Bare Wires

Then time will tell who has fell
And who's been left behind
When you go your way and I go mine
--Most Likely You Go your Way and I'll Go Mine;
Bob Dylan

And if you really didn't know
I swear I really didn't know
So I'm sorry, so sorry
--Sorry, So Sorry, Howie Day

Ranger Prediction of the Day:
The trial of Ft. Hood shooter Hassan will be classified
and hidden from public scrutiny
behind the veil of National Security
________________

During a recent windy and rainy night Ranger had a dream of Vietnam, long ago. But this was a dream, and not full of stress, anxiety and fear. After 39 years, not a nightmare, but a dream.

The dream commanded me to return to the country as a tourist and look for the lost ones that served the U.S. war cause faithfully -- the Vietnamese nationals. As a Special Forces soldier, I always felt responsible for the Vietnamese civilians that worked long-term in camp. My interpreter, Lu Tham, was about 35 and had institutional knowledge beyond that of the VN/U.S. chain of command. Then there was Ms. Hoa, Vinh, Pop, Thé, and Tro.

Though my dream told me to go back and find them, better men than me have tried to find and exfiltrate these people with limited success. At this point, it would be an exercise in futility.

Thinking of my camp provides a fine example of the futility of war. Camp Long Thanh was a World War II Japanese ammunition dump for the airfield, and was used by the French in the 1st Indochina War. During the American war, Camp Long Thanh [CLT] was a U.S. airfield, and the ammo dump grew into a U.S. Special Forces camp. (As a small aside, Diem's body was brought to CLT, though it is unclear whether he was killed in Saigon or CLT. This fact was mentioned in The Pentagon Papers.)

This provenance is presented to show the continuity of warfare and the stupidity of the venture. The Japanese, French and Americans all attempted to hustle the East, but all they learned was you cannot keep frogs in a shallow bucket -- even if you call the fog-keeping by a fancy name like COIN.

It didn't work in Vietnam, and it ain't gonna work in Afghanistan. Regardless of the spin, it did not work in Iraq, either.

The Vietnamese I knew believed in Jesus as their Savior and believed in his goodness and mercy. I sure hope He believed in them.

Christmas 1970

God bless us, every one!
--A Christmas Carol, Dickens
_____________

Ranger spent Christmas eve 1970 in a parapet at the base of an elevated water tower in the center of Camp Long Thanh, Republic of Vietnam. The U.S. element of the camp was on high alert (before Mr. Ridge's colors became de rigeur.)

The reason for the high alert was that the Vietnamese inside of the camp were having a Midnight Mass; afterwards, 600+ Vietnamese walked the inner perimeter with lighted candles. These personnel were all faithful Catholics. The sight was chilling and mesmerizing. Artillery flashed in the distance.

Ranger still remembers the strangeness of a holiday procession in the midst of a very serious dispute between nations. The gesture was observant and a protest, as the Communists intended to eradicate religious observation if they were successful. In fact, the main cathedral in Saigon later became a museum to the people's struggle after the fall of Saigon, April '75.

That evening's procession is a memory of a country that no longer exists. Is it for better or for worse? Ranger surely doesn't know.

If he had a prayer to offer he would do so for all the souls lost to the wars and to those who are no longer even remembered in the flicker of a flame held aloft in a candle.

Season's greetings to all of our friends. If you have a memory to share, you are invited to do so here.