Comments on: Agent Orange; "The Gift That Keeps On Giving"

By: mike_brewer

mike_brewer — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 04:33:31 +0000

Oh yeah, and I was 60 & 81 Mortars. We were at Base Camps, your camps, their camps, Charlies camp and about 9 Operations. The distinction between Base Camp and LP’s, (listening post) and ambushes or some FO forays, ( I was an FO also) were of no distinction in the Marine Corps, as we were pretty damn united. Compton must be one of the other branches.
And when you think of it, who gets penetrated and rocketed? The Base Camp! Like, “Charlie shoot here!” I guess that is why they called the area outside of Da Nang the “Rocket Belt.”

By: mike_brewer

mike_brewer — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 04:25:35 +0000

Semper Fidelis x 3!!

By: Old Marine

Old Marine — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 05:12:27 +0000

I wonder Mr. Compton do gun grunts that served in arty rate the same treatment as base camp commandos you spoke of. Served in Marine Corp in artillery and we were at most fire bases with the grunts. Most places we did our own security thing on op’s and bird watch. Just curious because more than once the only reason you survived was the gun grunts. We had AO sprayed on us on a regular basis. The easiest way to defeat someone is divide and conquer. Webb understands this tactic very well and evidently you don’t. We all served in that damn war and should stand together.

By: tiponeill

tiponeill — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:20:27 +0000

I don’t believe that you can copyright a title.

By: mike_brewer

mike_brewer — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 08:48:58 +0000

Just checked the readership statistics of TC.com, and this BLOG. We are holding on in the grand scheme of things. Yet, I must declare, it is a pure sign of the times to reconcile with the fact that the most read posts are, “Paranormal” and “Sports.” Possibly, this statistic can be sold to demographers.
Or, do they already know how dumbded down is America?

By: mike_brewer

mike_brewer — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 08:28:12 +0000

Well said SantaCruzSam,
One of the rationales behind Shinenski’s decision, was to not be biased to the grunt in the “tall grass.” Thousands, yes, thousands of our soldiers were exposed to AO in the Nam. God bless you downtown Compton, but you are dead wrong.

By: santacruzsam

santacruzsam — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 06:55:53 +0000

Even though I was a grunt, I am also a retired Veteran Service Officer. Many of those “base camp” support troops were handling up to four times the amount dioxin as anyone in the bush. The 55 gallon drums were not always secure nor were the hazards of handling them fully communicated. Lots of Navy men on ships were equally exposed as were some Air Force personel in Thailand. It is pretty hard to determine what “routinely exposed’ means in real time. Now the fariness is extended to all. No harm in that.

By: C.V. Compton Shaw

C.V. Compton Shaw — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 01:20:52 +0000

The “base camp commandos” angrily argue that they should have the same presumption rights with regard to disability compensation with regard to Agent Orange as men in the field who were, on a daily basis, exposed to Agent Orange . Those most routinely exposed, but not all, were mostly infantry, of course. U.S. Senator Webb, a Vietnam War combat veteran, questions this assumption as illogical and unjust. So do I! Thank you Senator Webb. I served with the U.S. Army; 4th ID, 2/8th Inf.; RVN 1969-1970.

By: mike_brewer

mike_brewer — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 21:58:59 +0000

Thanks again Willie. For the readers here at TC.com, the article by Rena Kopy is in the May 2009 archive at "VetSpeak.org." Another good one is by Barry Romo in the publication, "Veteran," at VVAW.org. How quickly we forget the overwhelming number of Vietnamese whose lives were ravaged by Agent Orange. And they have no VA to go to for health care!

By: mike_brewer

mike_brewer — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 21:46:46 +0000

Holy cow, batman… I have not heard that phrase for many moons. I have been runnin’ around my house all day, saying, “its a thing,” man! Sorta makes me feel young again. Its like time stopped at 19 for us, and we hear each others voices of both joy and lament, and “there it is.” “Its a thing!” Welcome Home.