Celebrity Politics

Politics is, by its nature, corrupting. Our system, in my view, is so weird if you think about it. We elect someone, then the media, with their help, of course,  makes them celebrities and then they get use to the perks and spend most of their time going for reelection. The celeb politicians talk about the "American people" as some sort of mantra when there is no "American people" rather the "American people who care."  Not even 50% of Americans bother to vote. But, all of this is our fault. We keep electing the same ones. At least in CA, we have a form of term limits and now a separate commission drawing the voting districts. Is it any better. I don't know but I think so as the politicians keep trying to do away with our ballot initiatives but we keep resisting. 

I would prefer talking about women but fear someone would get out tweets and it would be a problem. Just kidding, only happens to celebrity politicians who get caught. Here is the most clever one of those politicians I've read about. This new congressman, Aaron Schock, who posed for "Men's Health Magazine"--pose is open shirt, showing his wash board belly. (in the spirit of full disclosure, I am a big fan of the "mag"; in addition to being for a young 30s audience and plenty of almost nude females,  us old guys get some good health tips); however, here is the congressman's schtick, "If you want to talk about healthy lifestyles and staying in shape, you should do your best to be an example to people." Who can argue with that? It is like saying the "will of God." And, this guy is obviously now a celeb. Got to love our system. 

THE PREZ CAVED

The President apparently caved to the SecDef and other military types when he didn't name Marine General James Cartwright to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He wanted him from all reports, so why not? Basically, I don't give a rat's ass who is chosen. It is mostly politics anyway. The fact that Cartwright butted heads with Mullen and Gates would make him all that much more attractive I would think. Gates and Mullen like so much of the military want "Group Think." From what little I read, Cartwright disagreed with them over Afghanistan policy. DUD!! Who the f..k with any brains would not. The Marines sure as shit don't want to be sitting arumd BSing with some lame ass tribal type who is thinking of switching side or, figuring out where the money is.  Probably Cartwright and his Marines wanted to be killing the MFers, that's what you do at war.

That alone should make him more attractive. I really don't know what it is. Does the president see all that "lettuce" on their chests and get intimidated. The President hasn't been in the military but he is the commander-in-chief. He ought to be able to have who he wants. He's the president for God's sake. Gates is from Texas A&M and has looked reasonably good during his tenure because his predecessor was so bad in my view and McMullen is in the Navy. Nough Said.

Sixty Minutes tonight featured this young troop from Afghanistan who won the Medal of Honor, the first living recipient since the Vietnam war. Such a humble kid, well beyond his years of 26. He came in at 19 from Iowa where he was working in a SubWay. 

He gave all the credit to others. Interviewed by Laura Logan, the reporter that was sexually assaulted in Egypt--She was really good I thought. They devoted most of the show to him with a short episode on  another part of Afghanistan. To think we are sacrificing youngstes like this in a useless war is really hurtful on this Memorial Day. God bless our soldiers who are doing their jobs.

WAR STORY--Brushing my teeth!!!!

I was a big nut about brushing my teeth and shaving. To me, it was more than hygiene. Plus, the Captain required it. He said it showed we had pride in ourselves and our Unit. And, I'll have to say that he led by example. This one morning we were I'n this big grove of trees, kind of peaceful. I walked over and scooped a steel pot full of water out of one of the bomb craters, which were pretty numerous. I dropped a couple of water purification tabs in. The water gave a kind of silky, putrified look. The taste was nauseatingly iodine but a little "sweet," I thoughr. You get use to it. Being raised in foster homes and an orphanage, I could adapt to anything and did. War was a "piece of cake." I proceeded to brush my teeth first and then I'd save part of the water for shaving although this was a nice little well of water and so there was plenty. In the distance, walking by the men and chatting was our first sergeant. He was a giant of a man, over six feet tall and a vet of over three years in the Nam. He wasn't always in the field but sometimes stayed in the rear doing paperwork. His trademark was a gigantic chew of tobacco stuffed in his jaw and spitting these gigantic globs of tobacco juice everywhere. He claimed that he could spit on a streetlight if we had one. This boast was usually followed by a big belly laugh and a demonstration of his spitting prowess. Our Captain was always saying, "Top, if the VC wanted to know where we are, all they got to do is follow your "bacca" juice. The Captain always emphasized "Bacca" because he said that is the way they say it in Kentucky. We had tremendous respect for "Top" and nobody messed with him. His presense could be noted with a trail of tobacco juice/spit.

I was brushing away when he got to me. Chan, he said, as he spat a big glob of chewing tobacco spit into the water in my steel pot. "Damn Top, why did you do that?" With those comments, he cleared his throat again, let go with the entire chew right into my well. If I hadn't had so much respect for him, I would have wanted to kill him. He must have seen the look on my face as he motioned me over. I didn't want to get too close as I might be temped to throw him in. I walked over and he took me by the arm and forced me to look down into the bottom of the crater. I almost threw up. At the bottom were two decomposing bodies of enemy soldiers. How in the world had I missed it. I'll never forget that morning of brushing my teeth.

