From: jewell@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Larry Jewell)
Newsgroups: soc.veterans,alt.war.vietnam
Subject: 'NamVet Newsletter, Vol.4, no.12 (4/7)
Date: 4 Oct 92 16:59:53 GMT
Followup-To: soc.veterans
Organization: Purdue University


     |  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   |
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 45
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     |  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.                     |
     |                                                               |
     |  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.                                                     |
     |                                                               |
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 46
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     |  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  |
     |  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        |
     |                                                               |        
     |+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++|
     










     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 47
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

                    IN-TOUCH Registration/Request Form
     
                       Input by: Ray "Frenchy" Moreau
                      NAM VETs IN-TOUCH Section Editor
                     Herndon Byte eXchange - Herndon, VA
                               (703) 471-8010
     
         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: ________________________________________________________
     
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 48
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

                             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 
            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
     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     


































     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 49
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990



     =================================================================
                     T h e   N a m V e t   C h a p e l
     =================================================================

                              As Jim Sees It!
                             By: Jim Hildwine
                 NamVet's Federal Benefits Section Editor
                       VETPoint 47 - Shady Side, MD
                              (413) 443-6313
                  [From the VIETNAM_VETS EchoConference]
           [lightly edited and spell-checked by Managing Editor]
     
        It's funny I've been off for awhile with computer problems, 
     plus some business problems.  I return to see the same old saber- 
     rattling comments.  
        First: This is an Echo [VIETNAM_VETS] devoted to Vietnam Vets, 
     or any vet.  There is no requirement for membership; there are as 
     of this date no dues, and we are (self) supporting in our own 
     ways.
        Two:  I find no problems with anyone preaching his Higher 
     Power, or religion on this Echo [VIETNAM_VETS].  As I think back 
     to my first tour in the Nam, and wandering all over the Delta with 
     a Mech Scout Plt, I really didn't have any time for God, or 
     whatever you choose to call that or it entity.  I do know, when 
     ambushed one rainy day, and all hell was breaking loose, and three 
     of my men were blow to bits, my RT hit, and radio out, I did do a 
     bit of praying.  I prayed for once the Lt had sent the fire 
     mission right, and I prayed it came and it hit were it was 
     supposed to, and I prayed when they didn't get any answer they 
     would keep firing.  All my prayers were answered. Up to that point 
     in time, God had been no part of my life, even tho I went to 
     catholic school for the first four years of my life.  I was a 
     Catholic NP (Non-practicing).  
        Three:  On the 13th of Oct 1984, I lay on a death bed in a 
     military hospital, (I'm retired form the US Army).  I was in an 
     ICU, and my chances were nil, zero, nothing. I was going to die 
     period.  I went into a deep, very deep, depression - so deep, and 
     so painful, I just wanted and waited for my last heartbeat, and 
     then pass into whatever comes next if there is anything.  Two 
     things happened.  The 1st was, I thought of GOD and not being a 
     believer.  I found my self saying that I would rather believe 
     there was a god and wake up and find there was none, than not to 
     believe and wake up and find that there was one.  The second thing 
     that happened was kind of personal, but, I heard a message.  It 
     was clear, and to the point, and it made only one demand of me for 
     my entire life.  What that demand was some people know, others 
     will guess.  But, the voice I heard said that from this point 
     forward would be the hardest and most difficult time of my life.  
     It (the voice) also pointed out that at the end I would know peace 
     and happiness like no other man.  So I can say this - It and I did 
     get better.  Things worked out, and certain feelings in my life 
     left me.  I started to love those who hated me, and at times I 
     prayed for them too.  I am far from a millionaire, and probably 
     just as close to being poor, than when I started, but so many 
     beautiful things have happened over these past six years. 
     
        When I visit the wall, I am always overcome by the feeling that 
     my NAME is not there!  There is and must be a reason for my 
     existence.  I believe there is.
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 50
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

        Some of you are not going to like what I wrote.  Well, that's 
     your problem.  I'm a Veteran of Vietnam, and this is part of my 
     growing experience after war, 20 years later.  Up until some times 
     in Nam, and 13 Oct 84, the only thing I cared about was Jim.  I 
     didn't care for your or you family or your brother.  It's a bit 
     different now.  We're not kids any more, and the war stories get 
     old and tend to lean a bit to the left of center after all the 
     years.  This Echo [VIETNAM_VETS] to me, is what it is now.  What 
     I'm going thru and what I see.  GJoe knows most of my story as 
     we've talked a lot. 
        I say, we each have our own ways.  Lets respect the other 
     fellows.  As I once herd: "I don't like what you said, but I will 
     defend with my life your right to say it."  In other words, lets 
     get back to the basics.  We're all brothers, it's just 20 years 
     later.  I close with AMEN..          
     
