A story on NPR about this subject this morning (12/12/2013); an estimated 100,000 Iraq/Afghanistan veterans with this problem. Nothing new there, what is new is the number of "Bad Paper" discharges generated by PTSD issues when units rotated back into garrison, After WW II and Korea, the men got of the boat and spent a week or so in a transit center (?) until their paperwork was done, so there were far fewer individuals locked out of the Veterans Benefits system, and of course, you could go down the street and get a job in the plant, or at least a job as a janitor that would pay your bills.
And the discharge process after Vietnam was even more expedited, Fly them home and put them on the street. Plenty of guys where happy to finish their two years and go back home and get a job in the plant too, I see one of the major issues as being that $8 an hour at a Walmart or Amazon warehouse just does NOT support a life any more.
And even guys with MAJOR issues, the goal was to put them out the door without creating a lot of bureaucratic complexity. Long ago, I edited a series of Oral History Interviews on Company Command in Vietnam (I explained I have a diverse and odd background...). One of them was a Medical Service Corps Officer who ran an "In Country" detox center (In Vietnam), the goal was to hold the (Heroin?) addicts long enough, if necessary throwing them in a Connex to detox Cold Turkey, that they would NOT test positive on the drug screen, so they could be put on an Airplane back to the World. And out the door, presumably with an Honorable Discharge, and no longer the Army's problem. But maybe someone will correct me if I am wrong about the nature of the discharges granted.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 2013
World War I Books
A Couple of old WW I titles that are favorites of mine, and in some way influenced my thinking.
The Battle for Europe: 1918 by H. Essame. Charles Scribners Son's, New York, 1972. 216pp, Index.
A nice short "popular" account of the time, I probably bought and read it in 1976 (It still has an Edward McKay price sticker inside, a bookstore in Fayetteville, North Carolina). Covers the period from the Kaiser's Offensive to the end of the war, mostly from the British perspective. The author himself and his viewpoint are much closer to how the participants probably viewed the events than anything you will find in current "Mainstream" literature about the period.
The Unknown Soldiers: Black American Troops in World War I. by Arthur E. Barbeau and Florette Henri. Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 1974. 279 pages, Index, Illus.
Another "Find"; I am not sure when I acquired this, probably as a mail order discount book (1981?), but it is not marked as a remainder. This book certainly influenced my thinking on the subject, I hesitate to call it an "Early" work, but it is not loaded with the scholarly analysis modern titles tend to be lumbered with. Worth seeking out because when it was written, these events were within living memory, closer to the authors than WW II is to most people living now. Certainly by this time ever National Guard and Army Reserve center had an "Army Heritage" poster featuring the (Black) 369th Infantry in action.
The Battle for Europe: 1918 by H. Essame. Charles Scribners Son's, New York, 1972. 216pp, Index.
A nice short "popular" account of the time, I probably bought and read it in 1976 (It still has an Edward McKay price sticker inside, a bookstore in Fayetteville, North Carolina). Covers the period from the Kaiser's Offensive to the end of the war, mostly from the British perspective. The author himself and his viewpoint are much closer to how the participants probably viewed the events than anything you will find in current "Mainstream" literature about the period.
The Unknown Soldiers: Black American Troops in World War I. by Arthur E. Barbeau and Florette Henri. Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 1974. 279 pages, Index, Illus.
Another "Find"; I am not sure when I acquired this, probably as a mail order discount book (1981?), but it is not marked as a remainder. This book certainly influenced my thinking on the subject, I hesitate to call it an "Early" work, but it is not loaded with the scholarly analysis modern titles tend to be lumbered with. Worth seeking out because when it was written, these events were within living memory, closer to the authors than WW II is to most people living now. Certainly by this time ever National Guard and Army Reserve center had an "Army Heritage" poster featuring the (Black) 369th Infantry in action.
The Kennedy Assasination
Fifty years ago (Yesterday)
(oops)
Well, since we are all (maybe) going to live forever here in cyberspace, what I remember, and why.
It was my Birthday (4th Grade?) We were munching my Birthday treat I had brought in (Ice Cream); Someone came in from another class and told us the President had Been Shot. Kind of put a damper on the rest of the day, I recall lying in front of the console stereo listening to the Radio during what was supposed to have been my party.
And I few days later, I may have seen the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald live on the second (Old, B&W) TV in the Basement. Not that I had a clue what it meant at the time, most interesting at this remove of how limited our choices of TV were even in a "Major" market like Detroit (we lived in Birmingham). No cable, MTV or DVD player, you watched one of the Network channels or the couple of independents there might have been in the market.
