The Dragon's Tale Vol IX No 2

   Recently, Brig Gen Walker, the Assistant Division Commander/Maneuvers, sent back a large collection of small arms used by the Viet Cong and Viet Minh in the Republic of Vietnam. These weapons are for use and display at the 25th Infantry Division Jungle and Guerrilla Warfare Training Center (JGWTC). Integrating their use in the program of instruction is Captain David P. Williams, Company Commander of Company B and Officer in Charge of the Center.
   The weapons the general brought back serve as examples of the variety of weapons the Free World forces are up against in the war now going on in Asia. These weapons range from poison tipped arrows and sticks to 50 caliber machine guns.
   The weapons used by Viet Cong forces include some of the best front line weapons produced by Communist forces today. These weapons are made in Czechoslavakia, East Germany, Russia, Communist China, and some are made by the guerrillas themselves. Some of the weapons were captured from the French and from present day fighting forces.

   Eleven different weapons are organic to an average Viet Cong unit. The variety of weapons used by the Communist forces in Vietnam means that they can supply some of their weapons from almost any ammo they can get, but they have the distinct disadvantage of not being able to supply all their weapons easily from one or two types of ammunition. Most of the carbines and rifles have built-in bayonets. Some of their weapons are of poor quality with their ammo being much less reliable than ours.
   Many of the weapons produced by the Communist Bloc are designed to use our ammo, but so that we cannot use theirs. For example, the Communists have an 82mm mortar which will fire our rounds, but we cannot use their rounds in our 81mm mortars.
   Contrary to popular belief, both armies in Vietnam, the Viet Cong and the Viet Minh, are well led, and are well equipped with some of the best weapons now available. Coupled with fine small arms, the enemy has shown a superb ability to move heavy equipment, such as artillery, through the jungle, as illustrated at Dien Bien Phu.
   The United States Army must not underestimate the ability of the enemy to combine guerrilla tactics and excellent equipment made by the Sino-Soviet Bloc in making them a very formidable force. Neither must the enemy be overestimated and thought of as a perfectly camouflaged and invincible enemy. It is going to take a while, but the soldiers of the Free World have shown that they can meet and beat the best that the “Commies” have thrown against them in Korea and now in Vietnam.
   Captain Williams, in charge of the Jungle and Guerrilla Warfare Training Center, is a former Special Forces officer and recently attended the British Jungle Warfare School and British Far East Parachute School in Johore, Beru, and Singapore, Malaysia. Presented were Communist tactics used during the Malayan emergency. Many of these tactics are still applicable to the war in Vietnam.

C H A P L A I N ' S   N O T E S

           THOUGHT FOR THE NEW YEAR
         "Be diligent" - II Peter 3:14

   Another year has nearly passed – a new year dawns on the horizon. We are in the position to look backward and draw valuable lessons from the past and use these lessons to make the coming year better. However, we need to realize that we cannot live in the past, but we can use the past on which to build better lives for the future.
   In any case, the path of duty does not lead to the past but to the future – and the path of duty lies ahead beckoning us onward. What will the fulfilling of these duties mean?
   If the road of duty is hard, we ought to remember how miserable we should be if no duties were there to challenge us. Without duties to command our loyalties we should be lost in a trackless wilderness. A man without duty to command his best would be like a ship without an anchor to hold him or a rudder to guide him in a storm. With no duties to give direction, the house of character would disintegrate, and he would be homeless – lost.
   Duty, call it what you will – “Starn daughter of the voice of God” – is one of God’s most precious gifts.
   Happiness – lies along the path of duty – it is the precious pavement received for a job well done. Satisfaction comes with we do our duty, not with a groan, but with a cheer.
   Doing our duty means a year well used – a life well spent.

WILLIAM I. JORDAN
Chaplain (Major) USA
1st Brigade

L-3 CHAPEL

Sunday Worship

Protestant
   0900 – Worship
   1000 – Worship

Roman Catholic
   1100 – Mass
   1200 – Mass
   1715 – Mass

I have only just a minute
Only sixty seconds in it,
Forced upon me, Can’t refuse it
Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it,
But it’s up to me to use it,
I must suffer if I lose it,
Give account if I abuse it,
It is only just a minute,
But eternity is in it.

   For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
   John 3:16

At 1330 hours on 22 January the first of several bus loads of replacements just graduated from Advanced Infantry Training entered Quad E and the First Brigade. In their winter greens they were less than comfortable, but their appearance was sharp.
After being separated into groups according to the Companies they would be tentatively assigned to for billeting and chow, the new men formed up for a welcoming speech by Col. Shultz. Col. Shultz welcomed the men and complimented them on their fine appearance and said that they reflected credit on their past training. He reviewed the Battalion’s recent history in regard to our present situation, and then went on to outline Battalion training goals.

Sergeant/Major briefs new men.

Bus load of replacements enters Quad E.

