From: jewell@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Larry Jewell)
Newsgroups: soc.veterans
Subject: 'NamVet Newsletter, Vol.5, no.12 (1/7)
Date: 15 Aug 92 23:43:41 GMT


     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     .                                  __                           .
     .    -*-  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      !       !___      \      .
     .  AGENT ORANGE: Jim Ferguson          !           \/\____!     .
     .  NEED-TO-KNOW: Lefty Frizzell        !                 !      .
     .  MIA/POW: Marsha Ledeman            /  Dak To          !      .
     .  VETERAN EMPLOYMENT: Fred Sochacki /     *            /       .
     .  KEEPER OF THE LIST: Charlie Revie !                  \_      .
     .                                    !             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   .
     .    !   __/        NAM VETs contributors or Section Editors.   .
     .     \_/                                                   gjp .
     .                                                               .
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                       Page    i
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     

     ==================================================================

                      T A B L E   O F   C O N T E N T S

     
     1.  Editorials & Comments
          Holiday Lights ...........................................  1
          Copyright Notice .........................................  5
          Vietnam Veterans Incarcerated - Seasons Greetings! .......  6
          A Lone Soldier ...........................................  7
          Institute for Study of American Wars .....................  9
          December 7, 1941 ......................................... 11
          Veterans' Day - 1991 ..................................... 12
          Dear Daddy's of the Vietnam War .......................... 13
          NamVet Distribution Survey Form .......................... 14
          To You and Yours ......................................... 15

     2.  Drums be not Silent
          POW/MIAs - A workable plan... at last! ................... 16
          The Bunk         ......................................... 19
          The POW-MIA Myth ......................................... 20
          They haven't forgotten US!!! ............................. 23
          Soviets involved in MIA/POWs ............................. 24
          Please don't forget... ................................... 28
          Remember?                                                          .  29
          Politicians Lax n' Lazy re our MIA/POWs .................. 30
          Freedom Now! ............................................. 35
          POW Items Available ...................................... 39

     3.  Sister Vets
          VWMP's Sister Search ..................................... 40
          Monumental Difference .................................... 41
          VWMP's Sister Search Form ................................ 42
          Silent Night, Holy Night ................................. 43

     4.  In-Touch
          It's Not Finished Yet .................................... 44
          Quiet Afternoon .......................................... 46
          In-Touch: What is it??? .................................. 47
          IN-TOUCH Registration/Request Form!!! .................... 50
          Friends of Vietnam Vets Needs Your Help .................. 52
          The Electronic Chapel .................................... 54

     5.  Don't drink the water!
          Background on Agent Orange Class Assistance Program ...... 55
          Break out the Clearasil <tm>! ............................ 59
          Night Before Christmas - RVN-style! ...................... 60

     6.  Questions answered!
          Nam's most famous saying??? .............................. 61
          Hands Across Time ........................................ 63
          When Remembering is too much ............................. 64

     7.  Uncle Sam & NamVet want YOU to know
          Chartered Veteran Service Organizations .................. 68
          Ask the Veterans' Affairs Counselor ...................... 70
          For The Special Wives .................................... 74

     8.  Forgotten - again?
          Incarcerated Vets: Out of sight, out of mind? ............ 75
          Jungle to Jail - Part 3 .................................. 78
          Viet Cons - Part 3 ....................................... 79
          A visit or note once in awhile? .......................... 82
          From Felon To Freedom .................................... 83

     9.  NamVet/IVVEC Concentrated Service
          NamVet/IVVEC Service Department! ......................... 94
          Grass Roots POW/MIA Activism ............................. 98
          A deal is a deal ......................................... 99
          You know who you are... .................................. 101

     10.  Charlie's Angels
          VIETNAM_VETS: Where? ..................................... 102
          NamVet Distribution Survey Form .......................... 106
          Some Gave All... ......................................... 107













































     NAM VET Newsletter                                       Page   ii
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991



     ==================================================================
                            Editorials & Comments
     ==================================================================

                              Holiday Lights
                             By G. Joseph Peck
                         NamVet's Managing Editor
                        VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA
                              (413) 443-6313
     
     "Don't let me die, Dan.  Don't let me die!"  
     
     As each holiday light cruelly transformed itself into the 
     piercing, painful memory of an infrared dot flashing across his 
     starlite scope, blurring his vision, and then settling on Paul's 
     chest, Dan heard the words over and over and over again.  
     
