From Battle Creek Enquirer: King took stand against war
Quote:
"Now, it should be incandescently clear that no one who has any concern for the integrity and life of America today can ignore the present war. If America's soul becomes totally poisoned, part of the autopsy must read: Vietnam.
". . . It (the poorer class) was sending their sons and their brothers and their husbands to fight and to die in extraordinarily high proportions. . . . We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them 8,000 miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia.
". . . The Vietnamese must see Americans as strange liberators. The Vietnamese people proclaimed their own independence in 1945 after a combined French and Japanese occupation. . . . For nine years we vigorously supported the French in their abortive effort to recolonize Vietnam."
The above are excerpts from Martin Luther King's 1967 speech on the Vietnam war. Since there had been no declaration of war by Congress and the "enemy" nation was small, backward and far, far away, many Americans in 1967 could not find the battle zone on a world map. Nor did many Americans understand the nature of the conflict.
The Vietnam war claimed 58,000 American lives and estimates of Vietnamese casualties vary - some estimate as high as 1 million dead. The U.S. was carpet bombing the country, dropping napalm and spraying the very toxic chemical Agent Orange as a defoliant. The U.S. military ordered the burning of villages.
Of late, many conservatives and war-mongers want to turn Vietnam into a "good" and necessary war. But as King points out, we were on the wrong side of the Vietnam war - on the side of French colonialists and self-serving dictators. Moreover, many prominent conservatives chose not to fight in the Vietnam war - George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Dan Quayle, Newt Gingrich and Clarence Thomas, to name just a few.
As the Martin Luther King holiday approaches, we should remember his brave stand against the unjust, immoral war in Vietnam and also his advocating for economic justice.
R. Heubel
Battle Creek
Friday, January 13, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Ground broken on statue to honor Vietnam nurse
From The Times-Tribune: Ground broken on statue to honor Vietnam nurse
Second Lt. Carol Ann Drazba began her nursing career at the Scranton State General Hospital.
In 1966, the Army nurse was killed during the Vietnam War.
Now the Dunmore native will be forever remembered at the site where she learned the profession that she loved.
A ceremonial groundbreaking into the icy sod on Wednesday outside the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center marked what has been a more than two-year process in securing funds and a site for a statue that will honor Lt. Drazba, who died at age 22 in a helicopter crash near Saigon in 1966. She and another nurse in the crash became the first female service members to die in Vietnam.
"This is where she began," said Friends of the Forgotten member Kim Atkinson, who has led the project. "This is where she will stay. ... She will be here to watch over her patients."
On Wednesday, the local chapter of Friends of the Forgotten received the last portion of the $65,000 it needed for the memorial.
Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area presented the group with a $10,000 check. The donation fits with the group's mission to preserve the area's heritage, which includes honoring its people, said Natalie Gelb, the group's executive director.
"It's an honor to be able to recognize someone of national significance, who has contributed so much," she said.
Wednesday's groundbreaking was a joyous occasion for Mrs. Atkinson, who as a student nurse, learned of Lt. Drazba's story because of a plaque located in the Scranton State General Hospital.
The memorial for Lt. Drazba will be located at Mulberry Street and Franklin Avenue, at the corner of the Merli Center property, the former site of the hospital.
The six-foot-tall statue will depict Lt. Drazba holding a Florence Nightingale lantern. The site also will include a miniature version of the Vietnam Wall and granite benches. Work should be finished in June, Mrs. Atkinson said.
The group had originally broken ground for the statue in April 2011 outside St. Joseph's Center offices in Dunmore. The plan fell through, and Mrs. Atkinson approached the Merli Center.
Lt. Drazba's sister, Joanne Katula, was only 23 when her sister died. On Wednesday, she scraped a golden shovel on the icy ground.
"It's full circle," she said. "She'll be forever here."
Engraved pavers also will be part of the memorial, and are available for $100. For more information, call Anne Domin at 842-9653.
Second Lt. Carol Ann Drazba began her nursing career at the Scranton State General Hospital.
In 1966, the Army nurse was killed during the Vietnam War.
Now the Dunmore native will be forever remembered at the site where she learned the profession that she loved.
A ceremonial groundbreaking into the icy sod on Wednesday outside the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center marked what has been a more than two-year process in securing funds and a site for a statue that will honor Lt. Drazba, who died at age 22 in a helicopter crash near Saigon in 1966. She and another nurse in the crash became the first female service members to die in Vietnam.
"This is where she began," said Friends of the Forgotten member Kim Atkinson, who has led the project. "This is where she will stay. ... She will be here to watch over her patients."
On Wednesday, the local chapter of Friends of the Forgotten received the last portion of the $65,000 it needed for the memorial.
Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area presented the group with a $10,000 check. The donation fits with the group's mission to preserve the area's heritage, which includes honoring its people, said Natalie Gelb, the group's executive director.
"It's an honor to be able to recognize someone of national significance, who has contributed so much," she said.
Wednesday's groundbreaking was a joyous occasion for Mrs. Atkinson, who as a student nurse, learned of Lt. Drazba's story because of a plaque located in the Scranton State General Hospital.
The memorial for Lt. Drazba will be located at Mulberry Street and Franklin Avenue, at the corner of the Merli Center property, the former site of the hospital.
The six-foot-tall statue will depict Lt. Drazba holding a Florence Nightingale lantern. The site also will include a miniature version of the Vietnam Wall and granite benches. Work should be finished in June, Mrs. Atkinson said.
The group had originally broken ground for the statue in April 2011 outside St. Joseph's Center offices in Dunmore. The plan fell through, and Mrs. Atkinson approached the Merli Center.
Lt. Drazba's sister, Joanne Katula, was only 23 when her sister died. On Wednesday, she scraped a golden shovel on the icy ground.
"It's full circle," she said. "She'll be forever here."
Engraved pavers also will be part of the memorial, and are available for $100. For more information, call Anne Domin at 842-9653.
What did heroin addiction during the Vietnam war teach us about breaking bad habits?Fr
om Business Insider: What did heroin addiction during the Vietnam war teach us about breaking bad habits?
There's a great story on NPR that shows just how important context is in maintaining (and ending) bad habits:
According to her research, the number of soldiers who continued their heroin addiction once they returned to the U.S. was shockingly low.
"I believe the number of people who actually relapsed to heroin use in the first year was about 5 percent," Jaffe said recently from his suburban Maryland home. In other words, 95 percent of the people who were addicted in Vietnam did not become re-addicted when they returned to the United States.
This flew in the face of everything everyone knew both about heroin and drug addiction generally. When addicts were treated in the U.S. and returned to their homes, relapse rates hovered around 90 percent. It didn't make sense.
And:
In this way, Neal says, our environments come to unconsciously direct our behavior. Even behaviors that we don't want, like smoking.
"For a smoker the view of the entrance to their office building — which is a place that they go to smoke all the time — becomes a powerful mental cue to go and perform that behavior," Neal says.
And over time those cues become so deeply ingrained that they are very hard to resist. And so we smoke at the entrance to work when we don't want to. We sit on the couch and eat ice cream when we don't need to, despite our best intentions, despite our resolutions.
"We don't feel sort of pushed by the environment," Wood says. "But, in fact, we're very integrated with it."
To battle bad behaviors then, one answer, Neal and Wood say, is to disrupt the environment in some way. Even small change can help — like eating the ice cream with your non-dominant hand. What this does is alter the action sequence and disrupts the learned body sequence that's driving the behavior, which allows your conscious mind to come back online and reassert control.
"It's a brief sort of window of opportunity," Wood says, "to think, 'Is this really what I want to do?' "
There's a great story on NPR that shows just how important context is in maintaining (and ending) bad habits:
According to her research, the number of soldiers who continued their heroin addiction once they returned to the U.S. was shockingly low.
"I believe the number of people who actually relapsed to heroin use in the first year was about 5 percent," Jaffe said recently from his suburban Maryland home. In other words, 95 percent of the people who were addicted in Vietnam did not become re-addicted when they returned to the United States.
This flew in the face of everything everyone knew both about heroin and drug addiction generally. When addicts were treated in the U.S. and returned to their homes, relapse rates hovered around 90 percent. It didn't make sense.
And:
In this way, Neal says, our environments come to unconsciously direct our behavior. Even behaviors that we don't want, like smoking.
"For a smoker the view of the entrance to their office building — which is a place that they go to smoke all the time — becomes a powerful mental cue to go and perform that behavior," Neal says.
And over time those cues become so deeply ingrained that they are very hard to resist. And so we smoke at the entrance to work when we don't want to. We sit on the couch and eat ice cream when we don't need to, despite our best intentions, despite our resolutions.
"We don't feel sort of pushed by the environment," Wood says. "But, in fact, we're very integrated with it."
To battle bad behaviors then, one answer, Neal and Wood say, is to disrupt the environment in some way. Even small change can help — like eating the ice cream with your non-dominant hand. What this does is alter the action sequence and disrupts the learned body sequence that's driving the behavior, which allows your conscious mind to come back online and reassert control.
"It's a brief sort of window of opportunity," Wood says, "to think, 'Is this really what I want to do?' "
Monday, January 9, 2012
Ron Paul and Newt fight about Vietnam draft
From the Examiner, Washington.com: Ron Paul and Newt fight about Vietnam draft
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and Newt Gingrich tangled early about their respective Vietnam war service, with Paul talking about a "pet peeve" he has when politicians talk about war without having served in the military -- and deriding Newt for not serving in Vietnam -- and a visibly angry Newt criticizing Paul's facts and talking about his family history.
