Posted on 08/13/2007 4:16:58 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232
If AlGore had invented the Internet prior to 1971 I think my Mother would have been an active bloger. She might have been a Freeper.
The following are a couple of excerpts from an agenda type of calendar my Mother kept for the year 1971.
First, I must set up the situation in which she was chronicling her daily activities and thoughts. I will try my best to keep this short, but to understand her comments you have to have know the background.
My father was a career Marine, Master Gunnery Sgt. (E-9), 25 years. He retired in 1963 because he was offered a job with the U.S. State Dept. The job was in Laos (USAID). To make it simple to understand, he and a small number of retired military men were recruited by State to supply the Royal Laotian Army and Air Force with every item an armed force in wartime could need, there is a political reason why civilians were needed, I wont go into it here.
Remember her comments are from 1971, she had been in Laos for 7 years in a small town called Savannahakhet. Her daily notes (blog) are mostly about her daily activities but some of her comments could be applied to today’s situation in Iraq. Here we go!
I will start with some basic every day comments the news came to her over a short wave radio (Armed Forces Radio, VOA and BBC)
Jan 31 1971 Sun: Will be listening to Apollo 14 trip tomorrow
Feb 2 1971 Tue: Moon flight for Apollo 14. About 4 am here Shephard-Mitchel-Roosa
Feb 4 1971 Thur: CBS News Team in town (Savannakhet) to see area where South Vietnamese troops are. They talked with Gen. Namphet out Dong Hene way. Why do reporters feel everybody must be informed before events take place? This is war that they want to broadcast … not a football game! What ever happened to the old “a slip of the lip can sink a ship”? Why give the Viet Cong all the details of … what – how many – and where?
Feb 10 1971 Wed: 3:45 am Up to hear the splash down. This in the area of Samoa – 6 hrs time difference. 4:05am – 900 miles south of Samoa. 10 miles from International Date Line. U.S.S. New Orleans – recovery vessel – on target! Heard “Jets” this am before I was up! Wonder what they finding for targets over Ho Chi Mien Trail? For a few nights they have not been coming over!
So tired of listening to the views of Senators about the soldiers over here in S. Vietnam! They not only want to limit the activity … they want a date announced for all the troops to be out! To much politics going on – no war is won this way! Should get out – the “war” is hogtied – never win – we can sit in U.S. and watch half the world close its doors! And wait until they come to us!
Feb 23 1971 Tue: Beginning to get hot! Keep hearing the song – “Knock Three Times” on radio on FM from NKP base in Thailand north of us, AFRT.
Mar 1 1971 Mon: No mail. Heard news tonight – Capitol Building Bombed! Because of Laos fighting. What kind of thinking – to oppose with violence such as this!
I just wanted to share a little of her thoughts from 36 years ago. When I get time I think I will post her 1971 thoughts on my about page. The whole year.
I don’t know if you recall but CBS located a previously unpublicized U.S. air base in Laos some time around this period and broadcast its existence all over the world.
Thanks for sharing! Some things never change.
I was in the northern part of South Vietnam but never in Laos. I went to my high school reunion and was surprised when a couple who I graduated with told me they had visited Laos as tourists a few years ago.
Thanks for your memories.
Mr. Church. Mr. President, on February 16, 1971, the CBS television network presented a new special entitled “The Changing War in Indochina: The Widening War in Laos and Cambodia.” This program was one of the most comprehensive and objective accounts of the war in Indochina that the media has produced. I ask unanimous consent that thetranscript of the program be printed in the Record.
The following is the last few paragraphs of that transcript
Three hundred U.S. helicopter, just for starters are being used for the Laos attack. The entire projected South Vietnamese helicopter fleet is five hundred. And they will have little, if any, long-range fighter or bomber capability.
snip
Like all operations designed to buy time, the success of the ones in Laos and Cambodia will ultimately depend on how the time bought will be used. And that means within South Vietnam. What is happening there is the second part of our report. Next Sunday at this same time I’ll report on the situation in South Vietnam today – military, economic, political.
This is Charles Collingwood. Good night.
This has been a CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT ….
On March 1, 1971 my mother reported hearing the Capitol Building had been bombed.
Feb. 26, 1971: House is shaking from the bombing on the border. Windows really rattling.
Mar. 3, 1971: Flow of North Vietnamese supplies cut in half by South Viet. drive over the border into Laos. About 40 helicopters lost or damaged.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.