     "Don't let me die, Dan.  Don't let me die!"  
     
     CRACK!!! CRACK!!!  He would never forget the sound of that AK47.  
     December 24, 1966 in the Happy Valley area of Vietnam - and Paul's 
     last moments were spent cradled in Dan's arms, tears streaming 
     down the faces of both.
     
     Both orphaned early in life, they'd grown up in the same foster 
     home, got their first jobs together, shared their first apartment, 
     and even the purchase of a powder-blue 1965 Ford Mustang.  Half-
     jokingly, yet as a symbol of the friendship between them, they'd 
     had a small gold plate engraved with the words "Together we can do 
     anything!" cemented to the dashboard.  It was only natural they'd
     join the service together.
     
     After BASIC training, the two buddies were assigned different 
     units and both eventually found their way to Vietnam - Dan, a 
     sniper, base-camped at Khe Sanh; Paul, a radioman near Qui Nhon.  
     It was when the "short-timer" in Paul's platoon DEROS'ed out and 
     Dan was reassigned to replace him that they were reunited.  A 
     number of firefights and patrols later, they became an inseparable 
     team that could accomplish almost anything their CO wanted done.
     
     VC activity had been reported on the trails leading to Pleiku. Dan 
     and Paul were on the scout team that was sent out.  Shots rang in 
     the darkness and they found themselves sharing the same fallen 
     log.  
     
     "Time for the starlite!  Let's find out where they are.  Tell HQ 
     what we've found..."  
     
     The hair on the back of his neck bristled as the little red dot 
     played across the lens of his scope.  Quickly he lowered himself 
     and, too late, turned to warn Paul.  The spot of light on Paul's 
     chest almost instantly became a fountain of blood, flesh and bone.  
     
     "Don't let me die, Dan.  Don't let me die!" 
     
     "I won't, Paul.  I won't!  C'mon, buddy.  Hang in there!"
     
     "Medic! Medic!" called Dan, half-whispering, half-shouting.
     
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page  1
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     "I've bought it. You'll get to do for both of us now, Dan.  Take 
     good care of the car; start that business we were planning to, and 
     tell Sherry that I'll love her forever.  Marry your girl and if ya 
     have kids, name one of 'em after me.  Don't let me die, Dan.  
     Don't let me die!"
     
     "I won't, buddy, I wont!  Don't you dare die on me!  You're all I 
     got!"
     
     Moments - yet an eternity - later, Dan reached over and closed 
     Paul's glazed eyes.  
     
     The Mustang still sounded as good as the day they'd driven it home 
     from the showroom as Dan headed toward the canyon road, the little 
     golden plate now dim and tarnished.  At the top of the canyon was 
     a turnout that overlooked the entire city. It was "his" place - a 
     place where he could be alone, yet still a part of everything 
     around him.  The hurt today, December 24th, was just a little more 
     than he could bear.  He could hardly breathe and his tears came 
     without control.
     
     "Don't let me die, Dan.  Don't let me die!"  
     
     As each traffic light cruelly transformed itself into the piercing 
     memory of that infrared dot flashing across his scope, blurring 
     his vision, and then settling on Paul's chest, Dan heard the words 
     over and over and over again.  
     
     "Don't let me die, Dan.  Don't let me die!"  
     
     A thousand times over, he'd hear himself reply: "I won't, buddy, I 
     wont!  Don't you dare die on me!  You're all I got!"
     
     A thousand times over he would call himself a liar.
     
     The gravel underfoot crunched and popped as he walked from the car 
     to the edge of the mountainside overlook, city lights far below 
     still taunting, still hurting him.  There was no escape tonight.
     
     Lost in thoughts of remorse and sadness, body wracked with sob 
     after sob, he barely heard the movement in the nearby brush.  
     
     CRACK!!!  CRACK!!! 
     
     From underneath a discarded cardboard box thrown into the brush, 
     barely able to move, crawled a tiny kitten, meowing pitifully.
     
     "I HATE cats!  Leave me alone!  Get lost!" he shouted at the 
     pathetic kitten.  "Get out of here!"  
     
     He returned to his thoughts and watched as the lights of the city 
     below turned kaleidoscopic in the blur of his tears.
     