"I'm trying to stop the war, but at least I went when they called me up," Paul said in a sharp critique of Gingrich, who replied that he was married with a child at the time he would have gone to Vietnam, but that his father served at Vietnam.
"I think I have a pretty good idea of what it's like, as a family, to worry about your father getting killed," Gingrich said in response to Paul, who had implied that politicians don't think enough about the suffering caused by war.
Paul hit back pretty effectively, pointing out that when he went to Vietnam, "I was married and had two kids," which drew applause.
"I wasn't eligible for the draft," Gingrich replied, before the moderators changed the topic.
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and Newt Gingrich tangled early about their respective Vietnam war service, with Paul talking about a "pet peeve" he has when politicians talk about war without having served in the military -- and deriding Newt for not serving in Vietnam -- and a visibly angry Newt criticizing Paul's facts and talking about his family history.
"I'm trying to stop the war, but at least I went when they called me up," Paul said in a sharp critique of Gingrich, who replied that he was married with a child at the time he would have gone to Vietnam, but that his father served at Vietnam.
"I think I have a pretty good idea of what it's like, as a family, to worry about your father getting killed," Gingrich said in response to Paul, who had implied that politicians don't think enough about the suffering caused by war.
Paul hit back pretty effectively, pointing out that when he went to Vietnam, "I was married and had two kids," which drew applause.
"I wasn't eligible for the draft," Gingrich replied, before the moderators changed the topic.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Boker Tov, Vietnam!
From the Jerusalem Post: Boker Tov, Vietnam!
HO CHI MINH CITY – When the second of two Indo-China wars finally ended in 1975, who would have dreamed that war-ravaged Vietnam would become one of the most “in” destinations for western tourists and that American and French Jews, as well as Israelis, would be flocking to this Southeast Asian land.
And the number keeps rising. According to Rabbi Menachem Hartmen of Chabad Jewish Center, now in its second home in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), about 20,000 Jewish tourists, business persons and Israeli government officials – including President Shimon Peres on an official state visit this past November – tour this country of an estimated 90 million persons every year.
Vietnam today is a very “in” place. Historic pagodas and the graceful curves of French colonial buildings, structures with Chinese motifs and American-style high rises dot cities and countryside. Hotels and restaurants have been returned to the private sector. The tourist industry is growing at almost 20 percent annually. And millions of visitors are drawn to this land each year.
One reason is that Vietnam has been described as “a fashion maven’s paradise.”
Indeed it is not uncommon for tourists to actually buy an extra suitcase for purchases.
After visiting Saigon’s Ben Thanh market this seems like a prudent move: booth after booth, section upon section of clothes, textiles and tchotchkes – everything imaginable.
Overstock.com and eBay have nothing on this open-air shopper haven, price-wise and commodity-wise.
Walking the now peaceful streets of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), I realized what other travel writers before me understood: this metropolis on the Saigon river remains fast-moving and exciting, especially in the large ethnic Chinese section, Cholon, which adds to the city’s cosmopolitanism.
The sounds and pace of Saigon get to you immediately, frenetic, energetic, hectic and loud, a reminder of New York City or Tel Aviv.
During long walks in the early evening, I notice streets packed with pedestrians. At night, tourists flock to the Rex Hotel at the corner of Le Loi and Nguyen Hue boulevard, and ride up to the popular rooftop bar which during the Vietnam War served as a watering hole for journalists. The view is magnificent; this is after all, “the Paris of the Orient.”
Down below you can observe the rivers of motor bikes moving through city streets.
Every visitor to HCMC and Hanoi remembers those “darn” motorbikes. Stand at any corner and you, too, will be mesmerized by the swarms of motor bikes, their bee-like sounds ringing in your ears. Getting across major intersections is like trying to dodge the traffic swarming around Paris’ Arc de Triomphe.
Today’s scooter-propelled youth hold no animosity for Americans or Westerners. The war’s long over. People in the city and country want to become a prosperous nation, not a battlefield. This is good, especially for American seniors who though cognizant of the nearly four-decade interval in historical memory since the end of the Vietnam conflict, note that today, the two former combatants, (the US and Vietnam) now hold joint naval maneuvers in the South China Sea.
Still, the Vietnamese government does not want its populace to forget its battle with the French and Americans. Tourists quickly learn that history often belongs to the victor. At the War Remnants Museum and the famous Cu Chi tunnels, visitors are shown propaganda films, observe captured American war booty and underground passageways.
The war also was covered extensively in Israel, including articles by Moshe Dayan who in 1966 commented on the conflict for Israeli newspapers and often went out with US Marine reconnaissance patrols. But that was yesterday.
Today, this Communist government has long opened to the West, bringing opportunities to American Jewish and Israeli entrepreneurs, including at least several dozen Israeli companies; as well as Israeli doctors working in clinics and treating burn victims, for instance. Approximately 300 Jews declare Vietnam as their temporary home.
Amazingly, in six decades of foreign travel, I had never come across a Jewish community where the entire kehila, including the rabbi, is from somewhere else.
About 200 Jews reside in HCMC and 100 in the capital, Hanoi. According to Rabbi Hartman, one-third are American expats, one-third Israelis and one-third from throughout the world. Many of the Americans are engaged in what is commonly known as “the shmate business, a flashback to the days when New York’s island of Manhattan was the world capital of the garment industry.
Welcoming Jewish tourists and residents in HCMC is Chabad Jewish Center, now in its second home at Nguyen Dinh Chieu St. 5A (Villa) District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Chabad phone: (+84) 08-391-00181; e-mail: chabadvietnam@gmail.com.
Rabbi Hartman, who was born in Kiryat Malachi, and his wife Rachel have three children, Levi, Chaim and Effi. He says that while there is intermarriage among the expats, there are no converted Vietnamese Jews. He pointed out in an interview that the “Vietnamese like us; they welcome us, because they like to think of themselves as the Jews of Asia, as well as nation of the book.”
Kosher food can be obtained at Chabad every day. The organization supplies kosher meals for singles or groups at their hotels.
Friday night and Saturday morning services attract many, as do all the holiday celebrations.
More than 60 people show up for the Friday night Shabbat meal. Activities are offered at Chabad, including a woman’s group, a Torah study group, a youth group, a singles group, a weekly Hebrew school which includes art classes, and weekly classes for adults.
While visiting Vietnam, I participated in the Second Seder, (less formal than the First, which was attended by about 150 persons in a large center city hotel). American businesspersons and tourists, Israeli backpackers and French students agreed that Vietnam was certainly an exotic community to recall the exodus from Egypt, as well as a place, far, far from home.
At the seder, I learned that not everyone is here to make money, at least outwardly.
Some, I am told, have fled what one might call the “American drive for the almighty dollar.” They desired to escape American life and its so-called “proverbial rat race.”
They have been drawn to the perceived, exotic Vietnamese way of life.
Rabbi Hartman opened the first Chabad center in 2006 when there were about 60 Jews in Vietnam. Before he came, chabbadniks went from city to city, making contacts and finding out Jewish names. He claimed there were about sixty Jews in Vietnam in 2006.
Jews, of course, arrived in Vietnam before the US Army and before Chabad. They entered Indochina with the French in the latter half of the 19th century and settled in Saigon. In the 1880s Jewish soldiers and officers fought in the French Army in the Tonkin campaign. In 1939, the total Jewish population in Haiphong, Hanoi, Saigon and Tourane numbered about 1,000 individuals, as well as 80 Jews in Tonkin. They would suffer under Vichy France. After World War II, with the return of French Republic rule, an estimated 1,500 Jews called Vietnam their home, a home which they fled with the after the disastrous battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
Plans are in the making to establish a Chabad center in Hanoi, though even now, the organization sponsors activities in the capital of this country, a country which certainly is cognizant of its cultural diversity, due in no small part to its geographical location. Vietnam is situated on the eastern portion of the Indochinese peninsula, bordered on the north by China, on the west by Laos and Cambodia, and on the east by the South China Sea. Vietnamese children are taught in school that their country takes the form of an elongated letter “S.”
So, tourists should not linger too long in Saigon. Visit the country’s beautiful beaches, trek through hills and valleys. Fly or drive to the ancient capital of Hue to see the Citadel; it’s quieter there. Move on to Hanoi where visitors attend a performance at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. Stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake. Shop in the Old Quarter. Cruise in Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Even dead people draw a crowd in Hanoi.
Travelers are constantly lined up in front of the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the Communist leader of North Vietnam. I recalled that in previous years, I had visited the embalmed Lenin in Red Square, and Mao Tse-tung in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
On my trip to Vietnam, I paid a visit to see Ho. And no, he does not roll over in his tomb at the sight of so many Americans and Westerners lined up to view him in state.
Indeed, a small example that interest in Vietnam has risen is that the “Southeast Asia through Jewish Eyes Tour,” led by Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, creator of the “Journey Through Jewish Eyes” travel program has increased in numbers to the Far East, including Vietnam.
I hope he tells him to watch out for the motorbikes.
Ben G. Frank, journalist, travel writer, is the author of the just-published, The Scattered Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond, Globe Pequot Press; as well as A Travel Guide to Jewish Europe, 3rd edition; A Travel Guide to Jewish Russia and Ukraine, and A Travel Guide to the Jewish Caribbean and South America.
Monday, January 2, 2012
PASSINGS: Kaye Stevens
Los Angeles Times: PASSINGS: Kaye Stevens
Singer and actress Kaye Stevens, 79, who performed with the Rat Pack and frequently appeared on Johnny Carson's late-night talk show, died Wednesday at Villages Hospital north of Orlando, Fla. She had breast cancer and blood clots, said her friend Gerry Schweitzer.
