Month: November 2012

Vietnamese Veterans

Fast Freddy Posts ,

Vietnamese Veterans

For Vietnamese veterans on both sides of the conflict, the violence of war remained firmly with them for the rest of their lives. For the victorious communist troops, the end of the war meant a return home to participate in village life and the rebuilding of a united nation. Compared to South Vietnamese veterans, many northern veterans suffered long isolation from their families whom they had not seen in some cases since the mid-1960s. The communist government forbade the returning veterans to fully take part in village politics due to fears that ex-soldiers would take on increased power through their enhanced status as war heroes. Over the next two decades the veterans fared poorly and received paltry rations of rice, meat, and cigarettes in compensation for their war service. Even more so than for American veterans, Vietnamese veterans were largely forgotten by the government, and the service of women was utterly ignored. Only near the end of the twentieth century did the Vietnamese government fully honor the women who fought as front-line troops during the war. Continue reading →

Hurricane Sandy

Fred Childs Posts

Received via email from our buddy Peter Gaworecki:

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Friends,

What has happened in the Northeast makes Katrina look minor league in cost. The local talking heads are predicting $500 Billion. Fortunately, with the help of FEMA, supplies and equipment were in place before the storm hit.

People evacuated as instructed which saved many lives. Many precautions were taken by all localities. Sandy overwhelmed the area and exceeded the predictions by  several feet. Though many are homeless and utilities are weeks away in many places, there is no Superdome situation here.

If you watched The Weather Channel before she hit, Jim Cantore showed on a light pole the expected high water mark at about 8 ft. up the pole. It went to 13 ft. That was Battery Park.

The lower quarter on Manhattan was under water. Staten Island, population mostly city workers fire and policemen was devastated. I think they need the most help.

There are several towns in NJ that were wiped out. The boardwalks and amusement parks are gone off the Jersey shore.

What is needed most immediately is blood, please donate.

Pete

Peter Gaworecki, DMOR
C/1/22 67-68

Click Here for storm pictures from WTOP

Click Here to Donate to Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts