solving some of the deep, deep problems that have beset us, and towards putting meaning in ALL our lives. Things are still rough-and-tumble here in Pittsfield, always wondering where Peter is so's I can pay Paul, always one step away from somethin' important (Why spoil a perfect record?). Maybe that's the way life is SUPPOSED to be: always giving us something to reach FOR rather than looking back ON... The NamVet publications have been sort of scant this year and I've been super, super busy. It hurts ME to know that YOU have looked forward to the NamVet and its been put on the Second Priority list - but it was just something that HAD to be done in order for me to continue. Many of you have told me "If you don't take care of you, Joe, how can you help take care of anyone else?" Hard lesson to learn - but I'm getting there. Since this is our Anniversary edition, I'll not do much more than wish all of you a Happy, Happy Veterans' Day 1992 - and close with a message I recently put in all our VETNet echoes: = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = BECAUSE I CARE Because I care about each and every one of you, my brother and sister veterans and your families, I have a responsibility that I will not now nor shall I ever walk away from: ==> UNITY in our veteran commUNITY <== Zephyr-like, the winds of change have begun to blow throughout our America. Many of us are reminded about a place called Camelot and quiet breezes echo a phrase that was responsible for many of us putting our lives on-the-line for a place called home: "Ask not what your country can do for YOU... Ask what YOU can do for your country!" Fifth Annual NamVet Page 1 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 I watched President-elect Clinton's victory speech tonight. I watched, too, as Vice-President-elect Gore, a brother Vietnam veteran and one of the first members of Vietnam Veterans In Congress, spoke and reminded us that we MUST all work together. I heard echoes of a time long-past in President-elect Clinton's speech: "...let us not focus on getting, but giving; not on ourselves, but others; not on fixing the blame for things, but on fixing the breakdown; not on pointing out the faults and weaknesses of others, but on bringing out our best and the best of others; not on sitting back and letting others do it, but on rolling up OUR sleeves and putting America and its future first again as a world-class TEAM. "Ask not what your country can do for YOU... Ask what YOU can do for your country!" The echoes STILL ring true. And after the speeches were over and the stage cleared, I watched members of the crowd who'd gathered. Some talked busily amongst themselves; others stared blankly at an empty podium, perhaps wondering what would happen next. What happens NEXT is up to US! "Take back America!" and "Give us back our Country!" were themes often heard during the long and arduous campaigns; themes echoed primarily by the candidates who felt that too long America has stood in-place and heeded not the calls of her citizenry. America IS ours again, brother n' sister veterans (and, of course, your families!); the freedom we fought for IS ours. NOW is the time to begin providing YOUR elected representatives information about the changes in such bureaucracies as the Department of Veteran Affairs YOU'D like to see made; about the changes in Veteran Preference in employment, in education, in medical care, in being HEARD that YOU'D like to see made. NOW is the time... Too, I must share with you some of the things I've learned about "change" ... that it is often uncomfortable; that it often brings with it a NEW set of responsibilities with which we are unfamiliar; and that it often creates pandemonium as we attempt to solve new problems with thinking and processes that USED to work in an older situation. And, too, "change" irritates, annoys, and creates a strong desire to eliminate the irritant. Candidate H. Ross Perot beautifully described it with his analogy of being the grain of sand within the oyster, the end product of which would be a fine pearl. Without fear there can be no courage. With a little bit of "fear of the unknown," I look forward to a new Administration knowing that, from it I will learn more about courage - the courage so many of YOU in our various VETNet echoes have shown ME. "Some men dream dreams and say 'WHY?' ... I dream dreams and say 'WHY NOT!'" John F. Kennedy Fifth Annual NamVet Page 2 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Towards UNITY in our veteran commUNITY, I am yours In Service to America ... and my fellow man In kindness, honesty, and good faith G. Joseph Peck, Founder/President Electronic Veterans' Centers of America Corp. (EVAC) Moderator/EchoMail Coordinator: VIETNAM_VETS Moderator Pro-Tem: VETERAN_ADVOCACY Administrator: VETLink BBSs Managing Editor: NamVet and a brother veteran. P.S. Thank you, Scott Summers, for causing me to research JFK's WHY NOT! statement (above) which, as we both learned, was neither an original of either John F. nor Robert F. Kennedy. George Bernard Shaw is the culprit ... "They all believed passionately that what they were doing was right" Fifth Annual NamVet Page 3 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 HH HH AAA PPPPPP PPPPPP YY YY HH HH AA AA PP PP PP PP YY YY HH HH AA AA PP PP PP PP YY YY HH HH AA AA PP PP PP PP YY YY HHHHHHHH AAAAAAA PPPPPP PPPPPP YYYYYY HH HH AA AA PP PP YY NH HH AA AA PP PP YY HH HH AA AA PP PP YY G. Joseph Peck * Joyce Flory * Jerry Hindle * Ray Moreau * Doc BBBBB IIII RRRRRR TTTTTTTT HH HH DDDDDDD AAA YY YY BB BB II RR RR TT HH HH DD DD AA AA YY YY BB BB II RR R TT HH HH DD DD AA AA YY YY BB BB II RR RR TT HH HH DD DD AA AA YY YY BBBBBB II RRRRR TT HHHHHHH DD DD AAAAAAA YYYYY BB BB II RR RR TT HH HH DD DD AA AA YY BB BB II RR RR TT HH HH DD DD AA AA YY BBBBBB IIII RR RR TT HH HH DDDDDDD AA AA YY Charlie Revie * Dave Doehrman * Joan Renne * Dale Malone * Bac Si NN NN AAAA MM MM VV VV EEEEEEE TTTTTTTT NNN NN AA AA MMM MMM VV VV EE TT NN N NN AA AA MM M M MM VV VV EE TT NN N NN AA AA MM M MM VV VV EE TT NN N NN AAAAAAAA MM MM VV VV EEEEE TT NN N NN AA AA MM MM VV VV EE TT NN NNN AA AA MM MM V V EE TT NN NN AA AA MM MM VVV EEEEEEE TT The International Newsletter for Vietnam Veterans ` ` ` ` _________|_|_|_|_____________ : Putting unity : :=============================: : In our Veteran CommUNITY! : :_____________________________: Clay Tannacore * Jim Hildwine * Lefty Frizzell * Alex Humphrey Craig Roberts * Ray Walker * Bill Plude * Jim Ferguson * Bil Cook Ed Brant * Mike Harris * Glenn Toothman * Carl Dunn * Don Purvis Fred Sochacki * Sarge Hultgren * George Currie * Ken Flory Joe Krickenbarger-Oliver * Sam Thompson * Marsha Ledeman Martin Kroll * Glen Kepler * Terry Hayes * Lydia Fish * Jim Ennes Karen Winnett * Scott Summers * Ralph Carlson * Joe Meadors Mike Kelley * Chick Curry * Charles Harper * David Kirshbaum Gordon Giroux * Rod Germain * Todd Looney * Pete Farias Brad Meyers * Jan Gerstner * Marge Clark * Ann Murrell * Bil Cook Bob Morris * Gale Barrows * Billy Palmergunner * Ralph Feller Richard Morrow * Henry Elsworth * Jesse Kitson * Jim Henthorn Art Fellner * Harlow Campbell * Rick Kelley * Mike Readinger Richard Wolbaum * Walt Fletcher * Mike Halley * Gary Searles >>>>>>> and all the rest of us!!! <<<<<<< Our *-FIFTH-* Year " Service with Pride! " Fifth Annual NamVet Page 4 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 > * - Copyright Notice - * ____/~~\_ < < ( * \ > > Prepared by G. Joseph Peck \ Quangtri < < NamVet Project \_/\ \_ Hue > > Electronic Veterans' Centers of \_Ashau Phu Bai < < America Corporation (EVAC) \_* \_ > > Copyright 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, \_ * ) < < 1991, 1992 _/ Danang > > ( \_*Chu Lai < < All rights reserved. \_ ------- \__ > > \_ I Corps \ < < NamVet is a collective volunteer \ ------- ! > > effort comprised of articles and /\_____ ! < < items sharing veteran-related news, / ! \ > > experiences and resources amongst ! !___ \ < < veterans, their family members, ! \/\____! > > concerned others and health, ! ! < < educational and correctional / Dak To ! > > institutions. / * / < < ! \_ > > ! Phu Cat\ < < Segments of this newsletter may be \ * * ) > > excerpted for counseling, self- \ Pleiku ) < < help, dissemination amongst veteran \ \ > > organizations and groups, and for / / < < scholarly purposes without further ( -------- ! > > permission; it is requested only _\ II Corps ! < < that proper credit be given to the / -------- \ > > author of a particular article and \ \ < < the contributor who submitted it. ! * / > > _/ Nhatrang / < < Any other use requires the _/ / > > written authorization of __/ ! < < _ __/ \ ! > > Electronic Veterans'___( )/ ! Camranh Bay < < Centers of / !__ ! > > America / \ / < < Corporation \ Bien Hoa \ / > > (EVAC) ! Chu Chi * \ __/ < < \_ * --------- \ ___/ > > . ____ \ III Corps \ _/ < < / \_____) )_(_ --------- !__/ > > ! ( ___/ < < _____! \__ * ___/ > > ! Saigon/ < < \___ -------- / \/ > > \ IV Corps / < < ) -------- / CONTACT: > > / ! Electronic Veterans' Centers of < < / ____/ America Corporation (EVAC) > > / Mekong/ ATTN: G. Joseph Peck < < ! Delta/ Managing Editor - NamVet > > ! ____/ Post Office Box 2056 < < ! / Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01202 > < ! / VOICE: (413) 442-1660 < < ! __/ > < \_/ gjp < Fifth Annual NamVet Page 5 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 POINT OF VIEW: The Black Veteran By Harold Bryant From an article found in VIETNAM VETERANS OUTREACH CENTER - New York, NY Input by G. Joseph Peck NamVet's Managing Editor VETLink #1 BBS - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 [Harold Lightbulb Brant served with the 1st Air Cav. in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967.] Since that cold day in March, 1770 when Crispus Attucks died in the Boston Massacre, Blacks have stood and fallen with all races of men to defend America. They fought from sea to sea, and from coast to coast to protect the union; they fought in Europe, in Asia and throughout the world. By 1891 the combat record spoke for itself. Blacks fought on the plains of Kansas and in Indian Territory, in the vast expanse of West Texas and along hundreds of miles of the Rio Grande and in Mexico in the deserts and mountains of New Mexico and Arizona, in Colorado, and finally in the rugged grandeur of the Dakotas. Few regiments could match the length and sweep of the Tenth Cavalry (Buffalo Soldiers). This subject has caused me to talk to a lot of oldtimers who are fountains of information on Black soldiers. One told me, "It's funny that General Washington thought Blacks did right well in combat, General Sherman, General Grant, and even old turncoat General "Black Jack" Pershing found no fault with Blacks in battle. And old Teddy Roosevelt would never have lived to be President if Blacks had not saved his hide at Las Guasimas." The heroism of Black soldiers in America's wars is attested to by the records of those American fighting men, men who received the highest military decorations. Twenty Black soldiers won the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Civil War. Twenty Blacks won the Medal during the Indian Campaign from 1866 to 1890. Eight won the Congressional Medal during the Spanish-American War of 1898. Sixteen Black soldiers were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. To ignore the place of the Black soldier in this country's history is to deny him and his people part of their heritage as Americans - heritage antedating the American Revolution. But ignore him we did, for despite Black's patriotism and heroism it wasn't until the late 1940's that the army was ordered by President Harry S. Truman to desegregate. And it wasn't until the Vietnam War that the army was truly integrated. The material problems veterans confront are the more onerous for the context in which they occur. Men are willing to bear great discomfort and pain, even death, if they believe their actions have a legitimate and important purpose, that others have also done their part, and that their own sacrifices will be respected, or at least remembered. To most men these rewards are much more important than any material compensation. But when those private and personal satisfactions are not forthcoming, then the material problems stand out, and the inequities of sacrifice are least easily accepted. Even though Blacks made up only 11% of the U.S. population, by the start of the Vietnam War, Blacks comprised 31% of the combat Fifth Annual NamVet Page 6 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 troops. From 1961 to 1968 Blacks accounted for 16% of the combat deaths in Vietnam. In the year 1965, 23.5 percent of all Army enlisted men killed in action were Black. To an Administration trying to fight both a ground war in Asia and a war on poverty at home, it must have seemed a stroke of genius to fight one war with the other. A program known as "Project 100,000" was developed. It was designed to lower the minimum entry level requirements for the Army so that more bodies were available for duty in Vietnam. The results of "Project 100,000," however, were not as impressive as the ingenuity that went into its conception. In its brief history, which ended quietly with the war's deescalation, the program did very little useful training, though it did send several hundred thousand men to Vietnam and several thousand to their deaths. These were the men who went into the Army; they were the most likely to become casualties and the least able to acquire further education. Pentagon studies indicate that about 10 percent of them never finished their service, because they were either killed, disabled, or released with bad discharges. The proportion who received training in a skill transferable to civilian life has been small. Of course, there are those who argue or dread, that combat experience will turn out to be transferable back home. Some career officers came to see it as partly responsible for insubordination and drug abuse in the enlisted ranks. But perhaps the most volatile aspect of the program was race. Four of every ten of the men it brought into the armed forces were Black, two of ten were Mexican-Americans, and two of ten were Puerto Ricans. This did not trouble its creators. Nor could they suggest how many suffered. With the escalation of the Vietnam War, Black attitudes toward the military underwent a remarkable transformation. Initially, the Black community looked with pride on the achievements of its soldiers, but increasingly, civil rights leaders began to note that Blacks were suffering a disproportionate number of casualties, that the war distorted national priorities, and that American attitudes toward the Vietnamese were nothing but a reflection of the same racism Blacks suffered at home. Support for the war plummeted in the Black community and Black reenlistment rates dropped by 50 percent between 1966 and 1967. Indicative of the changing sentiment was a speech by Martin Luther King at Riverside Church in New York City in April, 1967: "We are taking the young Black men who have been crippled by our society and sending them 8,000 miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in Southwest Georgia and East Harlem. So we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching Negro and White boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together at the same school. So we watch them in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village, but we realize that they could never live on the same block in Detroit." Men who would never steal a nickel at home, buy and sell on the black market. Men from small towns who would never drink at home, suddenly begin taking drugs. Traditional values come apart in the war zone, the forbidden loses its terror, because of the proximity of greater terrors, the leash of society unravels, and inevitably some men become unstuck. The stress was accentuated by the distinctive aspects of the Vietnam War. Facing death is hard enough; facing it under Fifth Annual NamVet Page 7 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 conditions of ambiguity and doubt is still more difficult. But when Vietnam veterans have come home, there has been a difference. They have flown home alone, not in units, and so the experience has been private in two senses: it is not shared with their brothers and it does not ordinarily command public notice. Everyone has remarked that there have been no victory parades, but this suggests it is the absence of a triumphant return, of honor and celebration, that matters. It goes even deeper: it is the absence of any awareness, of any attention, of any visible concern at all. My own impression from interviews is that veterans, even those who oppose the war, generally do not feel ashamed of what they did. They believe they were much more sinned against than that they did any sinning, and they feel overwhelmingly that people who were not in Vietnam have nothing to do with the situations they confronted. Nevertheless, many do feel they were used, sent to fight for no good reason, and then abandoned when it was all over, despised for things most of them never wanted to do in the first place and never did in the second. Not surprisingly, there is a great deal of disorientation, anger and resentment, rage and bewilderment, quiet desperation and violent discontent in these men. Those who have a tendency for names, even when the phenomenon is vague, call it "Post Vietnam Syndrome." Its manifestations are varied and mostly subclinical reticence, edginess, unproved outbursts, feelings of hopelessness, and purposelessness. But the consequences can be personal disasters: marriages broken up soon after return, intensified drug use, lost jobs, one- car accidents. The scars of Vietnam go deeper than any set of programs can ever reach. There is a certain dishonesty even in using words like "compensation." Of course there never really is any compensation for the loss of any arm or an eye, a mind at rest, or a husband. And with a war like Vietnam, there will always be a sense of absurdity and uselessness that makes it all hard to put away. To continue discussing benefits and programs seems at times like mistaking points of irritation for the deeper sources of distress. But men continue to be hurt by bad discharges, drug problems, and unemployment, and so one goes on despite the beckoning false wisdom that "it is beside the point." Veterans have been left with a sense of being unclean, as if the unworthiness of the war they fought somehow reflected on them. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO SHOW THAT WE FEEL THEIR ACTIONS AND THEIR HONOR ARE SEPARABLE FROM THE CONFLICT. The challenge is to meet the need for respect without falsifying the past, and to meet the need for special assistance without creating a special social status and special privileges that place inordinate burdens on the future. Those of us who approved sending troops to Vietnam cannot now abandon them after they have returned. And those of us who fought against the war need to demonstrate that we have never been against those who fought the war. This is a time not so much for guilt and shame as for genuine sorrow that such things ever happened to our people and to others, and for genuine determination that, so far as we can help it, they shall never happen again. When I entered the armed forces of my country I sincerely believed in my government as it is supposed to be, a democracy Fifth Annual NamVet Page 8 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 that protects all of its citizens. My beliefs haven't changed, but I do wonder now just what kind of government we do have, where it is leading us, and just what Vietnam was all about. Our government is supposed to represent all of the people and it is the government that I killed - I repeat - the government that I killed for, I killed other men in the name of that government, in the name of some vague democracy. could the joke have been on me for being naive enough to believe in my government? "Cry, not in sadness - but in HOPE and UNITY for things not yet done!!" Fifth Annual NamVet Page 9 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 VIETNAM VETERANS SEE TWO SIDES TO CLINTON ELECTION By Stanley Meisler - Los Angeles Times Input by G. Joseph Peck NamVet's Managing Editor VETLink #1 BBS - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 WASHINGTON - Vietnam veterans like to say they are "visiting" names on the stark granite wall of the Vietnam Memorial. former Marine John Krankus, a 47-year-old accountant from Yonkers, N.Y., visits a handful whenever he comes to Washington. On this particular Tuesday afternoon - a day before the 10th anniversary of the dedication of the wall and a week after the election of a new president with a controversial Vietnam War-era draft record - he had reason to be even more contemplative than usual. He has heard talk this Veteran Day week that the election of Gov. Bill Clinton may prove that America has put the divisive Vietnam War behind it. But he is not so certain. After communing with the names of his fallen comrades, Krankus steps away. "I have a hard time reconciling coming down to honor this memorial and living with a president who avoided the draft," he said. Then, somewhat hopefully, somewhat skeptically, he added: "Maybe he'll do something for Vietnam veterans, and then we can say it's behind us." Along with Krankus, thousands of Vietnam veterans have crowded into the capital this week to mark the anniversary of the memorial, perhaps the most moving monument of all in a city replete with marble enormities honoring scores of heroes and leaders. Even at less-celebrated times, veterans, relatives and tourists come by the hundreds and thousands to touch the engraved names with their fingertips, to fashion mementos by rubbing charcoal against a slip of paper over a name, to pose by the wall for a photo. The election of Clinton demonstrates that the draft issue raised again and again by President Bush and other Republicans, was too anemic to avert the Democrat's victory. The electorate was clearly willing to accept a president who had opposed and avoided one of the most painful wars in American history. Citing his center's polls throughout the campaign, Donald S. Kellermann, director of the Times Mirror Center for the People and the Press, said, "While most Americans followed the debate over Clinton's Vietnam draft status closely, they did not think the issue mattered enough to influence their vote." For the Vietnam veterans, however, the problem is more complex. Many have long felt apart from the rest of the nation. They are veterans of a war who came home without ticker-tape parades and glory. They even dress differently from other veterans, eschewing American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars uniforms for old combat jackets bearing slogans across the back and colorful baseball caps identifying Vietnam veterans' organizations. Some veterans, far from fretting over the Clinton draft issue, gather hope from the election. Jan Scruggs, a Vietnam veteran who came up with the idea of the wall as a means of dissolving the bitterness and anger left by the war within American society. He now describes Clinton's election as an opportunity to realize that goal. In his view, Clinton's personal struggle over the war may be more important than his having avoided it. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 10 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 "The Vietnam generation has assumed the mantle of leadership," Scruggs told a news conference a few days ago. "The election campaign has given us an opportunity to help the healing." The point was echoed by Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, D-Pa., as he spoke yesterday to a conference of Vietnam veterans across the Potomac River in northern Virginia. "With President Clinton, I think you are going to have an ear that can listen to your proposals. I think he will be very sensitive to that," said Kanjorski, who served in the Army between the Korean and Vietnam wars. Later, he elaborated on the theme in an interview. "The most important event in Clinton's adult life was this war," he said. "You would have thought that the first new-generation president would have come out of the Vietnam War. But that did not happen, because it is a war that we have not yet resolved in our psyche. "The Vietnam veterans don't hold a lot against the guys who didn't serve," he went on. "They wonder themselves what purpose they served by fighting." But a less conciliatory note was sounded at the conference by Sen. Robert Dole, R-Kan. In a letter read to the Vietnam veterans by one of his aides, Dole pointedly congratulated them for their service. "The Vietnam veterans did not dodge and did not fail," the Dole letter said. Yet, it was Kanjorski's optimistic and non-combative tone that was echoed by many veterans at the wall - albeit with some wariness. Dale Kusmiez, a machinist in South Bend, Ind., is 46, Clinton's age. The back of his jacket bears the slogan "Together Then, Together Again" and notes that he served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969. "I quit high school in 1966, two months before graduation, and joined the Army," he said quietly. "A lot of kids went to Canada in those days. Dan Quayle was really in the same boat as Clinton." "When I first heard about Clinton's avoidance of the draft, I thought about it a lot. Then I decided he has to live with it just the way I have to live with what I did. I voted for the man. We have to go on with the future." Paul Ryan, a 43-year-old electrician in Buchanan, N.Y., says he voted for Clinton for one main reason: "I don't think President Bush did anything for veterans." By and large, the Vietnam veterans who have come to Washington this week, some in wheelchairs, some on crutches, appear less concerned with the president-elect and politics than with the poignancy of their experience and the wall. From Sunday onward, long lines of volunteers - some relatives, some buddies, some officers, some outsiders - have stepped to a pair of microphones to read aloud the 58,132 names inscribed on the 247 feet of granite that stretches along a knoll near the Lincoln Memorial. The reading will end today. The names of all the war dead are arranged on the wall in chronological order of death. New visitors often follow a routine that has become ritual. They look up the name in thick directories, head for the designated section of the wall, search for the name, touch each letter, and weep. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 11 ================================================================== Thanx Veterans! ================================================================== Thanks Vets by Paul Isle VETLink #3 BBS - Poplar Bluff, MO (314) 686-0120 Just wanted to say THANKS!! to all the vets. I know this message ia a little late, but I had to tell you that I'm very apprecietave of all the sacrifices you have made for all Americans. In a time like to day when Memorial Day events are being canceled, I feel compelled to tell all Vets that there are many of us out there, that are very proud of you and what you have done. Your sacfices and dedication is someting all Americans should be proud of! While you opnly see one name on this message let me assure you that I have lots of friends (who don't have computers) that feel the same way. So from all of us THANKS to all of you. Paul Isle ================================================================== Memorial Day '92 Input by Mike Readinger WVAU BBS - Terre Haute, IN (812) 238-9295 A million miles, the darkest of night... will it all end here, his country's fight. A very young man, still in his teens... trades into "camo", his dearly loved jeans. Way beyond his years, the thousand yard stare... He'll raise no family, does this seem fair. It's all in his heart, the way he's been taught... politics or not...he can't be bought. For it's the things he loves, that takes him beyond... even if it be his life, he sets down at dawn. For in the heart of man, there lies a special place... for his goodtime memories...must not become waste. And don't ever doubt the man and his cause... the memory of home, was reason for pause. That big shade tree, the cool, cool, grass... his Mom, his Dad, in his life that's now past. And when Memorial Taps are blown, before Memorial Day is past... just say to yourself....thanks guys, for defending my ass! For those who cannot, C. M. Readinger ================================================================== A Special Note of Thanks By Nancy L. Rinsma Fifth Annual NamVet Page 12 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Berkshire Estates BBS - Pittsfield, MA (413) 499-1327 Dear Veteran, Because of you, I can sit here and write this message. Because of you, I am warm, dry,and well fed. Because of you, I have the freedoms granted me by the constitution. Because of you, I live in what I still believe to be the greatest country in the world, in spite of our problems and faults. Because of you, I am proud to be an American citizen. BECAUSE OF YOU, I AM FREE. THANK YOU ALL Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== Drums be not Silent ================================================================== A VIETNAM VETERAN SPEAKS OUT ON THE POW/MIA ISSUE National Vietnam POW Strike Force 2615-Waugh Drive Suite 217 Houston, Texas 77006-2799 (713) 520-5777 * Fax (713) 682-8134 Uploaded to VETLink #1 by Marsha Ledeman from "OUR TOP PRIORITY" POW/MIA BBS (206) 367-0479 I am a heavily-decorated Vietnam Veteran. I flew 147 Combat Missions North of the 17th Parallel. I was one of the lucky ones who made it home. If a SAM Rocket had been a few inches closer, I would be what is referred to as a POW/MIA. I volunteered for three tours of duty in a unit with a very high casualty rate. My father was a decorated flyer in the Eighth Air Force in WWII. Both of us considered it an honor and a solemn duty to be among the first to answer the call to arms, to defend our nation against its enemies, foreign and domestic, wherever in the world that should be, on the premise that Freedom is not Free, and that a country that is not worth dying for is not worth living in. I have been having nightmares lately. I was never really bothered by my Vietnam Experiences, but in all likelihood, it was just my subconscious doing a good job of blocking them out. The nightmare involves coming face-to-face with a just-released POW/MIA. He is sitting in a wheelchair, his hair long and scraggly. He only weighs 90 lbs. His head is bowed and he is having difficulty breathing. As he hears me approach, he looks up and his cold, piercing eyes meet mine and he asks me if I am a Vietnam Veteran. I say yes. Then he says, "You abandoned me on the battlefield and ran 30 years ago. The Government wrote me off, but you were over there, you must have known, or at least suspected some of us survived, but all those years, you said nothing, did nothing and let the government get away with it, WHY? Why didn't you know what to say. Then I awaken from the nightmare in a cold sweat and it is 3 am. I know I can forget going back to sleep. The Government is very good at lying to us. They do it every day. "Read my lips-no new taxes, etc. " Did you know that the button on the stoplight for pedestrians is not hooked up to anything? It is only put there by the Government to make us feel we have some veneer of control over our lives. Distrust of the Government is at an all-time high; 84% of the people surveyed do not believe the findings of the Warren Commission. The most chilling scene for me in the movie "JFK' was when Lyndon Johnson addressed a room full of four-star Generals and he said, "Make me President and I'll give you your damned war". One cannot help but feel that the same people in Government who had something to do with the Kennedy assassination are the same ones who shafted Vietnam Veterans on the Agent Orange issue and the abandoning of the POW/MIAs. Like a cancer that eventually kills the person it is feeding on, these people in government who are responsible must be found and removed if our country is to survive. I remember well my first day in-country in Vietnam. In the early Fifth Annual NamVet Page 13 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 morning hours before dawn on the day you know you will come face to face with the enemy in mortal combat, sleep is impossible and my stomach was in knots and I realized that this is how all young, new soldiers must have felt throughout history, all the way back to the time of the Roman Conquerors. To overcome his fears, a soldier must focus on why he is there and the consequences of his success or failure on the battlefield. The future of my family, my country and the Free World was at stake. The right soldier in the right place at the right time can alter the course of history. There is nothing about Vietnam that reminds you of home. A Wagnerian Opera, or Hell, perhaps, but not home. Late one night at a Marine Firebase in the middle of nowhere, after a USO show, the Marines stood and sang "America the Beautiful". It had been a very long time since I had heard the song or thought about the words; Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, thy purple mountain majesty above the fruited plains. As Boy Scout and College Student, I had been very fortunate to have traveled much of our great country and seen most of these things firsthand like the Rockies of Colorado, the beautiful beaches of California and Florida, the Fall Foliage of Vermont and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. For a brief moment, I was able to recall all their beauty. I also remember singing the Star Spangled Banner in Elementary School and now hunkered down in my underground bunker after a night of intense shelling, I could quite literally look out and see "The Rocket's red glare while bombs bursting in air" and contemplate the sayings, "The darkest hour is just before dawn" and "There'll be a new tomorrow if you can hold on through the night." On one Christmas Eve, the only present we wanted was to be alive to see the sun rise. I saw firsthand the horrors of War, I smelled the smell of gunpowder in the trenches, I looked solemnly at the long lines of dead heroes at Graves Registration in Da Nang, I saw the agony and pain of the Vietnamese women who came to claim the bodies of their husbands and sons killed in the Tet Offensive. In the infrequent lulls in the fighting, we carried our wounded to safety, paused momentarily to mourn those who had fallen, and then those who were able, returned to the battle, the battle that never seemed to end, and in fact is not over, not even today. In 1973, The Government of the United States formally ended the Indo-China Conflict. In its haste to depart, it left behind on the battlefield, abandoned and betrayed, over 2,300 of America's best fighting men, Pilots, Green Berets, Marines, Sailors and Soldiers, heroes and patriots all, who proudly served in the most unpopular war in American History. They were tortured and put in bamboo cages by a cruel and vindictive enemy who told them, "Your country does not care about you anymore." This treasonous act of abandonment of these brave men is contrary and antithetical to everything that has ever defined the United States as a Nation, the leader of the Western World. I am ashamed of the last five Presidents who had knowledge of the fact and did nothing and I am more ashamed of myself for waiting this long to get 110% involved and committed to the POW/MIA Cause. If a Government makes a covenant between itself and its fighting men committed to arms; it is understood and accepted that the cost Fifth Annual NamVet Page 14 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 of going into battle could be your life, or your arms and legs, or psychological scars that never heal. No one in the Government, however, ever told me or anyone else who ever went to Vietnam, "Oh and by the way, if you get captured, we don't know you and we won't come looking for you and we will keep the fact that you are captured a secret from your family and the American People." That was not part of the oath taken at enlistment time, but that is the de facto policy in regard to Vietnam Prisoners of War. Some Military Bureaucrats have described their writing off of the POW's as "Acceptable Casualties". I could have very easily become a POW and I would not appreciate having myself referred to by that term, nor would the bureaucrat if he had been captured, and I am sure the POW's alive today are even less appreciative of that term being used to describe their imprisonment. Before the U.S. Government should be allowed to fund a 150 Billion Dollar B-2 Bomber Project, give Billions in farm aid to Russia to make it through the winter, guarantee 10 Billion Dollars in loans to Israel, and send new soldiers to new wars, it should finish the Vietnam War once and for all, by bringing home, by whatever means necessary, the American Prisoners of War still alive in Southeast Asia. What must be established for now and all time is that the forced retention of even one American Soldier after hostilities have ceased is viewed by ALL FUTURE U.S. Government Administrations as "Totally Unacceptable". When that is done, all Veterans and all Americans can proudly look up at the American Flag waving in the afternoon breeze on the town square, over the land of the free and the home of the brave. For the Cause, Joe L. Jordan Da Nang 67-68 Executive Director February 24th., 1992 Member Liberty Lobby Board of Policy Permission to quote in part or in whole or to reprint or distribute in any quantity is hereby granted to anyone in possession of this document. Joe L. Jordan Bring them Home or Send us Back... Fifth Annual NamVet Page 15 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 HOW DO YOU TELL A SMALL BOY? Author Unknown Submitted to VETLink #1 BBS - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 His hair was long and it tumbled down across his face like a tiny clown. He stared at me with a funny look as he held on to a comic book. I thought I'd cry, but Dad's don't cry! His words were short with a question why, Are you the lost man that makes Mama cry? Have you come home to be my Dad? Maybe now Mom won't be so sad. Don't you know we missed you so? CHORUS How do you tell a small boy that had to go to war? That you spent most of your time behind a prison door. And that you wanted to be with him most of all. Sometimes late at night, you swear that you heard him call. Sat on a bench and we talked a lot 'bout his first bike that his Mom had bought. His first day at school and his best friend, Joe whose Dad first took them to see the snow. How could he know, I couldn't go? Try to explain the reason why I wasn't there But I dared not try You can't make up for the time he's lost when he needed me He paid the cost I wasn't there -- no time to spare. CHORUS (Repeat) Son I'm home now and I plan to stay Your Mom, you and I, we're gonna play. Win or lose, we'll be together from now on, we'll help each other. It's O.K. now, go and play. I've come home to stay. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 16 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 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 !!! " Fifth Annual NamVet Page 17 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 POWs Abandoned, Perot Tells Senate Panel DAV MAGAZINE - September, 1992 Input by G. Joseph Peck NamVet's Managing Editor VETLink #1 BBS - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 H. Ross Perot, the billionaire Texas businessman who has been intimately involved in the POW/MIA issue since 1969, told the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs during an August 11 hearing that he's certain American prisoners of war were left behind in Southeast Asia after the United States withdrew from the Vietnam War. "There is no question in my mind that we left people behind and we left people in Laos," Perot said during his first major public appearance since dropping out of the presidential race on July 16. "And I think I can prove it to any rational person." Perot, who at times was feisty and combative during his nearly day-long testimony, relied mostly on evidence already made public by the Select Committee to back up his claim. When pressed by several senators for specific sources or sightings to support his conclusion, Perot testily shot back, "I don't have any videotapes, no." He later said that his conclusions were "not some philosophical, moonbeam conjecture on my part." Testifying before a packed house in the same ornate Senate hearing room where the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings were held, Perot also told the senators that U.S. government officials had "covered up, dissembled and finessed this issue for 20-some- odd years," while pursuing a misguided and unproductive policy of isolating and "humiliating" the Vietnamese government. "What we have done for 20 years is teat them (the Vietnamese government) rudely and punch them around," Perot said. A better approach, he said, would have been to build trust with Vietnam. He then suggested appointing a resident negotiator who would be able to make deals with Hanoi, which with the Laotian government is still seeking "reparations" of $3.2 billion. "We ransomed our prisoners out of Hanoi," he said of a 1973 promise of reconstruction aid from the Nixon Administration that Perot alleged prompted the Vietnamese to release 591 American prisoners during Operation Homecoming in February and March of 1973. "But we never wrote the check and that's what caused the people to be left in Laos." Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a former Navy pilot who was held as a prisoner of war by the Vietnamese for more than six years, immediately rebutted Perot. "I wasn't ransomed home, it was the B-52s that got me back home," McCain said in reference to intensified bombing raids conducted in North Vietnam by the U.S. in late 1972. Perot suggested that the Committee call in all the top U.S. government officials who have had responsibility for the POW/MIA issue and then "get them all in a room and give them total amnesty - total immunity I guess is the word you'd use here - anything to get them to tell you the truth. See, these people are worried to death, a huge number of them are worried about their images. This is a town that lives on how it looks, not how it is." Based on his extensive meetings with high-ranking U.S. intelligence and government officials and their counterparts from Fifth Annual NamVet Page 18 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Vietnam and Laos, Perot said he was convinced that not only have POWs been abandoned in Southeast Asia, but that some U.S. government officials have tried to conceal the fact. He did not, however, name any official. Also during the hearing, Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Robert Smith (R-N.H.) said that three separate U.S. government officials have confirmed reports that the Reagan Administration received an offer from Vietnam to exchange living American POWs for $4 billion in 1981. The WASHINGTON TIMES reported in its August 11 edition that the Treasury Department was trying to block the testimony of a Secret Service agent who allegedly overheard government officials discussing that offer in January of 1981. Following the hearings, DAV POW/MIA Advisory Committee Chairman Joseph Andry said he agreed that the government's tendency to overclassify POW/MIA documents has left the issue shrouded in mystery. "The DAV has felt all along that these documents should be declassified so all Americans can make their own determination of the facts," Andry said. "That's why the delegates at our latest national convention again adopted a resolution calling for the immediate declassification of all POW/MIA documents." Andry said the DAV, in light of all the new evidence that has been presented in recent months, will continue to urge the Senate to extend the life of the Select Committee. Legislation that created the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, Senate Resolution 86, mandates that the Committee conclude its business and disband at the end of the current Congress. "With all the new evidence that has been presented, and with the promise of even more startling revelations to come, we feel the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs should be allowed the time to resolve this emotional issue once and for all," Andry said. "We also think the Committee should be given ample time to find answers to the questions surrounding the fates of some 78,000 missing American servicemen from World War II and another 8,800 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines still missing from the Korean War." "Think of me ... and carry on!!!" Fifth Annual NamVet Page 19 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 . =DMZ= Camp Carroll__Con Thien =DMZ= . . |___/ \_ Quang Tri . . Khe (| * * \ . . Sanh-/\* * Dong \Camp Evans . . (Hawk \_/\ Ha *\_ Hue . . LZ) / \_ \Phu Bai . . Cam Lo \_Bastogne\_ . . \ An. )Da Nang . . / Hoa \ (Marble . . ( ------- \_Mountain) . . \ I CORPS \__ . . \------ Hoi \ Chu Lai . . \ An ! . . /\_____ ! . . / ! Duc \ . . ! Ben !___ Pho\ . . ! Het \/\____! . . ! !English LZ. . / Pleiku ! Bong . . / Camp / Son . . V I E T N A M ! Holloway Happy \_Hammond . . ! Camp Valley \ LZ . . \ Enarl An Khe ) . . \ Qui) . . \ \ Nhon\ . . / Oasis / . . ( ! . . _\ -------- ! . . / II CORPS Tuy\ . . \ -------- Hoa \ . . ! / . . _/Ban Me / . . --------- _/ Thuot Nha / . . III CORPS Song Be_/ Trang! . . --------\Quan Loi __/ \ ! . . Katum\_____( )/An Loc! Dong Ba ! . . /Dau Loc Ninh!__ Thin ! Cam . . Tay /Tieng \ / Ranh . . Ninh\ Phu Phuoc Yinh\ Dalat / Bay . . ! Loi \ __/ . . Lai Khe\--* Di An \ ___/ Phan . . Cu Chi\ Bien Hoa \ _/ Rang . . / \_____) )_(_Tan San Long Binh !__/ . . ! ( Nhut Bearcat ___/ . . _____! An Long \__Long Thanh_/ . . ! | . \/ Long Giao . . \___ My /| \/ \ (Black Horse) . . \ Tho Dong / | \ Vung Tau . . )Vinh Long Tam / | Saigon . . / \\ ! Tan An . . /Can Tho Phu ___\\| . . /-------- Vinh . . !IV CORPS\ \ / . . !