During the Vietnam War era, Stevens also performed for American soldiers in the war zone with Bob Hope's USO tour.
Rat Pack members she shared the stage with included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. She also sang solo at such venues as Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
She was born Catherine Louise Stephens in 1932 in Pittsburgh and eventually moved to Cleveland, where she got her start in her teens as a drummer and singer. She later married bandleader and trumpet player Tommy Amato and performed with him in the eastern U.S.
From 1974 to 1979, Stevens portrayed Jeri Clayton on "Days of Our Lives." She also was a regular on TV game shows and appeared in about a dozen television and movie projects, including "The New Interns" (1964) and "Jaws 3" (1983).
A longtime resident of Margate, Fla., Stevens had started her own ministry.
Singer and actress Kaye Stevens, 79, who performed with the Rat Pack and frequently appeared on Johnny Carson's late-night talk show, died Wednesday at Villages Hospital north of Orlando, Fla. She had breast cancer and blood clots, said her friend Gerry Schweitzer.
During the Vietnam War era, Stevens also performed for American soldiers in the war zone with Bob Hope's USO tour.
Rat Pack members she shared the stage with included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. She also sang solo at such venues as Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
She was born Catherine Louise Stephens in 1932 in Pittsburgh and eventually moved to Cleveland, where she got her start in her teens as a drummer and singer. She later married bandleader and trumpet player Tommy Amato and performed with him in the eastern U.S.
From 1974 to 1979, Stevens portrayed Jeri Clayton on "Days of Our Lives." She also was a regular on TV game shows and appeared in about a dozen television and movie projects, including "The New Interns" (1964) and "Jaws 3" (1983).
A longtime resident of Margate, Fla., Stevens had started her own ministry.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Southaven, MS: Vietnam Wall remembrance to be tall order
From the Commercial Appeal: Vietnam Wall remembrance to be tall order
"Now we're ready for my war," said Steve Powell, county veterans affairs officer and a Marine combat veteran of the conflict. He said the first round of meetings should start in mid-January.
Plans call for the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, the center of the observance, to be in place at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven from May 9 to 15, with public viewing May 10-14. The V-shaped Wall is a three-fifths scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington that lists more than 58,000 Americans who fell in the conflict from 1959 to 1975. The replica is six feet tall at the center and almost 300 feet long.
To plan the 2010 salute to World War II veterans and this year's commemoration of those who served during the Korean War, a clutch of county officials including Lynchard and Powell and community volunteers sufficed.
But the Wall's requirements and the expected turnout of thousands of Vietnam veterans and family members call for a committee approach, said Vanessa Lynchard, county director of administrative services.
Among the committees that will meet:
Escort -- a team to accompany the Wall to and from the Civic Center
Set-up -- a crew to assemble the Wall
Landscaping -- people to obtain and place mulch, shrubs and flowers
24-hour watch -- at least two people at all times to provide general assistance and ensure visitors do not smoke or bring in food, drinks or pets. Additional volunteers are needed for peak visitation times of 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Name-locator -- at least two people at viewing times to help visitors find names on the Wall
Hospitality -- to provide water, coffee and light snacks for volunteers
Take-down -- at least 20 people needed for three hours to dismantle the Wall
Opening ceremony -- to plan events on May 10
Tribute -- people to plan the salute to veterans and the closing ceremony
Lynchard said the county is considering ongoing play of a recording of the Wall's names being recited.
"Everyone and anyone is welcome to volunteer," she said. "Our event will honor Vietnam veterans from everywhere, not just DeSoto. This is a great way for people to participate."
For more information or to volunteer for a committee, call (662) 429-1463.
Southaven, a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, is a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 28,977. The 2010 census reflected a population of 48,982, making Southaven the fourth largest city in Mississippi. Southaven is traversed from north to south by the I-55 freeway. While its name would indicate otherwise, the city of Southaven is actually in the northernmost corner of Mississippi. The name derives from the fact that Southaven is located south of Whitehaven, Memphis.
From the Commercial Appeal: Vietnam Wall remembrance to be tall order
Come January, strategy for planning DeSoto's May salute to Vietnam War-era veterans turns to committee meetings and the details of a massive undertaking.
"Now we're ready for my war," said Steve Powell, county veterans affairs officer and a Marine combat veteran of the conflict. He said the first round of meetings should start in mid-January.
Plans call for the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, the center of the observance, to be in place at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven from May 9 to 15, with public viewing May 10-14. The V-shaped Wall is a three-fifths scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington that lists more than 58,000 Americans who fell in the conflict from 1959 to 1975. The replica is six feet tall at the center and almost 300 feet long.
To plan the 2010 salute to World War II veterans and this year's commemoration of those who served during the Korean War, a clutch of county officials including Lynchard and Powell and community volunteers sufficed.
But the Wall's requirements and the expected turnout of thousands of Vietnam veterans and family members call for a committee approach, said Vanessa Lynchard, county director of administrative services.
Among the committees that will meet:
Escort -- a team to accompany the Wall to and from the Civic Center
Set-up -- a crew to assemble the Wall
Landscaping -- people to obtain and place mulch, shrubs and flowers
24-hour watch -- at least two people at all times to provide general assistance and ensure visitors do not smoke or bring in food, drinks or pets. Additional volunteers are needed for peak visitation times of 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Name-locator -- at least two people at viewing times to help visitors find names on the Wall
Hospitality -- to provide water, coffee and light snacks for volunteers
Take-down -- at least 20 people needed for three hours to dismantle the Wall
Opening ceremony -- to plan events on May 10
Tribute -- people to plan the salute to veterans and the closing ceremony
Lynchard said the county is considering ongoing play of a recording of the Wall's names being recited.
"Everyone and anyone is welcome to volunteer," she said. "Our event will honor Vietnam veterans from everywhere, not just DeSoto. This is a great way for people to participate."
For more information or to volunteer for a committee, call (662) 429-1463.
"Now we're ready for my war," said Steve Powell, county veterans affairs officer and a Marine combat veteran of the conflict. He said the first round of meetings should start in mid-January.
Plans call for the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, the center of the observance, to be in place at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven from May 9 to 15, with public viewing May 10-14. The V-shaped Wall is a three-fifths scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington that lists more than 58,000 Americans who fell in the conflict from 1959 to 1975. The replica is six feet tall at the center and almost 300 feet long.
To plan the 2010 salute to World War II veterans and this year's commemoration of those who served during the Korean War, a clutch of county officials including Lynchard and Powell and community volunteers sufficed.
But the Wall's requirements and the expected turnout of thousands of Vietnam veterans and family members call for a committee approach, said Vanessa Lynchard, county director of administrative services.
Among the committees that will meet:
Escort -- a team to accompany the Wall to and from the Civic Center
Set-up -- a crew to assemble the Wall
Landscaping -- people to obtain and place mulch, shrubs and flowers
24-hour watch -- at least two people at all times to provide general assistance and ensure visitors do not smoke or bring in food, drinks or pets. Additional volunteers are needed for peak visitation times of 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Name-locator -- at least two people at viewing times to help visitors find names on the Wall
Hospitality -- to provide water, coffee and light snacks for volunteers
Take-down -- at least 20 people needed for three hours to dismantle the Wall
Opening ceremony -- to plan events on May 10
Tribute -- people to plan the salute to veterans and the closing ceremony
Lynchard said the county is considering ongoing play of a recording of the Wall's names being recited.
"Everyone and anyone is welcome to volunteer," she said. "Our event will honor Vietnam veterans from everywhere, not just DeSoto. This is a great way for people to participate."
For more information or to volunteer for a committee, call (662) 429-1463.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
How Mom’s Letter Paved Way for Young Man’s Visit With President
From ABC News: How Mom’s Letter Paved Way for Young Man’s Visit With President
A young man whose mother wrote a letter to President Obama is now scheduled to meet with the president.
Jeremy Carr, 23, has Down syndrome. Carr volunteered with his mother, a Vietnam War veteran, at a road clean-up event in the spring staged by Chapter 862 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. It was one of several veterans volunteer events in which Carr has taken part.
Throughout the morning of the clean-up, he never asked to take a break, didn’t stop to talk about his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, or his favorite WWE star John Cena, his mother said. He didn’t even ask for anything to eat or drink. He asked his mother only one thing several times during the day, “Mom, will President Barack Obama be proud of me for helping the soldiers?”
She reassured him he was, but that wasn’t enough for him. Carr asked his mother to write Obama to ask him. For a long time, Theresa Carr put off writing the letter, she said, thinking, how could she write to the president of the United States with such a request?
But as the months passed, she told ABC News, she asked herself, “How could I not honor such a simple request from a young man who would love nothing more than to serve his country, serve his commander-in-chief?”
In early September, Theresa Carr mailed Obama a letter with her son’s question, never believing he would respond.
She was wrong.
Since his first week in office, the president has read 10 letters every day, culled from the tens of thousands of letters, emails, and faxes the White House receives daily. And every week, he replies to 15 to 20 of them with hand-written answers.
He responded to the Carrs’ letter, however, in a speech. On Veterans Day, in an address at Arlington National Cemetery, the president said, “Jeremy, I want you to know: Yes, I am proud of you. I could not be prouder of you, and your country is proud of you.”
After the speech, the National Association of Vietnam Veterans of America arranged for Carr to meet the president next month. The group planned the visit to thank Carr for his volunteer work.
A young man whose mother wrote a letter to President Obama is now scheduled to meet with the president.
Jeremy Carr, 23, has Down syndrome. Carr volunteered with his mother, a Vietnam War veteran, at a road clean-up event in the spring staged by Chapter 862 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. It was one of several veterans volunteer events in which Carr has taken part.