     It was just recently that he'd began checking the box that said 
     "Are you a veteran?" on his employment applications.  When the 
     city held a parade on the 4th of July, he'd finally been able to 
     stand on the sidelines and proudly hold a flag.  It wasn't until 
     Veterans' Day and all the honor given to America's veterans that 
     he began to feel his sadness at being a veteran become replaced 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page  2
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     with an inner, lasting pride.
     
     "Don't let me die, Dan.  Don't let me die!"  Paul's last words 
     returned again to haunt and hurt him, fill him again and again 
     with guilt and pain and sorrow and deep remorse.  There wasn't 
     ANYTHING happy about Happy Valley.  Not for him.  The sobbing 
     started again...
     
     "Why do I have to keep living this!@!  Why can't I just die and 
     put it all behind me!@!  Why does it hurt so bad!@!" he shouted to 
     the ink-black sky.  "Why!!@#!#"
     
     A warm little body interrupted his pain.  The tiny kitten had 
     dragged itself across the clearing to nestle against him.
     
     "M-m-mm-e-e-e-ooo--p-p-pp.  M-m-mm-e-e-e-rr--o-p-pp!"  
     
     "Hold me!  Hold me!" it seemed to be saying.  
     
     "M-m-mm-e-e-e-ooo--p-p-pp.  M-m-mm-e-e-e-rr--o-p-pp!" . "Hold me!"
     
     He NEEDED something to hold right then.  Dan picked up the kitten 
     and began stroking it gently, tears flowing down his face in 
     torrents.  He held the kitten close and sobbed into its fur.  
     
     He could later give no reason for it - it just happened.  Crying, 
     he was looking at the reflection of the city lights in the 
     kitten's eyes when he began to feel a deep inner peace.  He could 
     almost hear what he thought angels of long ago sounded like when 
     they'd said "...and on earth peace among men of good will."  He 
     could FEEL the peace!  And the triple-canopy darkness seemed to 
     disappear as new thoughts flooded his once-painfilled mind.
     
     "Behold!  I bring you glad tidings!" he imagined the purring of 
     the kitten to be saying.  "Behold!  Paul is NOT dead as long as 
     you continue to remember him and the things you did together.  
     When you stand on the sidelines holding a flag; when you answer 
     YES when asked if you're a veteran; when you stand tall and proud 
     and help a fellow veteran, Paul and the many like him - and what 
     they fought for - is NOT dead but LIVES in you and in all that you 
     do!  Behold!  I bring you glad tidings!"
     
     Dan cried and sobbed a little while longer.  The space between car 
     lights in the city below him lengthened to many-block lengths and 
     traffic signals were on flash when he climbed back into the 
     Mustang.  Gently he placed the little kitten in the seat next to 
     him.  A bond had formed between the two - something like a bond of 
     many years ago.
     
     Turning the key in the ignition, he noticed it.  The golden plate 
     was shining brightly!  No longer tarnished, an extra brightness 
     seemed to surround the words: "Together we can do anything!"  The 
     kitten stirred, looked at him, meowed, and then crawled into his 
     lap.
     
     "I know what I'm going to name you!" said Dan.  "LZ English!  
     That's where Dan and I first arrived in 'Nam.  Wait'll Paul, Jr. 
     sees you!"
     
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page  3
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     Looking up at the early-morning sky, Dan half-sobbed "Yup... 
     'Together we CAN do anything'!  And we will, the car, the kitten 
     and me!  I'll keep my promise, Paul!  I won't let you die, buddy, 
     I won't!"
     
     "M-m-mm-e-e-e-ooo--p-p-pp.  M-m-mm-e-e-e-rr--o-p-pp!"   ...  and 
     LZ English, the tiny kitten, snuggled a little closer.         
     
                              'til next month
     
                     Show a brother or sister veteran
                             that YOU care!!!
     