(oops)
Well, since we are all (maybe) going to live forever here in cyberspace, what I remember, and why.
It was my Birthday (4th Grade?) We were munching my Birthday treat I had brought in (Ice Cream); Someone came in from another class and told us the President had Been Shot. Kind of put a damper on the rest of the day, I recall lying in front of the console stereo listening to the Radio during what was supposed to have been my party.
And I few days later, I may have seen the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald live on the second (Old, B&W) TV in the Basement. Not that I had a clue what it meant at the time, most interesting at this remove of how limited our choices of TV were even in a "Major" market like Detroit (we lived in Birmingham). No cable, MTV or DVD player, you watched one of the Network channels or the couple of independents there might have been in the market.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
The Last of the Doughboys by Richard Rubin (Book Review)
The Last of the Doughboys: The Forgotten Generation and their forgotten World War.
by Richard Rubin, New York, Houghton-Mifflin, 2013, 518 pages, illustrated, maps, index.
ISBN 978-0-547-55443-3
This has been on the "New Books" Display for a couple of months at Barnes & Noble, it revolves around the last ditch effort of the author to collect oral history from the last surviving American veterans of WW I. By the time the author started, most of the Gentlemen (and one lady) were pretty much on their last legs and living in "Assisted Living" of some sort. But the book succeeds on many levels, it is much more than a collection of half remembered war stories
The author obviously did some thorough research on his subject once started. The book could serve as a decent "Drum and Trumpet" introduction to American military participation in the war.
There has been a flurry of books on the beginning of World War I, this is an excellent way to introduce students to how different the world was then, and the human dimensions of the conflict. And includes some interesting discussion of veterans lives postwar. Complemented by what are (these days) pretty good maps, and introducing the issues of Race and Women quite well, if not really exploring the participants feelings on those subjects.
I am very happy my local Public Library added a copy to their collection.
by Richard Rubin, New York, Houghton-Mifflin, 2013, 518 pages, illustrated, maps, index.
ISBN 978-0-547-55443-3
This has been on the "New Books" Display for a couple of months at Barnes & Noble, it revolves around the last ditch effort of the author to collect oral history from the last surviving American veterans of WW I. By the time the author started, most of the Gentlemen (and one lady) were pretty much on their last legs and living in "Assisted Living" of some sort. But the book succeeds on many levels, it is much more than a collection of half remembered war stories
The author obviously did some thorough research on his subject once started. The book could serve as a decent "Drum and Trumpet" introduction to American military participation in the war.
There has been a flurry of books on the beginning of World War I, this is an excellent way to introduce students to how different the world was then, and the human dimensions of the conflict. And includes some interesting discussion of veterans lives postwar. Complemented by what are (these days) pretty good maps, and introducing the issues of Race and Women quite well, if not really exploring the participants feelings on those subjects.
I am very happy my local Public Library added a copy to their collection.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Immigration Issues, the "Atlantic" culture and WEIRD
A rather ambiguous article in the New York Times this morning (8/26/13), not sure what the point is. But I'll paste my comment in here to preserve it in case I ever develop a fan base.
With emendations, I owe my comment about the unlimited supply of "unskilled" labor to General Odom, but I may have invented a new concept. It refer to the reference to an "Atlantic" culture, shorthand for a "Mid-Atlantic" Anglo-Saxon culture, thus taking some of the loaded terms off the table. Less cumbersome than Jared Diamond's WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Developed).
Afro-Americans are DEEPLY Anglo Saxon culturally, President Obama and Colin Powell are "More Anglo-Saxon" than my inbred rural third cousins here in Arkansas as far as I am concerned.
I am not sure what the point of the article was. Personally, I have no problem with the ambiguous status of Mr. Wajskol, obviously he is a useful and productive resident whose children will probably grow up to be useful and productive citizens.
The larger problem with our immigration system is as the article notes in passing, ""Legions Dream of an American Passport." Is Mr Wajskol somehow depriving them of this opportunity? I don't think so, and I would welcome any literate, English speaking member of the larger "Atlantic" culture who wants to move and work here.
BUT, the rest of the world has an essentially unlimited supply of low skill workers for whom this country is still the last best hope. Too bad, so sad, the lifeboat is pretty full, we are not creating enough jobs for our own low-skill workers.
Low skill immigrants (however you describe that category) are simply used to depress the wages of the American Working class. I'm sure given the opportunity half the population of Haiti would be on a plane tomorrow, and that is a country with a population of what, nine million?