Throughout the morning of the clean-up, he never asked to take a break, didn’t stop to talk about his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, or his favorite WWE star John Cena, his mother said. He didn’t even ask for anything to eat or drink. He asked his mother only one thing several times during the day, “Mom, will President Barack Obama be proud of me for helping the soldiers?”
She reassured him he was, but that wasn’t enough for him. Carr asked his mother to write Obama to ask him. For a long time, Theresa Carr put off writing the letter, she said, thinking, how could she write to the president of the United States with such a request?
But as the months passed, she told ABC News, she asked herself, “How could I not honor such a simple request from a young man who would love nothing more than to serve his country, serve his commander-in-chief?”
In early September, Theresa Carr mailed Obama a letter with her son’s question, never believing he would respond.
She was wrong.
Since his first week in office, the president has read 10 letters every day, culled from the tens of thousands of letters, emails, and faxes the White House receives daily. And every week, he replies to 15 to 20 of them with hand-written answers.
He responded to the Carrs’ letter, however, in a speech. On Veterans Day, in an address at Arlington National Cemetery, the president said, “Jeremy, I want you to know: Yes, I am proud of you. I could not be prouder of you, and your country is proud of you.”
After the speech, the National Association of Vietnam Veterans of America arranged for Carr to meet the president next month. The group planned the visit to thank Carr for his volunteer work.
Vietnam War veteran back in his rebuilt home after spending years in his garage
The Republic (Columbus, OH): Vietnam War veteran back in his rebuilt home after spending years in his garage
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Dennis Quisenberry is finally waking up in a warm bed, after spending years in his garage following a fire that gutted his house.
In March 2005, Quisenberry arrived home from visiting his brother in Lexington to find his home in flames, according to The State Journal in Frankfort. He took what few belongings he had left and made do by living in his garage.
For years, mornings would consist of waking up in a cold, damp bed — the garage's leaky roof and broken windows didn't do much to keep out the wind and rain.
He didn't have the luxury of walking down the hall to the bathroom; the garage didn't have any plumbing. If he wanted to take a shower, he drove to a friend's house.
Now he's experiencing something he hadn't felt in a long time — comfort. He recently moved into his newly renovated home, referred to by volunteers as "a community Christmas present."
"I was warm, I felt good," Quisenberry said. "And I knew I could get up and go to the bathroom and take a shower."
Larry Arnett, deputy commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources, began helping solicit donations to fix up Quisenberry's home and get him out of his garage.
Arnett, whose brother lives on the same street as Quisenberry, had been passing the gutted home for years and had always assumed it was empty.
Carlos Pugh, former state commander of the VFW, also joined in raising money to get Quisenberry out of his garage. Both served in Vietnam. Quisenberry was an Air Force mechanic.
Willie Hensley also joined in the effort, saying he was appalled that a veteran was living in such poor conditions.
"If you're willing to serve your country and die, and you need help ... everyone in the community ought to help," Hensley said.
Arnett estimated he received more than $40,000 in donations, allowing volunteers to renovate Quisenberry's home at no cost to him.
The kitchen cabinets and furnace were donated. Flooring was installed at a discounted price, and the furniture was donated or bought by volunteers.
After being honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1969, Quisenberry worked at a factory for several years before joining the National Guard in 1976 as a technician.
He was a mechanic there for 14 years before being medically discharged. Quisenberry suffers from arthritis in his hands and has knee problems and swollen feet.
That gave him 18 years of service — two years short of the 20 years required for a full pension and healthcare benefits.
As he sat in his new black leather chair, in front of his new TV, Quisenberry could hardly believe how nice the house turned out.
"I can live life again the way I want to live it," he said.
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Dennis Quisenberry is finally waking up in a warm bed, after spending years in his garage following a fire that gutted his house.
In March 2005, Quisenberry arrived home from visiting his brother in Lexington to find his home in flames, according to The State Journal in Frankfort. He took what few belongings he had left and made do by living in his garage.
For years, mornings would consist of waking up in a cold, damp bed — the garage's leaky roof and broken windows didn't do much to keep out the wind and rain.
He didn't have the luxury of walking down the hall to the bathroom; the garage didn't have any plumbing. If he wanted to take a shower, he drove to a friend's house.
Now he's experiencing something he hadn't felt in a long time — comfort. He recently moved into his newly renovated home, referred to by volunteers as "a community Christmas present."
"I was warm, I felt good," Quisenberry said. "And I knew I could get up and go to the bathroom and take a shower."
Larry Arnett, deputy commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources, began helping solicit donations to fix up Quisenberry's home and get him out of his garage.
Arnett, whose brother lives on the same street as Quisenberry, had been passing the gutted home for years and had always assumed it was empty.
Carlos Pugh, former state commander of the VFW, also joined in raising money to get Quisenberry out of his garage. Both served in Vietnam. Quisenberry was an Air Force mechanic.
Willie Hensley also joined in the effort, saying he was appalled that a veteran was living in such poor conditions.
"If you're willing to serve your country and die, and you need help ... everyone in the community ought to help," Hensley said.
Arnett estimated he received more than $40,000 in donations, allowing volunteers to renovate Quisenberry's home at no cost to him.
The kitchen cabinets and furnace were donated. Flooring was installed at a discounted price, and the furniture was donated or bought by volunteers.
After being honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1969, Quisenberry worked at a factory for several years before joining the National Guard in 1976 as a technician.
He was a mechanic there for 14 years before being medically discharged. Quisenberry suffers from arthritis in his hands and has knee problems and swollen feet.
That gave him 18 years of service — two years short of the 20 years required for a full pension and healthcare benefits.
As he sat in his new black leather chair, in front of his new TV, Quisenberry could hardly believe how nice the house turned out.
"I can live life again the way I want to live it," he said.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Bridgeton City Park war monuments in disrepair
From NJ.com: Bridgeton City Park war monuments in disrepair
BRIDGETON — Before Bridgeton restores the recovered head from the Civil War statue, they should probably check out three other monuments in the immediate area first.
They may be eligible for a bulk discount.
“Honestly, it probably all happened at the same time,” said resident Bill Conway, who spotted the headless Civil War soldier earlier this month.
Upon inspection, he discovered what he believes was a paintball shot dead-center on the World War I memorial. The monument definitely has what can best be described as a green splat right in the middle. Other monuments in the area have green moss growing on them and this spot does not look like moss.
A single metallic decorative leaf at the top of the World War II monument is gone. On the Korean and Vietnam War memorials, the eagle’s left shoulder has a chip that extends onto its neck. Also, the crest is missing a chunk taken right out of the middle.
Conway said the damage “looks to me as if a rock had been thrown at it.”
Bridgeton Police Chief Mark Ott said Monday he can’t say whether the above damages were done recently.
“The damage that’s on the other monuments is not as noticeable as what had happened to the Civil War monument,” Ott said in an email.
Indeed, it would be hard to spot these chips, cracks and splats from the street.
Conway was out by the Veterans Memorial Park last week to meet with Rich Mendoza, captain of the 12th N.J. Company K Civil War re-enactors regiment.
Mendoza, who was also appointed by Gov. Christie to the New Jersey Civil War 150 Committee, contacted a number of authors, speakers and representatives from the History Channel after Conway’s discovery.
Conway was early to his interview and decided to check out the other memorials in the immediate area.
“I had never even looked at the other monuments,” he said. He was merely passing through when he discovered the situation at the Civil War statue. A keen eye soon turned him on to other states of disrepair.
Mendoza, who hails from Voorhees and works with a television production company, is on a warpath to restore the Civil War statue.
Both the head of the soldier and the eagle that adorns the front of the monument sit headless.
Mendoza is interested in launching a fundraiser to help restore the statue and is also planning on a concert, to be held in Bridgeton in February, that would also assist the
effort.
Ott and Mayor Albert Kelly were next to be interviewed after Conway. Since the Civil War statue discovery, Kelly has noted a restoration fund, though an official announcement has yet to be made.
Statewide and regional attention descended upon the area and the reward funds grew handsomely. The head was eventually uncovered nearby by work crews as leaves were being removed from the area.
Interestingly enough, there appears to be no damage to the small flags or flowers planted around the monuments.
When asked if he believes this is just thoughtless vandalism, Conway said “it’s not somebody with a purpose.” He agreed that the flags and flowers could have also been hit if vandals really wanted to inflict all-around damage.
“I know some people will take care of the restoration,” Conway said. “I would like to see whoever is responsible prosecuted.”
BRIDGETON — Before Bridgeton restores the recovered head from the Civil War statue, they should probably check out three other monuments in the immediate area first.
They may be eligible for a bulk discount.
“Honestly, it probably all happened at the same time,” said resident Bill Conway, who spotted the headless Civil War soldier earlier this month.
Upon inspection, he discovered what he believes was a paintball shot dead-center on the World War I memorial. The monument definitely has what can best be described as a green splat right in the middle. Other monuments in the area have green moss growing on them and this spot does not look like moss.
A single metallic decorative leaf at the top of the World War II monument is gone. On the Korean and Vietnam War memorials, the eagle’s left shoulder has a chip that extends onto its neck. Also, the crest is missing a chunk taken right out of the middle.
Conway said the damage “looks to me as if a rock had been thrown at it.”
Bridgeton Police Chief Mark Ott said Monday he can’t say whether the above damages were done recently.
“The damage that’s on the other monuments is not as noticeable as what had happened to the Civil War monument,” Ott said in an email.
Indeed, it would be hard to spot these chips, cracks and splats from the street.
