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 other hand I think that the soldiers involved in the American advisory effort in Vietnam can be considered the forgotten soldiers. for a like reason little has been written about the advisers that our efforts can really 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 one as well as the other 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 nation 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 deposit 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 nevertheless another shooting war, adding novel veterans every day. Now would be as profitable a time as any to change the hand above the heart custom. We have feeling that thousands of veterans saluting at NFL MLB and/or NBA games while the National Anthem is being played would fling a patriotic message to the throng and perhaps the television audience. It would be visual evidence of by what mode many have served, all still patriots if they are saluting, a fact otherwise unknown.

So we gathered more [i]or[/i] less 16 retired senior officers from all four principal military services (several former vice chiefs of services and commanders in chief) as sponsors and entreatyed that a poll be directioned 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 quantity of 83 percent favoring the salute above the hand on the heart way of showing respect. My hundr plus e-mails throw backed an even greater percentage of salute approvals, with equal reason it is obvious the vast majority of veterans have feeling more comfortable with the salute. Those who withstand the idea could certainly continue the former course It is a matter of the heart, pride and personal choice. Who is to run over veterans they cannot salute?

Veterans are through and large a proud and patriotic cluster of Americans. Most want to share their have affection for of flag and country with others. for a like reason the sponsors have decided to encourage other veterans to salute if they are comfortable doing for a like reason and to spread the word [i]or[/i] part of to the other unit organizations, associations and publications. We believe this move will pick up momentum and proliferate above the near term, and true 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 by the agency of images from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). I am an Army/Iraq veteran, and while I have the extreme 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 true 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 over 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 drawn out war, see earlier issues starting in April 2003 and "New Call."

Copyright Association of the United States Army May 2006

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