Yes, a little diversity is good, but we can not assimilate all the potential refugees and immigrants from non-Atlantic cultures that would like to move here. And some of them, once granted Green cards, singularly fail to assimilate, most spectacularly recently the Fort Hood Shooter.
Further Points:
1. I got the population of Haiti correct off the top of my Head!!!
(My netbook insists on closing the window before opening a new one).
2. Unassimilateable Immigrants. OK, I am specifically concerned about people with a Grandfather Named Mohamed. Yes, there are MANY of them who become fully assimilated. But a significant portion who don't, if only the media would cover these stories as assiduously as they do every School and Workplace Shooting. You pick up the odd story about alleged "Honor Killings" by chance. What concerns me is how many "go along to get along," travel back to the home village and marry their 1st Cousins, making them (the 1st Cousin) instantly eligible for a US visa and Green card, and shifting the problem to the next generation. It's a classic case of Chain Migration (look it up) to bring in more of the same, who sustain and grow these self contained and self referencing communities. We have enough home grown communities of that sort already.
With emendations, I owe my comment about the unlimited supply of "unskilled" labor to General Odom, but I may have invented a new concept. It refer to the reference to an "Atlantic" culture, shorthand for a "Mid-Atlantic" Anglo-Saxon culture, thus taking some of the loaded terms off the table. Less cumbersome than Jared Diamond's WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Developed).
Afro-Americans are DEEPLY Anglo Saxon culturally, President Obama and Colin Powell are "More Anglo-Saxon" than my inbred rural third cousins here in Arkansas as far as I am concerned.
I am not sure what the point of the article was. Personally, I have no problem with the ambiguous status of Mr. Wajskol, obviously he is a useful and productive resident whose children will probably grow up to be useful and productive citizens.
The larger problem with our immigration system is as the article notes in passing, ""Legions Dream of an American Passport." Is Mr Wajskol somehow depriving them of this opportunity? I don't think so, and I would welcome any literate, English speaking member of the larger "Atlantic" culture who wants to move and work here.
BUT, the rest of the world has an essentially unlimited supply of low skill workers for whom this country is still the last best hope. Too bad, so sad, the lifeboat is pretty full, we are not creating enough jobs for our own low-skill workers.
Low skill immigrants (however you describe that category) are simply used to depress the wages of the American Working class. I'm sure given the opportunity half the population of Haiti would be on a plane tomorrow, and that is a country with a population of what, nine million?
Yes, a little diversity is good, but we can not assimilate all the potential refugees and immigrants from non-Atlantic cultures that would like to move here. And some of them, once granted Green cards, singularly fail to assimilate, most spectacularly recently the Fort Hood Shooter.
Further Points:
1. I got the population of Haiti correct off the top of my Head!!!
(My netbook insists on closing the window before opening a new one).
2. Unassimilateable Immigrants. OK, I am specifically concerned about people with a Grandfather Named Mohamed. Yes, there are MANY of them who become fully assimilated. But a significant portion who don't, if only the media would cover these stories as assiduously as they do every School and Workplace Shooting. You pick up the odd story about alleged "Honor Killings" by chance. What concerns me is how many "go along to get along," travel back to the home village and marry their 1st Cousins, making them (the 1st Cousin) instantly eligible for a US visa and Green card, and shifting the problem to the next generation. It's a classic case of Chain Migration (look it up) to bring in more of the same, who sustain and grow these self contained and self referencing communities. We have enough home grown communities of that sort already.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Soviet War Plans, 1979-1989
Russian (Soviet) Cold War plans and Sir John Hackett
I wrote this as a post on another Blog, because this is a recurring theme, it is worthwhile to post here as a semi-permanent record of my knowledge of the subject.
One of the more interesting aspects of the debate is the way people with little real knowledge of the facts seem to believe they "know" the truth.
It happens that I DO know a lot more about these issues than most people, the first is the refusal of otherwise rational and intelligent people to understand that there was a whole society controlled by a group who believed in a Malevolent Ideology (Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist thought, pick your label, usually refereed to as Communism or the Eastern Bloc for convenience) which was a threat to the entire "Western Way of Life" (Democracy and all that).
Having worked in the (US) V Corps HQ (Frankfurt) in 1978-89 and various other exercise and training environments through the 1980's.....
Among other things, every major exercise (V Corps) we had "Representatives of an (unidentified) Friendly Foreign Power" present as "observers." Or something. Funny enough, they all spoke French and wore strange (to me) uniforms (Kepis Featured, with plenty of Gold Braid) that I have always assumed were French. But I suppose it made their Government happy to pretend they were outside the NATO command structure.