     Jim Hildwine, in DownTown ShadySide, MD
     
                       Federal Benefits?  Ask me!!!
     
                                  - Jim -
     





































     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 51
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

                            I
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                        T I   I T                           88888888
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                      IT    |    TI
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                   II I           I II             o88 888) (888)
                  II  I    IIII   I  II         o88  88888888 8888)
                 XII  I  II   II  I  IIX       (88      8 88 888888)
                XIII  III       III  IIIX      (8 8 8 88 88 88 8 888)
               XIIII  I           I  IIIIX      (88 8  8  8 88888888)
              II  II  I  xIIIIIx  I  II  II     ( 8 88     888 88888)
                  II  I  T  T  T  I  II        (8888 88 8 8 8888888)
                  II  I  I  I  I  I  II         (8 88888 888 88 88)
                  II  I  I  I  I  I  II          (8888)888 88888)
                  II  I  I II II  I  II            (8) (I8I8I) 8
       oo8888888o II  I  I  I  I  I  II                 IIIII        X
      8888888 888BII  I  I  I  I  I  IIXX                III      X XX
       88 88 88  BII  I  TIIIIIT  I  IIXXX               III     XXXXX
      888888   88BII  I    ....   I  IIXXXXXX            III    XXgXXX
     888 888888888XXXXXII    ...   IIXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX        XXXXXXjXX
                         II    ..    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
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 52
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990



     =================================================================
                     D o n ' t   A b a n d o n   ' e m
     =================================================================

                Updating our Incarcerated Vets List
     Hi Folks;
     
      Thought you might like a little update on how the incarcerated 
     Vets pen-pal program is going.
       I noticed the Anniversary issue listing was missing a few names 
     and addresses,so here they are:
     
                         David M. McCook (DA-118)
                                 EF 183542
                          Jack T. Ruthledge C.I.
                                PO Box 8409
                            Columbus, Ga. 31907
     
                       Willi Henderson - Bey 128457
                           Richard Sheff 180946
                           Tony Slusarski 131661
                           Ronald Kramer 181007
                          Ronald Triplett 132615
                           Teddy Stephens 182636
                            Danny McKay 147064
                          Edwin Zimmerman 184779
                             Boyd Blair 156418
                          William Letzgus 187075
                           Herschel Davis 163765
                            David Oates 190210
                          Thomas Siemoneit 179536
                            David Prieto 193367
                          Leonard Pikaart 179858
                           Wendell Neview 196387
                            David Martin 180065
                            Teddy McCray 200255
                            James Wilson 180186
                             Tim Shagen 203886
                          2400 South Sheridan Rd.
                            Muskegon, MI 49442
     
                           A. David Baez #57020
                                PO Box 100
                             Somers, CT 06071
     
                            Harold Mize 863934
                            Cory Naples 901359
                               Westville CCR
                                PO Box 473
                       Westville, Ind. 46391 - 0473
     
     (My note  - I have 138 other names for this prison, but will not 
     release them until I have approval).
       I have gotten in touch with Southwestern Prison, here in New 
     Mexico and have gotten word that they think the program is great 
     and it will be instituted as soon as "the proper autorities" give 
     it their OK. So, hopefully the list will be added to further, as I 
     will now.
       I have also gotten the following list just in the past couple of 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 53
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     days :
     
       Jeff Well  28242                   Harold Weaver  17624
       Cecil Williams  23818              Harry Lilly  29894
       James McGee  31489                 Claude Theriault  11872
       Earl Grissom  27536                Dan Richmond  15601
       Roy Fudge  29966                   Ken Jezierski  30790
       Eddie Sanchez  26895               James Raines  31445
       George McIntyre  25124             John Doane  14686
       Eddie Romero  22115                Robert Turner  30473
       Eugene Perry  29647                James Bishop  31347
       Brook De Nault  29594              Brain Hern  14535
                            Nevada State Prison
                                PO Box 607
                         Carson City, Nevada 89702
     
