>>I told Hal Moore that not once during my tour, from 6/68 to 6/69, did I see a 4th Div battalion commander, any Colonel, in the field, on the ground, leading his men. A few Majors hunkered down at battalion firebases, but not many. They were all extremely busy at base camp and flying around in C&C ships, "managing the battlefield." Moore was horrified to hear this; it is a totally foreign concept to any leader, but especially to a
man like him.<<

>>I don't know anything about our 52nd Bn leadership, but I don't think it matters because we operated mostly on a company or platoon or, as you well know, many times single ship basis. And I think our company leadership, flight leadership, and our aircraft commanders' leadership was without equal.<<

>>(I think I went with the crew chief thing because I had heard about the Cav's Ia Drang fights and I wanted nothing to do with another possible hand-to-hand last stand against a hoard of hopped-up dinks. Plus, I sorta liked the idea of clean sheets on a bunk vs. shaking scorpions out of my boots.)<<

>>No Flies On<<
>>Bob<<

Prior to 1966, everyone from colonel on down got their hands dirty, got shot at, and got shit on, and not because they were glory hounds. It was because they were all soldiers down to the man, and willing to sacrifice and do what was needed to fight for and defend freedom.

We didn't have kids using dope and hallucinating. All the young goofy kids ended up getting sent out of country and back home. There were those who consumed a few shots and beers at the end of the day but were ready and able to go the next day because it was their job and what they were asked to do. The worst vice was maybe ending up in need of some tetracycline or a big shot of penicillin.

It was both an honor and a privilege to know them and to serve with those honorable men. You can try to compare, if you feel you must. But don't try to discount, or belittle as insignificant, or try to take anything away from them or their leadership, or their legacy.

If you did, you would be guilty of not knowing a damn thing, either about them or who they were, or about all the sacrifices they once made for their country. The best policy has always been stick to what you know from your own experiences, not what you think you know of someone else's.

Just say "No"