                              Ci'ao for Ni'ao
     
                                 -  Joe  -
     
              "...and on earth peace among men of good will."
     








































     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page  4
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     >  * - Copyright Notice - *   ____/~~\_                         <
     <                            (      *  \                        >
     >                            \    Quangtri                      <
     <  Prepared by G. Joseph Peck \_/\       \_ Hue                 >
     >        NamVet Project           \_Ashau    Phu Bai            <
     < Berkshire Veterans' Center, Inc.  \_*       \_                >
     >   Copyright (c) 1987, 1988,        \      *  )                <
     <         1989, 1990, 1991.          _/     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      __/                       !     <
     <                         _  __/  \                       !     >
     > Berkshire          ____( )/      !               Camranh Bay  <
     < Veterans'        /               !__                    !     >
     > Center,         /                   \                  /      <
     < Incorporated.   \          Bien Hoa  \                /       >
     >                  !  Chu Chi       *   \            __/        <
     <                   \_   *   ---------   \       ___/           >
     >        .      ____  \      III Corps    \    _/               <
     <       / \_____)   )_(_     ---------     !__/                 >
     >       !               (               ___/                    <
     <  _____!                \__      * ___/                        >
     > !                          Saigon/                            <
     <  \___   --------           /  \/                              >
     >      \  IV Corps          /                                   <
     <       ) --------         /  CONTACT:                          >
     >      /                   !                                    <
     <     /               ____/   Berkshire Veterans' Center, Inc.  >
     >    /         Mekong/         ATTN: G. Joseph Peck             <
     <    !         Delta/          Managing Editor - NamVet         >
     >    !        ____/           Post Office Box 2056              <
     <    !       /                Pittsfield, Massachusetts  01202  >
     <    !      /                   (413) 442-1660                  <
     <    !   __/                                                    >
     <     \_/                                                   gjp <
     

     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page  5
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

            Vietnam Veterans Incarcerated - Seasons Greetings!
                              By Joyce Flory
               NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor
                    Desert Dolphin BBS - Las Cruces, NM
                              (505) 523-2811
     
       Tis  the season to be jolly,  carols are being heard all around, 
     tinsel, glitter,  and brightly lit trees amaze our eyes,  bustling 
     shoppers appear with their arms filled with packages,  Santas ring 
     bells and delight children with their Ho-Ho-Ho's,  and the Vietnam 
     Veterans, incarcerated sit lonely and forgotten in their cells.
       Some have family and friends that have abandoned them.  Some are 
     in  for  life,  others due for parole any day.  Some  suffer  from 
     injustice,  others  from Agent Orange and/or PTSD.  Most all think 
     themselves, your brothers, as the other Forgotten Warriors.
       At  this  time  last year I was able to send over  70  Christmas 
     cards  out to our incarcerated and received over 60 replies (three 
     had  no forwarding addresses and two had been paroled and answered 
     after  the Holidays).  I heard over and over again "Thank you  for 
     thinking of me."
       This  season's  cards  have  already  started  to  arrive.  From 
     Colorado  (and  my  first contact for  the  pen-pal  program),  "I 
     haven't forgotten you or your family,  I've just been moved around 
     four  times this year.  How's the program going?"   From  Indiana, 
     "Sorry  I  haven't  written,  but my case is going  to  the  State 
     Supreme  Court  and the research has kept me busy.  I did want  to 
     remember  you  and your family for the holidays."  From  Michigan, 
     "Another  year has passed me by and I just re-found your  address. 
     Forgive me for not writing?  I hope all is well with you and yours 
     and  please wish Kristen a Happy belated Birthday and Ken an early 
     one."
       A  twenty-nine  cent stamp and a simple Christmas card sent  can 
     bring  such  joy and happiness to these vets.  You don't  have  to 
     start  a correspondence with them,  just sign your name and add "a 
     fellow  [Viet]  vet".  If the thought of sending a card to someone 
     who's  incarcerated  worries you,  simply don't enclose  a  return 
     address. These are not strangers,  they're your brothers (I've yet 
     to find any of your sisters, but I *am* trying).
     
       I usually put this appeal into the newsletter but thought to try 
     the  Echo this year in an attempt to get more cards sent.  Need  a 
     name  and address to send one to?   Ask me.  I've got a listing of 
     over 300 names in 19 different states across the country.
     
       Spread a little Christmas cheer, send a card.
      
       To all of you out there,  a very Merry Christmas and a bountiful 
     New Year.
      