DIALOG ON COMMO ISSUES

Claude, Clyde and Jerry,

Great stuff.  I have been contacting some of our chaplains who have deployed in present conflicts to invite them to our next reintegration event to be held this Sep in Colorado.  We have some hurting guys and gals and this event has reached over 50 couples so far.  This year we are adding a day of equine therapy that will hopefully provide additional assistance.

On the communications issue.  I just did premarital counseling with a recently returned Special Forces soldier.  In our conversation, I mentioned the much easier communications link to the home front.  He said for some soldiers it is a real issue on not being fully engaged in their war responsibilities.   I have seen this trend since I was in HI in the early 80's and our chaplain on Johnston Atoll was able to call his wife living on Oahu daily.  It took him 6 months to become fully engaged in his chaplain responsibilities on JI.  I have notice the cell phone to the ear issue with the summer camp counselors when I spent a week at Camp Pecometh last summer.  As director, I would never tolerate that.   

Peace,

Claude, thanks back for the tip. I will download Self's book. I think there's going to be a great deal of comparison with Vietnam and our present wars. For one thing, it is hard to imagine the social media, not to mention the basic commo that exists now as opposed to what we had: now, they are fighting, then emailing the wife, becoming involved in the domesticity of family  life of raising children, etc.; and, then back to the war.

Plus, another phenomena of those fighting our two present wars is that because they are so aware of things like PTSD, they don't mess around, thet are right on it whereas for Vietvets, it was a good ten years in the PTSD issues and fighting for them. I have never filed a claim but I think most should and the present crop of soldiers will be doing it ASAP.

COMMENTS ON ARNIE

Be interesting to know if it was a weak moment slap & tickle or an extended affair. I am sure, their will be books, talk show circuts and movie deals to come.

What males this different, I think, he is a rapist and from what we read, often has nothing to do with sex but power, sickness, etc. The French will come around I think.

If ARNIE had any sense which he doesn't I don't think, he'd take a page out of the movie, "Get Low", starring Robert Duvall. Duvall plays Felix Bush, a backwoods Tennessee loner who plans his own funeral. It really isn't so much about his funeral as is the gathering of the the people so he can confess to a great error in judgement forty years ago. In his confession, he asked for forgiveness and redemption. It is a powerful movie mainly as it conveys the great depth to which guilt can take us. Pay attention, ARNIE, these are "pearls."

I agree with you.  Very gutsy call on the part of the President.  Especially the going into Pakistan without telling the Pakistanis part.  I liked that part of it best.  Well, I liked the getting Osama part best, but next best was the Pakistani thing. 
 
Regards celebrating Osama's death.  I had it explained to me and now I get it even though it's not in my nature.  I listened to a young woman on NPR the other day (and I guess the majority of those who were publicly celebrating were young people).  She celebrated.  She said she was 10 when 9/11 happened (she's 20 now).  She said it terrified her and that she it just seized her and came to dominate her life for a while.  She's still afraid of flying I think I heard her say.  And it came to me Brother, for kids that age 9/11 was their boogeyman.  When I was that age (8-12 I guess) I was terrified of two things; one was that the Soviet Union was going to nuc us and that I'd end up a nuclear mutant and the other was polio. Many nights I laid awake for hours worrying about one or the other.  Thank God Jonas Salk took care of polio, but the Soviet threat persisted for many years.  So, now I can see why people of her age would celebrate bin Laden's death with wild abandon.  To some extent they're free of the boogeyman.

WR, Col., USA, RET.

Beast in the Heart of Every Fighting Man

The article, "Beast In the Heart of Every Soldier," is one of the most disturbing I've read about the war in Afghanistan. While we are beating our chests about killing Bin Laden, we are losing the very souls of many of our young soldiers in Afghanistan. While the idea of The Beast Within is good psychobabble, passing off the killing of innocent civilians, to rogue soldiers is equally an easy way out. We may not have “collective guilt” but it does not mean we shouldn't. Every American bears

responsibility

when our soldiers lose their way. We've put them at war and bought into a theory that is impossible for young, emotionally unsophisticated Americans to implement. Unconventional warfare is "pie in the sky." To be successful, unconventional warfare would take ten more years and only older, more experienced soldiers in the best environment could make it work. And, the generals know this but keep leading us along a path they know is impossible. And, if the article, Beast in the Heart of every soldier doesn’t convinced thoughtful Americans that “supporting the troops” is more than slapping a bumper sticker on your car. It is demanding that we exit a war without end.

EGOMANIAC

Donald Trump is, by any sane person's  definition, an egomaniac. The very idea that anybody would give someone with his hair, the time of day, much less, credibility is "over the moon" to me. He absolutely should be a joke to people. And yet, according to the media who is totally at fault for creating someone like Trump, he and his hair are near the top in polls for the Republicans.

