SEALs Win/Lose ARCHIEVES
Paul Evancoe (SEAL) book for sale: “Own the Night”
Roger Guerra, Frogman Hunter Extraordinaire from TX. Hunting Trip Auctions !
I am going!
Veteran frogman, Dennis Shryock,among first to hit Normandy beaches
Bush words honor Navy SEAL, Nathan Hardy KIA
Rick Hetzell Studio, Need a Gift, Check out his neat hand made stuff
Leif Babin awarded Silver Star Medal
Swim, Bike, Run, Shoot, Kill : Navy SEALs
Stephen “Otter” Otten SEAL volunteers to be jailed in Santa Anna CA.
Michael A. Monsoor, SEAL, KIA ; another good article on Mike Monsoor
LT. Moki Martin (SEAL) receives Award for Heroic Action in Vietnam
Special Warfare Solutions
CPO Lance M. Vaccaro (SEAL) killed in parachute landing fall (scroll to bottom of page)
Don Mann (SEAL) SEAL Training Adventures
The Mike McQuillis Family you will find Mike in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
New US Submarines Trade Nukes for SEALs
Navy Vice Adm. William H. McRaven, Commander, Joint Special Operations Command
FIFTHs (1950) FROGS and UDT-SEAL Obituary Records and Frogman LINKs
Senior Chief Thomas J. Valentine, 37, SEAL, Killed in Parachute accident
Michael E. Koch and Nathan H. Hardy (SEALs) KIAs HERE !
Luis Ariel Suffront (EOD) KIA Iraq, was working with SEALs
http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php#
East Coast SEAL Reunion July 2007 Photos
Gulfcoast SEALs Christmas Party Photos
Navy SEALs with HIGH internet profiles : U.S. Coalition.org
Senior Chief Thomas J. Valentine, 37, SEAL, Killed in Parachute accident
Alex Ghane (SEAL) Killed in Training
LCDR LINDA BALL’s Photo ALbum, The best looking diver in the U.S. Navy !
Muster Ft. Pierce 2007, Photo ALbum by Per Erik “Swede” Tornblom (SEAL)
Dante’s Down the Hatch
Jason D. Lewis (SEAL) KIA Iraq
Sufolk Police Raid (SEAL)Elbert Tillman’s Barn filled with Military-Grade Explosives
Pete “The Pirate”Carolan (SEAL) his PATRIOT SEAL Art Studio
CPO Mark T. Carter (SEAL) KIA in Iraq, Dec 2007; A Blog for him here.
CPO (SEAL) Mark T. Carter, 27, was killed in Action Iraq Dec 2007
Marcus Colburn (SEAL) broke every bone in his body
Booksigning, Lone Survivor, Photo album of Katie Northrup
Michael P. Murphy, MOH awarded posthumously. See the VIDEO!
“SEAL JAVA Webs” by “Nightscribe” Mr .Rich Young God Bless him. Thank you very much for all your tributes to the U.S. Navy SEALs Links.
Swim Fins for Super Human Speeds
Mike McGreevy Scholarship fund
Joseph Di Martino (SEAL) RIP, my friend; my teamate; a memorial
Legislation Would Designate the Ft. Pierce Museum the Official National Museum of Navy SEALs
LEWIS & MC RILL (SEALs) KIA by I.E.D. Also DAUGHERTY, cryptologic tech.
Petty Officer Nguyen Van Kiet :
Vietnam War: “It was their country. They deserve respect.”When Hollywood made a movie about the dramatic rescue of a downed American pilot during the Vietnam War, it left one man out: the South Vietnamese navy officer who was a key member of the rescue team. note: the two links I had were removed from the internet, xin loi !
Mr. Steve Schwarzer ABS Master bladesmith since 1983; Need a GREAT Knife?
Steve Elson LCDR (SEAL) Ret.
