In late 1963 I was hired as Office Manager for Raymond Intl. in So. Vietnam. The French left and the U.S.

took over and the U.S. awarded a cost plus contract to RMK-BRJ ($2 billion -- approx. $15 billion today).

There were85,000 American troops and RMK-BRJemployed 8,000 American civilians and 51,000 Vietnamese workers.The war in So. Vietnam was never declared because President Nixon vetoed thePowers Resolution which was passedby both the House of Representatives and Senate. The U.S. failed and withdrewfrom So. Vietnam10 years later.

Some of the American employees were housedat the Majestic Hotel in downtown Saigon. We had our meals

on the top floor which overlooked the river. While having dinner we witnessed U.S. planes flying over the river

area and dropping fire bombs over Vietcong troops.

Vietcong agents often visited the open area in front of the Majestic Hotel where you could eat, drink and smoke.

The Parliamentand other government offices were also there. On various occasions the Vietcong would bomb variorious buildings, killing many people inthe area.

When RMK-BRJ arrived in So. Vietnam there were no mortuaries. The bodies of soldiers killed in action were

rubbed withVics vaporub,placed in black plasticbags and stacked near the runways of Tan Son Nhut Airbase

near Saigon until they could be transported to theU.S..

Saigonwas the center for prostitution, opium, marijuana andother narcotics.Whenever soldiers had R&R, they

came to Saigon. The prostitutes welcomed them with open arms, choosing married men first. When the soldiers passed out because of drugs and liquor, they would rob them and remove theirwedding ring. If the ring would not come off, they would cut the finger off and leave.

It should be noted thatthis war should be named the Narcotics War. When they returned to the U.S., they were

not welcomed. It took years for Congress to approve various financial, medical and other benefitsthat were normally given to veterans.Being unwanted, unemployed, having no medical benefitsand suffering from mental and psychological ailments,the veterans turned to various narcotics for relief.This was the time when our soldiers began

the use of drugs to ease the stress of the battles they endured. In the meantime drugs abounded throughout the U.S. andelsewhere.

President Trump and the present administration are having many problems.

What have they learned from our pastmistakes?

Are you voting?If not, you cannot complain about the results.

SaadAssad

Ashtabula

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Looking back at the drug war | Letters To The Editor | starbeacon.com - The Star Beacon