And, he has done it based on trumpeting a fuss about a non issue, the President's birth place, settled long ago. What it proves to me is something I get and don't know why others are so f..king dense about it: the media can't figure out s..t: they are never interested in the truth, only a story. Why in the f..k can't we get that!! To them Trump is a story where you he is s "f..king" joke. And, it irritates the hell out of me to watch some of these "talking heads" (I'm thinking one from the Washington Post on the PBS Newshour the other night) talk about Trump as though he were important. They never say,  "think about it, an idiot, egomaniac Donald Trump with the worst hair on the planet proclaims himself the Republican frontrunner. How stupid!

I sound like I think he's important. I only mention the asshole so I can graphically frame what I really think.

And, I might add there will be those in the country who will believe a fraud like Trump, his idea of how he has forced an issue of the President's birth or now how he is onto, "should the President have been allowed to go to prestigious schools". For Trump, any disparaging issue in a storm and there will be those who believe his bullshit because they want to believe.

Reminds me of a good war story. When I was young and stationed with the military in Germany in the old days, I got a frantic called from a commander who said a rape had occurred between a soldier's wife and a soldier other than the husband. It was a missle unit and fairly isolated. The young soldier's wife lived on the economy (a little German village) as we called it. I immediately went to the site and questioned the wife. The conversation went something like this, "Mrs. Phillips (not the real name), I am so sorry. What happened?"
"Well, our friend came over while my husband was working. We had some wine and began dancing and then we had sex."
"What! You mean you agreed and there was no rape?"
"Of course not. I told my husband what happened."
I went to the husband and said, Phillips, it was not rape but consensual." He would not believe me. "No, it was rape, I don't care what anybody says."  SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT. "Don't confuse me with facts, I have my mind made up." These Americans (who can believe anything they want) will believe Donald Trump and his hair because they like being stupid.

BAY OF PIGS

Bay of Pigs
I read that a couple of days ago was the fiftieth anniversary of the Bay of Pigs. It brought to mine, Rodrigues. He was a Cuban captured in the Bay of Pigs. He was with us at Leavenworth (Command and General Staff College) and quite the character and lived just down from us. I can still see him in my mind’s eye, sitting at our kitchen table and me printing out the key things in my notes. He would pretend he could understand the instructors but didn’t get a word they said. And, depending on me for his notes was even funnier. I got about a fraction of anything. I was uninterested and bored. It is now funny. My wife used to get so mad. She had things to do and there sat Rod and me printing out my notes. Guess you had to be there.

I think he was imprisoned too after the Bay of Pigs. I know he was wounded. I remember the pain—the emotional pain—you could literally feel it when he talked about being abandoned by the US, waiting on the beach for air cover that never came.

Sometimes when I think of the military involvement of our country, to include our present two wars, plus Libya—just don’t know what to say. I doubt we have ever cleanly escaped any of our misadventures, based on one’s perspective.

*****

FROM MY BUDDY, Retired and the absolute best military officer/leader I’ve ever known. His comments, slightly edited and used without permission.

I do remember Rodrigues. And you’re right, he didn’t have a clue often at what was being said. And that is funny that he depended on “you” for passing along information. I do remember that you weren’t terribly impressed with the experience. But, you and he got through the course and that’s what counted. Did you ever hear from him after we left Leavenworth?

I did know that the fiftieth anniversary of the Bay of Pigs passed recently. And my thoughts sort of paralleled yours. We have abandoned our “friends” more than once. Sometimes I wonder why people even expect that we will help them out at all, or if we do help initially why they would expect us to stay the course. On the other hand, we hung in there in Europe during the cold war and we’re still there. We hung in in Korea for sure. And we’re still in Kosovo, we still have UN peacekeepers in the Sinai, or somewhere, and for crying out loud we’re still in Iraq trying against all odds to put that place back together. So, I guess we aren’t totally unreliable. Hard to know what’s the right thing to do in Libya. I still think the President is on the right course. I think in international politics you can afford to lead from the rear sometimes.

THE FINANCIAL MESS

Listening to the debate about our debt crisis, any idiot would have to say we have to do something. The problem is that the debate is more smoke and mirrors than anything. I don't care what sort of spin is put on it, the Republicans come across as a f..king herd of zealots. And, I don't give a shit about party. I usually am in the Democrat corner as the Republicans are so f..king mean spirited. It is zap medicaid, for instance, no help with heating oil for the poor. The Democrats want to raise taxes on the well off, those who have benefitted from being in this great country only makes sense. The top two percent of the country, the wealthiest ought to be willing to step up to the plate and help out. It is hard to speak rationally without sounding partisan, a word that I dislike almost as much as hearing politicians say, "American people." 35-40 percent of Americans don't give a shit one way or another. They get up in the morning, go to work, come home, watch Fox News, cuss the politicians, wish for America the way it use to be. They're not watching PBS, they're surviving. It doesn't mean, however, that they are less important. Traditionally the Democrats in modern times have looked after these Americans with welfare, some relative means of health care, and more often than not, they are the cultural minorities: uneducated, emigrants, addicts, you name it.