-------- \ \__/ (Due to rectangular restrictions of character . . ! Soc / placements/positions, locations approximate) . . ! Trang / . . ! __/ . . \_/ gjp . Fifth Annual NamVet Page 20 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== NamVet's Electronic Chapel ================================================================== Chaplain Ed's Monthly Editorial By Rev. Ed Brant NamVet's Guest Chaplain VETLink #7 BBS - Portland, Oregon (503) 775-1554 Well, another few months have come and gone. As I promised in June's issue, we'll begin to look at some things that have to do with Liberation Theology. We're going to look at what the Church is, and we want to see what the Kingdom is in relation to the Church. If you are a Christian Veteran, then YOU are a member of The Church. Not a denomination, but the universal body of Christ. If you are a non Christian Veteran, YOU, too, are a member of a universal group. God loves you, too. The social actions of the Church is the very reason a lot of us rejected the Church at large upon our return from Vietnam. Clergy marched at the head of parades against us and the war in Vietnam. They (the body of people called the Church) rejected us as friends, brothers, and even fellow citizens of our own country. Yeah, some of you remember. I have a question. It's an accepted fact that if someone hates you, and you dwell on that thought a lot, you will become just like them. You'll end up hating, too. Why? That's the question, WHY? Do any of you hate? As Vets WE CAN CHANGE THE THINKING OF A DEAD CHURCH! We don't have to march to the same drumbeat the living dead march to. We can be alive in more ways than breathing. The first thing we must do is gain an understanding of what the Church and it's social part (the Kingdom) is as we seek to change a Church that doesn't relate to us, and to which we don't relate. Do we have to understand an enemy to defeat him? I tend to think so. Do you? Isn't it helpful to know the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent? In basketball (BLAZERS WON!...My home here in PORTLAND,OR) the teams get all the knowledge they can of the team they intend to play. Same with a boxer, a football team, etc. If we Veterans would change the Church into that which it should be, we must first understand some basic things about it. Therefore, this initial "Bible Study". Walk carefully the next few pages. Misunderstanding of this subject can lead to maimed understanding and an inability to see the true light ahead. Got your gear on? Move out! The Church sometimes thinks it is in the business of the Church. It is at these times that the Kingdom is forgotten, and the Church becomes embroiled in trouble. It was in trouble when we returned from the Nam. Today, it still is. With this idea in mind, one may well wonder just what the Church is, and what the Kingdom is. I'm going to list several scriptures to illustrate what the Church is and what it consists of. I'll follow each Fifth Annual NamVet Page 21 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 scripture (mostly) with a comment. THE CHURCH: Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, [even] to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (Romans 7:4) It appears that the body of Christ is here related to people, and that the people are to bring forth fruit because of the fact of death. (a seed must end its existence as a seed in order to grow up into a plant.) The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16) Communion is defined by Webster as: 1. A possessing or sharing in common; participation. Therefore in 1 Corinthians 10:16 the people are sharing together that which they possess, i.e. the blood and body of Christ. Once again, people are involved in the body of Christ. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (1 Corinthians 12:27) Here it becomes more clear. The people are the body of Christ. Each and every one of them are members of that body. It would seem to take on universal authority, that is, that the body is common, or is shared not just with the Church at Corinth, but every body of believers in the world. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:11,12) The members of the body have different functions within that body. Each one is for the purpose of edifying, or building up, the body of Christ, or the people of which the body consists. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the Church of the Thessalonians [which is] in God the Father and [in] the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:1) Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: (2 Thessalonians 1:1) The Church is seen here to be in the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the people who are addressed (Grace [be] unto you - you is plural). So the Church consists of people, and people are the body of Christ. The conclusion immediately seen is that the Church is the body of Christ. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and he is the saviour of the body. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 22 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 (Ephesians 5:23) Christ is the head of the Church, and thus the head of the body. THE KINGDOM: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the Kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13) Observation: The Kingdom belongs to Christ. Question: Does it then belong to the people? Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (1 Corinthians 15:50) Answer: No, to the extent that humanity cannot inherit the Kingdom. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (Colossians 1:12) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the Kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13) People can be in the Kingdom. And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only [are my] fellowworkers unto the Kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me. (Colossians 4:11) People can work in the Kingdom. That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his Kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:12) God calls people into the Kingdom which belongs to Him. Colossians 1:13 identifies the Kingdom with Christ. What does the Kingdom consist of? For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17) For the Kingdom of God [is] not in word, but in power. (1 Corinthians 4:20) Answer: Righteousness, peace, joy All found in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within each believer John 14:16-17) and therefore each believer has the possibility of righteousness, peace, and joy. The question then, is this: Is the Kingdom located within the believer? Several passages indicate that the Kingdom can be inherited. (1 Corinthians 6:9; 15:50) and 1 Corinthians 15:24; 1 Timothy 4:1 and 2 Timothy 4:18 all indicate that the Kingdom is yet future. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 23 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 George Ladd (Christian Theology; Baker house publishing)makes some observations about the relationship between the Church and the Kingdom. They are: 1. The Church is not the Kingdom. 2. The Kingdom creates the Church. 3. The Church witnesses to the Kingdom. 4. The Church is the instrument of the Kingdom. 5. The Church is the custodian of the Kingdom. Ericksen (Christian Theology; Baker house publishing) defines the Kingdom as the reign of God. (Remember that Commanding officer? The Church is the evidence of the Kingdom, and people make up the Church. (The base is evidence of an encampment of soldiers) The Kingdom is God's rule over the Church. So the people are under the rule of God, and the Church is the present form of the Kingdom. The Kingdom is found wherever His will is done. Therefore the Kingdom was in heaven before creation as mankind thinks of creation. The angles do the will of God and are also in the Kingdom, but are not in the Church. The Kingdom is manifested in the Church and in many other ways. The Kingdom is seen in the cross-denominational gathering of people for such things as pastors' conferences and Christian Life and Witness classes. The Kingdom is also evidenced in various microstructures of society such as the family, neighborhood gatherings and home Bible studies. It is seen when Christian organizations work to meet human need, relieve human suffering, and take up the cause of widows and orphans. It is seen in the missionary involvement, in spreading the Gospel throughout a land where people do not know the Savior. The Kingdom keeps violence and the dehumanizing aspects of society in check. It helps to maintain social stability. The Church is not the Kingdom and yet from the examples the Church is used within the Kingdom and proves the existence of the Kingdom by its actions within society. In this way the Church is the instrument of the Kingdom and the keeper of the Kingdom. It is the keeper of the Kingdom as each member of the Church which is the body of Christ seeks to give evidence of their unity through a humbleness of relationship in their daily life. The Church is for the praise of the glory of God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Paul reveals through the book of Ephesians that the Church is a body united in Christ. As such, there has been a work of reconciliation in which strangers were united to become one body consisting of the same family and the same building. This would seem to be evidence of God's Kingdom at work to effect the reconciliation of Jew and Gentile. Today this might be seen in the reconciliation work taking place within the body of Christ where denominations of various backgrounds and beliefs come together for corporate worship ignoring such things as skin color and affluence. When the Church exhibits a unity within the denomination, but a disunity within the greater context of the Church at large, it tends to destroy the effect of the Kingdom work in the lives of those within and without the walls of the body of members of that particular Church (local). The motives of Christian life within the body are the fear of the Lord and the love of Christ. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 24 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 As Christians seek to act on these as useful tools for the advancement of the Kingdom within a hostile environment, the Kingdom will, once again, be exhibited. It will be clearly seen in the lives, in the actions, the activities, the attitudes, and the service to one another that is evidenced in daily living. The Kingdom is illustrated in the lives of members within the Church. The Church is not the Kingdom, but the Kingdom and Church go hand in hand. The Church is the tool used by God to spread the gospel, and this is done by individual members of the Church with the various gifts of service given them by the Holy Spirit. It might be seen that Kingdom work does not take place totally within the confines of the Church building, or for that matter within the organized Church. As previously stated, Kingdom work is done when the will of God is done. As each and every Christian believer learns this truth, they will be freed to begin working for God in the Kingdom. This in turn will free up the "professionals" the clergy to become members, too! The body will begin to function as a unit with various members exhibiting the unique gift given them by the Holy Spirit. There will no longer be a separation of secular and clergy/laity calling, for all will understand and function as one unit, a body under the leading of the holy Spirit in doing the work of the Kingdom, whether in the Church or our in the marketplace of the world. It has been suggested that the Kingdom work of the gospel says go! but the Church building seen in Christianized areas says stay!. The Kingdom understanding of the Church would tend to also liberate from staying home and supporting missionaries, or going to the mission field. In essence, each member would become a missionary working for the Kingdom with the confines of his individual space in society. The grocery clerk would be freed in the Kingdom to share Christ where he works, and the pastor would be spared the feeling that all was not well if he didn't get all the house calls done, because as fellow workers within the Kingdom, and members of the Church, all work would be done. This then is called service. The serving of one another is evidence of unity through humility. This working as a unit for the Kingdom will not happen by itself, though. It is for those gifted in accordance with Ephesians 4:11-12 to equip their fellow members of the body for works of service. Service takes place within the body, and evidences the Kingdom. Kingdom life must of necessity be centered in God. He is the ruler of the Kingdom, and it is only as one keeps his gaze fixed on Him, that contentment in service will come about. The members will see the world from the perspective of Gods rule and seek to be content living within Gods creation. The life within the Kingdom is a life of community. Community life implies not common ownership, but once again, unity of purpose. The purpose will be at odds with the world having a different viewpoint. The community of the Kingdom will exhibit a disciplined lifestyle. A disciplined lifestyle will include debt, clothing, food, home furnishings, all tending toward the simpler, in order that with contentment one might serve others. This is Kingdom in action. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 25 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 To compare the Kingdom with the Church is most difficult. The Kingdom is of God, the Church is ordained by God. The Church is to serve and witness of Christ through the body, that is the Church. But the Church doing just that in all ways is showing forth the Kingdom of God. The one compliments the other. As the Church works, the Kingdom is shown. As the Kingdom is shown, the Church grows and demonstrates the gospel. If this could be done in a perpetual manner, the Church would grow, and the entire world would come to the saving knowledge of Christ. Next: OUR INVOLVEMENT IN VET COMMUNITY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE CHURCHES' KINGDOM. Rev. Ed Brant Brother of all Veteran Christians. Friend of all those without Christ. Hoping and praying for those without to find true peace. 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IIXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXpX The Vietnam Veteran XII IIXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX has relatives in the III IIIXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX Old and New Testaments III IIIXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX who also experienced loss II IIXXXXXXXXX XXX and grief, guilt and shame, II IIXXXXXXXXX XX rejection and betrayal, I IXXXXXXXXX alienation and estrangement, I IXXXX XX isolation and withdrawal. II IIXXXX II IIX Adam and Eve tried to hide from God; II II Moses, born Hebrew and raised Egyptian IIII IIII searched long and hard for his real self; II II Job, losing his children and all he owned, II II became sorely diseased; IIII III Biblical Joseph was rejected by his brothers, II II lied about and imprisoned; I Peter denied Jesus. II I "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" Matthew 28:20 Fifth Annual NamVet Page 27 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== THIS Veterans' Day ================================================================== Offerings at The Wall by John Wheeler in The Washington Post Input by: G. Joseph Peck NamVet's Managing Editor VETLink #1 BBS - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 [John Wheeler is fund-raising chairman of Beyond the Wall, the organization funding the Smithsonian exhibit. He was chairman of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (1979-89) and national chairman of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (1984-1987).] WASHINGTON -- NONE OF US who helped build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial - the Wall - ever anticipated that it would spawn hundreds of similar Vietnam memorials in other cities and towns, much less two half-size traveling versions of the Wall and two Smithsonian photo exhibits that crisscross the country. We could not imagine that our work would inspire San Franciscans to create the AIDS Quilt and embolden former freedom riders to build a memorial to slain civil rights workers in Montgomery, Ala. We did not expect that it would become the most popular memorial in the nation - 30 million visitors in the last 10 years - or that it would become a fixture in novels Hollywood features, television series and even commercials. The Wall has become an emblem of America - and its meaning continues to unfold, to grow and to surprise. On Oct. 27, the National Museum of American History will open an exhibition of some of the thousands of items left each year at the Wall. The scale model of the exhibit already under construction in a Smithsonian workshop features dozens of tiny models: jungle boots one-fourth-inch tall, a little teddy bear and Christmas tree, miniature medals, cans of beer and battle ribbons, minuscule notes, photos, dog tags, reunion invitations, flak jackets and helmets. The curators say tears come to everyone who works on the project, and that record crowds are expected. A week later, on Nov. 5, more than 100,000 vets and their families will flood into Washington for the 10th anniversary of the Wall. Five days after the presidential election, volunteers will begin reading the 58,183 names on the Wall. When we first saw the amateur pastel sketch of Maya Lin's winning entry in the open competition for the Wall's design, we did not fully grasp its power, how the polished black granite would serve as a true mirror, showing colors, faces, the nearby American flag, and how the reflections at the cleft of the Wall switch back and forth from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument. It took a child to show me how the mirrored surface links the visitor's image with the names carved in stone. In the summer of 1982 as the wall was being built, we invited families of men names on the first panels to see our progress. While adults chatted, a little girl went alone to the panels and began touching the names. Since then, millions have touched the names. Why do so many people come and keep on coming to the Wall? Why do they leave personal possessions in such a public place: a Fifth Annual NamVet Page 28 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 working black and white television,m a bicycle fender, lace panties, a purple high heel shoe, photos ("Hi, Dad. I'm grown up now."), a Silver Star earned by a Marine in Desert Storm ("Dad, you are the one who deserves this.")? Like a kind of chorus, these objects are the voice of our country as we wrestle with the memory of Vietnam. Leaving an object is an attempt to break down the barrier of death, to bridge the vale of grief and understanding. The Smithsonian exhibit will allow us to say we treasure each of these personal items and share the loss of the givers. It will be an acknowledgement that our national for hunger remains strong. I spent a passionate decade building and providing for the Wall. It wasn't enough. Exhausted, I fell into a depression and fierce relapse that ended my marriage, wounded my kids and left me clinging to the Wall at 1 a.m., looking for my ow healing. Twenty years after serving in Vietnam, I could finally see that the cataclysm broke my life in two. The only meaning I could find in the death of friends was the Wall. When a few dozen of us started working on building the Wall more than a decade ago, we did not understand the spiritual foundation of the venture. Now I see the clues everywhere, even in all those cans of beer left at the Wall: grain and spirits in a ritual of grace, a soldier's communion. Unable to bring home a victory, we were able to bring something our country needs more: a place of healing. The opening of the Smithsonian exhibition, the conclusion of the presidential campaign and the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Wall, promise to be a profound process to watch and join: our country restoring itself to health. I will read names at 1 a.m. Nov. 11. Maybe I will find healing, too. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 29 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Wall provides bond for veteran, fallen friends by Blair Kamin in the Chicago Tribune Submitted By Joyce Flory, NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor (with thanks to Francis Smith, Danville, IL.) Desert Dolphin/VETLink #13 - Las Cruces, New Mexico (505) 523-2811 (Pre-Registration Required) "Shorty," they called him in Vietnam. Today, all Shorty wants is his privacy - and a chance to pay tribute to his fallen friends. Shorty lives in Chicago. His buddies didn't make it back from Vietnam. "I'm not the one who's important," he says. "They are." As if to prove it, Shorty pulls out a gold dog tag from beneath his shirt. It is inscribed with the names of five of his dead pals. Two were his schoolmates in west suburban Lisle. Three served with him in the Army's 168th Engineer Battalion. Yet that isn't the only way the 44-year-old Army veteran keeps their memories alive. Shorty is the one who left a lovingly crafted, anonymous tribute to his late comrades at the foot of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was featured in a May 25 Tempo column. Of the 25,000 mementos that have been laid down before the black granite walls of the V-shaped memorial, this one, perhaps more than any other, was guaranteed to make a Chicagoan weep. It was a small glass box with a brick from the old Comiskey Park and an autographed baseball inside. A Purple Heart was attached to a White Sox doll. Dog tags, inscribed with the names of Shorty's friends were hung around the neck of a Cubs doll. Taped to the top of the glass box was a jukebox selection for a Statler Brothers song about the memorial; "More Than a Name on the Wall." Also taped to the box were snapshots of a cross and four headstones. I happened to be in Washington in May when Shorty left his tribute at the memorial. Because it was dusk, I found it hard to make out the names in the snapshots. So I figured that their identities - and the identity of the person who had left this tribute - would remain a mystery. Fortunately, they won't. Shorty saw the column and came in to talk about it. When he returned from Vietnam in 1970, Shorty said, he did the best he could to forget the war. But after he marched in a Vietnam veterans parade in Chicago in 1986, he began tracking down information about his friends and even visiting their graves in such places as Portland, Ore. Since 1987, he has visited the Vietnam memorial 17 times, leaving everything from autographed baseballs to a model of an aircraft carrier. He is single and makes good money, so he can afford the Fifth Annual NamVet Page 30 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 trips, he said. He goes because he wants to make sure that his friends will be "part of history." "It's baseball games they never got to go to," He said. "They never got to see some of these players. They'll never go to see Comiskey Park again - or the new park." Army Pfc. Stephen R. Ford was killed by sniper fire Sept. 11, 1967. Ford and Shorty went to high school in Lisle. Marine 2nd Lt. David F. Garringer died of wounds from a rifle shot Nov. 24, 1968. Garringer also was from Lisle. Army Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Monroe Mays of Salt Lake City, Shorty's sergeant, died in a mine explosion Dec. 21, 1969. Army Pfc. Jimmie Lee Johnson of Anderson, Ind., who served in the 168th Engineer Battalion, was killed in a mine explosion March 1, 1970. Army Spec. 4 Henry Louis Valo Jr. of Phoenix, another battalion member, was killed Feb. 24, 1970. Some veterans go to the memorial to grieve. Others go to say goodbye. Others, like Shorty, go to keep in touch. "He's not able to get together with particular guys for reunions," says Brenda Doherty, a therapist who works with Shorty at a veterans hospital on Chicago's West Side. "He takes things that they would have wanted to be part of - like going to a Cubs game or wanting to know that old Comiskey Park was torn down," Doherty says. On Memorial Day, Shorty left a tribute at the Wall for Jimmie Lee Johnson, who loved the Indianapolis 500. Shorty put his tribute in the same place as the glass box he left in early May, right below panel 13-W on the Wall, where Johnson's name is etched in granite. It was a teddy bear dressed in an Indy 500 T-shirt. Shorty rested three tickets to the Memorial Day weekend race on the doll's lap, and placed an Indy 500 pennant and a miniature checkered flag along the wall. "There's just this bond between us," Shorty said of Johnson and his other friends. "Now that I've found them, I don't want to let them go." Fifth Annual NamVet Page 31 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== In-Touch ================================================================== Siblings In Touch Input by Ray "Frenchy" Moreau NamVet's IN-TOUCH Section Editor VETLink #2 - Herndon, Virginia (703) 471-8010 From: AMONG FRIENDS -- News of The Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial VOLUME 5 - NUMBER 2 FALL 1991 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The following article is a speech given by Jo Anne Seyfried at New York for brothers and sisters of those who died (or are missing) in Southeast Asia. For more information, call (202) 628-0726. He Was Just My Brother: The unknown Pain of