                                   Joyce 
     








     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page  6
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

                              A LONE SOLDIER
                           Input by Jim Hildwine
                 NamVet's Federal Benefits Section Editor
                      VETLink #4 BBS - Shady Side, MD 
                            (301) 261-5644
     
       In  the  field of battle,  each man becomes of himself  at  that 
     point in time, and at that place,  a different person.   After the 
     first  battle,  the  first sight of death,  the stench of  burning 
     flesh, air thick with death and a haze of hell.
       He, the Newbie, becomes a "A Lone Soldier".   He,  for the first 
     time  in  his young teenage/adult life has come face-to-face  with 
     death, and lived to talk about it.   The lone soldier this day has 
     changed.   He has changed in the mental sense of he had to kill or 
     be killed, nothing like this from kindergarten thru college.   His 
     mind  is perplexed,  his focus on life is now more real,  and  his 
     right  to exist is even stronger.   The lone soldier also sees his 
     life  now something more precious than it was before stepping  off 
     that Pan Am flight coming into country.  
       For  this  young  soldier  who received a  "Greetings  from  the 
     President  of  the  United  States",  life  has  now  become  more 
     important than anything.  Staying alive.   As a new man,  it seems 
     no one really cares if he lives or dies,  for he is referred to as 
     the "FNG",  the F******  New Guy.   The lone soldier finds himself 
     trapped  between a rock and a hard place.   No one really wants to 
     know  him or show him anything,  no one cares if he lives or dies. 
     It's  a  strange feeling.   He thought that in combat there was  a 
     fellowship.   That  was true of other war's in other  places.   In 
     those  wars,  you left as a unit,  and stayed as a unit with  your 
     fellow  soldiers until the end.   But not this war.   This war  is 
     measured  in  days,  and  short-timer attitude's.   For  the  lone 
     soldier has more than 300 days to go.  
       But  somewhere,  and only good god really knows were,  the "Lone 
     Soldier"  undergoes  a mental change.   He knows somewhere in  the 
     tour  that its half over,  and only 180 to go.  He is numb to  the 
     feelings of pain,  and heat,  and sweat,  and stench.   He becomes 
     more into himself with the sole purpose of getting out and staying 
     out alive.  He knows now,  that in the midst of 1,000,000 men,  he 
     is  still  a lone soldier.   He longs for home,  and welcomes  all 
     stand-downs.
       The  lone  soldier is just a person in a tread mill,  he has  no 
     saying  as  to  what missions or details he pulls.  He  takes  his 
     somewhat  time  off just cooling and blowing smoke,  and  drinking 
     canned Bud.   He lets no one close,  and no one near.  He does not 
     want to make friends - when friends are killed,  a pain comes upon 
     him, and the pain is as unbearable as his tour in Nam.
       The  lone  soldier  only wants one thing more than  anything  in 
     life.   For  his time to be up,  and going home on a freedom bird. 
     The  thought  of  that  is the most driving impulse  he  has  ever 
     experienced in his life.  The lone Soldier just wants to LIVE.
       There  are many many more items that can be added.  But the  end 
     result is getting out in one piece.  It's a shame, even the movies 
     like  Platoon,  and  Hamburger  Hill point to the  plight  of  the 
     Newbie.  But, in the movies it was true, not fiction. 
       Well, we were all at one time in Vietnam the "lone soldier".  We 
     can admit to this fact.  
       So for all us "Soldiers" who were in it,  and made it,  lets not 
     forget  the "Loneliest Soldier"  of all:  Our brothers and sisters 
     whose  names are on that wall.   We have a mission now,  and  that 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page  7
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     mission is one of unity, brotherhood, and fellowship.  Our mission 
     now is not to have a lone soldier - not even in the Echo.  For the 
     guys and gals on The Wall paid the highest price of all -  that of 
     eternal darkness.   Each of us standing in front of The Wall comes 
     to  grips with himself.   Other like me have had the same feeling. 
     My names not there.  I have a purpose.  Finding that purpose among 
     our  fellow vets,  wives,  lovers,  and friends is hard,  and even 
     pressing.  But, we Lone Soldiers are not alone any more, there are 
     no  FNG's  in  our ranks,  for the new guy is welcomed  with  open 
     hands, heart and mind.   Like the 1st Infantry Divisions motto "No 
     Mission Too Difficult, No Sacrifice Too Great"!
       We are not the unsung warriors of late, we are not the hero's of 
     the past, we are just a bunch of guys who,  when called,  went and 
     done the best they could with what they had.
       Let  no  US Serviceman again in history  be the  *FNG*  or  Lone 
     Soldier.   Let  the  mistakes of our past be the doorway to  their 
     future.
     