Conway was out by the Veterans Memorial Park last week to meet with Rich Mendoza, captain of the 12th N.J. Company K Civil War re-enactors regiment.
Mendoza, who was also appointed by Gov. Christie to the New Jersey Civil War 150 Committee, contacted a number of authors, speakers and representatives from the History Channel after Conway’s discovery.
Conway was early to his interview and decided to check out the other memorials in the immediate area.
“I had never even looked at the other monuments,” he said. He was merely passing through when he discovered the situation at the Civil War statue. A keen eye soon turned him on to other states of disrepair.
Mendoza, who hails from Voorhees and works with a television production company, is on a warpath to restore the Civil War statue.
Both the head of the soldier and the eagle that adorns the front of the monument sit headless.
Mendoza is interested in launching a fundraiser to help restore the statue and is also planning on a concert, to be held in Bridgeton in February, that would also assist the
effort.
Ott and Mayor Albert Kelly were next to be interviewed after Conway. Since the Civil War statue discovery, Kelly has noted a restoration fund, though an official announcement has yet to be made.
Statewide and regional attention descended upon the area and the reward funds grew handsomely. The head was eventually uncovered nearby by work crews as leaves were being removed from the area.
Interestingly enough, there appears to be no damage to the small flags or flowers planted around the monuments.
When asked if he believes this is just thoughtless vandalism, Conway said “it’s not somebody with a purpose.” He agreed that the flags and flowers could have also been hit if vandals really wanted to inflict all-around damage.
“I know some people will take care of the restoration,” Conway said. “I would like to see whoever is responsible prosecuted.”
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Opinion Why Are We Preparing to Fight the Wrong War -- Again?
From Fox News: Opinion Why Are We Preparing to Fight the Wrong War -- Again?
Over the past 40 years, the one consistent face of war with which we have been confronted is irregular warfare. In parallel, one consistent threat to our security has been our inability to retain the lessons in irregular warfare that we learned on the battlefield.
It is happening again.
From 1965 to 1975 we built knowledge and skill in this area in a decade of conflict in Vietnam. As a result of domestic politics and war fatigue, we abandoned these skills and knowledge of asymmetric warfare, returning instead to the comfort of a more conventional enemy. We then improvised through shorter conflicts in the ’80s and ’90s in dealing with a post-Noriega Panama, a destabilized Somalia, and a post-conflict Balkans with mixed results.
In 2006 we came face to face with the reality that we faced two tough low intensity fights in Iraq and Afghanistan. We were losing ground in both. Only a crash push in counterinsurgency and stability doctrine, operations, training, and equipment allowed us to turn the tides in those conflicts.
Even so, we paid a terrible price as we lacked the force structure and strength to allow for a sustainable force generation and recovery process. Our Army and Marine Corps families saw our loved ones pull five, six and even seven tours of combat over a decade. We also discovered our equipment kit was grossly insufficient for the low intensity threat and relied on expensive rapid procurements in MRAPs, body armor, and urban warfare systems to close our systems gap.
Given this, one would expect that serious national security analysts inside and outside the Pentagon would champion the need to sustain the training, force structure, and asymmetric systems of the past 10 years, right?
Wrong. There is now almost unstoppable momentum from sources to significantly reduce Army and Marine Corps force structure and to refocus the force on "core competencies," which is code for “conventional warfare.” This thinking will eliminate many of the programs that emerged as essential to success in irregular warfare. It is based in the misguided notion that we simply won’t “do” large scale, irregular warfare any more.
Yet that is the very mission we have done repeatedly for the past 40 years. It’s the mission ordered time and again by Republican and Democrat presidents alike. It’s the mission that our enemies know they can win because we never prepare for it.
Cutting ground force training and programs is national security planning based on domestic politics. It fails to take into account recent history and the very real future challenges that today’s young soldier or Marine is likely to see in his or her years of service. We cannot wish away instability, failed states, post-conflict instability, large refugee flows, genocide, terrorism, humanitarian catastrophe, regime change, and the need for intervention.
Part of the problem is lop-sided priorities among Air, Sea, Land and Cyber warfare. Air and Sea already have overmatch dominance while Land and Cyber capabilities are challenged every day. We cannot continue down this path – or worse let our land forces get smaller and less capable in irregular warfare. Only our enemies will thank us for this.
This type of blind approach to security planning will not keep us from sustained low intensity conflict. But it will ensure that we are, yet again, unprepared and under-dominant on a battlefield that is as much about weapons and armor as it is about ideas and the use of smart power to stabilize areas.
We cannot afford to send our soldiers and Marines into harm’s way again without the equipment, training and understanding of irregular warfare they will need to fulfill tomorrow’s missions.
Simply hoping that they will never need any of these is not a plan to bring them safely home; robust full spectrum unified land operations remain imperative for the 21st century.
Gen. Gordon Sullivan served as the 32nd Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and is now the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Association of the United States Army. Dowling served as Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council and is now president of IDS International, a “smart power” government services firm.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Booming trade: remnants of the Vietnam War still used as forest products
From ForestsProducts: Booming trade: remnants of the Vietnam Wars still used as forest products
BOGOR, Indonesia (22 December 2011)_Physical remnants of the Vietnam War are fuelling a trade that threatens to damage one of the world’s most ecologically-important environments but ensuring the income generation of those poorest and landless people, according to a new study by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) with the aid of Tropenbos International Vietnam.
Scrap metal left behind following conflicts forms an important part of the local economy of some areas and should be factored into land management proposals alongside other non-timber forest products (NTFP) concludes the study.
“The importance of scrap metal collection in local forest management and the link between war metal and other NTFP collection must be acknowledged,” said Manuel Boissière, scientist with the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) and lead-author of the study published in the December issue of International Forestry Review.
“In order to include it as a factor for land management, the legality of scrap metal collection needs to be clarified and regulated in national law.”
The study, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, focuses on the perspectives of villagers living in the Annamite Mountains area of central Vietnam. Interviews with collectors, brokers, traders and officials revealed a significant trade in debris left behind following the Vietnam War.
Accompanied by researchers Douglas Sheil and Imam Basuki, Boissière travelled to the village of Khe Tran, a small community of 20 households living in the buffer zone of the Phong Dien protected area. This lowland forest harbours critically-endangered species such as tiger and saola, the so-called “Asian unicorn”. With American forces stationed in the region during the war, the forest was the scene of intense fighting, and large amounts of debris remain, including live rounds, tank mines and air-dropped bombs.
In 1992, the forest was made a protected area, and logging and hunting within its perimeters was banned. Government policies that encourage the cultivation of plantation crops such as rubber, eucalyptus and acacia to reduce community dependence on the forests have been relatively successful in Khe Tran. An earlier expedition by Boissière and his team found that scrap metal collection was the main reason villagers entered the forest.
Villagers in Khe Tran first started collecting scrap metal in 1994, carrying up to 30kg at a time from the forest. Larger finds are dragged to nearby rivers and transported on makeshift rafts. However, the availability of scrap metal soon declined, and within a decade the only metal still found in large quantity was deep in the forest, over a day’s walk from Khe Tran. Despite the obvious risks from collecting war debris, accidents are rare, with only 50 incidents recorded since 1975, few as a direct result of metal collection. The majority occurred soon after the war and the most recent was in 2000, when a Hien Thuc villager digging in his garden detonated an anti-tank mine.
Scrap metal collectors could earn about VND1 million (US$62) annually. That’s bigger than VND900,000 received for clearing and planting acacia plantations or VND400,000 for plantation maintenance.
Officially scrap metal collection is banned during the dry season (December to October), due to the practice of burning away understory in order to reveal scrap metal and safely detonate live ordnance. While none of the villagers Boissière and his team spoke to admitted to starting such fires, they acknowledged that it did happen. With only eight rangers to patrol 40,000 hectares of forest, the ban is rarely enforced.
The relatively low returns for the time invested means that scrap metal is only carried out by the poorest of households in Khe Tran. Boissière and his team discovered that the majority of scrap metal collectors entering the Phong Dien protected area were in fact landless Kinh people from the neighbouring commune of Phong Son.
Without crops to support themselves these villager’s main income is derived from scrap metal collection. However they also collect rattan and bamboo whilst in the forest, and most likely hunt game to support themselves during these trips. In this way, the authors write that war residue forms a “backbone” product that supports a wider range of forest uses and impacts.
“Those who rely on metal collection lack other sources of income generation,” says Boissière. “They are proud of what they do but recognise that the resource is declining. Searching for valuable metal now takes much longer than it used to with collectors increasingly supplementing their collection with other forest products.”
Asked about the wider ramifications of this trade, Boissière says: “This pattern should be found in all parts of the world where people and environment are affected by war. Papers on NTFP are about biological forest products; we introduce here the concept of a non-biological products determining how and why forests are used the way they are.”
BOGOR, Indonesia (22 December 2011)_Physical remnants of the Vietnam War are fuelling a trade that threatens to damage one of the world’s most ecologically-important environments but ensuring the income generation of those poorest and landless people, according to a new study by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) with the aid of Tropenbos International Vietnam.
Scrap metal left behind following conflicts forms an important part of the local economy of some areas and should be factored into land management proposals alongside other non-timber forest products (NTFP) concludes the study.
“The importance of scrap metal collection in local forest management and the link between war metal and other NTFP collection must be acknowledged,” said Manuel Boissière, scientist with the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) and lead-author of the study published in the December issue of International Forestry Review.
“In order to include it as a factor for land management, the legality of scrap metal collection needs to be clarified and regulated in national law.”
The study, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, focuses on the perspectives of villagers living in the Annamite Mountains area of central Vietnam. Interviews with collectors, brokers, traders and officials revealed a significant trade in debris left behind following the Vietnam War.