Vietnam Siblings We are here today because we are survivors. I would like to tell about someone who has not been this fortunate - my brother Richard Alan Gilley. On January 31, 1968, the first day of the Tet offensive, he lost his life, along with 25 other guys of the 716th M.P. Battalion in Saigon. He would have been 21 years old on February 19th, just 18 months older than I. My first reaction to the news that my brother had been killed in Vietnam was, of course, shock. The second was denial. I thought "This can't be happening, he's my brother, the kid I grew up with. He's too young to have died." When his body was returned home, I had to face the truth, I had to acknowledge the fact that he was gone from my life. During the funeral, people showed a lot of compassion for my parents - you could see the deep hurt etched on their faces. Everyone did their best to console them on their loss. I, on the other hand, was given instructions - "Be strong for your mother. Don't cry, it will upset your parents. Be sure to make them proud of you." Gold Star Mothers came to speak with my Mom and she has been a Gold Star Mother since that time. By becoming active in Gold Star Mothers, she found a special way to cope with her loss. She is one of the past presidents of the Glendale Chapter in New York and is currently president of the Gold Star Mothers of the Volusia County Chapter in Daytona Beach, Florida. Mom is also very active in several other veteran organizations. I'm very proud of her for all her contributions. When my Dad withdrew from us in his grief, a friend of mine, Father Sal Castagliolla, spoke with him privately. It was acceptable and expected for parents to mourn, but what about the siblings? No one was there for me. What was said to me was of little or no comfort. Things like, "You're young and you have a life ahead of you," or, "In time, you'll feel better," would not take the hurt away. My brother was young too; this will never go away. "I was told to help them, but how could I when I needed Help myself?" Fifth Annual NamVet Page 32 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 The worst was said when I was in hearing range: "He was just her brother! Just my big brother, just my only brother, just the only sibling I had! All of this made me feel as though my parents were the only ones that suffered a loss. I was told to help them, but how could I when I needed help myself? For years I did my best to follow all the instructions given to me during that time. I was full of anger, survivor's guilt, hurt and other feelings I couldn't identify. My parents, for all they lost, still had the parent/child relationship. But my relationship was gone - I would never again have a sibling. In 1989, I met Laura Palmer, a journalist who at the time wrote a weekly article for the 'New York Daily News' entitled "Welcome Home." We spoke, and to my surprise, I started to cry. She gently hugged me and afterwards gave me Melinda Knapp's telephone number, (she had also lost her brother Gregg in Nam) and took my number to give to her. Laura knew I was reluctant to call, so she had Melinda call me. We spoke for a few minutes about our losses, but because I held back, I felt no better. Months went by and I started to feel worse than ever about Richard's death, so I called Melinda and opened up my heart. It was the best thing I had done for myself in years. She didn't stop me from crying, like everyone else did, but cried with me - for both our brothers and ourselves. By the time we hung up, there had even been some laughter through all the tears. We were on the phone a lot - she knew how badly I was struggling and never let too many days go by without calling to say "Hi, how are you?" Any time I would ask "How are you?" she would say, and still says, "I'm here!" I guess that's why I kept calling - I knew she would be there. On Memorial Day, 1990, Melinda called me several times. It was really the worst year for me. The last time she gave me the number of Joe Tori, whose brother, Tommy, was also killed in action. The first time I called, I left a message on his answering machine as to who I was and why I was calling. When he called back, I asked if he was okay, and he said "I was until your call." Maybe he was - but I don't think so. By returning my call, he was reaching back to my reaching out. A few days later, Melinda asked me if I had ever been to the Wall in Washington, D.C. When I told her "no," she said I needed to go there, and before I knew it, she and Joey had made arrangements for the trip. At the last minute, while speaking to Joey, I tried to get out of going. But in the middle of one of my excuses, he stopped me cold and said, "You are going; Melinda and I are taking you." It was 4:00 a.m. when we arrived, and as I saw the Wall for the first time in the darkness, I froze with fear. Together they gently led me to the panel that bears my brother's name. As I stood staring at his name, they stood on either side of me. They heard and understood my screams of anger, frustration and sorrow. They cried with me for the loss of our brothers and the pain they knew I was in. When my legs gave out and I could no longer stand, they held me up. When I turned to run from the Wall, Melinda grabbed my shirt and told me I was running from myself and I couldn't do that anymore. That was the worst and best morning I had in 22 years. They knew and understood firsthand just what I was feeling. More importantly, they allowed me to voice some of what had been shut up inside me for so many years. Shortly after that trip, we founded the Siblings 'In Touch' program through the Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. This would enable Fifth Annual NamVet Page 33 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 other siblings to be able to speak to one another about what they are feeling: To talk about it, to cry about it, or just call to say "hello" to someone who shares a common loss. If anyone here is interested in Sibling 'In Touch', or knows of anyone who may be interested, we want you to now that we are here to help. Before I close, I'd like to share something of my childhood with all of you. When Richard and I were little, there was a favorite show of ours on television - maybe some of you recall it. It was called "Winky Dink and Me." During the show, children got to draw along with Winky. There was a kit that contained a green piece of plastic you put on the TV Screen and drew on with special crayons. Rich drew the turtle and I drew the bridge. It was a work of art, we couldn't have been more pleased with ourselves. Mom, on the other hand, was less pleased because she hadn't bought the kit yet! She bought it that day! I always thought of Winky as a cute character - who was lost to me as Richard was. Recently, remembering Winky, I realized that his body was shaped like a star, and knowing that a star is a bright spot of light in the darkness, I've come to believe that although my brother cannot be with me, I have found Winky Dink once more. Winky lives within Melinda, Winky lives within Joey, and all the other siblings I have come to know through the program. They brighten the way for me to be helped, as well as help others come to terms with the loss of brothers or sisters in the darkness of loneliness and despair - and there's a lot of that. In closing, I just want to say to Melinda and Joey, that I love you and thanks for being here. I don't know where I'd be without you, certainly not here tonight. And to the siblings, that we of the "In Touch" program care about you and are here for you if you should need us. Thank you. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 34 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 In-Touch. What is it ??? Input by: Ray "Frenchy" Moreau NAM VETs IN-TOUCH Section Editor Herndon Byte eXchange/VETLink #2 - Herndon, VA (703) 471-8010 ================================================================= |+++++++++++++++++++++++++ IN TOUCH ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++| | There are some 43 million people in the United States whose | | lives were directly and irrevocably touched by the Vietnam | | War. | | | | Almost four million people served in Vietnam -- the longest, | | and perhaps most difficult, war in our history. More than a | | quarter of a million were seriously wounded. 58,175 are dead | | or missing. | | | | Each of those who returned recognizes the true cost of war. | | But so too do the families and friends, wives and lovers of | | those listed on the Wall. They too paid a tremendous price, | | not always recognized... many still do. | | | | Though twenty years have passed, it seems that is the period | | people have needed to get the distance necessary to begin to | | address the unresolved, deeply personal issues that have | | been haunting them since the war. Perhaps that is a measure | | of the pain. | | | | But, the "healing of a nation" that was intended by the | | building of the Memorial, has begun. | | | | In the office of the Friends of the Vietnam Veterans | | Memorial, we hear them on the other end of the phone on | | any given day, and far into the night, they call from all | | corners of the country. | | | | "If only I could find out..." | | "I need to find his family so I can keep my promise..." | | "I just want to talk to someone who was with him... " | | "Please, can you help...?" | | | | At the Wall, we find them every day. Veterans who have not | | spoken of their experiences even to their most intimate | | family members are now beginning, tentatively, to seek a | | responsive ear. | | | | Brothers and sisters, parents and even wives who were simply | | never allowed full expression of their grief because of the | | fierce pressures of the time, are now coming forward, | | looking for someone who can help with their healing. | | | | We hear from children, now 15 - 25 years old, who are | | searching for bits and pieces of information they can | | assemble to help fill that empty place in their lives that | | is the father they never knew well, if at all. And they want | | to talk to each other, to share their special needs and the | | unique experience of growing up with a father on the Wall. | | They understand each other all too well. | Fifth Annual NamVet Page 35 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 | | | Millions of Americans need to meet and talk because of the | | Wall, and only the Friends can help them. | | | | Initial discussions with many other national organizations | | whose work brings them into contact with Vietnam veterans | | and their loved ones have attested to the need for IN TOUCH | | and their willingness to help. | | | | Simply put, the Friends will draw on its special work at the | | Memorial, its acquired and available data bases and | | programs designed and integrated by Electronic Data Systems | | (EDS), and the commitment and concern of its volunteers to | | place people with a common association to a name on the Wall | | to be in voluntary communication with each other. | | | | From there, we will let human nature take its good course. | | And let the healing begin. | | | | The starting point for the data base will be the more than | | twenty thousand names of people who have requested name | | rubbings from our volunteers in Washington. Each will be | | contacted and given the opportunity to participate by being | | listed in the IN TOUCH central data base file. | | | | Confidentiality is the keyword to cooperation and IN TOUCH | | will respect the integrity of all lists and records. Lists | | will be unavailable for public use and will not be | | distributed for any commercial purpose. | | | | By its nature, IN TOUCH must reach far beyond the veterans | | community in order to be successful. With professional | | guidance, the Friends will develop a program of on-going | | articles and other coverage in major media markets, high- | | lighting the personal experiences of people as they are put | | "in touch." The International Vietnam Veterans Echo | | Conference via the Herndon Byte eXchange 1:109/316 node as | | the enter point for gathering and disseminating information | | will be used. Aside from bringing the program into public | | awareness, these articles and stories will serve as a val- | | uable tool for public education on a wealth of matters | | relating to the Vietnam era. | | | | As a preliminary test of the IN TOUCH project, the Friends | | has implemented a pilot project to test the design and | | demands of such a program. Several hundred requests with | | full background information have been entered into a system | | designed to match requestor data with the existing Memorial | | data. Even with such a small sample, limited data and a | | fairly unsophisticated cross-indexing system, matches have | | been made and IN TOUCH has produced its first real | | connections. The results have been as profoundly moving for | | the participants as expected. And as gratifying for the | | Friends. | | | | But it was clear that the information management system and | | the supporting hardware system would have to be more power- | | ful and more complex in order to handle thousands, perhaps | | hundreds of thousands, of requests. Confidentiality of the | Fifth Annual NamVet Page 36 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 | system and information must be paramount. | | | | With well over 2,000 Vietnam veterans, Electronic Data | | Systems (EDS) became involved and has been generous in its | | assistance with designing the data management systems which | | will be critical to a successful program. The Friends have | | reached a three-year working agreement with EDS which | | promises continuity and maximum potential for success in | | building an information bank that can truly help people in | | their search for others who knew a loved one. | | | | The Friends are delighted that Bob Hope has agreed to make | | a public service announcement which we can use on radio and | | television to help get the word out to the public on the | | availability of the service. | | | | The Friends are also pleased to note that Hewlett Packard, | | Zenith Data Systems, Borland International, FASTCOMM | | Communications Corporation and the First National Bank of | | Chicago have all contributed computer equipment, computer | | software, and office equipment to the project, so they are | | beginning to feel fully functional. | | | | The Friends hear from people who have long been living with | | the pain of loss and looking for a way to heal. For | | instance, the Friends recently received a letter from a | | woman who wrote: | | | | Dear Friends: | | For quite some time I have been searching for a | | way to know my brother. It seems hopeless at times. | | I was 12 when he was killed... I had waited for the | | day he would come back to us. He never did. A part | | of me will always be 12 and continue to wait. | | Thank you for giving me hope that there may be | | a way to find him and bring him home to my heart..." | | | | + + + | | | | The Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial | | Electronic Data Systems | | Herndon Byte eXchange TCOMMnet BBS 1:109/316 | | | |+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++| Fifth Annual NamVet Page 37 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 IN-TOUCH Registration/Request Form THIS FORM REQUIRES SIGNATURE FOR CONFIDENTIALITY RELEASE PLEASE READ BELOW ------------------------------------------------------------------ I wish to be IN TOUCH with (Please circle and/or comment) Family, Friends and/or Fellow Veterans of the following: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ----------- PERSON WHO DID NOT COME BACK FROM VIETNAM ------------ First Name_____________ Middle Name___________ Last Name__________ Relationship to You and/or Reason for Request (Answer as fully as possible)_____________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ================================================================== -------- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT HIM/HER - IF KNOWN --------- Rank_______ Birth Date ______________ Soc. Sec. # ________________ Tour Date of Birth _______________ Where Buried __________________ Branch of Service: AR__ NA__ AF__ MC__ CG__ RC__ CIV__ (Fill in his/her equivalent unit designations in the spaces below) Division ____________ Brigade ___________ Battalion ______________ Regiment ____________ Company ___________ Ship ___________________ Battles:__________________________________________________________ Locations:________________________________________________________ Nicknames:________________________________________________________ Hometown (while in Nam): ____________________ Home State: ________ ================================================================== ---------------------- INFORMATION ABOUT YOU --------------------- Title___ First Name ____________ Middle/Maiden Name _____________ Last Name ____________________ Address___________________________________________________________ City __________________________________ State ____ Zip: _____-____ Your Home Phone ( ) ____________ Work Phone: ( ) ____________ ---------------- IF YOU ARE A VIETNAM-ERA VETERAN ---------------- Tour date _______________________________ Rank __________________ Branch of Service: AR__ NA __ AF __ MC __ CG __ RC __ CIV __ Fill in your equivalent unit designations in the spaces below Division: __________ Brigade: ___________ Battalion: ___________ Regiment: __________ Company: ___________ Ship: ________________ Battles: _________________________________________________________ Locations: _______________________________________________________ Nicknames: _______________________________________________________ Hometown (when in VN) _______________________ Home State: ________ Comments: ________________________________________________________ CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT _____ I give permission to the Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to release my name, address, phone number and relationship to other participants in the IN TOUCH project seeking information on the individual above (strike out Fifth Annual NamVet Page 38 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 phone number if you do not want it released). OR _____ I would like to have the names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons who knew my friend or relative, but prefer NOT to have my name, address, and phone number released. I hereby release the Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial from any and all liability that may arise from the operation of the IN TOUCH project. Signature ____________________________________ Date _____________ NOTE: Do not electronically transmit this form, instead mail to: Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 1350 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Fifth Annual NamVet Page 39 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== Sister Vets ================================================================== Vietnam Women's Memorial Project, Inc. "Sister Search" Submitted by: Martha Green VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 The Vietnam Women's Memorial Project's "SISTER SEARCH" is a program designed to locate the military and civilian women who served their country during the Vietnam War. The goals of "SISTER SEARCH" are to facilitate hope and healing among women veterans; to provide a network for them; and to assist research efforts on women who served during the Vietnam War. Vietnam era women veterans are asked to provide as much information as they feel comfortable sharing. Although "Sister Search" is NOT a locator service, should an inquiry be made as to whereabouts of a person included in the "SISTER SEARCH" database, the VWMP will pass the inquiry along in writing to the individual, allowing her to decide whether she would like to respond. If the individual is deceased, the inquiry will be sent to the closest family member identified by the VWMP. All women veterans in the "SISTER SEARCH" database will periodically receive information on the Project's progress and ultimately receive an invitation to the dedication ceremonies in Washington, D.C. The Vietnam Women's Memorial Project is a non-profit, volunteer organization with the threefold purpose of: educating the public about the women who served during the Vietnam era; locating and providing a network for these women; and placing a realistic representation of a Vietnam woman veteran on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. The Project has the support of every major veterans group in America, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. For more information, contact: "SISTER SEARCH" Vietnam Women's Memorial Project 2001 'S' Street NW Suite #302 Washington DC 20009 Fifth Annual NamVet Page 40 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Even a small donation can make a monumental difference. Efforts are now underway to erect a monument on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that recognizes the role played by women veterans. The Vietnam Women's Memorial Project is conducting this drive as part of a larger effort to educate all Americans about the vital services provided by over 265,000 women, military and civilian, during the Vietnam War. O O O O O O O O O O O O O Your contribution, large or small, O O will help ensure that these women's O O sacrifices are not forgotten. O __________ O O ) O /(O) / O\ / / O \ / VIETNAM / \ / WOMEN'S /HONORING\ / MEMORIAL /\ THE \ / PROJECT / \ WOMEN \ / / \ WHO \ / / \ SERVED / (__________/ \ / \ / \ / \/ _ /_/ Yes, I want to help honor America's Women Vietnam veterans. My tax-deductible contribution is enclosed. _ /_/ Send me more information about how I can help make this dream a reality. _ /_/ I am a woman who served during the Vietnam era. NAME ____________________________________________________________ ADDRESS _________________________________________________________ CITY ______________________________________ STATE ______________ ZIP ____________________ PHONE __________________________________ Clip and mail along with your contribution to: VWMP 2001 S St., NW Suite 710 Washington, DC 20009 VIETNAM WOMEN'S MEMORIAL PROJECT A legacy of Healing and Hope Fifth Annual NamVet Page 41 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Vietnam Women's Memorial Project, Inc. 2001 'S' Street NW - Suite 302 - Washington DC 20009 (202) 328-7253 FAX: (202) 328-0063 Submitted by: Martha Green VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 SISTER SEARCH Name:________________________Vietnam Era Name: ___________________ (If different) Address:_____________________________________ Work #: ____/_______ City:________________ State: __ Zip:________ Home #: Branch of Service or Civilian Organization: ___________________________________________ In-Country (Vietnam) Assignment #1: ___________________________________________________ Start Date: ___________________________ End Date: ________________ Assignment #2: ___________________________________________________ Start Date: ___________________________ End Date: ________________ Assignment #3: ___________________________________________________ Start Date: ___________________________ End Date: ________________ Vietnam Era (1959-1975) Assignment: ______________________________________________________ Start Date: ___________________________ End Date: ________________ The Project receives inquires from the press and researchers in search of Vietnam era women veterans who are willing to share their experiences.Your participation as a press/research/education contact is strictly optional. I authorize the Vietnam Women's Memorial Project to release my name to individuals or organizations who are seeking information on Vietnam era women veterans for press inquirries, research or educational activities. Signature ________________________________________ Date __________ I authorize the Vietnam Women's Memorial Project to release my name to the National Associate Volunteer, Regional and/or State Coordinator in my area. -------------------| FOR OFFICE USE | DATE RECEIVED: | | Signature ___________________ Date __________ TRANSFER: | | Please list the names and addresses of any ENTER: | other Vietnam era women veterans you know on | the back of this form. | COMMENTS: | -------------------| Thank you for participating in SISTER SEARCH Fifth Annual NamVet Page 42 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Women in Vietnam Thesis Questionnaire by Isabelle Vigla Submitted By Joyce Flory, NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor (with thanks to Greg McCarthy, Oceanside, N.Y.) Desert Dolphin/VETLink # 13 - Las Cruces, New Mexico (505) 523-2811 (Pre-Registration Required) BACKGROUND: This is a questionnaire that Ms. Isabelle Vigla of Paris, France is using to do a thesis paper concerning women in Vietnam (begun in mid-1991) sent to me by Greg McCarthy. He enclosed a letter from Ms. Vigla in which she stated she became interested in the American war in Vietnam after not finding information about France's involvement. She became interested in the part the women played there after watching (American) movies and T.V., and reading books on Vietnam and finding them all lacking in the female standpoint. Her letter said that this is the questionnaire she was giving to the males who served in Vietnam for their views of the women. She stated her work would not be objective if she failed to include the men's viewpoint. I feel the women vets could give her valuable information by completing it also. Ms. Vigla is currently living in Sante Fe, New Mexico doing further research, and mentioned that this project will take at least three years to complete. Though the deadline for returning this questionnaire has passed, Greg assured me that any response it may get, will be sent to her, in hopes of helping her write a more complete thesis. It is requested that permission to quote your answers and/or use your name be included, or, if you wish to remain anonymous, to please say so. Please send responses to: Joyce Flory - NetMail 305/105 (mailing address supplied upon request) ----------------------------------------------------------------- I) WHO YOU ARE: - What year were you in Vietnam? - How old were you? Before leaving the US for Vietnam: - Were you already in the Army? .if yes, what rank? what arm did you belong to? .if no, what were you doing as a civilian? - Were you drafted or did you volunteer? .if you did volunteer, thank you for explaining your deep motivations, how you made up your mind. - How did your family/friends/neighborhood react to the fact you were going? - Were there demonstrations against the war at the time? How did the population perceive the war? - Where were you living? (which state?) - What did the Vietnam war represent to you at that time? Fifth Annual NamVet Page 43 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 In Vietnam: - When did you arrive? Do you remember your first day? - Where were you stationed then? - Give your rank, the arm you served in in Vietnam (if different - please see above). What was your job? - How many tours of duty have you done? - Could you have stayed longer? II) THE WOMEN: - What representation/image do you have of women in the war/ - What opinion did you have about women in the Army, in a war, before you left for Vietnam? What opinion did you have after returning? Has the Vietnam experience changed your opinion about them? - What opinion did you have now, after the Gulf War? - According to you, how many American women took part in the Vietnam war? Have you heard about statistics concerning the real number? It was often mentioned in articles or books that the real number had never been given. If it is the case, why is it so? - Diane EVANS speaks of approximately 11000 American military women stationed in Vietnam during the war. She says that 90% were nurses in the Army: Navy and Air Force, and that others served as physicians, physical therapists, personnel in the Medical Service Corps, air traffic controllers, communications specialists, intelligence officers clerks, etc. Do you agree with this number? Do you think that it is reflecting the truth? - At that time were you aware that so many went to Vietnam? And after the war? - Do you know anything about the kind of psychological and physical training women had before they left for Vietnam? - Before you went did you meet any woman who was going too? Or who had just returned? The women you met in Vietnam: - What were they doing? - Under which circumstances did you meet them? - Thanks for mentioning what positions and rank they had. - How did you and your comrades perceive the work they were doing? - How did they behave towards you? - How did you behave towards them? - Do you think they gave you all the assistance you needed? - Did you try to help them in return, if, f.i., they needed to talk? needed help of any kind? During the war? After the war? - In your opinion, how did they face the problems that could occur? The war? - In what conditions (living and working) do you think they were living? - In certain articles or passages of books, it is obvious that some women complain about the way men considered them. Some of them felt like not being well considered. Other ones, like nurses for instance, say that they had or still have psychological problems, for they felt/feel that they have not done enough for the soldiers who were wounded or who died in hospitals. They say that in order to survive they had to be tough, that it was a way of resisting the pressures and the horrors of the war, that to be able not to break down and to Fifth Annual NamVet Page 44 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 be totally efficient, they did not want to get too much involved emotionally. What do you think about these assertions? - Did you meet air nurses, or women who were not stationed in Vietnam but in Japan? Or on other islands? - Did you personally feel more respect for nurses than for other women like Donut Dollies for instance? If yes, why? By the way, is it true that the expression "Donut Dollies" come from the Red Cross girls during the 1st world war? - Speaking of Donut Dollies, what was their role? - Did you meet women of other citizenships through the Red Cross? If yes, in what way did they help? - Were South Vietnamese women working on American bases? in American hospitals? - If you met some of them, please give details about what they were doing, how they behaved, the relationship they had with Americans in general. The image of the American woman in Vietnam in films, TV-films, literature: - Have you ever watched "China Beach"? "Tour of Duty"? (China Beach = nurses, Tour of Duty = nurses, psychiatrist, teacher, war correspondent) - Do you think that such serials can bring yourself and the population a better understanding of who they are? - Do you think that what is shown is reflecting the truth? - Have you seen "For the boys" with Bette Midler? "Born on the 4th of july" with Tom Cruise? - Have you read such books as: . Visions of war, dreams of peace edited by L. Van Devanter and J. Furey . A piece of my heart by Keith Walker . Home before morning by L. Van Devanter . Aftermath by Frederick Downs Jr. writing about nurses: "Yet the nurse provided a haven, making a place where I need not worry that a dink would kill me". - What do you think of the "role" that Jane FONDA played during and after the war? Women now: - What do you think of Mary Stout having served as President of the Vietnam Veterans of America for four years? In your eyes, what good has she accomplished? - What do V.V.A. Conventions mean to you? - What do you expect from the existing Veterans Associations? What do you think of the Women Association as Vietnam Veterans? - Are you playing an active role in an Association? Please explain how and your motivations, the hopes you have, the problems you have to face. - Do you think that you have the same problems than the women's? If not, in what way is it different? Do you think that you have more problems than they do? - Have you heard of women still having problems with: . PTSD . Agent Orange . Drugs/alcohols If yes, how do they try to get out of it? - Do you think for instance that nurses who were in Vietnam Fifth Annual NamVet Page 45 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 have more problems than the ones who took part in WW II? - Do you think that the fact that the Vietnam war was a defeat has contributed to worsen things? Psychological/mental recoveries? - Have you ever tried to meet again the women you met in Vietnam? To help them? To talk to them? Do you feel concerned? - What do you think of Diane EVANS' project of having a memorial in Washington DC? Have you ever been to the Wall? What do you think it would bring? - What do you think of their idea of having a Veterans' Day for women, in order to have the "silent ones" turned up? - What do you think of men who do not consider the women as "Veterans"? - What do you think of certain nurses' project of going back to Vietnam to help women and children? - Do you feel concerned by Vietnam nowadays? - What did the Vietnam war bring to you - on a human level - ? What lessons would you teach to your children? Did you learn something from it? - Do you think that there are still POW in Vietnam? Any other comments are welcomed ! Fifth Annual NamVet Page 46 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== Don't drink the water! ================================================================== DVA publishes Proposed Peripheral Neuropathy and Lung Cancer Regulations Submitted by Willie Dougherty VETLink #1 BBS - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 PROPOSED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY LUNG CANCER REGULATIONS PUBLISHED On January 21, 1991 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued proposed regulations regarding claims for service- connected disability based on exposure to herbicides containing dioxin. These proposals deal specifically with peripheral neuropathy and lung-cancer. The proposed amendments are designed to implement Secretary of Veterans Affairs Edward J. Derwinski's determination that (1) there is a significant statistical association between exposure to herbicides containing dioxin and the subsequent development of peripheral neuropathy, and (2) there is no significant statistical association between exposure to herbicides containing dioxin and lung cancer. PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY DEEMED SERVICE-CONNECTED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES Under the proposal, VA would add peripheral neuropathy to the list of diseases for which service-connection may be granted on the basis of exposure to herbicides containing dioxin. Peripheral neuropathy is a nervous system condition that causes numbness and tingling and/or weakness. The amendment stipulates that two requirements deriving from the application of sound scientific and medical principles be addressed in all adjudication decisions: (1) peripheral neuropathy must appear within 10 years of exposure, and (2) certain confounding factors must be ruled out as causes. The confounding factors include, but are not limited to, the effects of aging, alcohol abuse, trauma, diseases known to be associated with peripheral neuropathy (examples, diabetes, Guillain-Barre syndrome, etc.), and exposure to substances other than dioxin that are known to produce peripheral neuropathy. The peripheral neuropathy decision was based on a recommendation of the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards. During its May 23, 1991 meeting, the Committee considered 11 valid studies that related to peripheral neuropathy and dioxin exposure. Three of these studies demonstrated positive findings relative to peripheral neuropathy. One study found a very high prevalence of peripheral neuropathy among study subjects who experienced a heavy exposure to dioxin, as measured by the presence of chloracne or raised serum hepatic enzyme levels. Another study reported peripheral neuropathy among individuals exposed to polychlorinated phenols as a consequence of a tank car accident. The Ranch Hand study, which involved comparatively low Fifth Annual NamVet Page 47 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 exposure levels, presented mild evidence of a sustained neurologic effect. After VA's review of the studies and the Committee's recommendation, the Secretary determined on June 27, 1991, that there is a significant statistical. association between exposure to herbicides containing dioxin and peripheral neuropathy. NO SERVICE-CONNECTION FOR LUNG CANCER On May 23, 1991, the Advisory Committee also considered approximately 40 studies dealing with lung cancers. The Committee observed that most of these studies failed to deal adequately with documentation of exposure and potential confounding factors, particularly smoking. The Committee agreed that a study which did not adequately address smoking would be considered invalid. The only study to address the factor of smoking, the Ranch Hand study, was negative with regard to lung cancer. The Committee concluded that, on the basis of available epidemiological data, there is no evidence of a significant statistical association between exposure to herbicides containing dioxin and lung cancer. After VA reviewed the evidence and the Committee findings, the Secretary made his determination that sound scientific medical evidence does not establish an association between herbicides containing dioxin and lung cancer. The proposed effective date of the adjudication amendments is September 25, 1985, which was the effective day of VA's original regulations governing claims based on exposure to herbicides containing dioxin. The original regulations were voided by a court ruling in 1989. Under the proposal, peripheral neuropathy would join chloracne and soft tissue sarcomas as diseases associated with exposure to herbicides containing dioxin, and lung cancer would be added to porphyria cutanea tarda on the list of diseases without such an association. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, which some scientists suspect may be related to exposure to herbicides containing dioxin, were recognized as service-connected by VA in 1990 for Vietnam veterans, but non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were not associated in VA regulations to herbicide exposure. The proposed regulations were published in the Federal Register for public comment on January 21, 1992. The deadline for public comments was February 20, 1992. After a careful review of all comments, suggestions, or objections regarding this proposal, VA will make any necessary changes and publish final regulations. It is anticipated that the regulations will be finalized later this year. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 48 Volume 5, Number 1 November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xxx _ -. . - .-. - . . . . - XXXXXxxXXXXXXXXXXXx -. - .- . - . . XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-. .--. - .- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX -.- - -.- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX -. -. -. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx .g -. -. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX .- j. .- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . p .-. XXXXXXXX ]XXXXXXXXX ]XXXXXXXX .- - -. XXXXXX XXXXX XXXXXX -.- - -- XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX -- - XXXXXXXXX X'`XXX XXXXXXX Y Y XXXXXXXXX XXXXX XXX XXXXXXX X X XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXX XXXXXX XXX XX X XXX XX XX XXXX XX XXX XX XX XX XXXX XXX]XXXXXXXXXXXX XXX[ XX XX XXX XXXXXXXXXX " I t ' s o n l y t e e n a g e a c n e ! " -Robert Nimmo- Fifth Annual NamVet Page 49 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 RANCH HAND INVESTIGATOR RELEASE SIXTH MORTALITY REPORT Submitted by Willie Dougherty VETLink #1 BBS - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 NOTE FROM WILLIE: IMHO: The VA is going to do us just like they did veterans exposed to Radiation in WW II, Wait till 40 years later when most of us have died from it then they will make it a Service-Connected Disability...if you should live so long. --- In late December 1991, the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General released the sixth mortality review of the "Air Force Health Study, an Epidemiologic Investigation of Health Effects in Air Force Personnel Following Exposure to Herbicides." This report is part of an ongoing investigation to determine if there are adverse health effects from herbicide exposure in Air Force veterans who conducted aerial spray missions in Operation Ranch Hand in Southeast Asia. The report did not reveal any differences between the observed and expected number of Ranch Hand deaths from all causes. This finding is consistent with earlier results reported in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1989. The 1991 analysis did show, however, increased Ranch Hand deaths due to digestive diseases and, in non-flying enlisted personnel, circulatory system diseases. The increase in digestive deaths has been noted in the earlier studies. The increased number of deaths due to circulatory system diseases among the non-flying enlisted personnel is a new finding. Air Force investigators had no explanation for this latter increase, but they indicated that it is being investigated further. The Air Force report contrasts the cumulative deaths among the Ranch Hand group of 1,261, with that of a comparison population of 19,080 Air Force veterans who flew or serviced C-130 cargo aircraft in Southeast Asia during the same time that the Ranch Hand unit was active in Vietnam. This study is part of a planned 20-year effort. In addition to the six mortality reports, investigators have issued four morbidity reports. The results of the most recent morbidity analysis was released on March 29, 1991. The findings were described in the August 1991 issue of the "Agent Orange Review." Sequential questionnaires, medical record review and physical examinations will be conducted this year and in 1997 and 2002 to further assess health effects. William H. Wolfe, M.D., M.P.H., is the principal investigator. The continuing research study is being conducted by the Armstrong Laboratory, Human Systems Division, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. Additional information on this project can be obtained from the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, DC 20332-6188. The telephone number is (202) 767- 5046. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 50 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== Uncle Sam & NamVet want YOU to know ================================================================== "Ask the Veterans' Affairs Counselor" DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Office of Public Affairs - News Service Washington DC 20420 (202) 233-2741 Input by: G. Joseph Peck NamVet's Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 (Following are representative questions answered daily by VA counselors. Full information is available at any VA office.) Q-- I receive monthly service-connected disability compensation payments and have separated from my wife. Can the Department of Veterans Affairs grant an apportionment of my compensation check to my wife and children for an amount greater than that included in the total award because of them? A-- Yes. Such decisions are made on the basis of the facts in the individual case. Q-- I received an "other than honorable" discharge. Am I eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits? A-- An "other than honorable" discharge requires that VA make a special determination on the facts of the case to decide if the applicant's discharge qualifies for VA benefits. To be eligible for a particular VA benefit, the veteran must also meet the other eligibility factors which pertain to that benefit. Q-- Can a student receive VA educational payments while training for a private pilot's license? A-- No. VA will only pay for training toward a commercial pilot's license. Q-- How long is a veteran eligible for VA educational assistance? A-- Benefits under chapters 30 and 32 end ten years from the date of discharge or release from active duty. For chapter 106, benefits end ten years from the date the veteran became eligible for the program, but only if the veteran had remained in the selected reserve; otherwise, benefits end on the expiration of the term of service. Q-- What is the VA education assistance amount for correspondence courses under the Montgomery GI Bill? A-- 55 percent of the approved charge for each course. Q-- Do veteran with compensable service-connected disabilities have to pay a funding fee for a VA-guaranteed home loan? A-- No. They are exempt. Q-- During the Persian Gulf War I was called to active duty in the middle of a semester and could not complete my courses. Will I be charged entitlement for the payments I received? A-- No. President Bush signed legislation Oct. 10, 1991, which stipulated that educational assistance payments to reservists Fifth Annual NamVet Page 51 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 who were called up for the Gulf War while attending school are not chargeable against entitlement. Q-- Will I be able to keep my Servicemen's Group Life Insurance (SGLI) after I am discharged next month? A-- Coverage continues for 120 days following separation with no additional premium payment. If you are totally disabled at separation, you retain coverage for up to one year, or until such time as the disability ceases to be total, whichever comes first. You may also convert to Veteran's Group Life Insurance (VGLI), a five-year term policy in an amount not to exceed SGLI. If you choose to convert to VGLI, the first premium must be paid within 120 days of separation. The effective date for the new coverage will be day 121. You could apply for VGLI for one year after the 120th day, but in that case you would have to be in good health for insurance purposes. Q-- My father was exposed to radiation while on active duty in the early 1950s and later died of leukemia. Is my mother entitled to any benefits? A-- Possibly. The law now extends the presumptive period for leukemia from 30 to 40 years. If your father developed the disease within 40 years from his discharge and if exposure to radiation during military service is confirmed, the disease will be considered service-connected and your mother will be entitled to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Q-- Are armed forces personnel who participated in the Montgomery GI Bill but who were separated "under honorable conditions" for the "convenience of the government" eligible for education benefits? A-- No. Separation must have been honorable. Discharges designated "under honorable conditions" and "general" do not establish eligibility for education benefits. Q-- I was granted a waiver of a VA home loan default. How does that effect my entitlement? A-- The debt must be paid in full before entitlement can be restored. Q-- I am attending school under the Montgomery GI Bill. Am I eligible to participate in the work-study program? A-- Yes. You may be eligible for an allowance under the work- study program. The program allows you to work for VA in return for an hourly wage paid at either the Federal minimum wage or your state minimum wage, whichever is greater. Q-- I have National Service Life Insurance and am totally disabled. Will VA waive my premium? A-- Yes. National Service Life Insurance policyholders who become totally disabled before their 65th birthday should consult VA about their entitlement to a premium waiver six months after the onset of the disability. Q-- Does VA have any publication regarding education overpayments? A-- "Avoiding VA Education Overpayments" (VA Pam. 22-90-1, May 1990) is available from any VA regional office. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 52 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Q-- My husband was killed in the Vietnam War. May I use a VA- guaranteed home loan to buy a house? A-- Yes. Spouses of veterans who died on active duty after September 1940, or as a result of service-connected injuries, are eligible for VA-guaranteed loans to buy a home. This benefit is also available to some spouses of POWs or MIAs. To apply, you should fill out VA Form 26-1870, "Request for Determination of Loan Guaranty Eligibility-Unmarried Surviving Spouse," and return it to the nearest VA regional office. Q-- My son was killed in action in Operation Desert Storm. May his widow receive the money he contributed to his Montgomery GI Bill education fund? A-- Yes. VA will pay a death benefit to a designated survivor if the serviceperson was on active duty and the death was service-connected. The amount of the benefit is equal to the amount deducted from his pay for the program, less any education benefits paid. Q-- After selling the house I bought with a VA-guaranteed home loan mortgage, how long must I wait before buying another? A-- There is no waiting period. Q-- Are common-law marriages recognized by VA? A-- Yes, if the relationship was established in a state that recognized common-law marriages. Q-- My application for a VA pension was turned down several years ago because my income was too high. There have been some changes in my health and income over the last few years. Should I apply again? A-- Entitlement to pension is based on your countable income which can be reduced by medical and certain other expenses. Also, the income limitation is raised each year and your income may not have increased at the same rate. You should check with your local VA office to determine if you are now eligible to receive a pension. Q-- I am a reservist entitled to education benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill (Selected Reserve). Will I receive an additional allowance for my dependents once I begin training? A-- No. An additional allowance for dependents is not paid for those training under this program. Q-- My husband died in an automobile accident six months ago. He had been receiving compensation for a 100 percent service- connected disability since 1975. Will I receive any Department of Veterans Affairs benefits based on his service? A-- If your husband was receiving compensation for a 100 percent service-connected disability continuously for ten years or more prior to his death, you may be eligible to receive benefits equal to service-connected death benefits, even though his death was from a nonservice-connected cause. Q-- My husband, who just died, was a veteran of the war in Vietnam. Can we get a flag for his coffin? A-- An American flag to drape the casket of any eligible veteran may be applied for at any Department of Veterans Affairs office or your local Post Office. The flag may be given to Fifth Annual NamVet Page 53 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 the next-of-kin, close friend or associate of the deceased. Q-- If a school term begins on Aug. 4, and the enrollment certification for a Chapter 30 recipient was signed and dated June 12, is this considered a confirmed enrollment? A-- Yes, certification should be submitted less than 120 days before the term begins. The maximum advance time for certification is twelve months. Q-- When a school is approved by the state approving agency, are all out-of-state branches automatically approved? A-- No, each branch must be approved separately. Q-- How long can a government check be held before cashing it? A-- A government check held for more than one year cannot be cased. Payees must apply to the issuing agency for a replacement. Q-- Is it true that a member of the armed forces must have served two years active duty to be eligible for VA benefits? A-- Eligibility depends on when active duty began, the length of the obligation, the reason for discharge and the benefit sought. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 54 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 UNIT ASSOCIATIONS Input by Ed Kriston The Gordian Knot BBS - Westminster, MD (410) 876-3337 The 11th Armored Cavalry Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia sent out a list of Army Unit Associations in the last newsletter. Thought that I would pass it on to all of you who served in the "Sunny vacationland of the Far East" and other places. Society of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Box 27822 - Washington, DC. 20038 82nd Airborne Division Association 5459 Northcutt Place - Dayton, OH. 45414 1st Cavalry Association 302 N. Main Street - Copperas Cove, TX. 76522 Society of the 1st Division 5 Montgomery Avenue - Philadelphia, PA. 19118 101st Airborne Division P.O. Box 586 - Sweetwater, TN. 37874 Redcatcher Association of the 199th L.I.B. P.O. Box 199 - McLean, VA. 22101 4th Infantry Division Ralph Lingert, Financial Secretary 161 Vista Hermosa Circle - Sarasota, FL. 34242 Society of the 5th Division 2S 645 Avenue Vendome - Oakbrook, IL. 60521 25th Infantry Division P.O. Box 340 - Flourtown, PA. 19031 196th L.I.B. Locate a Brother P.O. Box 531 - Phoenix, OR. 97535 11th Armored Cavalry Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia 1602 Lorrie Drive - Richardson, TX. 75080 Americal Division Veteran Association P.O. Box 1381 - Boston, MA. 02104 Thought that someone might be interested in any of these. Most of the Association charge a membership fee( minimal) these usually go to worthwhile causes. The Blackhorse Association at Fort Knox gives scholarships to children of "Troopers" who were unable to do it themselves. Hope someone finds a bro'. Ed Kriston Reisterstown, Md. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 55 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== Forgotten - again? ================================================================== OH, How Far It's Come by Joyce Flory NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans' Section Editor Desert Dolphin/VETLink #13 - Las Cruces, New Mexico (505) 523-2811 (Pre-Registration Required) Back about September of 1989 a message thread was running in IVVEC about incarcerated Vietnam veterans. I was curious as to how a person went about finding a veteran to write to, maybe brighten a day or two, or maybe send copies of the NAMVET newsletter. I asked Gjoe how to go about this and was told, "Gee, Joyce, I don't know. Why don't you look into it and let us know what you find out." Little did I know what I was about to get myself into (grin). I collected the names and addresses of any and all organizations I thought could help. I put together a form letter and sent out a dozen or so of them. I got discouraged when the envelopes began returning; "No Such Person", "No Such Address", or "Moved, No Forwarding Address". Almost as bad were the letters telling me that though they'd like to help, they didn't have any information. I think the worst were the letters that told me the privacy act would not allow them to release names or addresses of the incarcerated. I kept sending letters and waiting for replies. Finally, in November, a letter arrived from the a national organization in Washington D.C. I thought it was going to be another rejection, but NO, a name, an address, a START! They told me this address "fell through the cracks" and though I "didn't get it from them" maybe it would help get me started. Did it ever!!! I wrote to Mr. Whitmarsh Bailey in Buena Vista, Colorado, explaining what I was trying to accomplish. In his kind response, he gave me three more names. Those three gentleman put me in touch with other inmates in other prisons and the program grew. Not quickly, but by dribbles. The pen-pal list expanded with each new letter that crossed my mailbox. Soon, someone sent me a "phone-book" for the National Incarcerated Veterans Network. My form letters started flying across the nation, four dozen letters in the first mailing. Soon, the replies were making their way back to me. So many incarcerated Vietnam veterans wanting to be on my list!! Many were just looking for someone to write to, some saying they'd only write to single females, others looking for long-lost buddies. Each so different, but so much the same. Today the list has grown to over three hundred incarcerated vets in thirty-five prisons spanning eighteen states. Two prisons in Alabama, one in Arkansas, three in Colorado, one in Connecticut, four in Georgia, two in Indiana, one in Kansas, four in Massachusetts, three in Michigan, one in Missouri, two in New York, three in Nevada, one in Ohio, one in Pennsylvania, one in Tennessee, two in Virginia, two in Washington, and one in Wisconsin. Just when I think my "reach" has stopped, another inmate from another prison drops a Fifth Annual NamVet Page 56 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 note to me. I've learned a lot about these gentlemen. The majority give unselfishly of themselves and their time. Some men fill their hours building doll houses and wooden toys to donate to Toys For Tots or to be raffled off for local hospital funds for dying children. Others put together fund raisers to collect monies to buy food or wood for the less fortunate, year round, not just during the Holidays. Still others sponsor the Special Olympics teams in their area. I've been told of scholarship funding to local colleges, clothing drives, and many "Scared Straight" type programs they volunteer to take part in. While involved in these programs, many have chosen to go back to school. A few are finishing high school, some are taking what college courses are available to them, a couple are lucky enough to be able to carry a full course load in the field they'd like to pursue after their release. They learn or teach trades; cabinet making, woodworking, upholstering, and some construction work to enable themselves to make a living on the "outside". They are concerned with most of the same things you and I are. The shrinking economy, politics, changes in world order. They put together newsletters about VA updates, the MIA/POW issue, PTSD, Agent Orange, relate stories, and write poems, much the same as our NAMVET but with a much smaller readership. I have, also, learned that they prefer to being called "Vietnam veterans, incarcerated". They tell me they were Nam vets first, incarcerated second. When not using that "title", they refer to themselves as the "Forgotten Warriors", stating that once behind bars, no one cares about them. Not their families, not their friends, not other Vietnam veterans, not their government. They can't get adequate health care, they are denied the counseling they need for PTSD, their VA benefits are nowhere near what other veterans get, if they can get them at all. And this just seems to be the tip of the iceberg. The more I wrote to these gentlemen, the more I became involved in the issues that concern them. File upon file sits in my "worktable" on this computer with information found at one prison to be passed onto another. Copies of legislation, sometimes laying dormant, before Congress, copies of, sometimes bogus, programs for self-help in pre-release planning or PTSD treatment are sent to me either just for my information or with a plea to "Please look into to this". All this from one simple, innocent question. What started out to be the compiling of a list of Vietnam veterans, incarcerated seeking pen-pals, has gone on to be so much more. With this background of its beginnings, I'll be telling you next of how I'm becoming an advocate (admittedly reluctantly, at first) on behalf of these gentlemen and their incarcerated veteran concerns. For me, it's already been an interesting journey, one that's just begun. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 57 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 OVERVIEW (Veterans Residential Therapeutic Program) by Groveland C.F. & Veterans Admin. Med. Center - Canandaigua Submitted By Joyce Flory, NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor (with thanks to Greg McCarthy, Oceanside, N.Y.) Desert Dolphin/VETLink #13 - Las Cruces, New Mexico (505) 523-2811 (Pre-Registration Required) OVERVIEW VETERANS RESIDENTIAL THERAPEUTIC PROGRAM GROVELAND CORRECTIONAL FACILITY and VETERANS ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL CENTER - CANANDAIGUA February, 1992 Introduction One of the most unusual programs at Groveland, if not in the entire New York State DOCS, is the Veterans Residential Therapeutic Program. It is unusual not only because it is a trail-breaking joint project of the federal Veterans Administration and the state corrections department, but also for its degree of structure, commitment to evaluation, and rapid growth in quality. And, its costs to New York State are minimal as the therapeutic aspects are provided by the VA. The program is currently serving 63 men (mostly Vietnam or Vietnam Era veterans) and is housed in the Wisteria Building, a former Craig administrator's home. The men are all assigned to the K-2 dorm, as well, allowing them to live and work as a unit. During the program day (AM and/or PM modules) veterans attend THERAPEUTIC groups, classes, and 1:1 therapy sessions, following a specific schedule developed for each man. This schedule, which will be described later, reflects his specific THERAPEUTIC needs as identified by his I/O, social and developmental history, substance abuse issues, interviews with counselors and therapists, and the results of psychometric testing (which we use both to diagnose and develop a treatment plan and, to evaluate individual progress and program effectiveness). Of the 63 men: - 3/4 are first time state inmates - 2/3 are Vietnam "in-country" veterans - 1/3 are Vietnam Era, Korean conflict, WW II, etc. - average age is 45 - 1/4 are sex offenders - nearly all have alcohol or chemical dependency problems - over 2/3 have some college education - all military services are represented; several men were highly decorated. Staff: Two DOC counselors are assigned to the program (David Warne and Sherri Bell), under the direction of Jim Lindsay (Senior Counselor) and Anthony Zon (Deputy Superintendent - Programs). Both counselors are assigned half-time to the program and half- time to regular counseling duties. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 58 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 History: The program started in October, 1989, as an outgrowth of a combat veterans rap group. Official authorization was received from Deputy Commissioner Borum in February, 1990, and the program began with a group of 30 veterans. In May, 1991, the program underwent a significant change, with the addition of a team of therapists from the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Canandaigua. The team members include a staff counseling psychologist, a staff RN/therapist, a psychology technician, and two chemical dependency rehabilitation technicians. The availability of VAMC personnel, and the DOCS staff enables the program to provide: - 82 classes and groups each week - 24 of these are intensive group therapy: several sex offenders groups, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder therapy, Chemical Dependency, compulsive behavior, impulsive behavior, and other groups designed to address specific issues identified through the psychometric testing process. - 17 skill-focused therapeutic groups, led by civilian staff (i.e., "Criminal Thinking," "Changing Thinking," addictive thinking, coping skills training). - 41 classes each week led by veterans and/or DOCS or VA staff. - a minimum of 20 hours of 1:1 therapy offered by VA therapists each week, in addition to counseling offered by the DOCS counselors. - other DOCS staff, help facilitate groups and classes, in addition to regular program support offered by such agencies as the New York State departments of Labor and Veterans Affairs. A typical weekly class schedule and a day-by-day breakdown of the current class schedule are attached. Scheduling: Each veteran is provided an individual schedule, reflecting identified needs. New participants sign a behavioral contract. In most cases, they will attend a modified schedule of classes and meetings with VAMC, DOCS and inmate peer staff while waiting for the start of their initial cycle. The typical program year is divided into four cycles, with increasing emphasis on therapeutic commitment and behavioral change as an individual progresses in the program. Detailed records of activities and progress are kept by both the DOCS and VAMC personnel. Cycles: Cycle 1, offered four times each year, forms a "core curriculum" for the new vets, and typically includes a half-day Chemical Dependency program (with a full-time VAMC therapist), and a half- day of classes, including the required Alternatives to Anger and Aggressive Behavior Program. At the end of the first cycle, participants receive a formal evaluation and normally progress to Cycle 2. Cycle 2 includes fewer "required" classes and provides the opportunity for more intensive involvement in group therapy and classes focused on participants identified needs. This pattern continues through Cycles 3 and 4. Individual therapy and required groups continue through all four cycles as appropriate. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 59 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Selection: The veterans are initially interviewed for suitability by DOCS counselors. Military records are sent for, and a VAMC therapist meets with each man. A committee of peer staff also meets with each prospective participant. As space is made available in the program, the men on the waiting list are moved into the K-2 dorm and are assigned to the veterans program. In most cases, they will participate in a modified schedule of classes and small groups with VAMC, DOCS, and selected inmate peer staff which enables them to adjust to program expectations and to assist in developing their specific therapeutic plan. Assignment: The nature of the veteran's legal problems and related issues provide some of the basis for his assignment to certain therapeutic groups and classes (chemical dependency, sex offenses, and violence, for example). The Comrey Personality Scales instrument is administered, providing additional diagnostic/prescriptive evaluation. Within a few weeks of commencing the program, a social and developmental history is obtained. On occasion, additional psychometric tools such as the Basic Personality Inventory or MCMI will be administered. The Comrey Personality Scales, an instrument similar to the MMPI provides a means of evaluation for individual growth and for assessing program effectiveness. Evaluation can be made on eight independent scales, and there is also the opportunity for development of a individual "profile" which can be compared with published behavior profile types specific to the Comrey. Veterans are assigned to some of the 20+ specific intensive therapy groups on the basis of identified needs, the evaluative interviews, and the psychometric testing. Each group has, as the major objective, the task of addressing the causes of the participants' problems - as well as the resulting issues (such as anger, depression, anxiety, compulsive/addictive behaviors, legal problems, difficulty with relationships, etc.). Skills Training: In addition, all veterans participate in a sequence of required courses to develop appropriate skills and to modify their thinking about life events. An example of this sequence is the "Anger, Aggression and Communication Skills" curriculum. All veterans are assigned to the course in this sequence as listed below. Cycle 1: Anger and Aggressive Behavior Program (36 Hours) Cycle 2: Advanced Communication Skills (18 Hours) Intra- and Inter-Personal Skills (18 Hours) Cycle 3: Advanced Assertion Skills (18 Hours) Cycle 4: Neuro-Linguistic Programming (selected vets) Group Therapy (for those with impulsive behavior, etc.) The other program areas (Relationships, Self-Awareness, Lifestyle Management, Improved Cognitive Understanding, and Chemical Dependency) are all developed sequentially, as well. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 60 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 The general curriculum and the issues addressed by the specific groups reflect the degree of severity and the number of veterans impacted by each issue. At the beginning of each cycle changes are made to reflect the needs of the current population. Assessments: We expect that subsequent administrations of the Comrey test will indicate areas for further program modification - and, hopefully, significant changes in the inmate veteran population. We expect, also, that these statistical results will be validated by observable behavior change and the achievement of individual- specific goal setting/action plans, developed and monitored through the therapeutic activities of the program. We provide DOCS and the VAMC with monthly updates and statistical summaries and analysis to keep them informed of program improvements and adjustments required by the needs of the participants. Changes: A significant program change evolved in 1991, with the development of a structured and focused curriculum, designed to be consistent with the VAMC cognitive-behavioral therapeutic model. Each of the 30+ courses - across all four cycles - has a detailed written course overview, including purpose, format, techniques, behavioral objectives, a week-by-week outline, and a custom-developed course workbook. Many of these workbooks are of professional quality, some over 100 pages, and a sufficient quantity has been provided by the Groveland print shop and the VAMC printing office for every man to have his own copy for each course. Housing: The common residential area is a critical aspect of the program. Perhaps for the first time in their lives, the veterans are with other men their own age in an intensive and structured therapeutic setting. There is a safe opportunity to discuss their lives, their therapeutic issues, or family problems, and even the most sensitive issues are addressed in the dorm. Inmate peer staff deal on a regular basis with addictive recovery issues, combat- related post traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and similar problems. If nothing else, they can be a safe and empathetic listener - for they have shared many of the same concerns themselves. The K-2 dorm, while not perfect, is one of the cleanest, quietest units in the facility. The vets disciplinary record has generally been very good, and relationships between the vets program and security staff are excellent. Dorm officers are encouraged to communicate regularly with DOCS counselors and VA therapists. The net effect of this arrangement is that the therapeutic process can focus more directly not only on symptomatic behaviors, but on causes. Inmates are perceiving that they now are capable of making the necessary changes in their lives, and are learning the skills and solutions to accomplish that. And this process is observed and evaluated every step of the way. Future Objectives: Among our major remaining objectives is the development of a Fifth Annual NamVet Page 61 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 process for aiding the individual in accepting responsibility for his actions and therapeutic growth. The ability to honestly verbalize and confront the underlying issues is essential for the rest of the therapeutic process, and for the "educational" and skills development aspect of the program to be of real value. This critical step is primarily being addressed through individual counseling sessions, and is receiving increased emphasis at this point. Evaluations: Both subjective and objective evaluations of the program and individual participants are on-going. Courses and groups are evaluated by PARTICIPANTS, leaders, and civilian staff. Certain courses require a demonstration of learned skills: others include written personal goals and action plans which are evaluated by other PARTICIPANTS and staff. Inmates are evaluated, too, on their level of involvement in program activities, on their disciplinary records, on the benchmarks of their progress towards personal therapeutic goals and written action plans, and by observation by the professional staff in their individual and group therapy. Correctional staff often provide feedback, as well. One evaluative aspect of this program which is still evolving is the careful tracking of participants who, upon release, might continue their involvement with Veterans Administration services. As the program is still young, it is premature to draw conclusions from the data being gathered, but the initial behavioral results are very positive, and the recidivism track record is excellent. Very few participants who have been granted temporary release or who have been released from the correctional system have returned. Certainly this program is viewed as a prototype for other VAMCs and correctional systems, and as such, many of the steps we are taking here may have wide-ranging impact in the future. This program is new; it is developing, but it has a degree of structure and focus, and should continue to improve. We welcome your input, constructive criticism, and support. ================================================================= OVERVIEW OF THERAPEUTIC/SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS 3/5/92 All courses meet for 12 weeks (at least 18 hours) Area # 1: Anger, Aggression, Communication Skills 1. Alternatives to Anger and Aggressive Behavior Program (Cycle 1) (2 sessions each week - 36 hours) 2. Advanced Communication Skills (Cycle 2) 3. Advanced Assertion Skills (Cycle 3) 4. Intra- and Interpersonal Skills (Cycle 4) 5. Moral Dilemmas (Cycle 1) 6. Specific Group Therapy Area # 2: Life Management/Improved Cognitive Understanding 1. Basic Goal Setting (Cycle 1) 2. Relapse Prevention 1 (VAMC) (Cycle 1) 3. Relapse Prevention 2 (VAMC) (Cycle 2) 4. Relapse Prevention 3 (VAMC) (Cycle 3) Fifth Annual NamVet Page 62 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 5. Relapse Prevention 4 (DOCS) (Cycle 4) 6. Compulsive/Addictive Thinking (VAMC) (Cycle 2/4) 7. Addictive Thinking (group) (VAMC and DOCS) (Cycle 3) (as needed) 8. Changing Thinking (group) (DOCS) (Cycle 3) (offered on occasion) 9. Criminal Thinking (DOCS) (Cycle 3) (offered on occasion) 10. Coping Skills (combined staff) (Cycles 2, 3) 11. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (Cycle 4) (offered on occasion) 12. Post-Release (DOCS) (Cycle 4) 13. Vocational/Employment Planning (Cycle 3, 4) 14. Diet/Fitness/Health (Cycle 3) (offered twice/year) 15. Stress Reduction (and PTSD awareness) (Cycle 1) 16. Advanced Stress Management (Cycle 2) 17. Depression (VAMC) (Cycle 3) (offered twice/year) 18. Personal Finance Management (Cycle 4) (offered on occasion) Area # 3: Chemical Dependency Area 1. Chemical Dependency Program (200 hours) (VAMC) (Cycle 1) 2. Restrospections (36 hours) (VAMC) (for new vets who are not yet ready for the Chemical Dependency Program) 3. Clean and Dry (group meeting format) (Cycle 2, 3, 4) 4. See Areas # 2, 6 for related courses and groups) Area # 4: Participation in Group Activity, Self-Disclosure/Self Awareness 1. Self-Esteem (Cycle 1) 2. Team Building (VAMC) (Cycle 1) 3. Military Experience Class (Cycle 0, 1) 4. Military Rap Groups: Vietnam combat/in-country (Cycle 1, 3, 4) Vietnam Era (Cycle 1), Korea (Cycle 1), New Vets (Cycle 0) 5. Introduction to the Therapeutic Community (Cycle 0, new vets) (2 sessions each week) 6. Introduction to Psychology (VAMC) (Cycle 0) 7. World Affairs (Cycle 2, 3) 8. Multi-Cultural Awareness (Cycle 2, 3) 9. Self-Awareness (Cycle 0) 10. Taking Control (Cycle 0) Area # 5: Relationships 1. Co-Dependency (VAMC) (Cycle 2) 2. Adult Child of Dysfunctional/Alcoholic Family (VAMC) (twice/year) 3. Family Relationships (DOCS) (Cycle 2) 4. Intensive Group Therapy For Childhood Based PTSD (as needed) Area # 6: Intensive Group Therapy 1. PTSD/Combat Stress Groups (5-6 groups each week) (VAMC) 2. Sex Offenders Groups (3-4 groups each week) (divided according to need and therapeutic progress) (VAMC & DOCS) 3. "Comrey" (VAMC), divided according to identified needs (therapist interviews and psychometric testing) (14-15 groups each week) 4. Advanced Relapse Prevention Groups (VAMC/DOCS) (Cycle 2, 3, 4) 5. Chemical Dependency Program group therapy (VAMC) (5 hours/week) 6. Individual counseling (VAMC and DOCS) 7. Therapy/Support group for Vets who are HIV positive Fifth Annual NamVet Page 63 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 (as needed) Area # 7: Staff Development 1. Counseling Skills 2. Train-The-Trainer Please note: Course descriptions, syllabus, 12-week class outline, and samples of or printed training manuals/workbooks are available for each class listed above. ================================================================= Groveland Correctional Facility Veterans Residential Therapeutic Program Chemical Dependency Services Introductory Programming (Cycle "0") This is a "holding pattern" for new veterans, pending the start of the next regular (quarterly) cycle. We also use it to provide additional time for certain men to adjust to the expectations and intensity of our regular programming. Group Therapy - DOCS staff (up to 18 hours) Introduction to the Therapeutic Community (up to 36 hours) Preparation for Group Therapy - VAMC (up to 36 hours) Self-Awareness (up to 18 hours) Taking Control (up to 18 hours) Also in this cycle: three related courses TOTAL: up to 126 hours on chemical dependency issues Cycle 1 This is a full-day program, including the following, and five other related courses (Alternatives to Anger and Aggressive Behavior, Team Building, Moral Dilemmas, etc.). Chemical Dependency Program - VAMC staff (180+ hours) Relapse Prevention 1 (18 hours) Stress Reduction (18 hours) Basic Goal Setting (18 hours) Self Esteem (18 hours) Group Therapy - VAMC (18 hours) Individual Counseling - VAMC/DOCS staff (most vets) as needed TOTAL: 172 hours, plus 118 hours group therapy, plus individual therapy - specifically related to chemical dependency issues. Cycle 2 This is a half-day program, and includes five other courses in addition to those listed below. Relapse Prevention 2 - VAMC staff (18 hours) Compulsive/Addictive Thinking (18 hours) Coping Skills (18 hours) Advanced Stress Management (18 hours) Co-Dependency (18 hours) Clean and Dry (recovery program) (18 hours) Issue-specific group therapy (prescribed for each veteran). Most men participate in at least three such groups, led by VAMC and/or DOCS staff, each week (54 hours) Individual counseling as needed Fifth Annual NamVet Page 64 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 TOTAL: 108 hours of courses relating to chemical dependency issues, plus 54 hours of group therapy, plus individual therapy. Cycle 3 This is a half-day program. In addition to those listed below, there are four other courses taught in this cycle. Relapse Prevention 3 (18 hours) Recovery Group therapy - DOCS staff (18 hours) Family Relationships (18 hours) Advanced Assertion Skills (18 hours) Issue-specific group therapy sessions (6 groups are scheduled each week, led by VAMC and/or DOCS staff). Each veteran attends at least three such groups. TOTAL: 54 hours of courses relating to chemical dependency, plus group therapy (average is 54 hours), plus individual therapy as needed. Cycle 4 This is a half-day module, and many participants are also engaged in peer counseling responsibilities. Relapse Prevention 4 (18 hours) Advanced Recovery Group therapy - DOCS staff (18 hours) Clean and Dry program (18 hours) Childhood PTSD/Co-Dependency group therapy - VAMC & DOCS staff (18 hours) (Peer Staff Training - VAMC staff(18-36 hours) Issue-specific group therapy. There are 16 groups available for Cycle 4 veterans; most are in two or three groups (36-54 hours). TOTAL: 36 hours on chemical dependency/recovery issues, plus approximately 72 hours of group therapy, plus individual therapy as needed. ================================================================= PROGRAM EVALUATION CRITERIA Reaction Criteria evaluation of each class reviews during and at end of cycle 1:1 and small group feedback with VAMC and DOCS staff Learning Criteria demonstration of skills (selected courses/groups) written activities, action plans, and goals Behavioral Criteria level of participation in program activities disciplinary record, deportment benchmarks of personal progress (goals, action plans) observation monitoring by professional staff group stability/turnover feedback by correctional staff on dorm/participants evaluation of 1:1 counseling by VAMC therapists quarterly review of inmate by DOCS counselors Fifth Annual NamVet Page 65 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Results Criteria recidivism as best as can be monitored observation monitoring by VAMC and DOCS staff evaluation of VAMC research project (Comrey testing, etc.) Fifth Annual NamVet Page 66 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX \ \ \ \ \XXXX XXXXX XXXXX.::::::::::::::.XXXXX INCARCERATED XXXX XXXXX XXXXX --------- XXXXX \ \ \ \ \ \ \XXXX XXXXX .XXXXX W W I I XXXXX. 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XXXX XXXXX / ~ || . .'. / / XXXX XXXXX/ ~ ~ ~|| ||/ / XXXX XXXXX ~ ~ ~ || || / XXXX XXXXX || || / XXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX \_________XXXXX________|| XgjpX XXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXX Fifth Annual NamVet Page 67 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Johnny Chadwick 110520 James Bishop 31347 Holman Unit 5-U-5 Brook De Nault 29594 Holman 37 John Doane 14686 Atmore, AL 36503-0037 Roy Fudge 29966 Earl Grissom 27536 Willie Earl Thompson Brain Hern 14535 H-2-G-226-110125 Ken Jezierski 30790 1000 St. Clair Rd. Harry Lilly 29894 Springville, AL 35146 James McGee 31489 George McIntyre 25124 Chaplain Dennis G. Pigman Eugene Perry 29647 Jerry Barnett 083876 James Raines 31445 Michael Bass 086961 Dan Richmond 15601 Ronald Brackett 800013 Eddie Romero 22115 Richard Brasher 077897 Eddie Sanchez 26895 Darrell Brooks 081683 Claude Theriault 11872 Henry Burris 081658 Robert Turner 30473 John Campbell 078482 Harold Weaver 17624 John Campbell 076674 Jeff Weil 28242 Tommy Chappell 091711 Cecil Williams 23818 Stuart Clements 082516 Nevada State Prison Hoyt Clines 000886 PO Box 607 Raymond Coble 088317 Carson City, NV. 89702 Jessie Cockrell 082169 Benny Cooper 089393 Don Miller James Dansby 082797 Health and Safety Thomas Dinger 088756 PO Box 7011 Isiah Dumas 079752 Carson City, NV. 89702 Donnie Dunivan 082890 David Fain 083803 George "Doc" Wray 31324 Lewis Fields 083568 Michael W. Tubazio 22135 Dennis Glick 086895 Humboldt Conservation Center Michael Hanshew 086275 PO Box 1069 Johny Henderson 082960 Winnemucca, NV. 89446-1069 Harold Hobbs 077219 Herman Holland 084387 Sam Howard 18329 Dewayne Hulsey 000865 Pete Huertas 15239 Cecil Jeffers 073300 Jake Reynolds 21763 Tim Keepes 085209 Paul Stadtlander 23389 Larry King 095569 Ely State Prison Harold Krigbaum 087060 PO Box 1989 Eugene Lilly 091245 Ely, NV. 89301 Scott Macdonald 082181 James Madison 083401 Ervun L. Armlin Timmothy Mcdaniel 078129 86-C-0782 D-6-6 Gary Mcdonald 082306 Ron Chamberlain James Metcalf 088642 81-C-0459 C-17-41 George Moore 076781 Ed Beaufort Cutner Charles Moorman 076535 89-C-1606 C-13-6 Herbert Newman 093888 Thomas Delmonte Michael O'Rourke 000903 86-C-1021 A-1-20 Michael Orndorff 000889 Gary Emry William Parker 000899 89-C-1315 A-7-24 Eldon Patton 060104 Giacomo A. Frascone James Perdue 084302 89-A-3512 A-6-22 James Phelps 084005 Elwood H. Fields Perry Powell 092346 88-A-4043 D-8-13 James Renton 073560 William L. Hargrove Darryl Richley 000888 83-A-4292 D-8-18 Fifth Annual NamVet Page 68 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Willard Robbins 080976 Donald W. Knapp Larry Robertson 089180 88-C-0072 A-3-8 Craig Ryan 093104 Michael Mantice Raymond Sanders 000918 90-A-7640 B-7-18 Larry Sawdon 080276 Thomas H. Marlowe William Smallwood 090456 83-C-0834 E-9-16 Michael Smith 087109 Ferdinand Quiles Reginald Smith 085042 83-A-5609 A-4-38 Jimmy Staton 089671 Robert T. Smith Charles Stoner 084433 81-A-2188 A-5-10 William Sykes 084447 Andrews S. Tenny Danny Taylor 083979 81-B-2137 E-10-19 Robert Upton 066236 PO Box 618-135 Arthur Walls 079942 135 State St. James Walters 087938 Auburn, N.Y. 13024-9000 Bruce Ward 000915 Derek Webster 091356 Greg McCarthy Johnny Williams 079023 257 Hallman Ave. Alfred Wilson 062356 Oceanside, N.Y. 11572 Johnny Witham 065978 Billy Woodard 089235 Alexander Michael Marathon Gregory Woods 077991 79D0127 D-1-26 Arkansas Dept. of Corr. Pouch 1 Maximum Security Unit Woodbourne, N.Y. 12788 Star Route, Box 22-B Tucker, AK. 72168-8713 Rob Brady 237-196 Daniel Siders 234-394 James L. Sparks Orient Corr. Inst. A1-125-L PO Box 511 PO Box 7500 Columbus, OH 43216 Crescent City, CA. 95531-7500 Lou Muller BG 2894 Dennis E.Prentis 43497 Drawer A Old Route 22 Chris S.Crespin 45523 Cresson, PA. 16630-0010 Jerry Baack 57098 PO Box 2017 John Cobb Buena Vista, CO. 81211 126878 Unit 12 James Eades Unit 4 Whitmarsh Bailey 56715 Stanton Easley P.O.Box 999 86354 Unit 2 Canon City, CO. 81215-0999 William Harris 77891 Unit 8 A. David Baez 57020 Grant Henderson Unit 4 Box 100 Myer Pettyjohn Sommers, CT 06071 90722 Unit 9 Johnny Ottinger Unit 14 White Alvin John Slate Unit 8 EC-167140 KC-202 Charles Sprinkle Donald H. Crider 109200 Unit 4 EF-241524 KA-111 Bobby Tate Joe Crutchfield 123531 Unit 5 EF-182342 FC-210 Kenneth Teague Garey Davis 112717 Unit 4 EF-185119 KA-119 PO Box 2000 Albert Fetter Wartburg, TN. 37887 EF-257479 Howard David Kress Van Burton 108483 (A-120) EF-245285 GA-109 M Davenport 155165 (N-321) Gerald LaPalme M Donati 150219 (D-71) Fifth Annual NamVet Page 69 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 EF-152010 JA-119 Joe Grace 136189 (B-108) Michael L. Morgan M Glennon 140901 (O-101) D-11340 H B-Range J Heidinger 102513 (O-421) Raymond W. Myrick Jr. Charles Ladison EF-199153 H B-Range 138228 (O-330) Clarence T. Plott G Magno 112810 (N-418) EF-271182 FD-229 William Merriman Michael J. Previch 131789 (A-66) EF-278117 JC-211 L Rainsford 126380 (B-108) David E. Shepherd Abdul Shah 101250 (O-417) EF-158022 H B-Range Gerald Stovall Jr. James Talley 98899 (O-328) EF-159938 HD-229 R Sutton 141041 (O-317) Metro Corr. Inst. PO Box 488 1301 Constitution Rd. SE Burkeville, VA. 23922 Atlanta, GA. 30316-4698 David Bailey 153526 D-2 Thomas Adams Roger Baxter 157594 D-2 Dwight L.Lyons Luther C. Beasley Donald E. Head 110375 D-2 EG 172282 RCI Box 8409 Gordon Cawthron Columbus, GA. 31907-8409 135734 D-6 Robert Hall 148001 HA David M. McCook John Harris 133342 HA (DA-118) EF 18354 Thomas Hawley 139294 D-1 Jack T. Ruthledge C.I. Carlton Heflin 170297 D-5 PO Box 8409 Joseph Huggins 99433 D-6 Columbus, GA. 31907 Michael Kay 136567 D-5 Le'roi Mason 104969 D-5 David W. Barrett Oliver Mayfield EF 114584 004 106330 HA-2 CCCI 1 Felt Rd. James Moody 160399 D-4 Newnan, GA. 30263 William Moran 131271 D-2 Preston Parker 118311 D-5 Francis Smith A-83283 Jamal R Rashid 110781 D-2 PO Box 4002 Matthew Sanders Danville, IL. 61834-4002 166545 D-4 Charlie Sherman James L. Davis 128403 D-6 892971 E Dorm W-5 William Simmons 106399 D-4 Joe DeRado David Swink 157682 D-6 902975 E Dorm E-42 Curtis Wright 125330 HA J. Michael Ensley James River Corr. Ctr. 28828 F Dorm W-84 State Farm, VA. 23160 Scotty Hammack 10422 ACH-148 Lee Bruer 960286 Danny W. Hamby Rudolph Cleveland 939491 892631 E Dorm W-93 Larry DuBois 940561 Lowell K. Idle Edward Froats 287159 893265 DCH-424 Jim Herrick 273217 Richard Kirby Walt Lamphere 936322 31358 DCH-262 Bernard Olson 900437 Larry Lisenby Jerry Phelps 262365 853325 CCH-149 Pat Radford 280360 Richard Martin George Tate 621964 9634 CCH-164 George Wilson 263328 William R. McCall PO Box 1000 8031 ICH-404 Steilacoom, WA. 98388-1000 Pat McGuire Fifth Annual NamVet Page 70 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 892476 DCH-153 Thomas Baja Dinzel Miller 951519 1-C-13 N. (W.S.P.) 23977 CCH-370 Jack Barnes Karl N. Robinson 938196 6-D-12 (W.S.P.) 852525 CCH-343 Chris Blystone Steve Swafford 939464 8 Wing (W.S.P.) 874932 CCH-148 Russell Coquillette PO Box 41 277994 6-A-17 (W.S.P.) Indiana State Prison Patterson Durryne Michigan City, IN. 46360 279920 6-C-1 (W.S.P.) Donald C. Galbert Harold Mize 863934 D Dorm 901522 6-E-2 (W.S.P.) Cory Naples 901359 Frank R. Garcia Westville Corr. Ctr. 627398 8-E-3 (W.S.P.) Box 473 Brent Gidney Westville, IN 46391-0473 962194 6-F-7 (W.S.P.) Billy Jensen Cecil Emerson 35427 927130 6 W (W.S.P.) HFC D1-118 Louis Maryland PO Box 1568 905616 1-D-18 N. (W.S.P.) Hutchinson, KS 67504-1558 Kermit Redeagle-Belgarde 905798 1-A-4 N. (W.S.P.) Leslie Gomes Patrick Rice PO Box 565 916917 8 Wing (W.S.P.) Billeria, MA. 01821 Darrell D. Richardson 914388 8-D-13 (W.S.P.) Lance Koren M.D. Sam Rosalez PO Box 1069 627310 8-F-17 (W.S.P.) Concord, MA. 01472 Bill Sturph 957368 8-E-1 (W.S.P.) Arthur Coy Joe Tigano Frank Komnenus 952405 6-E-14 (W.S.P.) Kevin M Pennell PO Box 520 Richard Ortiz Wash. State Penitentiary Tyrone Smith Walla Walla, WA 99362 Robert Thompson PO Box 466 Calvin Allen 203359 Gardner, MA. 01440 John Banaszak 188690 Edward Belamares 128592 Ron Gohn Merrit Burright 5593 George Hebert Anthony Cartwright 2210911 P.O.Box 1218 Eric Collins 201910 Harvard Rd. Charles Coogan 40001 Shirley, MA. 01464 Irvin Doxtator 16876 John S. Deuchars 42641 Alex Beaudine 145559 John Erdman 133557 Bill Hammes 204434 Keith Fenderson 210194 Terry Snyder 193889 Kevin Glover 167916 PO Box 1900 Robert L. Guck 72598 Adrian, MI. 49221 Roosevelt Hall 180767 Jerry Hammill 66235 Mr. Conklin 159051 Dane Hedstrom 125111 Michael Deen 201339 Danny R. Heller 149705 Robert Dennstaedt 147258 Mark Hinton 108536 Ron Duvall 119293 Colin Hutchinson 182042 Mr. Peterson 167626 Dale Hylok 110660 Thomas Van Antwerp 184766 Issac Jackson 186188 Mr. Vaughan 145696 John Jaenke 89343 G. Robert Cotton Fac. Tommy Johnson 138644 Fifth Annual NamVet Page 71 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 PO Box 3003 Myung Jun 201398 Jackson, MI 49204 Dereck Kelly 209110 Herman Krause 39312 Boyd Blair 156418 James Lelivelt 26992 Herschel Davis 163765 Richard Lewan 169630 Willi Henderson-Bey 128457 William Lewis 44501 Ronald Kramer 181007 James Lowery 166070 William Letzgus 187075 Charles L. Marstan 210697 David Martin 180065 Robert McQueen 5705 Teddy McCray 200255 Ken Myers Jr. 173568 Danny McKay 147064 Aaron Overberg 142578 Wendell Neview 196387 Joe Perkins 50736 David Oates 190210 Robert Warren 104480 Leonard Pikaart 179858 Jose Rodriguez 193528 David Prieto 193367 Philip Roth 16844 Tim Shagen 203886 Thomas Rush 177468 Richard Sheff 180946 Ruven Siebert 31311 Thomas Siemoneit 179536 William Selmon 0259321 Tony Slusarski 131661 Robert Schmidt 187661 Teddy Stephens 182636 Wayne Schwamb 178746 Ronald Triplett 132615 John Stallins 125612 James Wilson 180186 Charles Stephenson 179459 Edwin Zimmerman 184779 Merlin Sternitzky 155685 2400 South Sheridan Rd. Gary L. Stibb 202596 Muskegon, MI. 49442-6240 Kenneth Spears 88927 Gary Sutton 196088 Andy Cascarelli 201886 Ron Swartout 84812 David Fox 200406 Thaddeus Sieger 215663 Tim Grassmyer 206270 Louis Tarentino 184595 Rick Isbell 207512 Ronald Taylor 181190 Earl Lord 196758 Eric Vogliotti 186603 Antonio Lyte 165094 Hoyt E. Vrooman 210573 Charles Ray 205764 Bernard Watts 177701 Eddie Stenton 198136 Richard Webb 103925 Robert White 182002 Milton Wendler 135295 8201 N. Crosswell Rd. Randolph Whiting 158604 St. Louis, MO. 48880 P.O.Box #351 Waupun, WI. 53963-0351 Fifth Annual NamVet Page 72 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== NamVet/IVVEC Concentrated Service ================================================================== NamVet/IVVEC Service Department by G. Joseph Peck, ESO Electronic Veterans' Centers of America Corporation (EVAC) Pittsfield, MA Now we've done it _____________ Electronic \ Service \ _____) Department )_____ _________(____(____________(_____(@) ) ) gjp / O O O O O O O O O/_/| /<> O O O O O O O O O/ | /MM O O O O O O O MM/ | / ___________ / . /O (___________) O O/ . 11 Nov 92 (====================(. For many of you who weren't aware, we have an Electronic Service Department here in NamVet which attempts to help any/all veterans and/or their families with things such as information requests, discharge upgrades, employment help and, generally, anything veteran-oriented that is needed to help America's veterans. It's been a busy, busy few months since last I wrote here!!! As you've probably noted, there are now 31 VETLink BBSs around the nation (and a few more applications "in the wings"). We hope to soon bring a VETLink BBS to your local calling area. ELECTRONIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT: Last issue, we'd commented that we were approaching a few national Veteran Service Organizations concerning training many of our VETLink # BBS operators to be Electronic Service Officers (ESO's). In a claim presently before the DVA, the ESO concept has been further elaborated on and additional "formal" training requested. Stay tuned - there may be some great things happening for ALL our computer-using veterans! There are many other areas in which we have served - and have been helped to continue in our efforts to serve you and all our brother and sister veterans and their families. For those of you who have helped - THANK YOU... For those of you we can help - THANK YOU... for allowing us the opportunity to prove the UNITY in our veteran commUNITY!!! There's LOTS more where that came from! Fifth Annual NamVet Page 73 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 ================================================================== Breaking Squelch & The Lighter Side ================================================================== IVVEC Phonebook Updated as of 09-21-92 compiled by Joyce Flory VETLink #13 - Las Cruces, N.M. (505) 523-2811 WELCOME HOME!!!! If any of the following information is inaccurate or incomplete, please contact me through the VIETNAM_VETS Echo or NetMail at 305/105. I would, also, like to know if any of these boards are Pay BBS's (pay per hour) or Subscriber BBS's (for extended time, etc. you must pay a fee). I feel you vets have paid enough without having to pay for vet information, access to the NAM_VET echo, or to download the NAM_VET newsletter AND have a right to know which boards charge. Though I regularly check the listings against the Nodelist to make sure they have the correct phone number(s), I have no way of knowing (short of calling them all - grin) *if* they carry the echo or not. Remember, this list is only as good as my information. Your help and information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you; Joyce (K.O.T.L.) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Updated as of 09-12-92 AK Fairbanks Help Yourself BBS 907-451-0887 AL Huntsville Gateway 205-880-7723 AL Pleasant Grove Family Smorgas-Board 205-744-0943-NL !