       Sam Howard  18329                   Pete Huertas  15239
       Jake Reynolds  21763                Paul Stadtlander  23389
                             Ely State Prison
                                PO Box 1989
                             Ely, Nevada 89301
     
       I had a small windfall recently and found a good way to spend it 
     was on Christmas cards and postage. I sent a card to everyone of 
     the inmates listed ( except the Navada list ) , the day after 
     Thanksgiving and am already seeing results !! I have received 13 
     responses !! Everything from "I don't know you but thanks for the 
     card." to "I don't remember you, but the card sure made my day." 
     to (quoting from a letter from Chris Crespin in Colo.) "To receive 
     a card from strangers at this time of the year is very special and 
     does let me know that there are truly some great people out there. 
     Again Thank You!" and from Oliver Mayfield in Va. "Just a quick 
     note to thank you Ken and the rest of your family for the card you 
     sent. Believe me, I truly appreciate it !!"
       It takes so little to bring some joy to our incarcerated vets. 
     How about dropping just one vet a letter, note, or card? It would 
     only take a moment and a stamp, but would brighten the day for one 
     of our "forgotten warriors" (so the inmates call themselves at 
     times).
       Here's hoping the best to you and your families over the 
     upcoming Holiday season and, as always, if there is some avenue 
     I've not gone down to find these Vets, contact me through the 
     echo, netmail 305/105, or 1825 Evelyn Las Cruces NM 88001.
     















     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 54
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

           State prison inmates here plan to help needy families
                            By Michael G. Walsh
                   (Muskegan, MI) Chronicle staff writer
                           Input by: Joyce Flory
               NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor
     
     [Note from Joyce: This article was sent to me by Ron Triplett,  an 
     incarcerated  Vietnam  vet and chairman of V.V.A.  Chapter  31  in 
     Muskegon, Michigan.]
     
       Inmates  serving  time  for felony offenses  at  Muskegon's  two 
     medium-security  prisons  hope to bring Christmas cheer  to  needy 
     area families in the coming weeks.
       Vietnam  veterans  serving  time  for  felony  offenses  at  the 
     Muskegon  Correctional  Facility plan to bring groceries to  needy 
     families of fellow veterans.  Members of the Child of the Month at 
     Muskegon Temporary Facility plan to host a party at the prison for 
     five youngsters whose mother is incarcerated.
       RONALD  TRIPLETT,  chairman  of  the prison chapter  of  Vietnam 
     Veterans of America,  said prison veterans raised $207 to purchase 
     groceries that will be given to needy veterans' families.
       That  amount  was  matched dollar-for-dollar by members  of  the 
     Vietnam Veterans of America, Muskegon chapter, and the entire $414 
     will be used to purchase groceries for up to 40 needy families.
       "What's  in it for us is we're veterans helping veterans",  said 
     Triplett,  39,  a  Navy veteran serving 19-to-35-year sentence for 
     assault with intent to murder and armed robbery.  
     "We're  going to eat pretty good in here and if you've ever  known 
     anybody  on  welfare,  this is a bad time of year.  But by  giving 
     these families food, the money they would've spent on food they 
     could use to pay their light bill or buy presents for the kids."
       Last year,  incarcerated veterans raised $78,  which John Kemme, 
     prison  counselor and veterans coordinator,  then used to purchase 
     groceries that he delivered to two families.
       THIS  YEAR,  Triplett  said two minimum-security inmates may  be 
     allowed to leave the prison to help deliver the groceries to 
     selected families; Kemme said the request is under study.
      "They think it's a pretty neat project," Kemme said the veterans' 
     annual  effort."   The top wage out here is $1.45 a day.  When you 
     have a guy give five or six bucks, it's like giving a week's worth 
     of pay."
       Triplett,  who  hopes  to earn parole in 1991,  said the  second 
     annual  effort  on  behalf  of  needy  veterans'   families  helps 
     prisoners' image as well.
       "There's so much negative about inmates in prison,  it's hard to 
     find  positive  things to say about inmates,"  said  Triplett.  "I 
     thought we did a pretty good job."
       Contributions  may  be  made to the effort and may  be  sent  to 
     Christmas  Project,  Vietnam  Veterans of America,  315  W.  Clay, 
     Muskegon, 49443.
       Down the street from the Muskegon Correctional Facility at a new 
     temporary  prison,  the  18-inmate  Child of the Month  Club  will 
     present five children with coats and toys, said club president 
     Wayne Perkins.
       "THE  PURPOSE (of the club)  is to provide funds and things like 
     that for underprivileged kids," said Perkins, 27, who is serving 
     time  for  attempted  uttering and publishing and  who  hopes  for 
     parole within eight months."   I think most people here understand 
     the  needs  of  the underprivileged because  I've  experienced  it 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 55
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     myself.  Just  having something will be helpful,  knowing  someone 
     else cares."
       Perkins  said  the group raised $625 that will be spent on  toys 
     and  coats  for  the five children,  whose  mother  is  imprisoned 
     elsewhere.
       Club  members  earned  the money through sale  of  soft  drinks, 
     donuts, and sandwiches and from monthly dues, Perkins said.
       Persons  wishing  to contribute to the club's efforts  may  send 
     donations to the Child of the Month Club , Muskegon Temporary 
     Facility, 2901 Olthoff Drive, Muskegon 49443."
     
















