     Note from Jim:  This was passed to me via a conversation with some 
     fellow  vets  while  attending  an outreach  program  in  Colorado 
     Springs Colorado.  It's not word for word,  but I hope the meaning 
     is there. 
     
                                 -- Jim --
                                Dak To West
     

































     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page  8
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

              Institute for the Study of American Wars (ISAW)
                      Input by: Ray "Frenchy" Moreau
                     NamVet's IN-TOUCH Section Editor
          HBX Veterans Memorial Gateway/VETLink #2 - Herndon, VA
                            (703) 471-8010
     
       Retired  U.S.  Navy Chief Petty Officer Raymond  J.  Moreau,  of 
     Herndon, Virginia -  technical manager at EDS Eastern Headquarters 
     in  Herndon  joined General William C.  Westmoreland  and  General 
     Richard G. Stilwell, U.S. Army Retired, with veterans'  groups and 
     members  of Congress to announce support for a national  Veterans' 
     Museum  and  a  Center for the History of the Vietnam  and  Korean 
     Wars.  These projects will be built by the Institute for the Study 
     of  American  Wars  (ISAW);   a  non-profit  educational  research 
     organization dedicated to preserving U.S.  history during times of 
     conflict,  and  the  history  of the veteran contribution  in  the 
     defense of human rights and freedom.
       Generals  Westmoreland  and Stilwell commented that the  Vietnam 
     and  Korean  eras were unique in our country's history,  and  were 
     instrumental in holding the line against communist aggression.
       According  to  ISAW  Chairman,  John Radell,  the  goal  of  the 
     Institute   is  to  build  a  facility  where  scholars  have  the 
     opportunity  to study America's wartime experiences in Vietnam and 
     Korea  in order to produce educational materials for all levels of 
     education.  The museums will provide a "time travel" experience in 
     which  visitors  can visit a war era and have the  experiences  of 
     that time brought to life.   "This is not a glorification of war," 
     Radell  stressed,  "it  is a celebration of the commitment of  the 
     United States to freedom."
       Radell  stated  that ISAW will rely on corporate and  individual 
     contributions  and  foundation grants to finance the  $126-million 
     Phase  I which will include the Vietnam and Korean museums and the 
     educational center and create 500 jobs.   Additional phases of the 
     project  will span the entire history of conflicts entered into by 
     the  U.S.  from  the  Revolutionary War through  Operation  Desert 
     Storm.
       Senators  Dennis DeConcini and Joseph Biden announced that  they 
     will  co-sponsor  a joint resolution recognizing the ISAW  project 
     and its value to the American people.
       Ray  Moreau,  a 5-tour Vietnam veteran was recently appointed to 
     the  ISAW Advisory Board Group.  His role on the board will be  to 
     provide  automated  solutions for the myriad of data that will  be 
     collected  over  the period of time and serve on the fund  raising 
     committee.   Moreau,  recipient  of this years 1991 FOSE Award for 
     his  design  and  development of the "In Touch"  program  for  the 
     Friends  of  the  Vietnam Veterans Memorial also operates  a  data 
     center  from his home.   This data center provides services to our 
     country's  veterans by connecting into thousands of computer nodes 
     which  forms  the International Vietnam Veterans  Echo  Conference 
     throughout the United States and some overseas countries.   Also a 
     dedicated  and committed veterans advocate,  Moreau serves as  the 
     Secretary  for  Berkshire  Veterans  Center,  Inc.,  a  non-profit 
     organization  which has spearheaded the drive for  "UNITY"  within 
     the  veteran  commUNITY"  by sponsorship and technical support  of 
     numerous computer-based VETLink's throughout the United States and 
     now rapidly expanding into Canada and Australia.
     
       The  November  14,  1991 press conference was concluded  with  a 
     videotape  message  of  support from Bob  Hope  featuring  General 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page  9
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     Westmoreland,  Admiral  Elmo  Zumwalt,  Jr.  and  Lt.  Gen.  Frank 
     Petersen  and  a  question and answer session  conducted  by  John 
     Radell.
     
       More  information  about  the ISAW project can  be  obtained  by 
     writing to: Raymond J.  Moreau,  12711 Nureyev Lane,  Herndon,  VA 
     22070 and ISAW, PO Box 25005, Wilmington, DE 19899.
     