Accompanied by researchers Douglas Sheil and Imam Basuki, Boissière travelled to the village of Khe Tran, a small community of 20 households living in the buffer zone of the Phong Dien protected area. This lowland forest harbours critically-endangered species such as tiger and saola, the so-called “Asian unicorn”. With American forces stationed in the region during the war, the forest was the scene of intense fighting, and large amounts of debris remain, including live rounds, tank mines and air-dropped bombs.
In 1992, the forest was made a protected area, and logging and hunting within its perimeters was banned. Government policies that encourage the cultivation of plantation crops such as rubber, eucalyptus and acacia to reduce community dependence on the forests have been relatively successful in Khe Tran. An earlier expedition by Boissière and his team found that scrap metal collection was the main reason villagers entered the forest.
Villagers in Khe Tran first started collecting scrap metal in 1994, carrying up to 30kg at a time from the forest. Larger finds are dragged to nearby rivers and transported on makeshift rafts. However, the availability of scrap metal soon declined, and within a decade the only metal still found in large quantity was deep in the forest, over a day’s walk from Khe Tran. Despite the obvious risks from collecting war debris, accidents are rare, with only 50 incidents recorded since 1975, few as a direct result of metal collection. The majority occurred soon after the war and the most recent was in 2000, when a Hien Thuc villager digging in his garden detonated an anti-tank mine.
Scrap metal collectors could earn about VND1 million (US$62) annually. That’s bigger than VND900,000 received for clearing and planting acacia plantations or VND400,000 for plantation maintenance.
Officially scrap metal collection is banned during the dry season (December to October), due to the practice of burning away understory in order to reveal scrap metal and safely detonate live ordnance. While none of the villagers Boissière and his team spoke to admitted to starting such fires, they acknowledged that it did happen. With only eight rangers to patrol 40,000 hectares of forest, the ban is rarely enforced.
The relatively low returns for the time invested means that scrap metal is only carried out by the poorest of households in Khe Tran. Boissière and his team discovered that the majority of scrap metal collectors entering the Phong Dien protected area were in fact landless Kinh people from the neighbouring commune of Phong Son.
Without crops to support themselves these villager’s main income is derived from scrap metal collection. However they also collect rattan and bamboo whilst in the forest, and most likely hunt game to support themselves during these trips. In this way, the authors write that war residue forms a “backbone” product that supports a wider range of forest uses and impacts.
“Those who rely on metal collection lack other sources of income generation,” says Boissière. “They are proud of what they do but recognise that the resource is declining. Searching for valuable metal now takes much longer than it used to with collectors increasingly supplementing their collection with other forest products.”
Asked about the wider ramifications of this trade, Boissière says: “This pattern should be found in all parts of the world where people and environment are affected by war. Papers on NTFP are about biological forest products; we introduce here the concept of a non-biological products determining how and why forests are used the way they are.”
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) 15th Annual Christmas Tree Ceremony at The Wall to Be Webcast Live December 19 on VVMF TV
From MarketWatch: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) 15th Annual Christmas Tree Ceremony at The Wall to Be Webcast Live December 19 on VVMF TV
CHANTILLY, VA, Dec 16, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- TV Worldwide, since 1999, a pioneering web-based global TV network, announced that VVMF-TV, ( www.VVMF.TV ), the Internet TV Channel recently launched in cooperation with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), would webcast the 15th Annual Christmas Tree Ceremony at the Wall honoring veterans and active-duty military personnel at 10 AM ET on Monday, December 19, 2011. During the ceremony, representatives of the VVMF will place a Christmas tree at the apex of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Volunteers will decorate the tree with holiday greeting cards sent to the VVMF by Americans of all ages. The tree will also be adorned with cards and ornaments hand-made by schoolchildren from around the country.
VVMF President Jan Scruggs will serve as master of ceremonies for the event. The featured speakers will be Walt Sides, John Weber and Seth Lynn.
Walt Sides was one of the "founding fathers" of Rolling Thunder, an organization dedicated to prisoner of war and missing in action issues and the annual Memorial Day "Demonstration Run," which has become the world's largest single-day motorcycle event.
John Weber is a partner in Baker Hostetler's Washington, D.C., office and is the head of the firm's Intellectual Property, Technology and Media Group. He served in the U.S. Army infantry in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970 and was awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman's Badge.
Prior to founding the Veterans Campaign, Seth Lynn served as an Amphibious Assault Vehicle Officer in the Marine Corps. While on active duty, Lynn deployed to Kuwait, Iraq, and Japan, and also participated in the Indonesian tsunami relief effort. As part of this year's ceremony, VVMF is proud to join in the cause of Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends over 100,000 care packages annually to service-members in hostile regions around the world. The packages are filled with food, hygiene products, and entertainment items. VVMF staff sorted nearly fifty packages filled with snacks and personal care products to be sent overseas to soldiers who will be away from their families this holiday season.
"The Wall is a sacred place, and one of so few where visitors are so directly exposed to the most noble American values of duty, honor, courage and sacrifice," says Jan Scruggs. "This ceremony, now in its 15th year, has become a cherished part of the holidays, and we are proud to join Operation Gratitude in showing appreciation to our service men and women who are making tremendous sacrifices in the name of freedom."
After the ceremony, the tree and many boxes of cards and ornaments will be left at The Wall, so that visitors can read the messages and add decorations when they visit throughout the holidays. Hand-made cards and ornaments have been contributed by these schools and Scout troops:
-- Pack #120 - Irvington, NY, Cub Scout Troop
-- Mrs. Whitehead's 4th Grade Class - Carlisle Elementary School, Boaz,
AL
-- Rosewood Christian Elementary School, Castro Valley, CA
-- Loggers Run Middle School, Boca Raton, FL
-- Ms. Gahr's 7th and 8th Graders from Berryhill School, Charlotte, NC
About VVMF and the Education Center at the Wall
The Education Center at The Wall is a place on our National Mall where our military heroes' stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten. With a groundbreaking planned for November 2012, The Education Center at The Wall is a multi-million dollar, state-of- the-art visitor's center and learning facility to be built on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans and the Lincoln Memorials. Visitors will better understand the profound impact the Vietnam War had their friends and family members, their home towns, and the Nation. The Education Center will feature the faces and stories of the 58,272 men and women on "The Wall," honoring those who fell in Vietnam, those who fought and returned, as well as the friends and families of all who served. For more information, visit www.buildthecenter.org .
Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War.
Support the Education Center at The Wall by visiting www.buildthecenter.org , calling 866-990-WALL, or by texting "WALL" to 2022.
CHANTILLY, VA, Dec 16, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- TV Worldwide, since 1999, a pioneering web-based global TV network, announced that VVMF-TV, ( www.VVMF.TV ), the Internet TV Channel recently launched in cooperation with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), would webcast the 15th Annual Christmas Tree Ceremony at the Wall honoring veterans and active-duty military personnel at 10 AM ET on Monday, December 19, 2011. During the ceremony, representatives of the VVMF will place a Christmas tree at the apex of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Volunteers will decorate the tree with holiday greeting cards sent to the VVMF by Americans of all ages. The tree will also be adorned with cards and ornaments hand-made by schoolchildren from around the country.
VVMF President Jan Scruggs will serve as master of ceremonies for the event. The featured speakers will be Walt Sides, John Weber and Seth Lynn.
Walt Sides was one of the "founding fathers" of Rolling Thunder, an organization dedicated to prisoner of war and missing in action issues and the annual Memorial Day "Demonstration Run," which has become the world's largest single-day motorcycle event.
John Weber is a partner in Baker Hostetler's Washington, D.C., office and is the head of the firm's Intellectual Property, Technology and Media Group. He served in the U.S. Army infantry in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970 and was awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman's Badge.
Prior to founding the Veterans Campaign, Seth Lynn served as an Amphibious Assault Vehicle Officer in the Marine Corps. While on active duty, Lynn deployed to Kuwait, Iraq, and Japan, and also participated in the Indonesian tsunami relief effort. As part of this year's ceremony, VVMF is proud to join in the cause of Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends over 100,000 care packages annually to service-members in hostile regions around the world. The packages are filled with food, hygiene products, and entertainment items. VVMF staff sorted nearly fifty packages filled with snacks and personal care products to be sent overseas to soldiers who will be away from their families this holiday season.
"The Wall is a sacred place, and one of so few where visitors are so directly exposed to the most noble American values of duty, honor, courage and sacrifice," says Jan Scruggs. "This ceremony, now in its 15th year, has become a cherished part of the holidays, and we are proud to join Operation Gratitude in showing appreciation to our service men and women who are making tremendous sacrifices in the name of freedom."
After the ceremony, the tree and many boxes of cards and ornaments will be left at The Wall, so that visitors can read the messages and add decorations when they visit throughout the holidays. Hand-made cards and ornaments have been contributed by these schools and Scout troops:
-- Pack #120 - Irvington, NY, Cub Scout Troop
-- Mrs. Whitehead's 4th Grade Class - Carlisle Elementary School, Boaz,
AL
-- Rosewood Christian Elementary School, Castro Valley, CA
-- Loggers Run Middle School, Boca Raton, FL
-- Ms. Gahr's 7th and 8th Graders from Berryhill School, Charlotte, NC
About VVMF and the Education Center at the Wall
The Education Center at The Wall is a place on our National Mall where our military heroes' stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten. With a groundbreaking planned for November 2012, The Education Center at The Wall is a multi-million dollar, state-of- the-art visitor's center and learning facility to be built on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans and the Lincoln Memorials. Visitors will better understand the profound impact the Vietnam War had their friends and family members, their home towns, and the Nation. The Education Center will feature the faces and stories of the 58,272 men and women on "The Wall," honoring those who fell in Vietnam, those who fought and returned, as well as the friends and families of all who served. For more information, visit www.buildthecenter.org .
Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War.
Support the Education Center at The Wall by visiting www.buildthecenter.org , calling 866-990-WALL, or by texting "WALL" to 2022.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Local Veterans React to End of Iraq War
From WWSB: Local Veterans React to End of Iraq War
Sarasota-Today's end of operations in Iraq marks the largest drawdown of U.S. forces since the end of the Vietnam war more than thirty years ago. The two conflicts have many differences, but they they both deeply divided people in this country.
Some on the Suncoast who served in southeast Asia are glad to see those in Iraq getting to return.
"They fought and we've lost a lot of wonderful troops, this post is named after one of them, so i think it's a wonderful thing that they're coming home," said Charlie Shoudy, who served in Vietnam.
He's now an official at the Christopher Cobb Memorial American Legion Post in Sarasota, and says whether or not you agreed with the war, the soldiers there did what they were trained to do.
"We were doing what every military person, man or woman does because if our commander in chief tells us we have to do it, we have to do what we're told."
Other vets like James Bendowski hope that what troops accomplished during the war leads to a stable Iraq.
"It's great that they are coming back but i hope we can stay out of there, that's the worst part about it," said Bendowski.
He admits while the troops are coming home, there was still a heavy price to pay for the operation.
"Any time you lose lives it's not really worth it, but that's our heritage, no doubt about it."
There will continue to be a U.S. presence in Iraq. About 16,000 people involved in the diplomatic effort will remain behind, about 7,000 of which will be private security contractors.
Sarasota-Today's end of operations in Iraq marks the largest drawdown of U.S. forces since the end of the Vietnam war more than thirty years ago. The two conflicts have many differences, but they they both deeply divided people in this country.
Some on the Suncoast who served in southeast Asia are glad to see those in Iraq getting to return.
"They fought and we've lost a lot of wonderful troops, this post is named after one of them, so i think it's a wonderful thing that they're coming home," said Charlie Shoudy, who served in Vietnam.
He's now an official at the Christopher Cobb Memorial American Legion Post in Sarasota, and says whether or not you agreed with the war, the soldiers there did what they were trained to do.
"We were doing what every military person, man or woman does because if our commander in chief tells us we have to do it, we have to do what we're told."
Other vets like James Bendowski hope that what troops accomplished during the war leads to a stable Iraq.
"It's great that they are coming back but i hope we can stay out of there, that's the worst part about it," said Bendowski.
He admits while the troops are coming home, there was still a heavy price to pay for the operation.
"Any time you lose lives it's not really worth it, but that's our heritage, no doubt about it."
There will continue to be a U.S. presence in Iraq. About 16,000 people involved in the diplomatic effort will remain behind, about 7,000 of which will be private security contractors.
Vietnam War veteran, 60, gets bachelor's degree
From Reading Reader: Vietnam War veteran, 60, gets bachelor's degree
He's served in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine, was injured by gunfire from an AK-47 rifle and spent three and a half months in a military hospital in Guam before returning to serve two more campaigns during the Vietnam War.
He's worked with Berks County veterans and organized a Toys for Tots drive at Penn State Berks.
And on Saturday, he graduated from the college with a bachelor's degree in business - at age 60.
But Arthur Brunt doesn't consider himself anything special.
The Reading resident shrugs when referred to by others as an inspiration.
"Inspiring? Inspiring to who?" he asked. "Every individual hits a certain point where their intrinsic needs outweigh the extrinsic needs. I think that's what happened to me."
Brunt, a Philadelphia native who moved to Reading in 1980, could have spent the rest of his life living off his military pension.
"But it wasn't what I wanted," he said. "I didn't want to hold still. I just didn't know what direction I wanted to go in."
And so, after years of working odd jobs - as a truck driver, bus driver, short-order cook and small-business owner, to name a few - Brunt enrolled at Penn State Berks in 2009.
Despite having an associate's degree and two semesters at an online university under his belt, he recalled, "I was scared out of my mind."
"Being an older person and being in the company of younger people, feeling inadequate and thinking that you're a has-been and they must be a lot smarter than you that's the general consensus I think most adults have coming in," he said. "How can I keep up? These kids are so bright."
"I was really shy and quiet," Brunt said.
Referring to his suit and tie, he recalled with a laugh, "I didn't at all look like this. I came across as a rugged blue-collar guy. But I thought, 'I'm not dumb. I can do this.' So I proved it. And I went through an amazing transformation."
Brunt recalled with a smile the support he received from both faculty and fellow students.
"I got more than education," he said. "Not just knowledge and facts, but exposure to different people and cultures through the events that I attended, hobnobbing and networking. And these young people were always talking to me. It seemed like anything I said they wanted to hear about. I felt so welcome and relaxed."
Though he's old enough to be a father to many of the students, Brunt will wake up today with the same goal as many of his classmates with whom he received his diploma at commencement Saturday: finding a job.
He hopes to work in the public sector - ideally the Veterans Affairs office.
For many years, he recalled: "I thought my life wasn't successful because I didn't have anything to show for it. But it's not what you have to show for it, but what you've been able to do with it. I'm rich in discipline and morals."
He's served in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine, was injured by gunfire from an AK-47 rifle and spent three and a half months in a military hospital in Guam before returning to serve two more campaigns during the Vietnam War.
He's worked with Berks County veterans and organized a Toys for Tots drive at Penn State Berks.
And on Saturday, he graduated from the college with a bachelor's degree in business - at age 60.
But Arthur Brunt doesn't consider himself anything special.
The Reading resident shrugs when referred to by others as an inspiration.
"Inspiring? Inspiring to who?" he asked. "Every individual hits a certain point where their intrinsic needs outweigh the extrinsic needs. I think that's what happened to me."
Brunt, a Philadelphia native who moved to Reading in 1980, could have spent the rest of his life living off his military pension.
"But it wasn't what I wanted," he said. "I didn't want to hold still. I just didn't know what direction I wanted to go in."
And so, after years of working odd jobs - as a truck driver, bus driver, short-order cook and small-business owner, to name a few - Brunt enrolled at Penn State Berks in 2009.
Despite having an associate's degree and two semesters at an online university under his belt, he recalled, "I was scared out of my mind."
"Being an older person and being in the company of younger people, feeling inadequate and thinking that you're a has-been and they must be a lot smarter than you that's the general consensus I think most adults have coming in," he said. "How can I keep up? These kids are so bright."
"I was really shy and quiet," Brunt said.
Referring to his suit and tie, he recalled with a laugh, "I didn't at all look like this. I came across as a rugged blue-collar guy. But I thought, 'I'm not dumb. I can do this.' So I proved it. And I went through an amazing transformation."
Brunt recalled with a smile the support he received from both faculty and fellow students.
"I got more than education," he said. "Not just knowledge and facts, but exposure to different people and cultures through the events that I attended, hobnobbing and networking. And these young people were always talking to me. It seemed like anything I said they wanted to hear about. I felt so welcome and relaxed."
Though he's old enough to be a father to many of the students, Brunt will wake up today with the same goal as many of his classmates with whom he received his diploma at commencement Saturday: finding a job.
He hopes to work in the public sector - ideally the Veterans Affairs office.
For many years, he recalled: "I thought my life wasn't successful because I didn't have anything to show for it. But it's not what you have to show for it, but what you've been able to do with it. I'm rich in discipline and morals."
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Flag honors Vietnam War Army hero
From South Coast Today: Flag honors Vietnam War Army hero
NEW BEDFORD — During December, the 471st flag to fly atop Old Glory Tower in the North End honors the memory of Vietnam War hero, U.S. Army First Sgt. John Vincent Veara, who was killed in action Aug. 19, 1968 at age 37 of small arms fire. He served his country for 16 years.
Veara, a native of Long Island, was stationed with Co. D. , 2nd Battalion, 3rd training Brigade at Ft. Bliss, TX before his assignment to A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division. Veara met his wife, Maja, in Germany while serving abroad and they were married in Germany on a Christmas Eve.
Pamela LaBonte, Veara's sister, said "he had been wounded twice before, but he volunteered to stay in because he felt somebody had to be there. He wrote saying to wish him luck because he only had 40 days left there. Then he was going to Germany for two years and then ... retiring."
Veara's death left his widow, Maja, with three children ages 15, 7 and a newborn to raise. She and the kids settled in Acushnet.
Veara received numerous posthumous awards including the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Purple Heart.
"First Sgt. Veara distinguished himself by heroic actions on 19 Aug. 1968, while serving as 1st Sgt. with A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, in the Republic of Vietnam," according to Col. Neil Chapin in a ceremony presenting Veara's wife with his decorations.
"While on a combat operation, A Troop came under an intense enemy attack. During the ensuing battle," he said. Sgt. Veara's track was hit by an RPG round. Immediately, Sgt. Veara began to direct his crew in laying down heavy fire towards enemy positions. Upon seeing that a track commander was wounded, Sgt. Veara, with complete disregard for his own safety, exposed himself to a heavy volume of enemy fire as he administered first aid and evacuated the man. He then continued to direct his men until he was mortally wounded. His valorous actions contributed immeasurably to the success of the mission and the defeat of the enemy force."
Veara received the following medals, many of which were awarded for gallantry in action the day he died: two Silver Stars, 3 Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, Gallantry Cross with palm, Military Merit Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal from the Vietnamese Government, Vietnam Service Badge, National Service Medal, Expert Cannoneer Badge, Sharpshooter Badge (Rifle), and Marksman Badge (Pistol).