Who is going to look after these people. It sure as f..k ain't going to be the mean spirited Republicans if history is any indicator. I heard a program on NPR the other night about some program in Florida that rescues endangered children from doped up parent addicts. One 15 year old was looking after his two siblings by scrounging food from trash cans. Who is going to rescue these kids if we don't; not the anger, Mitch McConnell. I can tell you where to cut: how about two wars, tax corporations that are making millions and paying no taxes. How about these defense contractor exorbitant overruns or projects that we ought to scrap anyway.

HOW ABOUT THE LOOKING GLASS

Sometime ago, on the TV show, Sixty Minutes, Julian Assange surely didn't come across as some egomaniac national security threat as he's been portrayed. He came across as a fervent evangelical for transparency (overused concept, how about just honest) in government. And, will have to say this, his interviewer, Steve Croft didn't throw him any softballs either. I'm no Julian Assange trumpeter but I am for telling it like it is. Let's establish blame here. In my way of thinking, it is hard to say. But, the government has to come in for a good hit. Bradley Manning ,the young soldier that did the leaking, supposedly, surely, but give me a break, a lower ranking enlisted soldier with the capacity to have assess to all this classified material. Come on, the government types who are in charge of secrets have got to be better than that. Manning, who knows computers, etc., probably but come on, he's a midget in the system for God's sake. In some ways, anybody who has been associated with the military knows that it is almost the nature of the beast for lower ranking enlisted types to get to hating the Army (Navy, Marines) or at least the decisions they've made. This is all speculation, but you get some kid without much direction but very computer savvy joins the military. Some recruiter has talked him into it, sounds good, gets a bonus. A couple of years down the road, he's looking at four or five more years in the military. He's bored, has a computer job, maybe a less than aware boss in turns of authority. Who knows! He decides to play some games, get back at the military for probably some inexplicable reason. Who knows but for him to even have assess to some of this material is unfathonable to me.

So, now what. The government, military needs to suck it up. We f...ed up. Eric Holder who seems less than the brightest bulb in the lot, needs to quit threatening. Fall on your sword. Remedy the problem so this can't happen again and get a grip on really what is classified. I often wonder what in the hell happens to people. I guess it is a "group think." The government slaps a "classified" label on things that don't need it and they throw around terms like national security when it is bullshit. Any of us who have spent any time around the government or the military get it quickly.

Do I think that the military in particular will learn any lessons. Hell no. Instead of falling on their sword, saying we f...ed up, they be hollering national security, court martialing Manning, overall putting their brains in formaldehyde. Think Pat Tillman, Abu Grabib, all kinds of other "who is watching the store" mentality.

I've talked to lots of my buddies of all different persuasions--to a person, they came away from the Sixty Minutes segment on the Assange interview with a favorable impression of someone who might be basically embracing old time American ideals which we may have ourselves let slip.

So, what's going to happen? Well, it's going on for years. The government probably should negotiate with Assange if there really are some honest to goodness national security issues which I doubt or especially if naming names will put someone's life in jeopardy. Manning. Give him an Article Fifteen, which is a slap on the wrist and discharge him with a general discharge under less than honorable conditions. Will that make any difference. Only that somebody in the military had used good common sense and when Manning writes his book, the military will look better.

This sounds like a big-time putdown of the military in particular. Not so as I see it. The military overall is more fair than most gigantic organizations and are not victims of the whims of money (it is taxpayer money anyway). Unfortunately, as I see it, not enough real thinkers get to the decision making point who can say, we f...ed up and I'm sorry. But, overall, if we could, we'd be better off in the long run if we could learn this lesson. MY OPINION.

THE "NO" REPUBLICANS ARE BACK

NPR (National Public Radio) is under fire again by the "right wing" Republican, non thinking recalcitrant neanderthals. And, I am being kind. I've listen to the debate off and on all week, mainly when I've been in my car and guess what it was on, NPR. I've only come to NPR in the last few years mainly as I had to travel lots and I would find myself listening to the radio. I found the programs on NPR stimulating, a great variety and completely objective. I'n fact, if I had any complaint about NPR, it is that they bend over backwards to present all sides. I hate that: those who stick their fingers In the air to see which way the wind blows. If I wanted that bullshit, I'd listen to Fox News.

I really don't know what the issue is. Maybe it is that government shouldn't be involved iyn something like NPR. My suspicion, however, is that Republican objection is merely something disguised and a chance for the right wing to finally get one of their favorite targets.

And, the CEO of NPR just resigned based on another executive putting the bad mouth on the Teaparty. The NPR f..ker should get a medal. To me, that's pretty funny. I don't know much about the Teaparty but they've come to prominence by electing congress types who are to the right if Ghengis Kong. To me, it is a real mystery who these people are who are after NPR and who seem not to have a brain.

I recently heard on NPR as part of the debate on who listens to them: Upper middle class, college educated, mostly white, have a liberal tint. What the hell is this? Nobody ever surveys me. I hate labels anyway. Liberal, conservative, right wing, left coast, teaparty. What in the hell does all that mean? I am a Democrat but it doesn't mean I park my brain somewhere and don't try ro see what is right or the real truth and have some measure of objectivity.