* (VETLink #26) - Approval Pending AR Fayetteville Ozark Connection 501-521-4734 AR Magnolia The Data Shop (VETLink #23) 501-234-5064-NL ! AZ Phoenix AzCLU BBS 602-650-1180 Mon. thru Fri. - 6pm to 8am; Weekends - 6pm Fri. to 8am Mon. AZ Phoenix Nat. Congress For Men BBS 602-840-4752 AZ Phoenix Nighthawk BBS 602-582-1127 AZ Sierra Vista The Mall 602-459-3789 CA Anaheim CA Self-Help Library 714-952-2110 CA Antioch Cheers 510-706-0904 CA Azusa Azusa Pacific BBS 818-969-9170 CA Azusa Azusa Pacific Mail System 818-969-9542 CA Benicia DCC BBS 707-746-6091 CA Castro Valley Combat Arms BBS 510-537-1777 CA Claremont Gentle Rain Forum 714-593-6144 CA Clovis Clovis-Net BBS 209-292-3530 CA Davis Dynasoft Node 916-753-8788 CA Los Angeles SoCalNet EC 818-969-9542 CA Mentone Mentone Beach BBS 714-794-3031 CA Navato Mover Mouse BBS 415-898-2644 CA Ontario Diamond Bar BBS 714-947-7478 Fifth Annual NamVet Page 74 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 CA Ontario Diamond Bar BBS 714-923-1031 CA Orange Ol' Codger's BBS 714-639-1139 CA Oxnard SURFBOARD 805-483-1467 CA Richmond Nightline BBS (VETLink #22) 510-234-1053-NL ! CA Ridgecrest Programmer's Inn 619-446-4506 CA Sacramento The Broken Rose BBS 916-483-8624 CA Sacramento Now and Zen Opus 916-962-1952 CA Sacramento Frogstar 916-739-8386 CA San Diego Rendezvous BBS 619-689-2817 CA San Diego Rendezvous BBS 619-692-0563 CA San Francisco PC GFX Exchange 415-337-5416 CA San Francisco SeaHunt BBS 415-431-0473 CA San Francisco Skeptic's Board 415-572-0359 CA San Jose 24 Hours-A-Day BBS 408-448-1126 CA San Jose Int'l Public Emergency Comm 408-298-2740-SB* CA Twentynine Palm The Desert Night 619-361-3421 CN Alberta The Shadow BBS 403-463-0809 CN Edmonton, Alab. Druid's Keep 403-476-9554 CN Stratford, Ont. Warlock's World 519-272-1773 CN Regina, Sask. Holistic BBS 306-789-9909 CO Boulder Pinecliffe HST DS 303-642-0703 CO Canon City Purgatory 719-269-9261 CO Colorado Sprgs Electronic Locksmith 719-390-9249 CO Colorado Sprgs Socialism Online 719-392-7781 CO Denver WestWind BBS 303-758-7589 CO Highlands Ranch Rocky Mt. Info. Exchange 303-791-4331 CT Branford Alice's Restaurant 203-488-1115 CT Branford Fernwood 203-481-7934 CT Cheshire Soapbox 203-250-2001 CT Concord Online Computer Reso 510-687-0236 CT Danbury Treasure Island 203-791-8532-NL CT Killingly Eastconn Echomail 203-779-3173-NL ! (VETLink #11) CT Killingly The Hub 203-663-1147 CT Plantsville The Pig Pen 203-628-9346 CT Plantsville The Pig Pen 203-620-0562 CT Southington DownStairs 203-621-1930 CT Wallingford Vampire Connection 203-269-8313 CT West Haven Ascii Neighborhood II 203-932-9852-NL ! (VETLink #14) CT West Haven Ascii Neighborhood 203-932-6236-NL ! (VETLink #15) DE Dover DELFIRE BBS 302-739-6757 DE Dover Moron Manor 302-735-8596 DE Felton Andromeda BBS 302-284-3178 DE New Castle Hackers BBS 302-328-3993 FL Clarcona West Orange BBS 407-293-2724 FL Ft Walton Beach Xanadu 904-244-4941 FL Kissimmee Micro-Imaging BBS 407-847-5499 FL Kissimmee The Program Exchange 407-870-2735 FL Melbourne Ocean BBS 407-728-2523 FL Miami The Southern Cross BBS 305-225-4567 FL Navarre Terrapin Station 904-939-8027 Fl Orange Park OverByte Industries (OBI) 904-278-0771 FL Orlando Digital Connection 407-896-0494 FL Orlando Freedom Line BBS 407-423-2111-NL FL Orlando Gourmet Delight 407-649-4136 FL Orlando UP-EAST BBS 407-273-7849 FL Pembroke Pines Bitsy's Place 305-432-8210-NL ! Fifth Annual NamVet Page 75 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 (VETLink #17) FL St. Petersburg 1 Computers 813-521-3149 FL St. Petersburg Virtual Reality 813-866-1802 FL Sebring ANCESTRY TBBS 813-471-0552 GA Albany Combat Override BBS 912-883-1421 GA Athens Classic City 706-548-0130 GA Augusta Fort Knox's BBS 706-592-6527 GA Augusta Public's Domain BBS 706-860-5070 GA Savannah Night Owl 912-964-4266 GA Savannah Night Owl 912-964-1161 GA Savannah Night Owl 912-964-2425 GA Savannah Night Owl 912-964-1121 GA Savannah Night Owl 912-966-1167 GA Valdosta Hot South BBS 912-242-0496 GA Warner Robins TallyBoard (TallyCat) 912-328-6183 HI Honolulu Coconuts BBS 808-845-7054 IA Cedar Rapids Nuclear Winter 319-366-1985 IA Des Moines FOGLINE BBS 515-964-7937 IA Des Moines KARMA *VS* DOGMA 515-288-7793 ID Boise Compulink Northwest 208-375-4073 IL Chicago BIT WIZ Opus 312-935-6809 IL Chicago NETWORK ECHOGATE 708-887-7685 IN Ft. Wayne Semper Fi 219-424-4292-NL IN Hamilton My Fire Department BBS 219-488-3812 IN South Bend Squawk Box 219-273-2291-NL ! (VETLink #27) - Approval Pending IN Terra Haute WVAU BBS 812-238-9295 IN Waldron Catacombs Computer Exchange 317-525-7164 KY Independence The ZOO 606-586-7508 LA Baker The Chatter Box 504-775-7825 LA Baton Rouge Ranger's Place 504-925-9307 LA New Orleans New Orleans MUG 504-837-8188 LA New Orleans Southern Star (E-N*) 504-889-2019-NL LA Pineville LA Veterans Sound Off BBS 318-449-1012-NL ! (VETLink #16) MA Amherst Pioneer Valley PCUG1 413-256-1037 MA Andover Aeolus BBS 508-474-0328 MA Dalton Field St. BBS (E-N) 413-684-1938-NL MA Lynn Freedom's Choice:CBCS 617-593-2605-NL MA Pittsfield Berkshire Estates 413-499-1327-NL MA Pittsfield VETLink #1 413-443-6313-NL ! MA Pittsfield VETLink #20 413-442-2181-NL ! MA Springfield Macintosh Only BBS! 413-532-1387 MD Baltimore Jim's Hooch (VETLink #19) 410-866-8613-NL ! MD Reisterstown Liberty Hall 410-833-8933 MD Shady Side-DOWN VETLink #4 301-261-5644-NL MD Silver Spring Light Source BBS 301-439-7437 MD Westminster The Gordian Knot 410-876-3337 MD Wheaton PainFrame 301-649-3906 MI Dearborn Bruce's Place (VETLink #10) 313-562-0051-NL ! MI Kalamazoo The Graphics Shop 616-375-2085 MI Lincoln Park Dante's Inferno 313-386-1905-NL ! (VETLink #24) MI Richland Freq Shop 616-629-4354 MI Spring Arbor The Toy House 517-750-2003 MN Arden Hills The City Lights 612-639-1873 MN Hugo Cities Best 612-426-4483 MN Hugo City's Best 612-426-4542 MN Robbinsdale U.S. Veterans BBS (E-N) 612-522-2026-NL,SB Fifth Annual NamVet Page 76 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 MO Cape Giradeau VETLink #3 314-334-6359-NL ! MO Springfield CoConut Palms Hotel 417-887-6048 MO Springfield Hotel Spfld. Mo. 417-887-8574 MS Vicksburg Southern Belle 601-634-1625 NC Charlotte Carolina Forum 704-563-5857 NC Charlotte Carolina Forum 704-568-1663 NC Charlotte The Mounties BBS 704-393-7338 NC Charlotte Transporter Room 704-567-9513 NC Fuquay Varin The Dog House 919-552-0443 NC Raleigh InfoSys 919-851-8460 NC Raleigh Shalom-3 919-851-3858 NC Spring-Lake Federal Post 919-436-2055 NH Manchester Checkmate BBS (VETLink #8) 603-622-2371-NL ! NH Manchester Computer Solutions 603-641-2017 NH Merrimack Outer Limits (VETLink #9) 603-424-4915-NL ! NJ Garfield Quill & Inkpot BBS 201-340-1340 NJ Lawerence Harbor Magic Dominion BBS 908-583-7894 NJ Linden Psycadelik Dungeon 908-925-8147 NJ Lyndhurst Starship ][ 201-935-1485 NJ Lyndhurst Starship ][ 201-935-7036 NJ Old Bridge Net 107 EchoMail Distr. 908-721-3087 (Passin' Thru) NJ Passaic VETLink #5 201-778-1879-NL ! NJ Port Monmouth The POW/MIA BBS 908-787-8383 NJ Sayreville Cop Shop 908-254-8117 NM Alamogordo Casa de La Luz 505-437-8267-NL NM Las Cruces-PRIV Desert Dolphin/VETLink #13 505-523-2811-NL ! NM Las Cruces NASW (E-N) 505-646-2868-NL NM Portales - DOWN Piper's Dream (VETLink #12) 505-359-0668-NL ! NV Las Vegas After School Huddle 702-435-1094 NV Las Vegas The Sports Line BBS 702-565-5271 LV_Gambler NY Albany TIMES BBS 518-452-1721 NY Albany TIMES BBS 518-452-4757 NY Bloomfield Log Inn 716-657-7660 NY Chili Flower City Central 716-889-2016 NY Johnsonville Steamer One (VETLink #25) 518-753-7421-NL ! NY Latham The Three L's BBS 518-785-1715 NY Marlboro Acorn I BBS 914-236-3265 NY Phoenix Galaxia ! 315-695-4436 OH Akron Buckeye Hamshack 216-867-6984 OH Cincinnati CINTUG TBBS 513-474-2985 OH Cincinnati KIC 513-762-1115 OH Rocky River Nerd's Nook II 216-356-1772 OH Rocky River Nerd's Nook 216-356-1431 OK Edmond The Far Side QuickBBS 405-341-4720 OK McLoud Oklahoma Info Exchange 405-386-4049 OK Norman The FAMILY TREE 405-321-0642 OK Oklahoma City Aviator's Haven 405-685-6960 OR Beaverton The Chess Board 503-629-5473 OR Portland Landing Zone (VETLink #7) 503-775-1554-NL ! PA Carlisle L & T's Spitfire BBS 717-243-0055 PA Harrisburg The Other BBS 717-657-7097 PA Harrisburg The Other BBS 717-657-2223 PA Ivyland Satalink 215-443-5838 PA Ivyland Satalink 215-443-9434 PA Johnstown The Family BBS 814-536-7617-NL PA Lebanon Wild Thing BBS 717-270-6957 PA Philadelphia Klingon Bird of Prey 215-426-5596 Fifth Annual NamVet Page 77 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 PA Whitehall Father and Son BBS 215-439-1175 SC Fountain Inn Programmers Forum 803-862-4616 TN Chattanooga Scenic City 615-499-6182 TN Knoxville TN Deafness Info Net 615-577-7290 TN Louisville Stepping Stones 615-977-7359 TN Memphis Just Mail 901-683-5410-NL TN Memphis Memphis Mail Hub 901-353-2429 TN Millington Fitzpatrick's Fireplace 901-872-1928 TN Millington Havenhawk BBS 901-873-0965 TN Nashville Homestead 615-385-9421 TN Nashville The Unicorn & Dragon 615-385-2260 TX Austin Austin Connection 512-834-1161 TX Austin Connect America 512-454-9488-PB* (Silver Xpress Mail System) TX Austin RiverSide MailBox 512-327-5376 (Vox Vietnam Vet) TX Dallas Aaron's Beard 214-557-2642 TX Dallas *Chrysalis* 214-680-4348 TX Dallas *Chrysalis* 817-540-5565 TX Fort Worth Revelstone 817-732-1767 TX Houston The Animal Kingdom BBS 713-496-7572 TX Houston The Fireside 713-496-6319 TX Houston Info Net & Police Net 713-873-0403 TX Houston The Leaders in Control 713-584-1821 TX Houston Penguin/Houston AIDS Info 713-498-0432 TX Houston The Soldier's Bored 713-437-2859 TX Iowa City Marshall's Law 817-723-4300 TX Iowa City Marshall's Law 817-592-2849 TX Katy Executive Washroom 713-347-2558-NL TX Pasadena Pier 7 713-477-2681 TX Richardson Night Lights 214-480-8170 TX Rockwall NCC-1701 214-771-3226 TX Rosenberg Merlin's Keep 713-342-7629 TX San Antonio Vanbo's Place 512-349-5062 TX Tomball Texas Father's BBS 713-376-4767 TX Universal City Heidi Search Center 512-659-2305-NL TX Universal City The Ranch House 512-945-9304 TX Wichita Falls Shangri-La 817-696-2644 TX Wylie Diamond Lil's Saloon 214-228-9173 VA Chesapeake The Apex 804-436-3125 VA Chesapeake My House -FBBS- 804-424-0394 VA Falls Church GreyEagle 703-534-0177 VA Herndon HBX Veterans Memorial 703-471-8010-NL ! (VETLink #2) VA Herndon VETLink #21 703-471-8563-NL ! VA Newport News Brokedown Palace 804-591-8537 VA Oakton Washington ZEPHYR 703-620-5418 VA Virginia Beach HandiNet B B S 804-496-3320 VA Williamsburg Rainbow's End 804-872-7171 WA Auburn The Boardwalk 206-941-4531 WA Auburn The Boardwalk 206-941-3124 WA Brownsville The Jimby BBS 206-698-1044-NL WA Edmonds Puget Sound TBBS 206-745-6340-NL WA Everett Mark's Point 206-486-2415 WA Everett Silver Lake 206-338-3723 WA Everett Silver Lake Too 206-338-3168 WA Ft. Lewis Silent Sentry BBS 206-984-1048 WA Graham The Last Frontier 206-847-8168 WA Kirkland SeaEast PC Exchange 206-822-4615 Fifth Annual NamVet Page 78 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 WA Kirkland SeaMist 206-822-8520 WA Mukilteo The Precedent 206-355-1295 WA Puyallup The Eagles BBS 206-531-8304 WA Redmond GreyHounds BBS 206-868-4402 WA Seattle Eureka 206-781-8478 WA Seattle Helix 206-223-0071 WA Spokane Think Tank II 509-244-6446 WA Tacoma Group Medical BBS II 206-581-9088 WA Tumwater Elders' Council BBS 206-357-8992 WI Green Bay The First Step 414-499-0659 WI Greenfield PC-Express 414-327-4104 WI Milwaukee Bikers BBS 414-365-2839 WV Danbar Project Enable 304-766-7807 WV Danbar Project Enable 304-766-7842 ** Goshen, AR The Ironhand Troll 391/1020.2 ** Phoenix, AZ Hirschfeld Law Office 114/74.2 ** Redlands, CA Muldoon's Saloon 207/213.6 ** Northglenn, CO Redrum 104/717.2 ** Wichita, KS XRS-Universal Offline 291/11.4 ** Pittsfield, MA VetPoint 707 321/203.707 ** NJ, ???? Jezebel's Parlour 201-935-7968 107/560.100 ** Schenectady, NY Veterans Rest 267/113.24 COMNET Point 24 ** Akron, OH...... The 104th Ohio Point 157/100.16 ** Portland, OR The Empty Bed Pan 105/41.20 ** Portland, OR Roamin in the Gloamin 105/319.19 ** Custer, SD GOTCHA! 109/312.348 ** Houston, TX Jackson's Foxhole 106/437.1 ** Bremerton, WA British Hands Off 350/21.5 ** Green Bay, WI French Connection 139/540.3 ** ............... Any Port in the Storm 106/449.1 ** ............... Iron Triangle Vacation 106/449.1 ** ............... Jim Meadors 160/230.1 ** ............... Support our men 343/15.10 (USS Liberty) ** ............... OLD Soldiers Home 343/58.2 ** ............... Jolly Green Giant 8:2040/38 =============================================================================== * KEY: E-N = No IVVEC Echo, but does have the Nam_Vet newsletter NL = Carries both IVVEC and the Nam_Vet newsletter PB = Pay BBS (Pay for On-line Time) SB = Subscription BBS (Flat Fee) ! = VETLink BBS Fifth Annual NamVet Page 79 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 GOSPEL, NEW, OD in Color Submitted by David Kirschbaum The Federal Post BBS - Spring Lake, NC (919) 436-2055 [Cribbed off a Fort Bragg reenlistment poster, reformatted into the appropriate Biblical style, and slightly edited to more accurately reflect the glory (and style) of SF. Boy, they've sure come a long way from Uncle Sam demanding "I want YOU!" :-)] CREATION ACCORDING TO THE RECRUITER [As revealed to Toad Hall] CHAPTER 1 1 And the Lord spake forth unto the heavens and said "Let there be Airborne." 2 And the earth did tremble and quake and the waters did rise up and the clouds did part. 3 And there came forth a multitude of parachutes that filled the sky. 4 God looked down and saw this was good - 5 And they were good - They were Airborne. CHAPTER 2 1 God then spake forth unto the land and said "Let there be Rangers." 2 And all at once the day turned into darkness and the winds did blow. 3 Mountains crumbled into the sea and the great rocks did part, 4 and there sprang forth a horde of Mephistopheles Disciples 5 wearing Ranger tabs and carrying all sorts of deadly weapons. 6 God looked down and saw this was bad - 7 And they were bad - They were Rangers. CHAPTER 3 1 Then God spake forth unto the sky, the earth and the sea, and said, "Let there be Special Forces." 2 Lightning did flash and thunder echoed across the sky, 3 mountains spewed molten rock and rained fire upon the land. 4 Tidal waves surged against the shore. 5 Despair, disorder and turmoil did prevail. 6 Forthwith there did appear a band of twelve extraordinary men: 7 a few came from beneath the waves, 8 others jumped from the sky, 9 and more still silently stalked from the dense forests. 10 Each one was clad in Camouflage Battle Dress, 11 wearing a Randall knife, Star Sapphire Ring, Rolex Watch, and a Green Beret. 12 Working together they brought peace unto the land, seduced the women, cheated the men at cards, and stole all that was not tied down. 13 God looked down and saw that this was amazing - 14 And they were amazing - They were Special Forces. Fifth Annual NamVet Page 80 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 Political Virii By Joe Hyland Input by Eagle Eyes #1 Computers BBS - St. Petersburg, FL (813) 526-4602 -----> M A J O R V I R U S A L E R T <----- George Bush Virus - Doesn't do anything, but you can't get rid of it until November Ted Kennedy Virus - Crashes your computer but denies it ever happened Warren Commission Virus - Won't allow you to open your files for 75 years Jerry Brown Virus - Blanks your screen and begins flashing an 800 number David Duke Virus - Makes your screen go completely white Congress Virus - Overdraws your disk space Paul Tsongas Virus - Pops up on Dec. 25 and says "I'm Not Santa Claus" Pat Buchanan Virus - Shifts all output to the extreme right of the screen Dan Quayle Virus - Forces your computer to play "PGA TOUR" from 10am to 4pm, 6 days a week Bill Clinton Virus - This virus mutates from region to region. We're not exactly sure what it does Richard Nixon Virus - aka the "Tricky Dick Virus" you can wipe it out, but it always makes a comeback H. Ross Perot Virus - same as the Jerry Brown virus, only nicer fonts are used, and it appears to have had a lot more money put into its development Fifth Annual NamVet Page 81 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 NamVet Distribution Survey Form NamVet's editorial staff would like to know where YOU received this copy of NamVet. Please take a few moments to complete and return this page (or a copy) to us. NAME_____________________________________________________________ ADDRESS__________________________________________________________ CITY_____________________________________________________________ STATE & ZIP______________________________________________________ Where did you obtain/read the NamVet Newsletter? ________________ _________________________________________________________________ Do you make NamVet available to others? _________________________ If YES: Individual / / Educational / / Vet Groups / / What do you find most/least helpful about NamVet?________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ What other information would you like to see in NamVet? _________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Additional Comments _____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ YOUR poem, letter, article about the veteran Experience - whether you were in Vietnam, in the military or not - is extremely welcomed by the editorial staff of NamVet. We invite you to include one (or many) with your return of this form. Thank You for your time and help in making NamVet *-THE-* electronic newsletter by, for and about veterans and the issues that concern them! Please return replies/articles/poems/etc. to: Mrs. Joyce Flory NamVet Distribution Survey 1825 Evelyn - Las Cruces, NM 88001 -or- Electronic Veterans' Centers of America, Corporation (EVAC) PO Box 2056 - Pittsfield, MA 01202 Fifth Annual NamVet Page 82 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 NamVet Article Submission Guidelines We don't want contributing to YOUR NamVet to be a "job" but, rather, a fun thing to do which will share YOUR experiences or something YOU'VE learned with so many others. Here, though, are the actual specifications for those of us who like to cross the tees and dot the eyes... Each article submitted for publication in NamVet should contain: a) The Title of the Article. b) The Author of the Article. c) The Name of the publication and the Date in which the contribution appeared. d) The Name of the person who submitted the article. * e) The BBS or Post Office Box address of the contributor - City and State are important. ** f) The telephone number of the BBS where the contributor can be reached. *** * In the case of an original submission, omit c) and d); ** FOR PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY PURPOSES, the use of street addresses and home telephone numbers are discouraged *** In the case of a non-bbs-using contributor, this can be the BBS telephone number of the Section Editor. Each article submitted for NamVet publication should be submitted in one of the following sample format(s): *NamVet Article from published source NAMVET ARTICLE FROM PUBLISHED SOURCE by XXX (the published author) XXX (published source) Submitted by (User) XX BBS - City, State (XXX) XXX-XXXX (BBS telephone number) - or - *NamVet Article from original author NAMVET ARTICLE FROM ORIGINAL AUTHOR by XXX (author) XX BBS - City, State (XXX) XXX-XXXX (BBS telephone number) Articles submitted for publication in NamVet are to be in 65-character format, flush left margin (i.e., Left Margin 0, Right Margin 65; Left Margin 1, Right Margin 66) and NOT be justified or have any special text formatting (i.e., underlining, bold facing, italics, etc.). Graphic "pictures" - as well as any articles - for NamVet are to be in straight-ASCII format only, comprised of regular keyboard characters, and can not exceed 65 characters in width nor 58 lines in length. NamVet is circulated to many veterans having a wide variety of computers and software processing equipment. The ASCII-only format assures that your graphic picture and/or article will be seen and printable by all. (The margin length of "graphic pictures" can sometimes be extended to 70 characters) Where "columns" or "lists" are used in a contribution, if at all possible, the columns or lists are to be in two's rather than Fifth Annual NamVet Page 83 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 listed singly. THIS YOUR VET CENTER MY VET CENTER VET CENTER'S ADDRESS VET CENTER'S ADDRESS VET CENTER'S CITY, STATE & ZIP VET CENTER'S CITY, STATE & ZIP VET CENTER'S PHONE NUMBER VET CENTER'S PHONE NUMBER NOT THIS YOUR VET CENTER VET CENTER'S ADDRESS VET CENTER'S CITY, STATE & ZIP VET CENTER'S PHONE NUMBER MY VET CENTER VET CENTER'S ADDRESS VET CENTER'S CITY, STATE & ZIP VET CENTER'S PHONE NUMBER Articles submitted for publication in NamVet should be no longer than 20,000 - 40,000 bytes in length unless "serialized" (a "serialized" submission is one that is in more than one part, each 'part' will have as its heading, the contributor, the source, and any other 'contact the submitter' information). Please indicate the END of the article (or serialization) by the journalistic -30- (The -30- is removed in the publication process but it helps our editors to know that the complete file has been received and that there is no more (of that article) to follow. REJECTED ARTICLES: To date, the PRIMARY reason for rejecting an article has been the contributors' _insistence_ that cursewords not be edited "because they'll change the _meaning_ of the article". The Managing Editor staunchly holds to the following: Articles submitted for publication in NamVet containing common cursewords shall be rejected unless said cursewords are asterisked (*) out (for example, sh*t, f*ck, g*dd*mn, etc.). Although you and many of our readers are oftentimes familiar with the meanings behind the words, asterisking them out STILL gets the meaning across and yet preserves the integrity of NamVet which *-IS-* transmitted to Junior and Senior High Schools; Colleges and various educational institutions. Asterisking the cursewords out shows the reader that WE (NamVet authors, contributors and staff) respect the feelings of our readers. Some "other" reasons for rejection of an article are: 1. It contains many misspellings 2. It is in a non-ASCII format 3. Margins exceed the 65-character line-length limit 4. It has been justified 5. It is too long and NOT serialized 6. Columns are in single- rather than double-column format 7. It is Anti-Veteran WHERE TO SUBMIT YOUR COMPLETED ARTICLES You may submit your article/short story/poem/other item to any of the existing VETLink BBSs. Presently, the VETLink BBSs are: VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA 1-413-443-6313 Fifth Annual NamVet Page 84 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 VETLink #2 - Herndon, VA 1-703-471-8010 VETLink #3 - Poplar Bluff, MO 1-314-686-0120 VETLink #4 - Shady Side, MD 1-301-261-5644 VETLink #5 - Passaic, NJ 1-201-778-1879 VETLink #7 - Portland, OR 1-503-254-6819 VETLink #8 - Manchester, NH 1-603-622-2371 VETLink #9 - Merrimack, NH 1-603-424-4915 VETLink #10 - Dearborn, MI 1-313-562-0051 VETLink #11 - Killingly, CT 1-203-779-3173 VETLink #12 - Portales, NM 1-505-359-0668 VETLink #13 - Las Cruces, NM 1-505-523-2811 VETLink #14 - West Haven, CT 1-203-932-6236 VETLink #15 - West Haven, CT 1-203-934-9852 VETLink #16 - Pineville, LA 1-318-449-1012 VETLink #17 - Pembroke Pines, FL 1-305-432-8210 VETLink #18 - East Lynn, MA 1-617-593-2605 VETLink #19 - Baltimore, MD 1-410-866-8613 VETLink #20 - Pittsfield, MA 1-413-442-2181 VETLink #21 - Herndon, VA 1-703-471-8563 VETLink #22 - Richmond, CA 1-510-234-1053 VETLink #23 - Magnolia, Arkansas 1-501-234-5064 VETLink #24 - Lincoln Park, MI 1-313-386-1905 VETLink #25 - Johnsonville, NY 1-518-753-7421 VETLink #26 - Pleasant Grove, AL 1-205-744-0943 VETLink #27 - South Bend, IN 1-219-273-2291 VETLink #28 - Penngrove, CA 1-707-763-7108 VETLink #29 - Valdosta, GA 1-912-242-0496 VETLink #30 - Falls City, TX 1-210-780-2060 Each VETLink BBS will review any contributions that have been uploaded to his/her BBS and send them either to the Managing Editor who will, in turn, send them on to the respective Section Editor or to the NamVet Section Editor him/herself who handles the particular subject/topic matter. If YOU would be interested in handling a section of NamVet, please file request NVET9902.LZH from VETLink #1 BBS. We hope to see YOUR contribution published in a NamVet soon! G. Joseph Peck NamVet's Managing Editor Fifth Annual NamVet Page 85 Volume 5, Number 1 November 11, 1992 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 ! !__________________________________________________________! 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