     =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
     More to follow on what ISAW will be doing and the assistance 
     required  from each veteran...  we will have a big say-so of  what 
     could be incorporated at the ISAW facility in Arizona.
     
                   Ray "Frenchy" Moreau USN Retired
     












































     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 10
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

                             December 7, 1941
                               By Joan Renne
                            NamVet Guest Editor
                          Friends BBS - Omaha, NE
                              (402) 896-2669
        50 years ago I was just a kid, but I remember all too well what
     happened  on December 7, 1941.   We had just come home from church 
     and  mother was getting dinner ready.  My sister had been visiting 
     with  friends  in the Black Hills,  and heard the news on the  way 
     home. When she came in the door she went directly to the radio and 
     turned it on, quite loud. She asked if we had heard the news about 
     Pearl Harbor. We hadn't, and she tried to fill us in.
        We listened to the news as it came through,  and waited for the 
     president  to speak.  Both my mother and sister were crying and  I 
     didn't understand why.
        Jean (my sister) was a senior in high school and would graduate 
     in May.  She had been accepted by a nursing college in Denver. She 
     was dating a young man who had graduated the year before,  who had 
     just completed training as a fireman.
        The  day drug on,  and it became more and more clear to me that 
     my  family was going to be very involved in whatever  happened.  A 
     lot  of fear was going on inside of me,  because I really  thought 
     the United States had been attacked, and that we were all going to 
     die at the hand of the Japanese. When you are only nine years old, 
     it's  hard to realize the difference between a group of Islands in 
     the Pacific which were territories of the US, and where I lived in 
     South Dakota. I was just flat scared.
        My  sisters  boyfriend left on December 9th to join  the  Navy, 
     along with many of his friends, as well as the brothers of many of 
     my friends.   It was a time of many tears for all of us.  I didn't 
     know  how  many of them wouldn't come home,  as that was a  little 
     more  than  I  could understand at that  time.   Unfortunately  it 
     didn't take long to realize the terrible price we would pay.
        The  Day of Infamy as President Roosevelt called it,  was  just 
     the  beginning of a very broad education in geography for those of 
     my  generation.  Every day in school we had discussions about  the 
     war, map reading, histories of the countries we were fighting, and 
     things  we could do to help the war effort.  I remember saving tin 
     foil,  cans,  paper,  and  whatever  else was needed.  I  remember 
     rationing, War Bond drives,  and listening to the radio throughout 
     the war.
        My  sister  went  to  nursing school at  one  of  the  military 
     hospitals,  and  her  graduation.  She went on to the  college  in 
     Chadron  and  brought a whole carload of cadets home with  her  at 
     Thanksgiving  and again at Christmas and New Years.  I don't  know 
     how  my  mother  did  it,  but  she put on the  best  feed  I  can 
     remember... ever.   Rationing or not.  The guys brought pup tents, 
     and  mattresses  of  some  sort and slept on  the  floor.  What  a 
     wonderful  time we had.  I was so proud.  Those cadets went on  to 
     become pilots, most of them in the Navy and Marine Corp.
         It's hard for me to realize that was fifty years ago. It still 
     stands  out much too clearly in my mind.  It's also hard for me to 
     realize how old I am now,  and the places I've been in those fifty 
     years.  I've seen the Arizona, before it was made a memorial site, 
     and  since.  I've  also seen the Cemetery of the Pacific,  in  the 
     Punch  Bowl  volcano crater on the island of Hawaii.   I've  heard 
     Taps,  and  haven't been able to keep a dry eye.  I think of  this 
     great country and I'm so proud I'm an American.
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 11
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

                           Veterans' Day - 1991
                            By Aaron Schmiedel
                         The Chai Way - Dallas, TX
                              (214) 239-7607
     
     Today is Veterans Day.   Most people know the name of the holiday, 
     and  realize the inconvenience it causes by the banks being closed 
     and the postman not covering his appointed rounds.
     
     For me, however, it is a day of great joy and a day of great pain.  
     As is rapidly becoming a custom in our household, I bundled up the 
     family  and  went down to the state fair grounds to the  Viet  Nam 
     Veterans  Memorial.   In the early morning sun,  we walked to  the 
     memorial sat and looked.
     
