complex echoes of GR, Vineland

[Doug Millison]

Bush chooses as Sec. of State a man who has apparently never had 
second thoughts about U.S. atrocities in Vietnam.

If you need a Pynchon hook, plug this into your reading of GR as a 
displaced narrative about the Vietnam War, or into your consideration 
of the Vietnam War vets and their Vietnamese employer in Vineland.

Hackin' away,
Doug

P.S.  In my book, "partisan" is not a dirty word.

http://www.consortiumnews.com/121700a.html

excerpt (begins after a discussion of the My Lai atrocities, on page 
2 of the article):

"Several months later, the Americal's brutality would become a moral 
test for Major Powell, too. A letter had been written by a young 
specialist fourth class named Tom Glen, who had served in an Americal 
mortar platoon and was nearing the end of his Army tour. In the 
letter to Gen. Creighton Abrams, the commander of all U.S. forces in 
Vietnam, Glen accused the Americal division of routine brutality 
against civilians. Glen's letter was forwarded to the Americal 
headquarters at Chu Lai where it landed on Major Powell's desk. [...] 
After that cursory investigation, Powell drafted a response on Dec. 
13, 1968. He admitted to no pattern of wrongdoing. Powell claimed 
that U.S. soldiers in Vietnam were taught to treat Vietnamese 
courteously and respectfully. The Americal troops also had gone 
through an hour-long course on how to treat prisoners of war under 
the Geneva Conventions, Powell noted. [...] "In direct refutation of 
this [Glen's] portrayal," Powell concluded, "is the fact that 
relations between Americal soldiers and the Vietnamese people are 
excellent." "
-- 
d  o  u  g    m  i  l  l  i  s  o  n  <http://www.online-journalist.com>