Navy SEALs on Submarines
Nick Rocha helps Teamates Families
Clark sets World Fitness Record
David Goggins (SEAL) wins desert race
The Sole Survivor SEAL Murphy, 29, was killed. So was SEAL Petty Officer Danny Dietz, 25 and Matt Axelson . But at least one of the four Seals survived. Photos of Luttrell are HERE! The entire Photo Album is HERE ! A war hero from Huntsville, TX rues a decision made in Afghanistan
Auto Assault 12 / AA12 / Combat Shotgun check out this video !
The ROAT (John) DEAL, the Off Shore Diver
Veterans Stand Guard Before Dietz Statue Unveiled . Photos are HERE.
Chief Warrant Officer (W2) Ronald L. Tusi , RIP, ex- HM1 UDT-12
SpecWarGru Recruiting Video with clips from Movies BUD/S class 234
Jack Walston (SEAL) PT Training in Houston TX
Archie Grayson R.I.P. Dec 13 2006
HM3(FMF) Christopher Anderson KIA Iraq son of USNavy SEAL
Rudy Boesch at Houston Boat Show Jan 15 2005
Tribute to Jim Hazelwood(SEAL)
Some SEALs offered up to $125,000 to stay
SO3 Frederick C. Warneke U.S. Navy SEAL
SEAL Admiral retires after 33 years of active duty
SEAL 160 Ride Video and their Web PAGE photos of the ride.
The Quiet Professionals, All Hands Article
Joseph C. Shwedler KIA Iraq
U.S. Navy Commander (Ret.) Larry Geisinger 34 year Vet.
Bob Bureker’s EOD web site
USNavy SEAL training BUD/S and the Latest article on BUD/S
Navy SEAL Tom Mixon in Austin TX
U. S. Navy SEAL Conditioning
LT. Herbert M. Ruth, Sr. 1930-1980
Navy SEALs, US Marines Use Positive Human Traits for Success
TONS! of SEAL and Specwar photos HERE !
Navy SEALs.com nice small store.
Xmas Party Gulfcoast SEAL 2006
VERISEAL Imposter News ( Wannabe’s, all kinds)
45 year Anniversary of the U. S. Navy SEALs, Joe Di Martino
HM3 (FMF) SEAL’s Son KIA Iraq: C. Anderson another Photo of Chris HERE.
New NavSPECWAR Command for BUD/S Training
Kyle A. Nolen, HN (FMF) KIA Iraq hometown Ennis TX
U.S.Navy Leapfrogs parachute team
Pearl Harbor SEALs KIAs
Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marc Alan Lee FIRST SEAL KIA in Iraq
Henry Staples SEAL dies
http://www.andover.edu/news/kristensen.htm Navy SEAL KIA
Richard Marcinko (SEAL)“Rogue Warrior” founder SEAL Team SIX
Eric Crandall completes BUD/S, Contratulations! The only easy day was yesterday ! HooYah!
Stepheno “Mato” Matulewicz (SEAL) with BLACKHAWK
Charlaie Aeschliman (SEAL) Basketball Coach
Moor’s Marauders, Divers looking for MIA’s Gerry Flowers USMC member UWSS
Stanley Carver, Korean Era Frogman, now an Artist
Two SEALs awarded Navy Crosses posthumously for action in Afganistan; & Navy Times article
AO2 (SEAL) Marc Alan Lee, 28, died during a firefight Aug. 2 in Ramadi, Iraq, More HERE!
Special forces stretched thin by two wars
CDR Ryan K. Zinke (SEAL) awarded Bronze Star
Blackwater article and MORE on Blackwater Deaths with photos
Jack “Blackjack” Macione RIP
Navy using SEALs for recruiting
Gen.Patton speaks from his grave.
