[Note: the following "orders" sometimes were presented to "shortimers"
who were
about to return back to the good old USA during 1970-71 when their
DEROS (date
of estimated return from overseas service) at long last signaled the
end of their duties
in the war.]
_____________________________________________________________
HEADQUARTERS
1ST BATTALION 6TH INFANTRY
APO SF 96374
1. Issued in solemn warning this______day of ____19__ to the friends,
neighbors,
relatives end acquaintances of _____________________________________.
2. ____________________, having completed a tour of duty in the Far
East, has
been permitted to return to the United States for rehabilitation.
You must keep in
mind that your son, husband, brother, cousin, uncle, nephew, father,
lover (cross out
inapplicable words) in probability has been subject to severe psychological
traumas.
You should consider it your solemn duty to assist in his rehabilitation
in every
possible way. Aside from the most obvious measures of bestowing affection
in
inordinate quantities, there are certain other measures that can be
taken to facilitate
readjustment and prevent relapse of ASIATICUS FANATICUS.
3. Very soon the above mentioned person will be in your midst, DE-
AMERICANIZED, demoralized, demobilized, dehydrated, irregular, irrational
and
irresponsible, ready to take his place once again as a human being;
engaging in life,
liberty, and the somewhat belated pursuit of happiness. In making
your joyous
preparations to welcome him back into society, you must make a few
allowances for
the very crude and overbearing environment which has been his home
for the past
year.
4. To assist you in your efforts, Inclosure 1 is attached.
C. U. FOREVER
PFCIC CIV
REHABILITATION
DISTRIBUTION:
2 - Chief of Police
1 - Local Newspaper
1 - President of Local Chapter Alcoholics Anonymous
1 - Family, Friends, and Relatives
1 - All Local Taverns
US Form 5 -This form supersedes all previous editions and is for the
exclusive use
of shortimers. THIS FORM WILL NOT BE USED BY "LIFERS”.
__________________________________________________________________
[Inclosure 1 set forth below was attached to the so-called "US Form 5"]
1. Unusual behavior may be as follows.
a. He may be somewhat Asiatic, suffering from advanced
stages of Vietcongitis,
flack jacket slump and sandbags under the eyes, and must
be handled with
extreme care.
b. Scorning civilized dress and walking about semi-nude or nude.
c. Thousand yard stare in a ten foot room.
d. Insist on building a machine gun bunker in the front yard.
e. He may attempt to recruit the young men of the neighborhood
for he following
organized athletic events: foxhole digging, sandbag filling,
night reconnaissance
patrol, stealing strategic materials from the local organizations,
setting up a
perimeter guard., practice planting bombs in the family
car, and installing an
alarm system.
f. He will at times walk around fully armed and expect others to do the same.
g. He Will prefer to squat rather than sit in a chair,
pad around the house in
thong sandels and a towel, slyly offer to sell cigarettes
to the postman (for a
profit of course) , shun cold drinks or tip a bottle up
to see if the cap will burn off
from acid, pick suspiciously at his food as if you were
going to poison him, and
gripe because the butter is hard instead of soft and runny.
h. He will try to buy everything at half price, accuse
the grocer of being a thief,
and refuse to enter a strangers house without a grenade
and a fire team to
cover him.
i. He will complain about sleeping on a sort mattress with
a pillow, but be
tolerant. Just throw an old raincoat into the yard
where the mosquitoes are the
heaviest, and he will be happy.
j . He will seem extremely uncivilized at the dinner table.
To limit his profanity at
the dinner table, place everything in front of him (salt,
bread, sugar, pepper,
etc.) With a little luck, his profanity will decrease
enough to permit him to
associate with mixed. groups, and not long afterwards
he should be speaking as
well as ever .
2. For the first few months (until he is house broken) be especially
watchful when he
is in the presence of women: particularly young and beautiful specimens.
His first
reaction upon meeting one will be to: stare, pant, slobber or faint,
depending upon
his capacity for shock. A steel leash is recommended. Below
are listed some DO’S
and DON'TS.
a. Don't mention anything about going to the beach or on an over-night
camping
trip .
b. Don't serve canned foods, recombined milk, instant coffee,
other dehydrated
foods. This may result in a wild rage.
c. Make no flattering remarks about the exotic South
East, and avoid
mentioning the benefits of overseas duty, such as seasonal weather
(typhoons,
sandstorms, monsoons) lavish beaches, and beautiful resort
areas such as Phu
Bai, Da Nang, Chu Lai, Quin Nhon, and Cam Rahn Bay.
d. Never mention the word re-up , as he might go insane
upon hearing it.
Never make remarks about how nice he must have looked in his
neatly pressed
uniform.
e. It could be considered dangerous to ask why the boy
next door was never
called to active duty, or why the neighbor's son was stationed
so close to home.
f. Do by all means gave him an abundance of LOVE.
g. If you are planning to buy him some new civilian clothing,
it would be wise to
avoid big, clumsy looking slacks; black ties, wool socks. or
anything green in
color.
h. Do, by all means, inform all relatives, friends, and
his neighbors to stay
away from the premises for at least 48 hours, this is the danger
period. We have
absolutely no idea as to what he will do. Remember, this is
a battle scarred
soldier, anything can happen.
i. Hire the best lawyer in town, you may need him.
j. If you intend to meet your solider, we highly
recommend that you bring
enough money to pay for damaged property at the airport and
to pay for a few
offenses such as slander, public drunkenness and some
other stunts he may try
to pull off that were legal in the Far East.
k. Do not laugh when he tells of his medals: Citation for
Bravery above and
beyond the call of duty at the Service Club; Distinguished KP
Cross; Order of the
Purple Shaft; and the Third Winter Offensive at the Main PI.
l. Do not ask at any time if he over did, or even tried to save
any money while in
the service. This will cause him to have spasms, tear out his
hair and mumble
something about the Red Cross Fund, Slush Fund, Liver Fund,
Community
Chest, KP Fund, Refuges Fund, Company Fund, Just Plain Funds,
Statement of
Charges, Forfeiture of Two Thirds Pay, Borrowing Five for Ten,
Black Market,
Poker, Craps, and inflated beer prices. These all apply to him.
Now what was
the question again?
m. Show no alarm if he cries with terror at the sight of
Roast Beef, and stares
with shock at ice cubes floating in a glass. Don't worry if
he pours gravy on his
desert or mixes peaches with macaroni.
n. Keep in mind that beneath this tanned, "beaten, dusty
and rugged exterior,
there's a heart of gold. Treasure this for it is the only thing
of value he has left,
even though he has tried to pawn it on several occasions, and
the only thing of
value the Army didn't want turned in. Treat him with kindness,
give him an
occasional quart of cold milk, and you will be able to rehabilitate
this hollow shell
of a man you once knew. In the event he doesn't respond. to
these rehabilitation
measures, use the shock treatment, (making sure he can do no
immediate
damage) by threatening to send him back to the lst Battalion,
6th Infantry , 198th
Infantry Brigade, APO San Francisco 96374.
3. Send no more letters to APO 96374 after ______________, for
he is leaving the
tropics in days and heading for the LAND OF THE BIG PX. Lock
your daughters in
the house; get the kids off the streets; fill the cooler with beer
and get the civvies out
of the mothballs. Hold your hat and roll out the welcome mat because
your HERO
will be coming HOME.
"WATCH FOR HIM”
______________________________________________________________
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