-Caveat Lector-
WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Peace at any cost is a prelude to war!
*****************************************************************
********** VOICE OF THE GRUNT
**********
********** 20 October 1999
**********
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ARTICLES
Hack's Column
The Things We're Remembered For 1
Mac Notes
2
>From The Field:
Answers To 80 Reasons...
3
For Those Oppressed
4
Hard Lessons of No Gun Ri
5
Military Downsizing
6
Medal of Honor:
VAN WINKLE, ARCHI:
SGT., USMC, Co. B, 1/7, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). 7
Vcinity of Sudong, Korea, 2 November 1950.
===========================================================
ARTICLE 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE THINGS WE'RE REMEMBERED FOR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By David H. Hackworth, 19 October 1999
Just as the sun broke over Mount Rainier, an old buddy I was hiking with
from Fort Lewis, Washington, began to fill me in on what was going on inside
today's Army.
My pal, a line sergeant with twenty plus years as a grunt leader, lamented
about how careerism, micro-management and political-correctness was gutting
the Thin Red Line.
He cussed up a streak about the soldiers coming out of Basic Training.
"They're not physically tough and they don't have a lick of discipline. If
we were to get into a good fight, they'd be toast."
Then he abruptly changed the subject. "When you were in the Army, what did
the troops call knocking off gear?"
"Scrounging, midnight requisitioning, liberating." I replied. "AKA
'misappropriating government property.'" Of course, we never called it what
it really was, stealing.
"Well," he said, sputtering like a lawn mower that needed a service, "Now
they call it 'Hackworthing."
"Hackworthing?" I replied, in shock.
"Yep, Hackworthing. Think they got the idea from your book, ABOUT FACE."
We hiked along in silence while I mulled over this news. I've been a soldier
or a military writer for 53 years, I thought, and I won't be remembered as a
leader or scribe who's pounded out millions of words telling the soldier's
story. Or for publicly telling Westmoreland as a brand new colonel that his
stupidity lost the war in Vietnam. Nope, my legacy will be for stealing.
Then the old defense mechanisms went to work. It could be worse, I
rationalized. What about that little pleasure house you set up for your boys
in Vietnam? General Hooker did the same thing during the Civil War, and look
at his legacy -- the girls who followed his supply wagons, The "Hookers."
Hackworthing was looking better.
I was always a scrounger. A skill acquired during the depression, then honed
by WW11 Noncoms who taught that the troops at the rear always ripped off the
goodies and the only way to make it as grunts was to be fast on your feet
and slick as a pickpocket.
The Korean War sharpened my scrounging skills. My boys and I quietly swapped
worn weapons at the shower points with REMFs who were lathering it up
instead of keeping an eye on their new automatic shooting irons. We knocked
off rations from the depots and any vehicles, tents or other gear we thought
we needed -- and once we even stole a flagpole from a general's headquarters
for good measure.
The Vietnam War presented even more scrounging opportunities. I deployed
with a parachute unit, which is designed to drop in, seize the objective,
then move back to an airfield and sweat the next mission. The units aren't
heavy enough to hang in there like ordinary "Leg" Infantry, so we never had
the right stuff -- vehicles, heavy weapons and maintenance capability -- to
fight a sustained grunt war.
Then Catch 22 took over. The supply folks said we weren't authorized heavy
stuff and to fight with what we had. Our response was to start stealing, and
as we became more desperate -- and more successful -- we got bolder. We
stole trucks, jeeps, weapons; and, under my direction, started operating
supply-wise more like Gypsies than Regular Army Airborne soldiers.
A particularly enterprising guy in the battalion took to visiting the depots
and ships at the docks dressed as a general's aide. "The Old Man sent me,"
he'd say. Trucks were immediately loaded with all kinds of goodies and our
troopers started fighting better -- and also enjoying the good life.
My guy's most daring raid was to steal a trailer-mounted generator. He got a
C-130 aircraft crew to fly it up to our unit at Tuy Hoa without bothering to
tell them that things weren't on the up and up. He arrived at the plane with
wires dragging from the back of his newly acquired prize-of-war. When he
snatched it, he hadn't noticed it was still connected to dozens of tents
that collapsed when he drove off. He calmly chopped the wires away with an
axe, loaded it on the waiting aircraft and the plane roared down the strip
with Air Police jeeps in futile chase.
Looking back, Hackworthing served its purpose. Although I do doubt that
today's version is why the Pentagon can't account for $33 billion in missing
gear!