SEAL Leapfrogs at Aloha Bowl
GulfCoast SEALs photos of their Dec 2005 Christmas party
SEAL stealth boat in the making
BUD/S Class 234 BLOG by www.socnetcentral.com BUY the three DVD set of BUD/S Class234
Jose Taylor (SEAL) Dies Oct 16 2005
Website for SEAL articles & photos
Ronald Gasper (SEAL) shoots his SEAL brother; Bradley Jondahl (SEAL)
MOH – Navy Cross (SEALs)recepients
SEALville Photos on freeserver.com
Chuck Pfarrer (SEAL) He wrote the movie script for NAVY SEALs
UDT- SEAL articles on Netfirms.com
Scott Helvenston (SEAL) Died Iraq
Don Devereaux Mann – Counter-Terrorism, Personal Protection and Inspirational Speaker
Fallen SEALs remembered and honored in Coronada CA
Neil Roberts SEAL KIA more on these SEALs
Brian J. Ouellette SEAL KIA
Billy Burbank,(SEAL) Class 19 EC photo album
Capt. Norman Olson (SEAL) Ret.
Mathew G. AXELSON (SEAL) KIA
Capt. Aric Liberman (SEAL)
SEALs KIAs in Afganistan Jul 2005
Spencer Dry (SEAL) KIA ‘nam Secret Mission ;see also from: Naval Proceedings article on Spencer Dry, the entire investiation of their deaths. Also an article by one of his Team Members
Memorial Day SEAL photos 2005 Houston TX
50’s Frogs Reunion in San Antonio TX
GulfCoast SEALs at Astroworld
S.C.U.D. Operation by Jake Rhinebolt (SEAL)
Capt (SEAL) Bill Early Dies
Donald L. McPaul SEAL KIA Panama Canal
Mi Vida Loca “Doc” Riojas(SEAL)
40th Anniversary ST-2 Pictures (SEAL)
LCDR Rock Blais (SEAL) dies in a parachute accident
Neil Roberts (SEAL) KIA Afganistan
Issac G. “Ike”Rodriguez TM2(SEAL) KIA Panama a Memorial
Jim Hazelwood LT (SEAL) HERE! :Kittiwake Decom. & USS Lexington
HM1 BRAD K. TUCKER(SEAL) KIA Afganistan
CPO Matthew J. Bourgeois (SEAL)KIA Afganistan
Photos (SEAL)Mi Buen Amigo
J.W. Janos (SEAL) New SEAL Watch and MN Miss.River Locks
Chuck Newell’s (SEAL) SCUBA School, GI bill accepted!
Fred Miller (SEAL) GunSmith “MidAmerica Recreational INC.“
Expose SEAL Wannabes!
Ted Kassa (SEAL) 1stClass DV
Chuck Newell (SEAL) SCUBA School
John Roat (SEAL)Class 29
KOREA,Doc Rio’s HELL Weeks!
Son of Laredo Poem by C.A. Presley HMC Ret. (RIP) my FMF Korea war buddy
F.O. UWSS Key West FL & the official site HERE!
Bagdad IraqTunnels
Wannabes USN SEALs
Rio & LouLou Japan Vacation 2003
Site Map The whole enchilada! not current. XinLoi!
Stephen BASS (SEAL) earns Navy Cross Medal
FO UWSS Key West Reuion COronad CA May 2004
RUDY BOESCH in SURVIVOR ALL STARS – More HERE!
Gulfcoast SEALs photos at SEAL Museum Ft. Pierce FL
Roy and Sue Boehm’s Party in Punta Gorda FL
Ft. Pierce Museum Photos Muster XVIII Nov 2003
SEAL Demonstration and the Young Lions Partying at Ft. Pierce
Harbor CLearance Unit ONE
Vietnam Task Force 116
Moose Creek Enterprises: Steve Robinson (SEAL) “No Guts, No Glory” his book
MST-2 ‘Nam
Navy SEAL Articles
Richard Black(SEAL) Retires
<align=”left”> Pete “Pirate” Carolan (SEAL)
<align=”left”> Ken Gless RIP
Ryan B. Young (SEAL) KIA contract
SPECWAR.net
LARRY BAILY(SEAL)
Dave Rogers (SEAL) “Just Cause”
Carl Ty Zellers II (SEAL)
CURTIS ASHTON (SEAL) KIA
HASBEAN SEALs
Doc MARSHALL ST-1(SEAL)
CYBERSEALs web site; a must visit for SEALs
JOHN F. RABBITT (SEAL)RIP
SharkbuilderDow Byers RIP
ALL MY GEOCITIES GRAPHICS
Richard “Demo Dick” Marcinko (SEAL) & At Intelligence Summit Forum
MEMORIAL TO SEAL K.I.A.’s
“SWEDE” TORNBLOM (SEAL)(My white brother)
JIM LAMPMAN (SEAL)
John “Fly” Fallon (SEAL) RIP
USS John C.BREWTON KIA
Herbert M. RUTH RIP
Tribute to Sam Orr plus links to all his Articles
Jon Smart (SEAL) Rowing Champ
GULFCOAST SEALs
Christopher L.Zevallos (SEAL)
Rudy Boesch (SEAL) Survivor I
SEALville FreeServer pages: Photos and stories on REAL U.S.Navy SEALs
U.S. Navy SEAL Training
C.A. “Rip”Presley HMC (RET)
<align=”right”></align=”right”> Vietnam Retspect by VC Col.