Maybe NPR needs to get out from under having to deal with this B...S..t I pledge evey year to my local station. I would up my pledge as NPR is a valuable resource to me. And, then they could day to these a..holes, go f..k yourself. The only problem I have with that is giving these sorry ass MFers the satisfaction of think they have won something. Then they would get up and proclaim victory for the American people. If I hear "American people" one more time, I'm going to throw up. Come on! Most of the "American people" don't give s..t.

WHAT THE HELL DID I EXPECT??????

When I advocated taking Qaddafi out, my thinking was, now or later but ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) that I am, it was only later that I suddenly remembered my thoughts when we invaded Iraq. The same: It is now or later. At that time, I opted for NOW. Big mistake. 8 years later and counting, we are still in Iraq and I am still suspicious that we'll get out clean. And, for most of the residents, they'd like to have Saddam back. Sure as hell, they'd have more electricity in Baghdad. And, if we are going to get anything out of our foray, costing precious young lives, I don't know what the f..k it is. We are not even getting a cut on cheap oil. I've fretted about Iraq, from the moment we went in--and the literature backs it up: it is as though we could screw up a two car funeral parade. I have envisioned guys like Rumsfelt, Wolfawizw(sp), and then Fieth, the one that General Tommy Franks called the "dumbest man in America," sitting around and saying, "how can we f..k this up."

We were not long into Iraq until I regretted my view. And, when we started bombing Libya, suddenly I felt the same way. Not so much, here we go again as it was "heavy heart" time. Three wars. Damn! And, although I was glad to see France and Britain take the lead, it didn't seem like very long when all of a sudden, it was us. I don't know the ends and outs of the strategy, the plan as most Americans don't but we can't let this drag on. And, based on history, this could embroil us. Here's my plan. Take a few more days to destroy tanks and anything related. We hope something is already happening to arm the rebels. Then, announce that we've accomplished the mission and depart with maybe an occasional flyover just to let Qaddafi know we're around but leave it to what happens happens!!!!

THE FAT LADY HAS SUNG

Recently, a buddy of mine and myself were debating the Lybia dilemma. I had expressed that I would go in and take Qaddafi out. He didn't disagree but expressed the fact that Gates in particular was cautious. And, he allowed that it was probably both Iraq and Afghanistan that had made him so. Maybe for good reason: we're pored billions into Iraq and Afghanistan with virtually nothing to show for it. Our brave youngsters have done their best under unbelievable odds. However, Gates keeps talking about concentrating less on leaving and more on getting the job done. Say what! Everybody who thinks we'll get out of Afghanistan with any degree of rapidity, raise your hand. Gates, the generals and Mullen all say the same thing, "leaving is situation based." What the f..k does that mean? A land of corruption, a police force that is as loyal to the Taliban as the government, an intractable enemy who kills and intimidates at will, a drug culture that actually finances the enemy and lines the pockets of the President's brother or other cronies. Need I go on? Now, what about this overlay when the SecDef says, "finish the job."

The job can't be finished, plain and simple. What to do? I've advocated a liberal immigration policy, especially for women. Exit, whether the fat lady has sung or not.

THE REST OF THE STORY

I love war stories. I mean, literal war stories. Those of us who are Vietnam vets especially love them, mainly because nobody ever wanted to listen to them. In fact, in one military assignment, Korea, since the vast majority of us were Vietnam vets, we had a little game we played. Anytime, there was a gathering, someone would invariably try to pass along a war story, "when I was in Vietnam...." they were stopped immediately and reminded of the rules: once a week, we had a special Vietnam vets party and each person got to tell three war stories. Funny, "yes," but real. And, as I've read and told my own war stories, there is kind of something that happens to them. They grow, they change, they get bigger. Here's an example: When I was in Vietnam, I remembered this guy, can't remember his name. But, OI do remember some unusual circumstances surrounding him. His claim to fame was that the killed the 5000 VC/NVA soldier for our battalion. He was something like a PFC and was immediately promoted to Staff Sergeant. Quite a fascinating story as I remember it. One of our Infantry Companies, A company, I, think, had swept through a village and cleared it. The soldier goes into a hut and sees some straw fall from the roof. He empties his M16 into the straw. Kills all five of the VC hiding there. So...

Now, the following is the real story.



Many have asked me how I came about the nickname of MadMonk. Well, as Paul Harvey would put it, “and here’s the rest of the story”.

The story actually begins back in 1967 at Ft. Campbell, KY. We were undergoing some rather intensive training in preparation of joining our 1st Brigade in the war in Vietnam. My unit was E Company-Recon, 1st Battalion of the 501st Infantry Airborne, 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division.

Well...one day during this rather intensive training I mentioned (which was quite near the time we were to be deployed to Vietnam) it sort of came to me that, even as short as it was, my having very blond, almost platinum colored hair in a combat situation was most definitely not an ideal condition. So I lathered up my head and shaved it completely bald.

This didn’t seem to sit very well with my leadership at the time and I caught a bit of hell for it, however, it made perfect sense to me as it seemed that the best way to survive in any firefight was not to present any well defined target. I mean, if I were to somehow lose my headgear during a firefight what better target than this bright white globe popping up from cover to shoot at you? Right?