And by "Exercise" I include the "Command Post Exercise" (CPX) cycle, ten (?) or so (Total) a year, much cheaper to deploy the Staff, etc (300-400 personnel?) somewhere for a week than the "Field" exercises when you have all those Tanks etc rolling around the countryside.
At some point in the 1980's, in addition to doing a significant number of (Official) war games/exercises, I matured into a good enough Soviet Specialist to be aware that they had a parallel and much deeper (intellectual) level of "Operations Research" (OR) than we did, or at least a broader distribution of this specialized knowledge. Really, I met at least one US OR specialist who studied the Soviet (Open Source) literature.
To skip a couple of steps, with the end of the Cold War, they (accidently?) left a copy of their basic War Plan (Schliefen plan for the 80's?) in a Polish Barracks, which was subsequently published in the Journal of Soviet Military Studies.
Nuke Everything in sight, (US/NATO Barracks and Installations) then get (the Warsaw Pact) Troops moving out of the Kasernes.
(Straight across the North German Plain, there is a variety of supporting evidence in their Force Structure and Training that this really was "The Plan")
OK, what I thought was important was:
1. I knew from (US) Games and Exercises, that a Soviet conventional Offensive was a Dubious Proposition;
2. Presumably their exercises showed the same thing.
3. In Soviet Experience/Political/Military Theory, there is no substitute for Victory.
(Example, Sidorenko, The Offensive, USAF Translation. Too turgid for me to actually read, but at least I am "familiar" with the work)
4. It's Not Much of a Plan, But.....
My question was, why did no one ever suggest I connect the dots? Did anyone ever?
(Which should come our from behind the Green Door in another twenty or thirty years).
I wrote this as a post on another Blog, because this is a recurring theme, it is worthwhile to post here as a semi-permanent record of my knowledge of the subject.
One of the more interesting aspects of the debate is the way people with little real knowledge of the facts seem to believe they "know" the truth.
It happens that I DO know a lot more about these issues than most people, the first is the refusal of otherwise rational and intelligent people to understand that there was a whole society controlled by a group who believed in a Malevolent Ideology (Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist thought, pick your label, usually refereed to as Communism or the Eastern Bloc for convenience) which was a threat to the entire "Western Way of Life" (Democracy and all that).
Having worked in the (US) V Corps HQ (Frankfurt) in 1978-89 and various other exercise and training environments through the 1980's.....
Among other things, every major exercise (V Corps) we had "Representatives of an (unidentified) Friendly Foreign Power" present as "observers." Or something. Funny enough, they all spoke French and wore strange (to me) uniforms (Kepis Featured, with plenty of Gold Braid) that I have always assumed were French. But I suppose it made their Government happy to pretend they were outside the NATO command structure.
And by "Exercise" I include the "Command Post Exercise" (CPX) cycle, ten (?) or so (Total) a year, much cheaper to deploy the Staff, etc (300-400 personnel?) somewhere for a week than the "Field" exercises when you have all those Tanks etc rolling around the countryside.
At some point in the 1980's, in addition to doing a significant number of (Official) war games/exercises, I matured into a good enough Soviet Specialist to be aware that they had a parallel and much deeper (intellectual) level of "Operations Research" (OR) than we did, or at least a broader distribution of this specialized knowledge. Really, I met at least one US OR specialist who studied the Soviet (Open Source) literature.
To skip a couple of steps, with the end of the Cold War, they (accidently?) left a copy of their basic War Plan (Schliefen plan for the 80's?) in a Polish Barracks, which was subsequently published in the Journal of Soviet Military Studies.
Nuke Everything in sight, (US/NATO Barracks and Installations) then get (the Warsaw Pact) Troops moving out of the Kasernes.
(Straight across the North German Plain, there is a variety of supporting evidence in their Force Structure and Training that this really was "The Plan")
OK, what I thought was important was:
1. I knew from (US) Games and Exercises, that a Soviet conventional Offensive was a Dubious Proposition;
2. Presumably their exercises showed the same thing.
3. In Soviet Experience/Political/Military Theory, there is no substitute for Victory.
(Example, Sidorenko, The Offensive, USAF Translation. Too turgid for me to actually read, but at least I am "familiar" with the work)
4. It's Not Much of a Plan, But.....
My question was, why did no one ever suggest I connect the dots? Did anyone ever?
(Which should come our from behind the Green Door in another twenty or thirty years).
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