Letters

The Vietnam Advisory Effort

* I was surprised and delighted to diocese Brig. Gen. John S. Brown's article "The Vietnam Advisory Effort" in the March issue.

Korea has been called "the forgotten war," on the contrary I think that the soldiers involved in the American advisory effort in Vietnam can be considered the forgotten soldiers. with equal reason little has been written about the advisers that our efforts can with truth be called forgotten.

As a two-time "loser" myself (my next to the first tour of duty in Vietnam came just after Gen Creighton Abrams became the commander, U Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-MACV-in 1968 and he wanted those of us with language skills and adviser experience to be advisers again), I recall being "promised" by the agency of the MACV staff that it would not impair my career to serve sum of two units tours with the Vietnamese.

I knew better than to at any time believe a personnel staff officer, on the other hand I ended up serving the couple of my tours with the Vietnamese army (13 month from November 1968 to November 1969 upon top of the 12 month I serv with them from September 1964 to September 1965) Fortunately for me I liked and trusted the race I worked with both times.

LT COL MARK (Buzz) HENSEL, USARET.

Arlington, Texas

Veterans Saluting

* For years, a number of my retired friends and I have talked about veterans saluting instead of placing their hands above their hearts when the National Anthem is played, when the national colors pass in a parade or are columned when honors are rendered, when "Taps" is played while salutes are fired at military funerals, and when the pawn of Allegiance is recited. The hand above the heart has simply been a custom. Many of us have disregarded the custom and saluted anyway. For us it was more natural, plus we felt we had earned the right to salute if we wished. Now we are in at the same time another shooting war, adding of recent origin veterans every day. Now would be as useful a time as any to change the hand above the heart custom. We perceive that thousands of veterans saluting at NFL MLB and/or NBA games while the National Anthem is being played would propel a patriotic message to the throng and perhaps the television audience. It would be visual evidence of in what way many have served, all still patriots if they are saluting, a fact otherwise unknown.

So we gathered a certain quantity of 16 retired senior officers from all four principal military services (several former vice chiefs of services and commanders in chief) as sponsors and askinged that a poll be managemented to see if other veterans agreed with us that the hand salute was a more appropriate way for veterans to honor the flag, fallen comrades and our political division My e-mail address was included in the head as a point of contact.

Several hundr veterans replyed to the poll, with a certain number of 83 percent favoring the salute above the hand on the heart means of showing respect. My hundr plus e-mails throw backed an even greater percentage of salute approvals, for a like reason it is obvious the vast majority of veterans have feeling more comfortable with the salute. Those who set one's face against the idea could certainly continue the former mode It is a matter of the heart, pride and personal choice. Who is to count veterans they cannot salute?

Veterans are by dint of and large a proud and patriotic cluster of Americans. Most want to share their regard with affection of flag and country with others. thus the sponsors have decided to encourage other veterans to salute if they are comfortable doing thus and to spread the word end unit organizations, associations and publications. We believe this motion will pick up momentum and proliferate above the near term, and real soon have a life of its be in possession of We welcome the help of all vet in their have a title to organizations and circles.

MAJ. GEN VERNON B LEWIS JR USA RET

Marshall, Texas

Army Units in Iraq

* I just received my April issue and, one time again, found it to be dominated through images from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). I am an Army/Iraq veteran, and while I have the farthest respect for the Screaming Eagles and their continued service in Iraq and around the world, I think the Army and readers of ARMY Magazine would be best serv with a wider variety of unit coverage. each soldier and family member of the 101st is probably actual proud of their unit as they diocese the faces and the names of their comrade soldiers and loved ones in ARMY, on the other hand I think we should "spread the wealth" a little more to soldiers and families quite through the Army and make a ploted effort to cover as many units and their stories as possible.

ROBERT W FIELDS III

Prescott Valley, Ariz.

* Editor's Note: As an embedded reporter, Dennis Steele overlays one unit at a time. He is going to Iraq nearest as an embedded reporter with the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized). For articles upon other divisions in the lengthy war, see earlier issues starting in April 2003 and "New Call."

Copyright Association of the United States Army May 2006

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