==================================================
ARTICLE 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
******MAC NOTES******
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Robert L. McMahon
A few things for this week: (A.) stop passing that "Hanoi Jane"
article around the net. To say the least, it's an embellishment and to say
the worse, it's patently false. Several P.O.W. witnesses have shot this
thing down big-time so please DO NOT pass it around as if it were some
"revelation." None of us appreciate Jane Fonda and her treacherous actions
during that terrible conflict, but to throw flagrantly obvious falsehoods
around is just as irresponsible. (B.) I will post the "80 Reasons To Retire"
piece and its excellent companion piece to the "VOICE OF THE GRUNT" website.
So many of you have been requesting it that I cannot keep up with the
demand! (C.) Please do not send us stories that are related to lobbying
against gun control. We are not that type of publication.
Remember to direct your stories and letters to our 'Staff of Editors' listed
at the back of this Newsletter and that Hack is out of the office on his
"Price of Honor" book tour.
Also, next year will see several stories coming to television that all of
you should keep your eyes open for. The first one I'll mention is a
Spielberg/Hanks HBO production of Stephen E. Ambrose's masterpiece BAND OF
BROTHERS: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne. From Normandy to The
Eagles Nest. The producers will be combining certain aspects of CITIZEN
SOLDIERS in with this story as well. And, Steven Spielberg has also made a
deal with NBC to do a series titled "Semper Fi." This story will be a
present day one and will follow certain characters from their enlistment
through to their assignments in the FMF (Fleet Marine Force).
The military technical adviser that has been retained for these projects is
former Marine Captain Dale A. Dye. Captain Dye and his cadre of troops at
Warriors, Inc. helped make films like "Saving Private Ryan," PLATOON and
"Forrest Gump" much more believable and much more true, in military
terms, to the viewing public.
Have a good week. Don't bunch up.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
http://www.freeyellow.com:8080/members7/rlmcmahon/
<http://www.freeyellow.com:8080/members7/rlmcmahon/>
====================================================
ARTICLE 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANSWERS TO 80 REASONS TO RETIRE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUMMARY: One of the more "unique" aspects of our Newsletter is the
conversations that take place between generations of soldiers that have
experienced similar circumstances. These two Army Aviators are brothers at
heart.
**************************************************
By a Retired Army Aviator (CW5 Aviation Safety Officer)
1. Amen. However, they do occasionally now complain that I never go away.
Also I now work at home and am back in school so there is even less time (or
money) for the good times we used to have between trips to the field.
2. Amen again.
3. In kindergarten you used to play in the sandbox.
4. Kosovo was an important mission: It took attention away from Monica and
proved we can play "push button" war and nobody gets hurt. (Apparently
Apache crews don't count).
5. Albania - agreed
6. Bosnia - That was December 2096, the press release was not Y2K compliant.
7. The public doesn't ask those kinds of questions; it wasn't their sons who
got killed.
8. Remember it was worse before it was computerized. I retired screwed out
of five days of leave from 1966.
9. They wish you would, so they can start killing each other again.
10. The staff is too busy generating paper to be bothered with organized PT.
Beside that, if they ran with you, they'd be embarrassed when you smoked'em
on the run.
11. These are the same staff weenies. Also know as Seagulls, because they
sh__ on everything and you have to throw rocks at them to get them to fly.
12. See #11
13. Does it matter? But you do have to understand that by raising the
standard they effectively lower your score, this thereby reduces the
humiliation of those under thirty you did more push-ups than, did more
sit-ups than and passed up during the run.
14. See # 13
15. It was a war; somebody had to get a medal. They were the only ones that
had real contact with the enemy--Of course they didn't shoot, ground
engagements were not authorized. Also, see #4.
16. You missed one.
17. CIRCA 1978 - Ft. Ord had a BG with nothing better to do than stand
outside the PX and check aviator haircuts and flight suits. (Sempre status
quo!)
18. This is the fault of Warrant Officers not RLOs. We are too easy going. I
always found that SGMs have a difficult time feeling superior while standing
at attention and being reminded of whom outranks whom. (The key is being
smart enough to pick the right moment for it.) Once I became a W4 I found
great sport in messing with SGMs that needed it. (This also increases your
equity with many of the other NCOs).
19. I sweated for my bar; they should too. A good counseling session from a
"field grade" Warrant Officer goes a long way. It is easier to teach "Spot"
to stand at attention than an SGM. (Some call this process mentoring).
20. Be thankful you don't have to take all the paperwork with you when you
fly. The board would not like finding that the aircraft was over grossed
before you picked Pax/Cargo/Ammo/Fuel.
