CIDG Camp - Vinh Thanh, May 1966
Back of photo - Pencil notes (all cap) added later.Here's what I remember. Shortly after being promoted to sergeant I spent a week home on leave. After dinner my father and I smoked cigars and for the first time he told me about Operation Crazy Horse. He started the conversation with, "Never use men like they were office supplies."
Wow. What a great thing to say. People are not fungible, not easy to do LIFO or FIFO with them.
ReplyDeleteHands down best blog on the web.
ReplyDeleteFrom an old song:
ReplyDelete"Those were the days my friend..."
"We thought they'd never end...."
Well, they did, at great cost and not to our advantage. But the days haven't ended to our advantage since WWII.
And whose fault is that? Ours!
We have the vote and if we waste it on piss-poor politicians, we have nobody else to blame.
RE: LPC Lady Comment.
ReplyDeleteYou got it right. But there are three inventory acronyms. LIFO (Last in, first out), FIFO (First in, first out)
and -- FISH (First in and still here).
We are now in the FISH category.
Over 10 years with no end in sight in the middle east.
We haven't had a real "Leader" since just after WW II with Truman and Eisenhower. I sure wish we had true leaders of that caliber now.
Your dad's quote, "Never use men like they were office supplies" is powerful and can be used far beyond the theater of war.
ReplyDelete"Never use men like they were office supplies"
ReplyDeleteThat is what happened when the Personnel Department became Human Resources.
So cool it hurts. Thank your Dad for his service.
ReplyDelete