In 1967 the khaki Mafia was in full flower and the Sgt Maj of the Army ( Woolridge) was heading it up. They were corrupt and making money hand over fist by taking bribes, working the black market and signing corrupt services contracts. They were supported by some corrupt officers at the top of the Vietnam pile. They had minions at every base and Holloway was no exception. That's why we had a ship load of rusty Carling Black Lable beer that was forced on us each time we wanted the good stuff. When finially caught they were allowed to resign instead of being courts Martialled and jailed. I suspect because those at the very top were in on it and did not want to be named. There was the story that a cpt and a sergeant in the S-1 shop at Bn were drawing the demolition pay of a couple of sp/4s who died at ban mi thout. I think they got off with a hand slap.
Thank god men like Gary Luck, Swartzkopf, Woodmansee and all the others at the top and a ton of the young men who became their battle hardened NCO's revamped the Army beginning in the late 70s as they assumed Batallion command.
I wish someone would have come to us who were the older pilots with some time in service (I had 9 years by my first tour) with their complaints about flying time. I may not have gotten much done but I was pumped so full of the leadership jazz that you can bet your butt I would have tried. We had problems. I saw it in RLOs who were moved about instead of court-martialled. I saw it in a cowardly captain being moved to a position that affected the medals you talk ofinstead of cashiered from the army. ( The bastard made LTC). I saw it when field grades covered each others butts and broke regulations. It started before Vietnam and got worse. To the point that "yes men" and "ticket punching" were the norm rather than the exception. I blame the very top. Johnson, McNamara, Westmorland and that whole damed crowd of officers and NCOs that had grown fat and corrupt in Germany and brought that culture to 'Nam when they finally had to start serving in asia by 1967. I saw several good men crash their careers trying to fight it. It took the loss of 'nam and the rise of Creighton Abrams and his bunch to begin to fix it. I saw it becoming corrupted again under the last president and his whore-mongoring entourage. They may have suceeded had not the old NCOs and officers held the line. Thank God men like Wille, Bilbee and others stayed the course. We now have a commander in chief who can make sure the top does not rot again.
Thanks for listening
^5 and Salute
Bob T