UWSS, Key West FL, the Unofficial web site and the REAL one is WWW.UWSS.ORG
Panama CPO D.L.McFaul (SEAL) KIA – Navy Cross
Photos Reunion CA 8/16/02
Jake Reinbolt and other SEALs in ‘nam : RIVER PATROL FORCE (TF-116)
Roy Boehm (SEAL) Photos
ST-2 Four KIA’s ‘Nam
Tribute to Scotty Slaughter, Shark Killer Extraordinaire
Vietnam War Myths
Texan, John “Cheeze” Branchizio (SEAL) Killed
David M. Tapper PH1(SEAL) KIA
Japan Vacation 3/2003
272 new Navy SEAL slots
3/10/2004
The Hunt Heats Up The man in charge of catching Osama bin Laden ‘can drive a knife through your ribs in a nanosecond.’ Inside the search.
Names of our IRAQI KIA’s
IRAQ: Former U.S. Navy SEALs working as Civilians Killed
Jon Edwards class 28 East Coast.
Rudy Boesch (SEAL) at Houston Boatshow photos
U.S.Navy SEAL Workout
SEAL Team FOUR in Panama, 4 KIAs
John Conners (SEAL)KIA Panama Fiasco
The Big “Cock-Up” Operation Just Cause
. More HERE! & More HERE also. “Doc” Moreno was seriously WIA, Panama
Doc and LouLou 2004 Vacation to visit Jake Rhinebolt and Larry Bailey
Larry Lyons, “On The Road Ministry” & SEAL for Christ web site.
To Be a USNavy SEAL book
SEALville Photo Album Ft. Pierce FL Muster
Muster 2005, Photo Album , Ft. Pierce Florida
$6.1 million center may keep Navy SEALs closer to home
SEALs, SWCCs to wear new ratings
President Bush Discusses Global War on Terror
Move to Little Creek considered for SEAL center
Frogaphiles go click on me see if you are a frogman go click on me see if you are a frogman Frogaphiles go click on me see if you are a frogman
Dale Andrade – Navy Seals: The Vietnam Years (review) – Journal of …
| Forty-three SEALs were killed in action in Vietnam, but none were captured or went missing. Dockery attempts to cover all this ground, managing to touch on … More HERE on USNavy SEALs. good reading. muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_ |
Robert Kerry SEAL (MOH) and the Bloody Legacy of Vietnam
Famous USNavy SEALs and much more, is your name HERE?
I don’t believe it ! This is total bullshit ! Look at the photos! These are not Navy SEALs !
Jesse’s Dangerous Game ; about his Propaganda for his election to Governor of Minnesota
Does Coronado California Train Killers?
Field Medical Service School in Camp Lejeune N.C. (Montfort Point Universityfor FMF Docs)
Blackwater, some of Doc Riojas Photos
Blackwater Blackwater: Profitable Patriotism Blackwater Articles Blackwater web site; Mr. Prince Speaks; . . . . . . Mr.Prince on the Investigation Mr. Prince fires back at Congress ! WAR Toys for Sale !