Now...after deployment to Vietnam I maintained this “close haircut” look for some time and during one of our very early missions somewhere in a dense jungle type area (damned if I know where) we ran across this old, old abandoned Buddhist pagoda where I happened to find this very old and very large (2" to 2 ½" diameter) bronze coin with a square hole in the center of it. I thought it to be a real unique find and I was so enamored with it that although it was badly tarnished I managed to scare up some leather thong and craft the coin into a necklace which I wore from then on.

Okay...So jumping ahead in the story, there this grunt in one of the line companies (A Co. 1/501 I believe). He was a rather plain looking fellow with glasses that hailed from somewhere in Michigan and he went by the nickname “The Hippie”. He had a peace symbol drawn on his helmet cover and a large pewter peace symbol necklace around his neck. Don't let this fool you as this guy was a hellion and I was convinced that he was at times quite insane. He was awarded a number of medals including the Silver Star and was promoted quite rapidly to the rank of Staff Sgt. E-6.

In our capacity as a Recon Platoon we were called on quite often to assist various line companies which frequently included the unit he was with and as I became more familiar with this crazy bastard he began calling me “The Monk” due to my shaved head and my old coin necklace.

As our tenure in beautiful Southeast Asia progressed and his reputation compounded I began calling him “The Mad Hippie” due to the role he played in a number of rather controversial incidences. Not long thereafter he reciprocated by calling me “The Mad Monk” and the nickname has stuck ever since. So now you know “the rest of the story” except I intentionally left out the particular incidences that instigated each of us to call the other “Mad”. I prefer to keep that little bit of the story unpublished, okay?

I will, however, tell one side light to the story that I can’t really say surely happened or not. I heard a report that the grunt mentioned earlier, after returning home to Michigan I guess really couldn't handle the transition from one minute being a “hero” to the next minute being a “mother-raper and baby-killer” so one day he lost it and pulled a combat assault on the neighborhood gas station/convenience store which only succeeded in his earning some time in the “cuckoo’s nest”. A truly sad epilog on the story of an average American boy that was radically changed by the Vietnam War.

“MadMonk”

E Co.-Recon, 1st/501st Inf.
Vietnam, class of 67/68

Here is another account by the best soldier I've ever known.

I remember being is training with the same soldier mentioned above, stateside back in Fort Campbell, KY. I believe it was sniper school. If I were to describe him, I would say that he had very fair skin, and he wore black rim glasses, he looks very much like a church goer, if I were to pick a religion I would say that he may have been a Jehovah Witness but I have any proof to that statement I would like to add, if I were to pick an bird that looks like him, I would say an owl. Anyway, as the 2nd Brigade deployed to South Viet Nam, and as time goes on, several months in country, there was a continuing enemy body count by Brigade, and this soldier gets credit for the 5,000 kill--he was immediately promoted to the rank, Staff Sergeant E-6, and he was granted a weeks stay in the Battalion Commander’s bunker, drinks were on the house as were his meals. Now for the rest of the story……..

This soldier is walking through a Village, he enter a hooch, notices some straw was falling from the rafters, he puts his M-16 on full auto, and shoot blindly into the ceiling area then a body drops down, the kid was still alive, this guy was one of the few infantrymen who walks around with his bayonet attached to his M-16, slowly Michael inserts his bayonet into the suspected VC stomach and he was screaming with agony, just then a helicopter lands with his sister and a officer from the local Popular Force (I believe that’s what you called them, it could have been a ARVN officer). The sister runs into her hooch, just in time to watch her brother die. She turns around and says that her brother wanted to surrender as a Choi-hoy (sp?) that was a program where a VC can forfeit his rights in being commie and become an agent for the American forces. I would put this time frame towards the end of our Tour of Duty, maybe Oct. or Nov. of 1968. Shortly thereafter I rotated stateside, and one afternoon while watching a local TV talk show, I saw this soldier, along with Lt. Calley of My-Lye fame. On the show I heard the soldier that killed the 5000 enemy soldier in our Unit saying that he low crawled up to a local gas station with a rifle and while in the prone position held it up. CSM WC, Vietnam Class of 67/68

ARMY SYSOPS

Another Runaway General: Army Deploys Psy-Ops on U.S. Senators
I guess Rolling Stone sees itself as a more sophisticated National Enquirer. At least the generals in this media exposure were smarter than the McChrystal crowd in not trusting the Rolling Stone reporter. To me, it is pretty sorry to gain someone's confidence and then expose their true feelings in an article. The Reporter is an asshole, let's face it. I still believe McChrystal outsmarted us all. He saw Afghanistan as a "fast train to nowhere" and figured out a way to get the hell out. He has really been quiet since leaving and so I think there's probably more truth than fiction in my theory. And, the fact that the patron saint of the military, Petraeus, didn't defend him makes me even more suspicious.

