Memorial Day And The Numbers Game Of War

A Marine childhood friend, Bill Maag, took this picture of another childhood friend, US Army Paratrooper James Englert.
Jimmy was killed by a sniper in August 1968, not long after I came home.

Memorial Day

When I was younger, I used to attend Memorial Day services at monuments where I live, and sometimes, I would participate. I don't do it much anymore, but I'm glad people honor our war dead a lot more than they did during my tour of Vietnam. Governments start the wars, not the troops, but we became easy targets for radicals and draft dodgers. I believe as long as a person is in your mind, they still exist. So, Jimmy, up there on the wall, will be 19 forever in the minds of his family and those who knew him: skinny, handsome, full of hope for the future. He is gone, but not forgotten.

The Numbers Game Of War

I'm currently reading Matterhorn by Karl Malantes, about the fictional 24th Marines of the 5th Marine Division in Vietnam. I was in all three Marine divisions during my two years military service. The 5th Marine Division was actually held in reserve for a time I was in it with the 27th Marines at Camp Pendeleton. I was with 3/27 for several months before getting orders for Vietnam. The 27th Regiment was ordered to Vietnam as a unit near the end of my Vietnam tour. I ran into several of my friends from the outfit. They told me everyone in the 27th was being shipped to different outfits, and short timers from other outfits (those who were about to ship home because their tours were over) were being placed into the 27th. No one knew why.

I found out after I came home. There was pressure to cut back troop strength in Vietnam. The incoming Nixon Administration announced there would be cut backs. I was watching the news and it said troop strength was being cut, and they showed the 27th Marines coming home, marching through San Diego. The 27th had been pulled from the war...but actually the troops now in the 27th had been coming home on normal rotation and had already been replaced by new troops in Vietnam. The original Marines from the 27th were now scattered through other outfits.

So, it appeared troop strength had been reduced, but it was a lie. The same number of troops still existed in Vietnam. I imagine the same thing has been done in other wars since. It's all smoke and mirrors with the numbers game. Governments always lie to their people. Nothing changes.

Michael Tucker, my anti-hero in the novel Michael In Hell, is a Marine Vietnam veteran.

Michael In Hell

Comments

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