     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 56
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

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     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 57
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

                  Incarcerated NamVets: Treated equally?
                             By G. Joseph Peck
                         NamVet's Managing Editor
                        VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA
                              (413) 443-6313
     
            "Crime  is an intentional act or omission in violation 
          of  criminal  law (statutory and  case  law),  committed 
          without defense or justification,  and sanctioned by the 
          state as a felony or misdemeanor."
          Paul W.  Tappan CRIME,  JUSTICE,  AND CORRECTION McGraw-
          Hill NY 1960 - P. 10
     
            "Seems  to  me that everyone has their own reason  for 
          committing  crimes.    The  judge  hears  the  same  old 
          "misunderstood and mistreated"  stories from the whores, 
          pimps, and pushers that he hears from the vets.   We all 
          know  the  rules  and we all have similar  pressures  of 
          living.  Most of us don't commit crimes.  When we do, we 
          ought to pay the price, vet or non-vet.
            Using  the  excuse of being a vet out to outrage  you.  
          How'd you like it if every child molester or rapist said 
          he'd  done  it  because  he had  bad  experiences  as  a 
          veteran?"
            COMPOSITE    RESPONSE   TO   REQUESTING   PREFERENTIAL 
          TREATMENT  FOR  VETERANS  WITHIN  THE  CRIMINAL  JUSTICE 
          SYSTEM.
     
            " . .  .  But sometimes the experiences in a veterans' 
          past  may be the circumstances that sort of set  him/her 
          up for just the right time,  just the right place and an 
          action that we all call criminal.   And the society that 
          says, and practices, that 'justice is blind'  rightfully 
          imprisons/punishes  the person that breaks the rules set 
          by members of that respective society.
            Are  WE,  as a society,  looking at the TOTAL picture?  
          Are  we taking into consideration,  in the instance of a 
          troubled  Vietnam veteran,  the unpopularity of the  war 
          s/he   went   off  to  fight?    Are  we   taking   into 
          consideration  the  rejection s/he received from  family 
          and  friends  when s/he returned?   Are we  taking  into 
          consideration  any  of  the ANGER that might  have  been 
          built  up within that individual at the  rejection,  the 
          isolation,  the  negation of what SHOULD have been  (and 
          was) a patriotic duty to our country?   Are we trying to 
          'understand' the person charged with the crime?   Or are 
          we seeking 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?'
            I *-DON'T-* think that 'I did what I did because I had 
          a  bad  experience  in  the war'  can be  looked  at  as 
          anything *-BUT-* an excuse, not a reason.   But I *-DO-* 
          think  we  should  try  to  look  at  things  from  many 
          different  angles.   And,  in  the  light  of  honorable 
          service to protect, preserve and defend our freedoms, at 
          least  some consideration ought to be given this special 
          portion of a persons' life."
              COMPOSITE REPLY AND AUTHOR'S POSITION STATEMENT
     
