Fm IntrNet:  rgre...@cyberquest.com  [alt.war.vietnam]

Yeah, like those old "watch lists" they had in Nam where someone's daddy
was a big shot and wasn't to be placed in harms way.

I've always wondered how many Nam vets work for Microsoft.  I've been told
there are a few, but that is kinda hard to believe since Microsoft recruits
from
Universities directly.  If there are Nam vets at Microsoft, they are probably
in
security or some maintenance field.  I applied there twice and never even got
a reply, and I was qualified for the job.

BTW, someone asked what did I do in Nam.  I don't see any real reason to
have to answer that since it really doesn't matter what one did over there,
but I'll let you know.  My first six years in the Army I was a cook.  I
screwed up
in Germany and received a General Courts Martial.  Was sent to Leavenworth
for nine months - registration number 41909 for verification - was released
back to duty in Sep 66 and reclassified as Light Weapons Infantryman 11B10
as a Private E-2 - was a SP4 E4.  When I went to Nam in 67 I was assigned to
MACV Advisory Team 60 at Sadec and pulled security detail for the compound
as I didn't have enough experience to be an advisor.  The 9th ARVN Division
was at Sadec.  We pulled patrols around the perimeter.  No significant action
until Tet 68 when all hell broke loose.  I would rather not get into that since
it's a time I would rather forget.  I caught shrapnel from a mortar and was
med-evaced to Clark and then to Presidio of San Franciso (Letterman).

Was reclassified to a Personnel specialtiy as I could no longer function in the
Infantry due to wounds.  The remainder of my careerr was as a Personnel
Sergeant and even pulled another Nam tour as an Advisory Team Admin
NCO with MACV Advisory Teams 96, 66, and 72 in the Delta.

I met a lot of nice Vietnamese people on my second tour and hope to run into
some of them if I ever go back.  Both tours were in the Delta.  Passed through
Cam Rahn Bay twice while screwing around.  

I'm not a bleeding heart type of person, but a person that feels wounds of that
fiasco should be healed and not carried around as something to continually
bitch about.  The WWII and Korea Vets healed pretty quickly.  The Nam Vets
have a reputation of being real sour and rightfully so, but life is too damn
short to try and fight an enemy that isn't there or is so big it cannot be
defeated.  I don't go around ranting about being a hero, a grunt, "doggie",
etc.
I have a new life and that must take precedence.

Cheers and get that Salem beer cold as I may be passing thru someday
right down I-5, or who knows, maybe just a weekender to meet you someday.

--
**************************************
*  Rich Greene - E-7 US Army Retired *
*     Disgruntled US Postal Worker   *
* PO Box 3411, Federal Way, WA 98063 *
*        rgre...@cyberquest.com      *
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