We have a disgruntled National Guard weinie telling us that Psychological Operations have been embraced by generals and turned on their VIP visitors to see how to influence them. I doubt it. In first reading the article, I thought, "these people don't have enough to do." My experience with psyops has not been good; "route step" I've always thought. Kind of an unsophisticated psychobabble. My guess is that some general's (Caldwel) underling came up with the idea, ran it by the general and the general either didn't pay attention or somehow didn't take it serious. Our Generals are smarter than this, not because they are some one like MacArthur (who was not exactly without faults. He had his aids literally crush many of the hats he wore to give the appearance of wear, thus assuring ideas of combat. I think I read this or might have made it up myself). Modern day generals are much more political, as astute and more so than many politicians. My old time hero generals can't be emulated. Generals like Bill Lee, the father of the American airborne and Jim Gavin, commander of the 82d Airborne during D Day. How can you compare these guys who had a simple mantra, "close with and kill the enemy" to some general sitting over in Afghanistan, trying to win the hearts and minds of a people who haven't changed in a thousand years.

Maybe the highups did harass the "poor" psych ops team--There appears to be something to the retaliation thing. In the military in a combat environment, it's hard to say. Soldiers who are out there on the "front lines" so to speak are not dealing with this sort of bullshit; fraternization, thinking about starting businesses, etc.--they are trying to stay alive. But, the fact that others are dragged into it must mean something is there. In the military, if "they" want to get you, they can. Many areas in the military are hazy and probably are covered by some regulation. I was in an assignment once where they (powers that be) attempted to nail a guy for using a government telephone to call his wife. It happens. Suddenly, what everybody had been doing, becomes illegal or violates a regulation.

I really don't know where today's military is and social media as relates to the military is a good example. Take

Facebook

: it is credited with fermenting the peoples' revolution in Tunisia and Egypt, for God's sake; but having a Colonel in combat with a FB page, seems a little over the top, I think--what are these guys doing? They sure as hell need to be more productive than sitting around checking their emails.

Here we have two wars and, trust me on this, nothing is assured that we are cleanly going to get out of Iraq. When we do, about all we can show for it is a semblance of democracy, maybe. Surely nothing else but the tragic loss of thousands of young Americans and trillions of dollars. And, Afghanistan, truly give me a break! There's no area that anybody who is objective can see which is not screwed up. We can't talk to the military because they put spin on it and maybe that is what we see here in the psyops accusation. And, as for Rolling Stone, they are a f..king music magazine and that is what they ought to stick too.

Hell, a Senator ought to be more with it than to be snowed by psyops, which has a dubious role at best and probably we could do just as well without. Of course, most of these VIPs don't have any military experience, other than John McCain, a POW for five years. Is there more psyops than that?

My recommendation to the military in this situation: someone stand up and stop this bullshit. Look at the problem, see that everybody in the situation may have a point from their perspective. Investigate the idea of the female LTC, don't let her go down for a bullshit reason. It takes leadership for something like this to happen and I'm not seeing it in the military. My View.

RETOOLING THE SOUTHERN ACCENT

Recently, I tool a trip South to visit family and to get my southern accent retooled. A couple of family members had aged. I am laughing every time I say such a thing: I know they are looking at me and saying, "This guy has really aged."

My brother Corb is eighty and in some ways like all of us seeing the "end" whatever that might be. We are all moving in that direction let's face it. My stories of him are smile producing. He has been working since he was eleven or earlier. Work in my terminology is not our farm but working for wages. He started in a grocery store, progressed to owning the store and began a succession of successful businesses.
We were farmers: poor but didn't even know it. My Fad had a serous stroke when I was in the tenth grade and for me, Corb more or less became my surrogate Dad. The farm pretty much went away and I worked for Corb in his big grocery store. It was quite a time. I was going on a date once and Corb spied me, "No way are you wearing jeans, (in the fifties, only the poor wore blue jeans as we called them." He immediately went into our hometown to The Men's Store, (for us a really nice clothier) established an account and overnight I became the best dressed kid in my high school.

THIS COULD BE A WIKILEAKS

Recently, I attended Boxer Day, which is the day after Christmas, at my former neighbor's pad. It is mainly a day to get together and eat and drink. A good time. My wife and I have this little game we play: who can find the most interesting person at the gathering. I won hands down. Ian, a recently naturalized American from Scotland. He was so proud of being an American and could not be restrained from telling about the process: the paperwork, the interviews, the tests, the people he had met along the way. If only Americans felt the same way about their country. Anyway, got me to thinking and I dug out this email I had saved from a friend. As we begin a new year, being appreciative of all we have and living in such a great country is no small thing and a good place to begin a year.


A friend commented on comparing America to the UK. It is too good not to preserve. He was discussing what it meant to be back in England, after living in the States for years. England is still a strange mix. The people here are still grindingly nasty, rude, ignorant, angry and miserable. The majority of them really are detestable. On the other hand we have little contact with the outside world and at this time of the year (and at almost all others) we live in a beautiful city. The fact that we have the National Health Service gives me a strong sense of security about life. It's the one important thing I think the US lacks. Of course it is screwed up here in so many ways...but that's another story. Funny though the psychological difference it makes to a person who has been living in the USA since 1985.

