Although Vietnam veterans who have returned to
Vietnam over the past twenty years have vociferously dismissed the
hundreds of dogtag findings as bogus, two publicity seeking
individuals cruising the peddler stalls of Vietnam street merchants
appear to have convinced the local Associated Press staff in Ho Chi
Minh City (Saigon) to report their so-called "discovery" as genuine.
We can now expect no fewer than a fifty-eight thousand new "dogtag
findings" to suddenly occur in Vietnam. Will the Vietnamese scoundrels
never cease their endeavors to make an American buck?
No way, Jose! Nothing has changed since the war began for America in
1954 or ended in 1975. As P.T. Barnum once said, "A sucker is born
every minute." Sadly, for the families of our Vietnam killed in action
and MIAs desperately seeking any 'connect' with a lost loved one,
representatives of the American press have now validated the
Vietnamese sucker "dogtag" industry. Now that the dogtag scam has been
implanted on headlines in small town newspapers and featured as 'Top
Stories' by cable news stations (who will buy anything), we can soon
expect to hear reports of newly found unmailed "letters" written by
our dead and missing... or decayed parts of boots or clothing still
bearing their scribbled felt-markered names... to hit the Associated
Press newsstand.
My recommedation: No matter which State in our Wondrous Union you come
from, consider yourself to be a resident of Harry S. Truman's home
State... if someone reports they are in possession of your dogtags, or
those of a buddy who died there, say to them: "I'm from Missouri.
You're gonna have to Show Me some proof!"
Phill Coleman,
1st Signal Brigade, Vietnam, 1969-70
http://members.aol.com/philliprcoleman/pcole.htm
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Brooke Rowe
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com