If you haven't read this post yet please read it before continuing. While you're at it read this Intellectual Conservative review. I'll wait.

... Back? Good.

Lest anyone be surprised at the number of OWD posts you're going to see on this subject in the coming days and weeks, a couple of relevant facts:

1) All four Founding Dogs are Viet Nam combat veterans. I'm the only one of the four who's never been under direct fire. (I did dodge enough "Chinese fireworks" to last me a lifetime but I didn't die.) We got to know each other due to our shared hatred for John Kerry, whom we've never forgiven, nor will we, for returning from a brief visit to Nam to launch a political career based on slandering our troops.

2). Of the remaining Dogs, four more are also Viet Nam veterans, as are some others who stay in touch but haven't accepted keys to the site yet. 

To put it simply using terms I picked up from Del "This book is about what we're about." There's nothing this Old Dog would like more than to see a copy of Del's book on every bookshelf in America. I'll do my best to make that happen. The day I win the lottery I'll buy enough copies to go around.

Keith, Barry, Scotty, this one's for you. And yes, Barry, I'm still embarrassed. I'm here and you're not. I haven't forgotten. Sgt Vanh, Lt Minh, Xuan, Kiemoi, I try not to even wonder what happened to you, but it doesn't always work.

Del's made it about as easy as a man can to get copies of his book. The "list" price is $9.95, but you can order it by mail for $8.00, S&H included, discounted as low as $5.50 if you buy enough copies. (Email Del for details.) For schools and bookstores it's $5.00. For teachers, libraries, USOs and Vet Centers it's free, as in $0.00. (Damn it, Del, at that rate you're going to make about as much money off your book as we make off this blog!)

Del's promised me code for a PayPal button but in the mean time to get your copy you'll need to email him (techconsultserv@juno.com) for his address and mail him a check.

I have a copy of Whitewash/Blackwash on the way, as do George Mellinger and John Werntz. Watch for the reviews. Watch for me to remind you about the book every few days just because I feel like it.

A question for the Dogs: Who's going to do the first post pointing out all the parallels between the way the MSM misreported the Viet Nam war and the way they're continuing down the same path today? Just askin'. ... At least back then they didn't have Fauxtoshop.

UPDATE

Those of you who prefer to save time by paying electronically may do so using the button below. It's programmed with a fixed price of $9.95 but it's the best I can do for now. To get the "direct mail" price or any of the discounts mentioned above you'll still need to email Del and send him a check.

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 28, 2006 at 10:23 PM in Bill Faith, R J Del Vecchio, The American Warrior, Whitewash/Blackwash | Permalink

Comments

Posted by: Skul

And there are dip-wads out there that CANNOT understand why I wouldn't give kerry the sweat off my nut-sack if he was dying of thirst. Stinking traitor, PERIOD!!

Posted by: Skul | Aug 30, 2006 4:34:47 PM

Posted by: Jim Bartimus

Ditto on the above comment Skul. There was a lot more to Vietnam than was portrayed by the left wing radicals hiding behind their newspapers and TV sets. It makes me ill knowing that the scumbag Kerry actually made it into politics on the backs of those that truly fought for a good cause. That dick wad is directly responsible for the deaths of many of my Vietnamese friends. To think that the pompous fool was close to being CIC makes me cringe.

Posted by: Jim Bartimus | Sep 4, 2006 2:09:35 AM

Posted by: Jim Bright Jr.

I decided several years ago to stop trying to educate the ignorant and brain washed. I found it to be a waste of good air. If I am asked about my service in viet-nam, I give only the information the individual needs to know. It took me 10 years to come to grips with it. Last christmas my son and daughter-in-law gave me a beautiful scrapbook of my military career. It allowed me to include notes to make it a book of rememberance to pass on to my grandchildren. Welcome Home Guys.

Posted by: Jim Bright Jr. | Jan 21, 2007 4:48:35 PM

Posted by: Dewey Beck

Mr. Bright,
I share your disdain in explaining service in Vietnam. It has been more than 40 yrs. since I stepped off the yellow Braniff DC-8 into the warm humid air of Siagon. If you've come to grips with the experience then I'm proud for you. I'm not sure I ever have, I'm conflicted to this day. Mostly I don't think about it. My father was a career Air Force officer and pilot. Patriotism was learned at an early age in his household. I strongly believed I had a duty to perform honorable service for my country. Honor is the key word here. Most of us performed honorable service, 59,000 performed it to the death. It was our countrymen that dishonored us. I have been conflicted only about that and my distrust of the general public's mood swings. While only a few sneered and jabbed at us, the majority remained silent or snickered at our discomfort, offering little in support and little appreication for our efforts. It is impossible to express in words the effect our homecomming had on us. All of that I shove in a closet in my mind and don't waste time trying to sort out. I know others who do the same thing. While some 3 millon served in Vietnam in the 10 plus years we were there, only a few hundred thousand are bearing the current burden of repetative service in an unpopular war. My heart goes out to the young men and women who are giving faithful and honorable service for a largely indifferent American public. What I find curious is that of all the vets I know, they all say they would do it all again, even knowing the lack of support we'd get. It's an HONOR thing, isn't it?

Posted by: Dewey Beck | Nov 20, 2007 11:39:40 AM

Posted by: Janet Thompson

I for one make it a point to Shake the hand and Thank every Vietnam Vet that I meet

I was 7 thru 15 years old , I think when the war was going on

At any rate, I had enough sense to figure out that you men and women went thru hell, for in reality we now know, was really a war to see who controlled the drug trade

Only to come back and be told to go to hell

Forgive them- Forgive us

Live Life,,from within yourselves

PEACE IN

Posted by: Janet Thompson | Sep 7, 2008 5:00:56 PM

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"In my mailbox this afternoon: Whitewash/Blackwash: Myths of the Viet Nam War " from Old War Dogs
See my previous post here to understand how much that title means to me. I don't have a really good place to sit and read dead-tree stuff -- my back and my eyes both give me fits after a while [Read More]

Tracked on Aug 29, 2006 10:15:14 PM