Sep 2007: Attack on Blackwater is Attack on… Petraeus
Rock Blais LCDR (SEAL) dies in parachute accident
Jose Taylor RIP
Roy Boehm my 1st Class DV friend for life
Stuart SorgStuart Sorg
Nguyen Van Kiet Thuy Cong; awarded USNavy Cross
Carl Higbie more here on : VERISEAL
Jesse Hardy says he got SCREWED!Jesse Hardy says he got SCREWED!
“Burning Up SEALs” – Misusing special-warfare assets. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1693407/posts
Erasmo “Doc” Riojas: The Frog Puddle Photo Album Join in and add your photos here
Global Special Operations 101
A Growth Spurt for the U.S. Navy SEALs says SEAL Admiral
Bureaucracy Hampers War on Terror says SEAL Admiral
How the U.S. Navy SEALs Work
flyfallon.htm
japan.htm
myway.htm
ticitlhandle.htm
2004 FO/UWSS Photos
Tiger Woods visits SpecWarGruCoronado CA
Global Special Operations, SEAL info
Lt. Cmdr. Michael J. Walsh, (SEAL)U.S. Navy (ret.)
Global Special Operation
LCDR Steve Elson (SEAL) an Interview
Jose Taylor LCDR (SEAL) and the Biet Hai in Vietnam
U.S. Navy SEALs, How Their Stuff Works
Mud-Bespattered Sailors Stumble Through Hell
PAGES ON |
. LT Paul Noah Salerni, |
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This is my hobby. I know that I am crazy! I do this to keep from going insane ! Doc “El Locquito” Riojas
some people say; “I am wasting my money!” I would not do it if I could take it with me!
Contents of “Mi Vida Loca” de Erasmo “Doc” Riojas
En |
C U A U H T E M O C “Temo” Rocha OLD LAREDO Texas Photo Gallery
SPIRITUAL PRESCRIPTION by Chaplain Bill Simpson Northeast Baptist Hospital
Julia Vera , Laredo TX Hollywood Actress Julia Vera, Movie Star, native of Laredo TX
Erasmo Elias “Doc” Riojas, The origins of these beautiful names
Jesus “Chuy” Segovia’s Laredo TX Photo Album
Border Title Com MHS La Pithaya links 1916 to 2006
Feliciano “Pecha” Gutierrez , MHS Tiger Hall of Fame, Photo Album
Norma Adamo Photo Albums
Military Glossary
Army Troop Organization
Squad — The smallest military unit, it usually consists of 10 to 11 soldiers.
Platoon — A platoon is usually four squads. Platoons are usually led by lieutenants, with sergeants serving as their second-in-command.
Company — Companies consist of four platoons, a headquarters and some logistical staff. They are normally commanded by captains.
Battalion — A battalion is usually made up of four to five companies, including a support company and a headquarters company.
Brigade — A brigade is a collection of battalions, usually 2,000 to 3,000 troops. Brigades are most often commanded by a colonel.
Division — There are at least three brigades in a division. They are usually commanded by a major general.
Corps — Made up of two to five divisions, corps are the largest tactical units in the U.S. Army.
Marine Organization
The Marine Corps, a branch of the Navy, has some unit classifications that are unique.
Marine Expeditionary Force — An expeditionary force is made up of two or three divisions of Marines. The force is usually deployed on helicopter carriers or amphibious assault ships. Its equipment and weaponry includes tanks, artillery, Harrier jump jets and attack helicopters.