MY COMMENTS:I'm smiling about your comments about your fellow countrymen. It sounds like you are homesick for America which isn't a bad thing. You would have to be after being here so long. With all our faults, relatively speaking, one can be what they want to be or say what they want in America and sometimes I even wish it was a little less. I am appalled at these idiot shouters like Beck and Limbaugh and the nasty stuff they say about the president or others they don't like. I want to kick their asses but it is America. I think the "GFs (Girlfriends) are somewhat of a microcosm of America. You have one who is to the right of Ghengis Khan and then another who is way left of most anybody. They argue, curse and fifteen seconds later they are talking about something else and the rest of us happily join right in.

From my standpoint it is a matter of perspective. I think in general the world is in a pretty big mess and we're working our way out of it crisis by crisis. Most of it is like the American fairy tail, Brer Rabbit, facing the Tar Baby. You hit one place and stick but before you know it, there's another and you are stuck on the last crisis. And, to be perfectly honest, I worry, which is my tendency, about the future of our grandchildren when you have idiot nations with nukes; and, our own nation making stupid decisions like Iraq and Afghanistan.


One thing that really bothers me is that the pressures of life make it harder to be compassionate and generous. That sounds like an excuse but it has felt that way for the last couple of years. But with everything that's happening to undermine our sense of security (which is I think what human beings really crave) and then all the wonderful personal news I have had recently it makes me turn ever more inwards to enjoy cherished and to protect the things that are mine. I must remember to look outwards and at lease give money to charities as a substitute for giving my time. I really felt I was doing something useful when I volunteered. You know that the US people are by FAR the most generous when it comes to giving. It's harder in the UK because there simply is not the culture. I think it says a lot about the U.S. and its citizens.

Anyway, my feeling is that all I can do is provide financial insulation from the vaguries of life, and hand in hand with that give a strong and joyous character so tat she is kind, compassionate, generous, happy and strong... Now how do I do that????? I was talking to my Mountaineer brother about this yesterday - can you develop a good character without suffering?... Discuss!

Develoing a good character without suffering? I think so but suffering is often not chosen but when, through no fault of our own, it happens, at some point down the road, we can reflect and say, "it has made me better." We had this same discussion with the "Girlfriends" recently. It centered around the fact that so many soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan are claiming PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Andy, ever the skeptic relayed his own experience as a 12 year old when the Nazis occupied his Greek Village. He watched the Nazis gun down all the men from his village. And, yet, even though the trauma of it has haunted his entire life, he has moved on and been extremely successful. His story is recounted in this really good memoir, Just Another Man. HIs question and one that will be asked often in the future. How does tragedy incapacitate some and mobilize others.

AFGHANISTAN ASSESSMENT

SITREP (situation report) for Afghanistan. Poor, bad, awful. These surely aren't the spin of the President and other admin figures as they talked about the Afghanistan Assessment. And, I will have to say that I feel badly being the "nay sayer" but I don't hear anybody else out there saying how stupid we are.


Have we made progress? Sure. We have tapped down some of the Taliban activity based on the saturation with troops. However, we continue to ignore even a modicum of truth. Even on Iraq, those like General Kean, retired, and talking on PBS's Newshour and comparing Iraq and now the surge of Afghanistan as working. It is an example of self delusion at worst and spin at best. The surge in Iraq merely separated the factions and ultimately performed a type of ethnic cleansing which moved the Sunnis out of Badgdad or to their own enclaves. I am not comvinced that it will not come back to haunt us but at least for today, violence appears to be reduced and Iraq is less a media story so it has slipped to the back section. But, the comparisons between Iraq and Afghanistan simply don't work.

I will say this for General Keen. He let it all hang out as relates to Pakistan. Despite the trainload of bucks we've given them, they are not helping and complicity, I suspect. I hope the good general is not on the payroll, his ass will get fired (think McChrystal. Presidents, even thinking ones, don't like less than public lockstep). Pakistan is simply one among many issues of Afghanistan--a fast train to nowhere. F..K.

In Afghanistan, we have a "tarbaby." remember the story: the tar baby is made of tar and turpentine as I remember. Brer Rabbit confronts the "tar baby." Brer Rabbit gets stuck. The more he fights, the more entangled he becomes. "Tar Baby" is more than a sticky situation--everyday the situation is aggravated because we keep trying to deal with the "tarbaby." Impossible and Americans keep dying!

The President is either bamboozled by the generals and his own group of "yes sir, yes sir, three bags full." Or, it is politics or a combination of both. I am still an Obama supporter but I am disappointed in his decisions on Afghanistan and his attempt of justifying our presence by using Bush and neocon rhetoric by evoking 9-11. Please! He should have rejected what the media put on him: Obama's War. "Hell no! Not my war. I am fulfilling my duty as Commander and Chief but I say again, hell no, not my war." The polls say 60% of Americans want to get the hell out. Hillary can take a "high falootin" view of "we don't make decisions by polls." The last time I looked, she's not running for office but you can bet your jollies that the pols are watching. Americans who care are becoming more and more weary as we continue to be stupid with our "Tar-baby" war while more and more young Americans die.