     So many years,  so many friends,  so many names.    Row after  row
     after row the names on the stones glare out - comrades fallen many 
     years  ago.   Row after row of shattered dreams.  Row after row of 
     the  silent testimony of the horrors of war.   Row after row of my 
     brothers in arms, lying cold beneath the whims of the politicians.  
     All  stilled  by the strike of the enemy's  vengeance;  killed  by 
     society's cruelty.
     
     And yet, here I stand in sad memory, angered by those who belittle 
     us, patronized by those who sent us.  But then,  I see my daughter 
     climbing  on the walls,  sitting and watching in confusion as  her 
     daddy cries.  What god has destroyed the lives and dreams of these 
     2,000  men?   What cool ire resulted in the death of my  brothers?  
     It  is the same G-d who has brought my child to me by a miracle of 
     birth.
       My brothers...  my brothers.  I love you and miss you intensely.
     Some  nights I cry silently as the memory of your screams tears at 
     the depths of my soul. But each morning I awaken....
     
     Beside the stones stand some birch trees.  Leaves turning a golden 
     hue  before  floating  gently  to earth,  to  decay  unnoticed  by 
     everything but time.
     
     And yet, there is a certain melody in the trees.  They sing of the 
     dreams of those of us who live -  they foretell our future that we 
     shall  live to see another year.   But yet,  they also shed  their 
     leaves in order to grow,  just as my brothers shed their lives for 
     you and I.
     
     But  weep not for those who cannot speak.   Weep not for those who 
     cannot see.  Their voices can be heard on the winds, the lives can 
     be  seen in the leaves,  and their names shall ever be  remembered 
     engraved in the cold stone left as a monument to their sacrifice.
     
       So, drink a drink of life to my brothers. But tonight, pour just
     a  bit  out onto the barren earth and make a toast to my  brothers 
     dear.  "To G-d,  to life,  to liberty..   and to our brothers that 
     are not here."
       My brothers, my comrades, I pray that the messiah will come soon
     that no one else need suffer your fate.
               AM YISROEL CHAI!   WE WANT MASHIACH *NOW*!!!
                       - Aaron Schmiedel  11-11-1991
     

     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 12
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     
                      Dear Daddy's of the Vietnam War
                               - Anonymous -
     
     [Note from Joe:  Found this letter stuffed in my mailbox, dated 
     not too long ago.  There was something special about whoever wrote 
     it and the words that s/he used that stopped me short, caused me 
     to spend an extra minute or two with my own kids.  Thought I'd 
     share it with you... (It WAS marked: For Publication in NamVet.]
     
     There is a woman that didn't know her father for that long because 
     of the Vietnam war.  This woman, though her dad was killed in the 
     war, she still loves him.  It's not because she didn't know him 
     before he died.  Its because her father was proud enough to die 
     for this country that, to me, is full of spoiled brats.  We take 
     everything for granted as if God owes us a life when it is US who 
     owes Him for caring.  This woman knew that and knew that her daddy 
     knew that too.
     
     I was this type of person until a friend's mother killed herself. 
     Then I knew that life is more than other people dying; people you 
     know can also die and it is scary to think of.  But people like 
     what I used to be need to snap out of it or, if you go into the 
     service, you might die just because of a cocky attitude.  
     
     Now I know fear.  Its probably not like what you would feel or 
     what you felt in the war... but I know I know a little about the 
     war.
     
     This letter is to all the Daddy's that were in the war and to the 
     ones that were lucky enough to survive it, the ones that were 
     going but didn't make it for one reason or another.  
     
                           THIS IS TO ALL OF YOU
     
                            T H A N K   Y O U !
     
     Dad....  I'm lucky that I still have you!  I love you!
     
     Be thankful for what God has given you because just think of the 
     woman whose Daddy died in that cruel war.  She still loves him and 
     she is just as thankful for at least knowing of her Daddy.
     
     So be like that woman and be proud of what you have and then 
     everything should be all right!
     













-- 
#Larry W. Jewell (ex-USN)     WWII-L Listowner    jewell@mace.cc.purdue.edu # 
#"Sunday's horoscope is noteworthy because of its strange, sudden and wholly#
#unpredictable and inexplicable occurrences, affecting all phases of life." #
#--"Your Horoscope," L.A. Evening Herald Express, Saturday, Dec. 6, 1941.   #