Camp Pendleton scrapped for Saigon event

Orange County Register ^ | April 10, 2015 | Chris Haire

[kaehurowing]

A U.S. policy that would prohibit the use of South Vietnamese symbols on federal property has killed a commemoration ceremony at Camp Pendleton for the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.

[kaehurowing]

Another legacy of Obama, the fall of Saigon and the evacuation of South Vietnamese to Camp Pendleton canceled because of Obama policies kissing up to Vietnamese Communists.

Guess this pisses me off because I was there at Camp Pendleton as a Red Cross volunteer during the evacutions.

[tanuki]

If anyplace should commemorate the Fall, it should be Pendleton. Some of the images of refugees there were some of the most powerful legacies of that conflict.

[ConorMacNessa]

Thank you for your service, kaehurowing!

Among many lessons from the Vietnam War, there are two that stay with me.

We won every battle on the field, and we were kicking ass when I was medevacked out.

The righteousness of our cause was ratified by the thousands of "Boat People" who hazarded all to get out of that Communist hellhole after our abandonment of them.

Many perished in the sea, many were killed by the Commies, but many made it to the U.S., where they are now stalwart American citizens.

God Bless them all!

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces which guard my country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[BenLurkin]

WHAT U.S. policy that would prohibit the use of South Vietnamese symbols on federal property?

[BenLurkin]

Last week, organizers learned about a Defense Department policy prohibiting at federal facilities the flying of flags – or the singing of any national anthems – representing countries the United States does not recognize.

“Since 1995, the U.S. has normalized relations with Vietnam,” said Lt. Col. John Caldwell, spokesman for the United States Marines Corps based in Washington, “and formally recognizes this entity as the legitimate government of Vietnam.”

1995

[RedHeeler]

You what?

[elcid1970]

As a Vietnam vet, let me state that there is a HUGE difference between a “legal government” as an inescapable fact, and a “legitimate government” that represents the wishes of the people.

I get it, this Marine officer says what he is required to say. But the directive forbidding display on Federal property of national symbols of the Republic of Vietnam, for which 58,000 Americans and tens of thousands more of our South Vietnamese allies fought and died, is unconscionable.

This is a 1996 legacy of the draft dodger Bill Clinton & his equally conscience free successor Barack Obama. Screw them both!

[kaehurowing]

I would assume it must be an executive order.

[Riley]

Many perished in the sea, many were killed by the Commies, but many made it to the U.S., where they are now stalwart American citizens.

Guy I worked with came out as a baby with his parents. His dad was an LLDB guy. My friend, then a very small child, would make noise at the worst possible times when there were hiding during their escape.

His mother called him 'The Viet Cong baby'.

When I was in the Corps, we had a Vietnamese boat person in our company. Hard-charger.

[Jet Jaguar]

Veterans Ping.

[TADSLOS]

Thanks to McCain and Jon Kerry.

[BerryDingle]

the flying of flags – or the singing of any national anthems – representing countries the United States does not recognize.

So, if the U.S. doesn't recognize a flag, anthem or country; why would it forbid others who remember an event the U.S. no longer remembers?

[kaehurowing]

I wouldn’t call it service, I was just an 18 year old college kid in L.A. The Red Cross sent recruiters on to all the college campuses and asked for short term volunteers to help out dealing with the refugee crisis.

I mainly helped serve food in the temporary chow hall and helped move and pass out supplies and clothing. Everything was in big tents at the beginning. Most of the regular Vietnamese were very nice and polite, but frankly some of their “elite” who were treated differently and lived in a separate camp were total obnoxious jerks. They’d order everyone around, whether other Vietnamese, Red Cross volunteers, or Marines.

The worst part of it was when we were all gathered together getting instructions and then they announced that one of the Operation Baby Lift planes had just crashed and all the kids were killed. A lot of the women started crying.

[StoneWall Brigade]

Thanks for your service.

[stylin19a]

so, any Marine wearing this has to leave Pendleton ?