OpinionNovember 9, 2016

To the Editor, Here's a post from my Uncle Alvin H. Watkins that he wrote last night. I copied it just the way it was written. Thought you might like to share with the People from Caruthersville. Best Regards, David James Burnett A message from my Uncle - Lt. Colonel Alvin H. Watkins, Retired...

To the Editor,

Here's a post from my Uncle Alvin H. Watkins that he wrote last night. I copied it just the way it was written. Thought you might like to share with the People from Caruthersville.

Best Regards,

David James Burnett

A message from my Uncle - Lt. Colonel Alvin H. Watkins, Retired

I received a thought provoking email today from a dear friend. The subject of the email was "Do you still think of Viet- nam". He attached a re- sponse written by Kerry "Doc" Pardue. He pointed out that it was with him every day but he has learned to live with it. I won't quote it here except to say he hurts for those who could not comfortably live with it. I certainly un- derstand and sympathize as well.

As for me, I have found my own ways to deal with it.YouseeIwasoneofthe lucky ones. I was a helicop- ter pilot. Although I saw my share or more than my share of carnage. I was well prepared. My orders stated that I was transferred to Vietnam "with a delay in route" to attend helicopter flight school.

I come from a family that produced soldiers from every generation sincetheFrenchandIn- dian war. I began my mili- tary service on November 30th 1960, joining the Na- tional Guard. I entered ac- tive duty on July 23rd 1061, a few weeks after graduat- ing from High School.

After basic training I was trained to be a clerk typist for the Missouri National Guard. I decided to join the regular Army and was trained as a Morse inter- cept operator in the Army Security Agency (ASA). I was assigned to the 303rd ASA Battalion in Camp Walters, TX. The primary helicopter flight school was also located there.

Over the next couple of months I entertained the idea of going to flight school but along came the Cuban Missile Crisis. My unit was deployed to Homestead AFB to inter- cept Cuban military com- munications. I was there a couple of months while that was resolved. Upon my return to Camp Walters it was a bit boring com- pared to the previous months.

At the morning forma- tion there was an an- nouncement that the Army needed Cryptographic Equipment Repairmen. An EL (electronic aptitude) score => 110 could apply. I hadascoreof127sooffI went to Fort Monmouth, NJ. I was there when Presi- dent Kennedy was assassi- nated. After graduation I was sent to Okinawa. I was on Okinawa when Hanoi was bombed for the first

time. A classmate of mine was sent to Saigon. We communicated every night when we changed over the encrypt code setup so I be- came very much aware of the expanding was in Viet- nam. The 197th Airborne Infantry brigade, the 1st Marine Division and the 10th Special Forces Group were very quickly deployed to Vietnam. There was also a major expansion of the Military with a concurrent need to expand the Officer Corp. Everyone with a GT (general technical aptitude test) score were encour- aged to apply. At the time the waiting time for an Of- ficer Candidate School ( OCS )slot was 18 months and I had about 18 months left on my Okinawa assign- ment so the timing was perfect.

I applied on October 1, 1965, I went before the board on the 26th of Octo- ber ( my 22nd birthday). I received my orders imme- diately to depart Okinawa November 14. I was mar- ried at the time and had two sons. I had to pack up my family and sell my car inoneweek.Ihada30day leave enroute and reported to Signal Corps OCS on De- cember 14th. While in OCS there was an urgent call for helicopter pilots for Viet- nam.

I passed the physical and scored high enough on the Officer Rotary Wing Aviator Qualifi-

cation (ORWAQ) test.

I passed and was selected for pilot train-ing (along with many HUN-DREDS of oth-ers). I was c commissioned on May 26, 1966. I was a TAC Officer for class 02/67 and later became the executive officer of the Signal Officer Student Com-pany. In April 1967 my start date for flight school finally arrived.

On May 1967 I was pro-moted to 1st Lieutenant. Throughout flight we all kept close tabs on what was happening in Vietnam. Based upon the main stream media (MSM) coverage we were all con- vinced that we would be flying 18 hours a day, being shot at every day and be hauling wounded or dead soldiers constantly. I grad- uated in December and ar- rived in Vietnam January 10th 1968. Several helicop- ters were shot down that day, including my friend Duke Robnett whose back was broken in one of them. I had a 10 day orientation and began flying missions January 24th. TET of 1968 began on January 30th. For the next couple of months we were 10- 18 hours a day

an being shot at almost every day just as we had ex- pected when we were in flight school. Compared to those two months, there- after we felt very fortunate that the war had been won and all that was left was mopping up.

We still flew long hours but were shot at far less and did not haul many dead or wounded. From Vietnam I came home on leave for 30 days. There wasnoonetomeetmein SAN Francisco I changed planes to go to Memphis. When I left the plane in Memphis, TN. I was met by my wife and children. For the next thirty days I was subjected to the MSM bombarding me with a steady stream of protesters spitting on soldiers, riots, draft dodgers, total distor- tion of the Vietnam war and endless criticism and disgust for anyone wearing a uniform.

I was so happy to leave for Germany to escape and I was again blessed to be sent to Korea from Ger- many. Except for the two miserable 30 day leaves I had to spend in the states. The horror that stinks with me is the treatment of the Vietnam veterans.

I DO NOT BLAME THE VETERANS OF TODAY OR THE WELL MEANING PEOPLE THAT SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!

Watkins

However, every time I hear it or see the treatment of our pre and post Viet- nam veterans I am re- minded almost every day of the treatment we re- ceived then AND the treat- ment we are still receiving. for example It took TWO YEARS for the VA just to ac- knowledge that I was sub- jected to Agent Orange. The WWII and Korea veter- ans are revered, the Middle East veteran are revered while it seems we are sim- ply tolerated. I know for sure that is not the case with my family and friends and the vast majority of the general public but I cannot keep from being reminded constantly of why I am bit- ter.

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