Marine Expeditionary Unit — Each marine division is known separately as a Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit usually includes a battalion landing team, helicopter squadron and support unit.
| other Links |
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| U.S. Navy SEALs Win/Lose Links to Erasmo “Doc” Riojas’ SEAL Teamates. A large collection of SEAL photos & articles from Newspapers, and from the men themselves also. Send your contributions to webmaster: el_ticitl@yahoo.com |
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| The WANNABE SLAYERS |
Tribute to Jim Hazelwood(SEAL) |
| Thomas D. Segel is a Texan, now of Harlingen TX, USMC (Ret) |
In Memory of Col. Ted W. Guy, 4-18-29 to 4-23-99 – Never Col. Gordon “Swede” Larson Col. Lou Makowski http://www.soft-vision.com/hanoi/makowski US Army Ranger/Advisor to BDQ http://www.soft-vision.com/ranger The Frogs Puddle: http://docrioseal.soft-vision.com Wannabe’s and Patriot Guard Riders: http://www.soft-vision.com/guard/ Restoring Honor Wannabe Slayers: http://want2be.info We must reserve the right not to tolerate Joe Oliver,(GED) |
| THE U.S. VETERAN DISPATCH Ted Lane Sampley |
H Have you ever been to Dong
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KOREAN WAR (POLICE ACTION) Vets Ignored
Korean War vets missing from popular culture: America’s prime transmitter
of cultural “values” has ignored the 1.8 million Americans who
served in the 1950-53 war even during the 50th anniversary years.(portrayal of
Korean War veterans in literature, film, television, media )
| From: VFW Magazine | Date: August 1, 2003 | Author: Van Ells, Mark D. The Korean War was a crucial moment in American history. When the United States sent troops to stop Communist North Korea’s invasion of South Korea in June 1950, it signaled the nation’s determination to check the spread of communism. It was the first war fought under the authority of the United Nations. American troops remain in Korea today. But sandwiched between the titanic scope of World War II and the vitriolic debate over Vietnam, the Korean War never really captured the public imagination. The year 2003 marks the 50th anniversary of the armistice ending the fighting in Korea. In that half century, the image of the Korean War veteran at the movies and on television remains vague, imprecise and influenced by the experiences of other wars. The Korean War is the “Forgotten War” in popular culture, too. Korean War films of the 1950s and early 1960s were much like the scores of WWII movies popular at the time, but modified to meet the realities of Korea. The typical “melting pot” platoon, for example, now included black Americans and those of Japanese ancestry, acknowledging the racial integration of the armed forces. New technologies also made appearances, such as helicopters in Battle Taxi (1955) and jet aircraft in films like Sabre Jet (1953), Jet Attack (1958) and most notably The Bridges of Toko-Ri (1954) based on the novel by James Michener. In reality, the Korean War differed from WWII in many respects. For one, it was not nearly as large. The war directly involved 1.8 million Americans, as opposed to the 16 million who served in WWII. Indeed, Korea was often referred to as a “police action” and not a war at all. Korea was a remote country unknown to most Americans. Although most Americans accepted the logic of Cold War containment, the primary adversary in their minds was the Soviet Union; Korea seemed to be merely a sideshow or prelude to a larger war. Its ambiguous conclusion–a cease-fire remarkably close to the prewar boundaries–also lacked the decisiveness of WWII. To Americans, the Korean War was an uncertain and unsatisfying affair. Hollywood Takes the Dark Side Hollywood dealt with the ambiguities of the war by sidestepping them or ignoring them altogether. Korean War films tended to avoid the war’s “big picture” and focused instead on small groups of fighting men–often lost or isolated units–in films such as Fixed Bayonets (1951), Combat Squad (1953) and Hold Back the Night (1956). In Pork Chop Hill (1959), Gregory Peck stars as a junior officer fighting the military bureaucracy, as well as the Communists, in a seemingly meaningless battle late in the war. During the battle one young officer asks pointedly, “Is this hill worth it?” The men agree that it is, but only because they had fought so hard to take it, and not for any larger goals. Many Korean War films fall into the film-noir style that was popular after WWII. Film-noir is characterized by dark psychological dramas in which the motives and morals of the protagonists are unclear and troubling. These films often take place in exotic settings, and contain shadowy lighting and uncomfortable camera angles that elicit feelings of anxiety, loneliness and vulnerability. In the 1951 film The Steel Helmet, for example, Gene Evans stars as Sgt. Zach, a battle-hardened WWII “retread” who teams up with some