21. Beats butcher block paper.
22. Meetings suck, but they make Seagulls feel important.
23. Check the jump in pay.
24. I got 1000 hours of postgraduate flight training my first year out of
flight school. I have always believed that EVERYONE (this includes RLOs)
should be require at least 400 to 500 hours per year for the first three
years. This will never happen for several reasons:
� a) RLOs need to punch tickets.
� b) Fuel prices.
� c) Aircraft that are flown hard work better and don't break as often. This
would mean that they would not be replaced as often and the defense industry
would collapse. (Remember we killed off 53,000 to keep up Dow-Jones' prices.)
25. See #24, and #4.
26. I ain't touching this one! The politically correct police will come and
take my dog tags back.
27. See # 4, 7, 9, 10 (paper costs money), 15 (we don't do it that way
anymore), 24; and where would the monies for all those power point
projectors come from...?
28. See #4 and 27.
29. See #7.
30. The problem there is that they also have "Seagulls" and not enough
authority to actually make things that are right happen. Force Protection?
This is just some mealy mouthed nonsense so commanders can feel like they
are furthering their careers rather than following a moral obligation to
keep the troops alive and having the intestinal fortitude to demand that we
don't do stupid stuff. No, I haven't been retired for a hundred years, I
just like the non-politically correct terminology (mealy mouthed, intestinal
fortitude) from when I was in.
31. These people can be straightened out too, you just have to know your
stuff and use the right technique. I always liked, "could you show me that?
I don't understand?"
32. See #31.
33. See #19.
34. Maybe you need to make them understand the difference.
35. See #17.
36. Next you'll want people to be able to pass something called a check
ride.
37. See # 18.
38. Maybe he was looking to strike up a conversation with you and didn't
want to "Tell."
39. Whoa there, what do you expect, those things happen at night? The next
time he mentions your sleeves you might ask him about it. The conversation
might go something like this: "Chief you should rolled those flight suit
sleeves down."Sergeant, when did you last attend a guard mount?" (Note that
the omission of his full title here is deliberate and should get his
attention immediately. It is not disrespectful and is technically correct
while reminding him that in fact he's NOT a major.) "Chief, I am a Sergeant
Major and expect to be addressed as such!" "Sergeant Major, I asked you a
question and as an Officer in the United States Army I expect an answer. And
while on the subject of proper address, I would like to remind you that I am
properly addressed as Sir or Mister." At some point during this conversation
you should remind the SGM that standing with his fists balled against his
hips with his feet spread apart is NOT the proper stance for an ENLISTED man
who is being dressed down by an officer. Since it has likely been some time
since an officer stood him at attention he will likely need to be reminded,
and you will be helping perfect his military career and bearing. You might
also point out to him that you are not a Native American, do not wear a
headdress, and were not elected to your position by the tribe; therefore,
you are not to be addressed as "chief." Make sure you get the question
answered and tell him that he is DISMISSED when you are through with him.
Two outcomes are likely, if he is smart he simply will never again notice
the position of your sleeves. If he isn't, he will whine to the battalion
commander, who, if he is worth a damn, will laugh at him. If he isn't, you
have to be prepared to tell the "Old Man" that you would like to see a
letter of reprimand placed in the insubordinate SOB's file. Screwing with
SGMs can be a rewarding way to pass those 9+ years as a W5 and help offset
many of these other frustrations.
40. God is not politically correct.
41. Politically correct.
42. Apply # 39 and then take the fat-assed NCO along with you for another
mile apparently he could use it.
43. Back to #24 again.
44. Because it's cool? Why don't you ask him? Maybe he's drawing flight pay
that you have taken away?
45. You are an aviator in the Army! You draw extra pay and wear funny
clothes; therefore, you will always be a target.
46. They don't want you to get bored and retire.
47. Makes good press and draws attention away from the White House. Also
lets everyone know that Slick Willie is no longer afraid to go to war.
48. Yeah and everybody thinks the Chinese don't exist. This is because we
are only geared for little wars. If we were worried about bigger ones you
might get to fly more.
49. CIRCA 1979 - Cobra pilots - Germany to stateside infantry division to
Korea to stateside infantry division--The GP teeny tiny is kept in the ammo
bay.
50. Same as # 49.
51. Well, maybe if you went out and flew more often we wouldn't have to
worry about you forgetting how to do those 3000 series tasks.
52. You can't say "Kick ass and don't bother taking names" anymore.
53. CIRCA 1968 Southeast Asia - A MAJ and LTC are out screwing around in a
UH-1C. (That's a prehistoric attack helicopter.) They mess up and hit a tree
cart-wheeling the sucker in. The LTC says he's worried about what this will
do to his career. The Major says, "No sweat Sir!" draws his .38 and fires
six rounds into the engine. (No one noticed that there is no rotational
damage to the engine or notes the sudden improvement in enemy marksmanship.)