Veara's name is inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington on panel 47W, line 005. Many of his uniforms and medals are currently displayed at the Fort Taber Military Museum.
Roy Veara, John's middle son, is an Army veteran like his dad. He said in a Standard-Times story that "it still hurts every time I hear taps. It's still tough to hold back tears." Roy was only seven years old when his father died in 1968.
Veara's widow Maja (Gress), became an active member of the "Gold Star Wives of America" as well as the VFW. They had three sons: Gerold Veara of New Mexico, Roy Veara of New Bedford and John Veara, formerly of Acushnet.
Veara also had three siblings; a sister, Pamela LaBonte of North Dartmouth, two brothers, Richard Veara of New York and the late Robert Veara. He is also survived by two grandchildren: Amanda Veara of New Bedford and Shaun Veara of Fairhaven, as well as his sister-in-law, Liselotte Casey of Acushnet.
The late Joseph Theodore, a WWII veteran and Purple Hear recipient began the practice of flying veterans' flags above the Old Glory Tower 38 years ago. Linda Ferreira, a marketing representative at Ashley Ford in New Bedford, researches the life histories of area veterans and Paul Neary, general manager of the dealership, raises the memorial flags on the veterans' behalf.
If you would like to honor a veteran by flying a flag at the tower, contact Ferreira at 508-996-5611 or at marketing@ashleyfordsales.com.
NEW BEDFORD — During December, the 471st flag to fly atop Old Glory Tower in the North End honors the memory of Vietnam War hero, U.S. Army First Sgt. John Vincent Veara, who was killed in action Aug. 19, 1968 at age 37 of small arms fire. He served his country for 16 years.
Veara, a native of Long Island, was stationed with Co. D. , 2nd Battalion, 3rd training Brigade at Ft. Bliss, TX before his assignment to A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division. Veara met his wife, Maja, in Germany while serving abroad and they were married in Germany on a Christmas Eve.
Pamela LaBonte, Veara's sister, said "he had been wounded twice before, but he volunteered to stay in because he felt somebody had to be there. He wrote saying to wish him luck because he only had 40 days left there. Then he was going to Germany for two years and then ... retiring."
Veara's death left his widow, Maja, with three children ages 15, 7 and a newborn to raise. She and the kids settled in Acushnet.
Veara received numerous posthumous awards including the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Purple Heart.
"First Sgt. Veara distinguished himself by heroic actions on 19 Aug. 1968, while serving as 1st Sgt. with A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, in the Republic of Vietnam," according to Col. Neil Chapin in a ceremony presenting Veara's wife with his decorations.
"While on a combat operation, A Troop came under an intense enemy attack. During the ensuing battle," he said. Sgt. Veara's track was hit by an RPG round. Immediately, Sgt. Veara began to direct his crew in laying down heavy fire towards enemy positions. Upon seeing that a track commander was wounded, Sgt. Veara, with complete disregard for his own safety, exposed himself to a heavy volume of enemy fire as he administered first aid and evacuated the man. He then continued to direct his men until he was mortally wounded. His valorous actions contributed immeasurably to the success of the mission and the defeat of the enemy force."
Veara received the following medals, many of which were awarded for gallantry in action the day he died: two Silver Stars, 3 Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, Gallantry Cross with palm, Military Merit Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal from the Vietnamese Government, Vietnam Service Badge, National Service Medal, Expert Cannoneer Badge, Sharpshooter Badge (Rifle), and Marksman Badge (Pistol).
Veara's name is inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington on panel 47W, line 005. Many of his uniforms and medals are currently displayed at the Fort Taber Military Museum.
Roy Veara, John's middle son, is an Army veteran like his dad. He said in a Standard-Times story that "it still hurts every time I hear taps. It's still tough to hold back tears." Roy was only seven years old when his father died in 1968.
Veara's widow Maja (Gress), became an active member of the "Gold Star Wives of America" as well as the VFW. They had three sons: Gerold Veara of New Mexico, Roy Veara of New Bedford and John Veara, formerly of Acushnet.
Veara also had three siblings; a sister, Pamela LaBonte of North Dartmouth, two brothers, Richard Veara of New York and the late Robert Veara. He is also survived by two grandchildren: Amanda Veara of New Bedford and Shaun Veara of Fairhaven, as well as his sister-in-law, Liselotte Casey of Acushnet.
The late Joseph Theodore, a WWII veteran and Purple Hear recipient began the practice of flying veterans' flags above the Old Glory Tower 38 years ago. Linda Ferreira, a marketing representative at Ashley Ford in New Bedford, researches the life histories of area veterans and Paul Neary, general manager of the dealership, raises the memorial flags on the veterans' behalf.
If you would like to honor a veteran by flying a flag at the tower, contact Ferreira at 508-996-5611 or at marketing@ashleyfordsales.com.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Time Keeps On Slipping Into the Future
Sorry for the dearth of posts recently...I've been working on a project, wanted to devote all my time to it, and kept telling myself...it'll be done today so I can get back to blogging here tomorrow.
The next day it was... okay, it's definitely going to get done today....
Well, today it is done... so back to posting here on a daily basis tomorrow. (With the first post appearing tomorrow afternoon while I'm watching football!)
Thanks for your patience.
The next day it was... okay, it's definitely going to get done today....
Well, today it is done... so back to posting here on a daily basis tomorrow. (With the first post appearing tomorrow afternoon while I'm watching football!)
Thanks for your patience.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Vietnam: Thousands die due to unexploded munitions from Vietnam War
From Yahoo News: Vietnam: Thousands die due to unexploded munitions from Vietnam War
One does wonder just how long this "clean up" process has been going on. Has all the money the US has given to Vietnam gone to cleaning up munitions, or has much of it been siphoned away. I mean, really, only 5% cleared after a cost of $62 million?
HANOI, Vietnam – More than 100,000 Vietnamese have been killed or injured by land mines or other abandoned explosives since the Vietnam War ended nearly 40 years ago, and clearing all of the country will take decades more, officials said Monday.
"The war's painful legacy, which includes hundreds of thousands of tons of bombs and unexploded ordnance, continues to cause painful casualties every day," Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told a U.N.-sponsored conference on ways to deal with the problem.
Dung said 42,132 people have been killed and 62,163 others wounded by land mines, bombs and other explosives since the war ended in 1975. The United States used about 16 million tons of bombs and ammunition while allied with the former South Vietnam government, which was defeated by northern communist fighters who reunified the country.
U.S. Ambassador David Shear told the conference that the United States has provided $62 million to help Vietnam cope with "this painful legacy."
"Our efforts to help Vietnam deal with this difficult problem have helped build the mutual trust and understanding between the U.S. and Vietnam that has allowed our bilateral relationship to flourish," he said.
Bui Hong Linh, vice minister of labor, war invalids and social affairs, said explosives remain on about 16 million acres (6.6 million hectares) of land, or more than one-fifth of the country.
He said only 740,000 acres (300,000 hectares) or 5 percent of the contaminated area has been cleared and a recently approved government plan calls for clearance of an additional 1.2 million acres (500,000 hectares) that would cost $595 million in the next five years.
One does wonder just how long this "clean up" process has been going on. Has all the money the US has given to Vietnam gone to cleaning up munitions, or has much of it been siphoned away. I mean, really, only 5% cleared after a cost of $62 million?
The New WLA – War, Literature & the Arts Journal from the USAFA
From Arts of War on the Web: The New WLA – War, Literature & the Arts Journal from the USAFA
The Department of English and Fine Arts at the U.S. Air Force Academy has been publishing WLA: War, Literature & the Arts: An International Journal of the Humanities since 1989. The latest edition, Vol. 23, 2011, contains what we expect from this excellent journal: a rich collection of memoir excerpts, artwork, fiction, critical and personal essays, poetry, and commentary dealing with war and its impact. And, as is always the case, several of the offerings deal with Vietnam veterans and the Vietnam War.
There’s an essay by Jerry Kykisz, a Vietnam veteran, artist, and board member of the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, called “Trauma & Metamorphosis” that also includes artwork by Vietnam veterans Helen White, Ron Mann, Joe Fornelli, and Stephen Ham. Mann’s “Reflections” graces the cover.
The short story “At The Wall” by Nicholas Poluhoff is about a strange set of events at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. And there are seven poems by Vietnam veteran Dale Ritterbusch, several of which touch on the war in Vietnam.
Additional material, including book reviews may be found on WLA’s website: http://wlajournal.com/23_1/23_1_index.html
The Department of English and Fine Arts at the U.S. Air Force Academy has been publishing WLA: War, Literature & the Arts: An International Journal of the Humanities since 1989. The latest edition, Vol. 23, 2011, contains what we expect from this excellent journal: a rich collection of memoir excerpts, artwork, fiction, critical and personal essays, poetry, and commentary dealing with war and its impact. And, as is always the case, several of the offerings deal with Vietnam veterans and the Vietnam War.
There’s an essay by Jerry Kykisz, a Vietnam veteran, artist, and board member of the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, called “Trauma & Metamorphosis” that also includes artwork by Vietnam veterans Helen White, Ron Mann, Joe Fornelli, and Stephen Ham. Mann’s “Reflections” graces the cover.
The short story “At The Wall” by Nicholas Poluhoff is about a strange set of events at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. And there are seven poems by Vietnam veteran Dale Ritterbusch, several of which touch on the war in Vietnam.
Additional material, including book reviews may be found on WLA’s website: http://wlajournal.com/23_1/23_1_index.html
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