       When I first chose this research topic it was my assumption that
     there  existed  within  the  various  penal  and  law  enforcement 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 58
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     agencies  throughout our county (Berkshire  County,  MA)  and,  by 
     supposition,  our  nation,  treatment  that was discriminatory  in 
     nature  towards  those  who were veterans of  military  service  - 
     either in treatment,  or its absence,  while incarcerated,  or not 
     taking into consideration the veterans' service to our country.  I 
     felt  that  my  past experience as a Vocational  Instructor  in  a 
     Maximum  Security Correctional Facility (Green Haven  Correctional 
     Facility,  Stormville,  NY)  and  my  past position  as  volunteer 
     Veterans'   Advocate   (Berkshire  County  House  of   Correction, 
     Pittsfield,  MA)  revealed  enough of a "uniformity of  treatment" 
     that  it  was sad commentary for those who had put their lives  on 
     the line in defense of the freedoms we all today enjoy.
     
     THE FIRST LAW
       Biblical  lore  overflows  with tales of Adam and  Eve  and  the 
     breaking  of  the  first law:   "Of the fruit of the tree  in  the 
     middle  of the garden you shall not eat,  neither shall you  touch 
     it,  lest  you  die."  (Genesis  3:3).   As punishment  for  their 
     transgression, they were banished from the Garden of Eden and each 
     made  to  endure separate but equal pain.   Adam and Eve  produced 
     Cain  and  Abel  (the first murderer)  and  eventually  began  the 
     beginnings of 'society'  as we know it today.   But,  as the Bible 
     says, the 'original'  society became flawed and was soon destroyed 
     in a great flood, save a man named Noah and his family.
       Noah  and his family,  heeding the urging of God to "Be fruitful 
     and multiply, and fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1),  left the ark and 
     followed a rainbow to replenish again the earth, rebuild society.
     
     THE FIRST RULING CLASS
       Noah had more children and his children had children.  As leader 
     of his tribe, Noah established the laws that the family would live 
     by.   As  the  population  grew and its  members  gained  material 
     possessions  (sheep,  cattle,  land,  etc.),  the need for a  more 
     "civilized"  method of controlling the population became apparent.  
     Early  Jewish  tribal  law would evolve  from  Noah's  descendent, 
     Abraham (Abram) -  and would be the basis for "law"  as we know it 
     today.
     
     FROM BLOOD TIE TO LAND TIE AS BASIS FOR SOCIAL ORDER
       During  the  tribal period the legal system was in the hands  of 
     the tribal group, and justice was based on the blood-feud.   After 
     quite some time had passed (about 1800 years),  the family (tribe) 
     soon was no longer involved in law and justice.   The State became 
     the  offended social unit and the State was the proper  prosecutor 
     in every case of crime.   (C.  Ray Jeffery,  in THE DEVELOPMENT OF 
     CRIME  IN  EARLY  ENGLISH  SOCIETY  -  Journal  of  Criminal  Law, 
     Criminology  and Police Science,  47 /MarchApril 1957/pp 647-666).  
     As we know it, this,  basically,  was the beginning of Anglo-Saxon 
     law in the United States today.
     
     WARS
       Within  a  given  society,  there  are several  means  by  which 
     individuals,  families,  corporations  and business sectors within 
     the  ruling  class  obtain  tax  breaks,  favors,   subsidies  and 
     procedural  rulings  that are beneficial to their  short-run  (and 
     long-term) interests (G William Domhoff THE POWERS THAT BE, p.25).  
     When  the lifestyle of the ruling class is threatened by a foreign 
     country, usually after all other means have been attempted, war is 
     generally the result as one group does its best to assure its very 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 59
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     survival  and way-of-life or attempts to impress its will upon the 
     other.  WWI, WWII, the Korean conflict, Vietnam, Grenada,  Beirut, 
     Panama and Iraq are only but current examples of these conflicts.
       Generally speaking,  those who fight the wars are not members of 
     the ruling class but,  instead,  those whose lower social position 
     puts  them  in  the  front lines  of  battle  defending  policies, 
     principles,  and  ideologies which they may hardly understand  and 
     may  never come face-to-face with.   It is during this time of war 
     that  many atrocities may occur which have a lasting effect on the 
     individual  soldier -  an effect so contrary to the societal  norm 
     that  it will later be called "illegal"  by the ruling class  that 
     initially sent the soldier to battle in the first place.
     
     POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
       In   1981   Arthur  Egendorf  and  others  released   the   most 
     comprehensive  study  then  yet conducted on  veterans  and  their 
     postwar  adjustment.   The  sample,  representing  every  economic 
     class, geographic region, and ethnic group, consisted of 1,400 men 
     who  were directly or indirectly involved in the Vietnam conflict.  
     The  results  indicate  that such  factors  as  unemployment,  low 
     educational attainment, minority status, instability in the family 
     of  origin,  and  the amount and intensity of combat  interact  to 
     produce  varying  degrees  of PTSD (Arthur  Egendorf  and  others. 
     LEGACIES OF VIETNAM: COMPARATIVE ADJUSTMENTS OF VETERANS AND THEIR 
     PEERS.   Final  report  to the Veterans Administration,  New  York 
     Vietnam  Era  Research Project of the Center for Policy  Research, 
     Inc., March 1981 p 729).
       It  is estimated that 500,000 to 700,000 of the 2.8 million  men 
     and  women who served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War now 
     have   emotional  problems.    Many  have  post-traumatic   stress 
     disorder.
       Depression,  a  recurrent finding,  may be due to the deaths  of 
     friends  in  Vietnam;  negative  attitudes of  others  toward  the 
     Vietnam  veteran;  unemployment (it is not unusual to interview  a 
     veteran who has had 30 to 40 jobs during the past ten years);  and 
     inability to express feelings about the war or to find someone who 
     will listen.  During periods of depression, many turn to drugs and 
     alcohol.
       One  explanation for PTSD is the survivor theory,  based on  the 
     psychoanalytic principle that a pattern of denial, repression, and 
     emotional  avoidance follows a traumatic event.   Such a  behavior 
     pattern  has  been confirmed in studies of those who survived  the 
     German  concentration  camps of World War II and the  atomic  bomb 
     explosions at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
       According  to  the  survivor theory,  people exposed  to  severe 
     trauma go through a period of latency or detachment,  lasting from 
     a  few days to decades.   The latency period is sometimes referred 
     to as the denial-numbing phase.  The Vietnam veteran returned home 
     "numbed"  to  the war.   He avoided introspection about the war or 
     his/her role in it, and s/he resumed his/her prior life.
       The  DIAGNOSTIC  AND  STATISTICAL  MANUAL  OF  MENTAL  DISORDERS 
     (DSM III)  3rd  edition,  p.  236-239,  states that the  essential 
     feature  of  PTSD  is the development of  characteristic  symptoms 
     following  a  psychologically traumatic event that is outside  the 
     usual range of human experience.
          DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
        A.  Existence of a recognizable stressor that would evoke 
            significant symptoms of distress in almost everyone.
        B.  Reexperiencing of the trauma as evidenced by at least 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 60
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

            one of the following: (1) recurrent and intrusive 
            recollections of the event; (2) recurrent dreams of the 
            event; (3) sudden acting or feeling as if the traumatic 
            event were reoccurring, because of an association with 
            an environmental or ideational stimulus.
        C.  Numbing of responsiveness to or reduced involvement with 
            the external world, beginning some time after the 
            trauma, as shown by at least one of the following: (1) 
            markedly diminished interest in one or more significant 
            activities; (2) feeling of detachment or estrangement 
            from others; (3) constricted affect. 
        D.  At least two of the following symptoms that were not 
            present before the trauma: (1) hyperalertness or 
            exaggerated startle response; (2) sleep disturbance; (3) 
            guilt about surviving when others have not, or about 
            behavior required for survival; (4) memory impairment or 
            trouble concentrating; (5) avoidance of activities that 
            arouse recollection of the traumatic event; (6) 
            intensification of symptoms by exposure to events that 
-- 
#L.W. Jewell Moderator at the Veterans Information Site (veteran@cc.purdue.edu)#
#& WWII-L Listowner: "Sunday's horoscope is note worthy because of its strange,#
#sudden and wholly unpredictable and inexplicable occurrences, affecting all   #
#phases of life." "Your Horoscope" L.A. Evening Herald Express, Sat, 12/06/41  #
Xref: sparky soc.veterans:1096 alt.war.vietnam:164