Both bozos get the DFC.
54. See #49. I know a cobra pilot that walked with 14 years.
55. See # 49 and 54.
56. Commanders used to be allowed to cuss at the troops and their boss at
appropriate times. Now, pre-command selection involves a surgical procedure
that also makes their voice higher.
57. I can't understand why it's called touchy feely. If you do either you
are in big trouble.
58. Ref #48 also.
59. Sorry, laughing too hard to answer that one.
60. We don't like warriors in the military during so called peacetime. A lot
of them got kicked out after Vietnam. This also refers back to the Seagulls.
61. Of course the paper gives something to cover your posterior if something
goes wrong. How come you didn't do a risk assessment on the spoons?
62. Maybe it is time to retire. I miss the paycheck, but that's all.
63. We have met the enemy and they are we.
64. If we didn't call them Non-deployable soldiers, we might have to call
them non-soldiers and kick them out. That might hurt their feelings. As for
Maternity-Battle dress, this comes from the same mentality as jealousy of
your flight suit. Besides, to reword a phrase, "Battle is a real
Mother________."
65. No, not until they are under fire and need more ammo.
66. See #56.
67. You think that's bad? Retire and see how bad it really is. They don't
want to take care of you anymore.
68. Duh!
69. Flying low makes noise. Just think how angry they would be if you flew
low and put some steel on them at the same time.
70. That's what you get for complaining about stupid stuff. Try suggesting
that it doesn't go far enough and make a suggestion that makes it even more
stupid. (Care must be exercised here, because sometimes they like the stupid
suggestion you make.) On occasion it does work and the whole thing gets
dropped.
71. It's classified. Most likely because the real reason for the crash might
have made it a combat loss and that would mean we can't do push button wars
where no one gets hurt. Couldn't be lack of aerodynamic knowledge or night
vision limitations...!
72. Pet the dog and give the pony an apple. Just remember when there is
horse Sh__ everywhere there must be a pony to go with it.
73. If the Army wanted you to have a family they would have issued you one.
Next time suggest the puke come and take your place!
74. RHIP.
75. Just remember, when all else fails you can launch 2.75 FFARs with a D
cell; provided there's enough money to issue a flashlight WITH batteries...!
76. We've had them. Happy Father's Day anyway. You don't have to worry till
they start calling you "Uncle Daddy."
77. Leadership has to come from somewhere; you won't get any from the White
House.
78. I started my list one-day; when it got too long, I went and had a chat
with Uncle Jim (Beam). Oops, forgot de-glorification of alcohol.
79. If only you would get out and fly more you might be a better pilot.
(Does anyone else see the correlation here?) Also you forgot the parts about
the star sapphire ring, the big watch and stealing jeeps. Oops again, I
meant HUMVEES.
80. The same mentality was there even when I had to do that stuff with the
old brown Royal with green keys and carbon paper. (I hope you know what that
is. I just realized that there are W1s that I mentored that are now W4s.)
Just remember that when you are done you can look in the mirror and know
that your motivation was for the good of the nation and that there were
enemies that were so afraid that they never dared directly confront us. What
you know you have done for the Untied States of America no eunuch
commanders, prima donna sergeant majors or draft dodging, dope smoking,
intern-diddling politicians can ever take away from you. You are freedom,
you are liberty, and you are America at its best. Most can never comprehend
or appreciate what it is like to serve, what we sacrifice, the freedoms we
surrender so they can have theirs, but we know. We know the names carved in
granite. We know that sometimes there is only timing, luck and above all,
the grace of God that kept our names off those memorials. You can stand
proud for your accomplishment's knowing you did the best you could and were
successful.
REASONS NOT TO RETIRE
1. Daily jeans and t-shirts get old too.
2. As a W5 the retirement pay is bigger. (It helped me hang on a little
longer).
3. Maybe Bill Gates will buy off all the fools in Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia
and you can go home. (Yeah right!) Gotta keep this note short. Keep "eye"
peeled for a Tech consulting job. Waiting on three projects and could go to
hell and gone.
============================================
ARTICLE 4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"FOR THOSE OPPRESSED"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUMMARY: Several dozen of you have sent this note along to me for posting.
I've titled it with the Special Forces motto for obvious reasons. America
doesn't fight wars to exterminate a people or enslave a nation. Americans
have answered the call to help nations keep their freedoms. I am always
drawn back to a remark that the CBS Newsman Andy Rooney made about D-Day -
"If you ever think the world is a rotten place, go to the cemetery
overlooking the beach at Normandy (Omaha Beach) and see what one group of
men did for another."