inexperienced soldiers to establish an observation post in a Buddhist temple. But beneath Zach’s tough-as-nails exterior is a softhearted man who befriends a Korean boy, removes his helmet before a gigantic statue of Buddha and orders that the temple not be damaged. In the midst of battle, Zach breaks down, flashing back to D-Day. Zach is bitterly critical of a green lieutenant. When the lieutenant is killed, Zach mournfully places his lucky steel helmet (it has stopped a bullet in a previous engagement) on his grave. The Korean War also took place at a time when fears of disloyalty and domestic subversion had reached hysterical proportions. The war fueled such fears. During the war, the Communists beat and tortured American POWs, and then pressured them to sign “confessions” denouncing the American cause. Only a small fraction of POWs “confessed,” but news reports and political opportunists seemed to suggest that Korean War soldiers routinely collaborated with the Communists, perhaps contributing to the war’s uncertain conclusion. The concern that Korean War veterans might have been “brainwashed” by the Communists was the subject of several films, most notably The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Frank Sinatra plays Capt. Marco, a Korean War officer who leads a patrol and is taken prisoner. The Communists brainwash Marco and his men, erasing any memory of their captivity. One of the men, Staff Sgt. Shaw (Lawrence Harvey), is programmed to carry out political assassinations back home. Marco unravels the plot after the true nature of his captivity comes back in his dreams. The Manchurian Candidate has been acclaimed as one of the best political thrillers ever made. However, Korean War veterans have charged that the film only reinforced the erroneous public notion that Korean War veterans were collaborators. Portrayals of the war’s veterans as weak-minded and psychologically unbalanced came to symbolize the war for many Americans and anticipated public perceptions of Vietnam veterans. Influence of M*A*S*H The Vietnam War also has shaped popular images of the Korean War. The 1970 comedy classic M*A*S*H focused on the exploits of undisciplined Army surgeons near the front lines. Though set in Korea, the language and looks of the hospital staff are reminiscent of Vietnam. In fact, the film is an impressionistic journey into the behavior of men and women under the unusual circumstances of war. It reflected the growing public cynicism about military authority in the Vietnam years. The television program M*A*S*H, which aired from 1972 to 1983, was the most extensive look at the Korean War in American popular culture. The TV show did a better job of portraying the war than the film. For example, several episodes dealt with issues like McCarthyism and fears of subversion. However, most of the program’s storylines could have come from the Vietnam War, or from any war–boredom punctuated by intense activity, the tragic tales of the wounded, the absurdities of bureaucracy, the gulf between soldiers and civilians. Anyone who has ever been associated with the military can appreciate the humor of M*A*S*H. But once again, the audience learns precious little about the Korean War. In the decades since Vietnam, the American entertainment industry has devoted considerable time and money to portrayals of war. As a nation, we have celebrated the 50th anniversary of WWII (Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers) and reexamined our painful experience in Vietnam (most recently, We Were Soldiers) on both the big and small screens. Korea is once again missing in action. Since Vietnam, Hollywood has released no more than a dozen films related to the Korean War. In some films, like MacArthur (1977) and For the Boys (1991), Korea is just one of many conflicts depicted. Inchon (1981), a portrayal of the brilliant 1950 amphibious invasion, was a box office flop and labeled by one critic “quite possibly the worst movie ever made.” With no clear public images of the Korean War, both Hollywood and the American public barely acknowledge it. The lack of public recognition for their sacrifices has rankled many Korean War veterans. “I know teachers who never knew there was a Korean War,” complained one Missouri veteran. As the nation marks the Korean War’s 50th anniversary, Hollywood continues to churn out movies about WWII and Vietnam. Perhaps one day the Korean War will be the subject of an insightful, widely circulated film that does justice to the significance of the conflict and to those who served in it. As one veteran from Florida noted, “It’s nice to be remembered.” MARK D. VAN ELLS, author of To Hear Only Thunder Again, is an assistant history professor at Queensborough Community College in Bayside, N.Y. COPYRIGHT 2003 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
“Doc” Riojas’ HELL Weeks were in Korea ! Too many to count !
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