   “We must learn to shoot, move, and communicate as a team in order to achieve combat readiness. We have a good, seasoned nucleus to fit you men into. We think that we will follow the Second and Third Brigades to Vietnam in the not too distant future.”
   Col. Shultz emphasized the mission of the United States Armed Forces in Vietnam as being two-fold. The one mission is to kill Viet Cong, but more important is to win the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people.
   Sergeant Major Szafranski then took over and made necessary administrative announcements as he welcomed the new men. He explained the procedures that would be necessary for them to follow for the few days of processing before they would be solidly settled in their new units. Following the orientation the men had chow and were given time to relax and stretch their legs before processing and training began in earnest.

   With the arrival of 310 impressive looking replacements over this last weekend, the battalion has returned to full strength and within two weeks will commence an intensified unit training program. As we know, our training must prepare us for deployment to Vietnam. The other Infantry battalions of this division have gone there and we are seeing pictures of their activities in the newspapers almost every day.
   As I stated to the replacements on Saturday afternoon, the objectives of our training program can be spelled out simply with these four words:
   SHOOT
      MOVE
         COMMUNICATE
            SURVIVE
   There is a wealth of planning behind these four active verbs. They condense thousands of man hours of hard training and hundreds of skills and battle reflexes into a neat slogan, I want you to understand the significance and the importance of each of these words. An understanding will help you to take AIM at something definite in your training.
   SHOOT * to hit, to kill, to keep the enemy down and to let us move and maneuver.
   MOVE * using cover and concealment to get in a better position to destroy the enemy, to crowd him into the killing zone. MOVE avoiding trails, their ambush spots, mines and booby traps.
   COMMUNICATE * Have effective hand and arm signals that give instant teamwork whether moving by stealth (where sound cannot be used) or in the thunder of battle (where sound cannot be heard). Know each other and your leaders; MOVE and SHOOT as a beautifully coordinated team.
   SURVIVE * Live to fight; maintain to live. Live by defeating heat, malaria, dysentery; take your salt pills and eat with clean hands. Live by maintaining: Your weapon so that it always shoots; Your feet, Your boots, Your Vehicle so that they always MOVE. Live by self-discipline, by staying awake, by being alert, by THINKING on the move or at the halt, by taking the initiative to prod yourself and your buddies so that your unit has SECURITY to the front, flanks and rear at all times.
   These four key words have deep meaning, and we have only scratched the surface of their meaning. Our training program is designed to dig out the full meaning. Your leaders will show you where to dig; you must do the digging.

J. M. SHULTZ
Lt Col, Infantry
CO, Battle Dragons

C H A O   O N G

   The Battalion will begin a Vietnamese language course 1 February 1966. Your commanders are now considering candidates to attend. The classes will be conducted from 1600 hrs to 1650 hrs Monday through Friday. Where possible, students will have their lunch at the same mess hall to afford practice speaking with the instructor and Vietnamese speaking guest. In conjunction with the battalion language school there will be placards with Vietnamese words posted in each unit and the Battalion Headquarters building. These signs will be rotated weekly. Students enrolled in the Vietnamese language course will assist you in pronunciation and recognition. These signs will “spell” the words in Vietnamese and tell you how to pronounce them phonetically. The meaning of each word will be indicated also. This will give you a start in being exposed to the language of Vietnam before you arrive. The Vietnamese words will be categorized into five types:
   a. Necessities
   b. Directions
   c. Military Terms
   d. Courtesies
   e. Miscellaneous
   Your attention and efforts to achieve word recognition will help you when you arrive in the Country. Look at it. Try it. Remember it and use it in a joke or in every day conversation.

INTELLIGENCE TRAINING

   Everyone must realize the importance of good intelligence in combat. Good intelligence is gained by thorough and adequate pre-combat training. Therefore we must train properly now.
   The commander is responsible for intelligence. This means that each Infantry “Green Tab” leader must know and pass on all intelligence information – up, down, and laterally. Additionally, every soldier has a responsibility for recording and reporting intelligence. We fear what we don’t know or understand. That’s why you want to know and remember:
   a. WHO your enemy is.
   b. WHERE your enemy is.
   c. WHAT your enemy is.
   d. WHEN you saw your enemy.
   e. WHAT enemy was doing when you observed him.
   If we learn to OBSERVE and REPORT properly all intelligence information our organization will have more information and will be able to conduct actions having all the facts available.
   SECURITY
      INTELLIGENCE