D-Day, 6 June 1944."***Bob McMahon***
******************************************************
US News & World Report, 4 Oct 99; Letters
HOW DISTURBED I WAS TO SEE YOUR article in the September 6 issue about ROTC
scholarships as a means of providing funds for a college education. The
education associated with ROTC is a contradiction to the academic freedom
enjoyed at university campuses; military training on college campuses, in
fact, makes a mockery of education. Far from taking a global view of
learning, ROTC encourages narrow patriotism and a philosophy of any means
(killing people and polluting environments) to the end. The
institutionalized mistreatment of gays and lesbians in the military and
sexual harassment of women are par for the course .
KATHERINE VAN WORMER
Professor of Social Work
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
************************************************
Dear Professor Van Wormer,
I just finished reading your letter to the editor in U.S. News & World
Report magazine (4 Oct) and was compelled to address your shockingly
prejudiced, obviously uninformed and frankly laughable viewpoint on ROTC and
the military in general. Your unenlightened perspective belies a reckless if
not tragic ignorance that brings disrepute upon the institution that employs
you. It is a shame you felt obliged to comment on something you apparently
know so little about. I wonder if in your extensive research in "Social
Work" you ever encountered someone who's actually served in the armed
forces? The answer goes without saying. Allow me to be your first.
It troubles me that you must be reminded that the academic freedom you enjoy
and cherish so dearly was purchased with the precious lives and blood of
many a noble soldier on wretched battlefields here and abroad over the past
223 years. (Remember, professor, this very country was created in
Revolution.) Do you honestly believe freedom of any sort comes without
tremendous cost? Are you so willfully naive to think you'd enjoy the same
license and freedom of expression if you were a professor in China, Iran,
North Korea, or the Sudan?
How many young men and women have you talked to lately who spent their
Christmas holiday patrolling some godforsaken minefield like Bosnia, or
their 5th wedding anniversary in a row at sea, or the birthday of their
first daughter stopping a madman from achieving his goal of ethnic
cleansing? Tell me. Do you really think we acknowledge a call to the
profession of arms so we can "kill people and pollute environments?" To
believe such sophomoric rubbish demands some fairly sophisticated cerebral
blinders.
I have served in the U.S. Air Force for 11 years now, flying long hours over
countless global hot spots, and I have not once encountered a fellow
Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine who subscribes to a "narrow patriotism and
a philosophy of any means." Not one. Rather, they are ladies and gentlemen
of the highest caliber, possess a selfless devotion to the cause of freedom,
and a tireless attitude to an often-thankless nation. Your
mischaracterization is so off base it's almost unforgivable.
It would seem to me that your Department of Social Work would have whole
syllabi devoted to the role of the military in the field of social work. I
can think of no greater social service than an institution committed to
risking the lives of its members to preserve and defend the very citizenry
from which it hails. How many oppressed refugees, disaster victims, and
starving children have been mercifully delivered from their plight by the
military in just the last decade? Need we reflect on the fact that the whole
of Western Europe owes its freedom from Nazi fascism to a valiant few in
olive drab and khaki? Perhaps you should invite a concentration camp
survivor or a Kosovar Albanian to give a guest lecture extolling the
magnificent "social services" they've benefited from at the hands of the
military.
Finally, I find it humorous that academics like yourselves who indoctrinate
our youth with the dogma of "positive tolerance" for every aberrant
lifestyle cannot find it within yourselves to tolerate an institution to
which you owe your very peace, comfort, and well being. It is an amusing
double standard.
My exhortation to you is to get out of the rarified air in your office, walk
over to your ROTC detachment in Lang Hall and interact with the men and
women in uniform and those aspiring to wear it. Perhaps then you will wake
up from your slumber of conscious ignorance, join the ranks of the
enlightened, and offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the freedoms you
take for granted and those who sacrifice daily on your behalf to secure it.
In Service To You,
Jonathan Clough
No profession or occupation is more pleasing than the military; a profession
or exercise both noble in execution (for the strongest, most generous and
proudest of all virtues is true valour) and noble in its cause. No utility
either more just or universal than the protection of the repose or defence
of the greatness of one's country. The company and daily conversation of so
many noble, young and active men cannot but be well-pleasing to you. Michel
de Montaigne (1533-92), French essayist. Essays, bk. 3, ch. 13, "Of
Experience" (1588; tr. by John Florio).
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and
degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is
worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing
to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a
miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so
by the exertions of better men than himself.".... John Stuart Mill
==============================================
~~> more articles in Part B ~~>
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