Salute to Honorable Men and Women

By Dr. Sandra L Russell

The OCS at Fort Knox Reunion held at the historic Sheraton Gunter Hotel, San Antonio, Texas, from August 18 to 21, 2016, was the inspiration for this book that hails the stories of Fort Knox OCS Candidates who lived to return from the Vietnam War and other postings in the Cold War. Their stories about survival and readjustment to life in their homeland inspired me. These stalwarts took to the stage and delivered personal sagas that left the audience spellbound. The writing muse nudged me. Stories were gathered from these honorable men. Exciting highlights unfold about their lives before, during, and after the Vietnam War. Why stop? Stories were sought from ordinary people, men and women, who served on battlefields; Gold Star moms who grieved the loss of military pilots; a spouse whose husband was missing for thirty-plus years; a mother whose son has never returned; World War II Italy warriors fighting alongside their brothers; the elite 10th Mountain Division Alpine Mountain Men; the US Coast Guard with daring rescues and routine lives that were anything but routine; and the average citizen, pilots facing horrific crash scenes, naval maneuvers offsetting war-meet these unsung heroes, the fabric of our United States of America.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642989182

Book preview

Chapter 1

War: What Is It Good For?

From the onset of civilization, there have been wars and rumors of wars. Where would our country be if we had not entered major wars and brought home victories? Would we be existing as a democracy? An answer to this cry during the Vietnam War may be discovered through the narratives that unfold in this book.

Near the end of the sixties, the 5th Dimension performers tried to move our nation into a place where we would, let the sun shine in with their top hit, Age of Aquarius. The Vietnam War was winding down after brutal demonstrations had run rampant throughout our nation and hatred for the troops returning from the battlefield was displayed by stoning them and spitting on their uniforms. I’d like to think the Dimensions were trying to send a message in their lament to let the sun shine in for our country to show respect for their fellow man and return to peace.

The number-one hit for 1970 did not leave listeners guessing about the message. Edward Star’s top hit, War, drummed out the woeful message about the uselessness of war: "War, hoah, yeah! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Say it again y’all! War, hoah, good god! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Listen to me . . . Star goes on to bemoan war’s destruction, death, mothers’ tears, and heartbreak. He left no need for an in-depth analysis to reveal an undercurrent of his hatred. The Viet War from his lyrics was good for nothing. Actually the rather long song of 350 words has over a dozen repeats of What is it good for? Absolutely nothing" left listeners with no doubt that he was opposed to the Vietnam War. Violence and demonstrations validated agreement to his song and personal sentiment. The violence was directed toward the troops fighting in the war. The general public and some family members made the soldiers a target to vent their anger.

Poorly stated objectives coming from President Johnson and the high-ranking political leaders fell short in convincing the nation and the troops that entering this conflict in distant Southeast Asia would be a good move for our country. Complaints from the military leaders and their troops bemoaned the ill-thought-out policies and being poorly equipped for the battlefield. A young officer who got caught up in the rotation policy voiced his opinion in the story related below. Today arguments continue to damn this maneuver as the worst war policy ever enforced yet demanded troops on the battlefields to follow the replacement of regulars with OCS Candidates.

Rotation Policy, McDonough’s Story:

The young officer’s greeting is an example of the negative side for sending the OCS officers to replace the regulars during the Vietnam War. The troops viewed the war as primarily political with undefined causes for battle. Much discussion among the troops had generated opposition to the individual rotation approach, which strayed from a cohort consideration for group unity.

Before launching the personal stories, it is important to provide an example of the role the OCS officers would play in replacing the regulars during the Vietnam War and the animosity toward the political leanings in the Vietnam War. The OCS Candidates and all service men and women throughout the ages of war history often get caught up in political decisions that leave them baffled and wondering how such destructive policies can become battlefield strategy for bringing home victories. McDonough’s story epitomizes the nightmare of the rotation policy existing during the Vietnam War that defied all military logic as expressed from the article, Vietnam War: The Individual Rotation Policy, from HistoryNet. This is the same source where McDonough’s story