PETER KAMA
Capt, Infantry
S-2

   Many of you have joined the Golden Dragon Chapter and now you are wondering exactly what you have paid your dues to support. Others of you will join in the future, and you will want to know just what you are joining.
   The 2/14th Golden Dragon chapter is a subsidiary of the 25th Infantry Division Chapter. The purpose of the Golden Dragon Chapter is to uphold the proud traditions and accomplishments of the 14th Infantry and to support it in enhancing the friendly spirit of fellowship and spirit de corps among “Golden Dragons” both past and present.
   The annual active membership fee is one dollar and is divided up with fifty cents going to the 25th Infantry Association in Arlington, Virginia, and the remaining fifty cents going to the Golden Dragon Chapter. Golden Dragon funds may be used, following approval by the fund council, to support special military and athletic trophies; achievement plaques; special items or supplies not available through normal supply channels, such as crests and Christmas ornaments; and other worthwhile projects which enhance the spirit de corps of the Chapter members.
   Any person who is serving honorably in the 2nd Bn, 14th Infantry at the time of his application is eligible for membership in the Chapter. Also, any person who has served honorably in the 14th Infantry and agrees to accept the by-laws is eligible for membership in the Chapter.
   The fund council of the Golden Dragon Chapter is comprised of one member in good standing from each company and is elected by the members of that unit. The duties of the fund council are to act on recommended expenditures of funds and other Chapter business as presented by the Executive Council.
   The Executive Council is made up of the elected officers of the Chapter, the Battalion Commander, the Battalion Executive Officer, and the Sergeant Major. Their duties are to insure that the Chapter is managed so that it achieves its stated purpose of promoting good will and boosting morale.
   Any suggestions of activities that members would like to see the Chapter participate in, supervise, or sponsor should be sent to the Adjutant and he will bring them before the appropriate council. Any sound suggestions for improving the Chapter will be given careful consideration. If you have any questions you would like answered concerning the Chapter, simply go to your Company’s council representative and he will find the answer.

BRAVO

BOGEY BRAVO
   Christmas came and went – and so did most of our company (We still have the guidon).
   We welcome all the new troopers and are aware of all sorts of available new talent – only big brother is trying to steal them – HELP!
   Along with the new enlisted men, we greet our new officers. We give a hearty “Aloha” to 1st Lt. Gary Friend, 1st Lt. James Muir, and 2nd Lt. Stanley Yates.

CHARLIE

CHARGING CHARLIE
   Company C welcomes ninety new men to our company. These men arrived from CONUS on 22 January 1966, and we are sure that they will bring Charlie back to its usual excellent status of strength and quality.
   Congratulations are specially in order for Harold R. Smith on his promotion from Specialist Fourth Class to Specialist Fifth Class. Also on the congratulations list are the SP4s recently promoted from PFC. They are Daniel J. O’Mara, Franklin A. Hacker, Carl E. Tolley, and Michael E. Cubbage.
   Congratulations, Men!

WHAT PRICE FREEDOM?

   From that first freezing winter at Valley Forge, through the mud-filled trenches of World War I, to the steaming jungles of Vietnam, Americans have fought and paid the price for Freedom. Freedom itself is not free. It costs. It costs dearly.
   Since the first flag waved over our nation as a symbol of rebellion against tyranny and the first American gave his life for this country, Freedom has been the foundation of our way of life.
   Americans throughout history have argued the value of Freedom. A dollar? A hundred? One life? A thousand? Yet one thing on which they all agree is that FREEDOM IS WORTH DEFENDING! Our rights as Americans, forged by our forefathers for the present and tempered by us for the future, the rights we inherited by birth, are WORTH DEFENDING!
   To keep Freedom, like anything worth while, requires personal sacrifices. Only through self-discipline, whether on the battle field or in garrison, can our way of life be preserved.
   What price Freedom? The price of fulfilling a duty which we, as Americans, inherited. The price of fulfilling the debt we owe our fathers for our Freedom, and the obligation we owe to our sons in securing theirs.
   PFC Vernon Shibla

   Red China’s plans for expanding world communism were revealed by Deputy Defense Secretary Cyrus R. Vance of the National Security Industrial Association dinner in Washington, D.C.
   Secretary Vance referred to a political document by Red China’s Vice Premier Lin Piao. Peking’s doctrine, as outlined by Lin, calls for the seizure of power by armed force and the settlement of issues by war, the Secretary said.
   Targets, describes by Lin as “rural areas of the world,” were identified as Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The Peking plan calls for “wars of national liberation” to surround, encircle, and overwhelm the United States, Secretary Vance said.
   The current conflict in Vietnam is regarded by Red China as the “focus” of the revolutionary movement against the United States, the Secretary explained.
   “The Governments of (the Republic of) Vietnam and the United States will not be defeated by Communist aggression from the North,” Secretary Vance said. “We will continue our support of the people of the Republic of Vietnam until a just and reasonable settlement is reached.”
   Army Chief of Staff General Harold K. Johnson made a similar statement, saying that persistence will bring success. US officials have also voiced “cautious optimism” that the United States will succeed in its commitment to the RVN.
   The secretary reemphasized that abandonment of the US commitment to the RVN would result in increased unrest and instability, and even wider war.

   A guest checking out of a hotel asked the bellboy what was the average tip for a two-week stay.
   The bellboy said $20.00 and the patron handed over that amount.
   “Sir,” said the grateful hop, “You are the only guest who has come up to the average in the last two years.”

Any young fellow who wants to become the strong, silent type of man should start by taking muscle-building course and then get married.

Sunday school teacher:
”Where does the Good Lord live?”
Four-year-old: “In our bathroom.”
Teacher: “What makes you think so, Johnny?”
Johnny: “Because every morning my father stands at the bathroom door and yells: “Good Lord, are you still in there?”

Young son to mother – “Remember yesterday you gave me a nickel not to say darn any more? Well today I learned a word worth at least a dollar.”