77 Letters, Operation Morale Booster: Vietnam by Susan P. Hunter

Author:Susan P. Hunter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Vietnam Veteran, interracial relationships, wartime penpal, faith in God, pioneer of humanity
Publisher: Susan P. Hunter
Published: 2020-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

INDULGING IN MY MOMENT of reflection, I was so impressed that even in his darkest periods, Bob never seemed to lose respect for his enemy and instead kept his perspective as fellow humans. I noticed how Bob, at worst, referred to the Viet Cong, short for Vietnamese Communist, as “Charlie,” derived from the phonetic alphabet nickname, Victor Charlie (VC). I thought back to a psychology class I took in college that addressed the emotional survival techniques used in war. I envisioned my professor, Mr. Rose, pacing the front of the room with periodic dramatic pauses to ensure all his 8 am students were paying attention. He spoke of war in general, as it was the only time killing was not only justified; it was expected. In a resounding voice, he enlightened us, "As war demands, it all becomes impersonal. The number of 'killed' is what is touted in operational reports; the higher the number, the more praise they receive. These soldiers fight their internal battle to salvage their sanity. Verbally dehumanizing the enemy by referring to them with contemptuous terms such as ‘zips’ and ‘gooks’ are methods used to shield them from the egregious reality of what was expected of them. Likewise, avoiding the harshness of the word 'killed' is achieved by choosing terminology such as 'wasted,' 'smoked,' and 'greased' instead. Many soldiers become intoxicated with the vision of defeating the enemy, not necessarily the idea of killing. Still, the reality is," as he offered another dramatic pause to scan the auditorium, "winning typically requires a lot of killing. Dehumanizing the enemy through name-calling is acceptable in war,” Mr. Rose looked up into the sea of students and held his stare, “but dehumanizing them through torture is never acceptable, even in war." The emphatic professor took position dead center at the front of the auditorium and gazed down at the floor for what seemed to be an extraordinarily long time before looking back up at us, delivering a final thought. "Unfortunately, during the Vietnam War, there were men who did not uphold this tenet; many were simply not fit to be in a war but were drafted nonetheless. These men and their actions, amplified by the insatiable media, have tainted that entire population of brave soldiers. America’s politicians learned from this. We haven't had a draft since, making our military, strictly fortified by those who have chosen a career in the service."

I returned from my brief reminiscent visit to college days. I got up from the table to get us both a refreshing glass of sweet tea. I randomly spouted off with visible disgust, "So, while the politicians were deliberating as to the best course of action for our country's position in this war, more and more soldiers, both enemy and American, were losing their lives and losing their sanity."

"Yes, Susan, it was awful. It seemed like we were damned if we stayed and damned if we left. Presidents from both sides of the aisle, and there were five of them, were involved in this debacle.

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