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The Few, The Proud, The Disowned

By VVAW

(The following article is taken from the Hartford Courant; the original was written by Ron Winter.)

When Vietnam veterans stream into Washington for the dedication of the new statue, most will gather for reunions or reminisce in hotel hospitality suites. But former Marines will be on their own.

The Marine Corps Association, the organization that usually arranges Marine reunions will not participate.... Association officials say the group does not want to be associated with the Vietnam vets they maintain don't fit the traditional spit-shined image the Marine old guard holds sacred.

Retired Brig Gen. George Bartlett, who heads the association, an organization of former Marines and their families said bitter encounters during 1982 dedication ceremonies for the Vietnam War Memorial soured his organization on dealing with Vietnam era Marines.

"They were a bunch of god damn crumbs," Bartlett said. "I'm not going to encourage them to join."

And the only official Marine participation will be by the Marine Corps Band, Col James L. McManaway, a spokesman for the office of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, confirmed. The band's participation was added at the last minute.

Bartlett said he has heard no official word about the Marine Corps' participation, but "I can....read the tea leaves and see which way the wind is blowing."

Gen Paul X. Kelley, Marine corps commandant, could not be reached for comment.

....The statue—titled "three Fightingmen"—depicts three young soldiers, one black, one white and one Hispanic, dressed in Vietnam era fighting gear. It was commissioned after complaints that the sunken V shaped, black granite monument dedicated in 1982 projected an image of shame and disgrace rather than an image of honor.

But Bartlett is critical of the new monument by sculptor Frederick Hart. Bartlett said of the soldiers, depicted, "the uniforms are askew, they're not wearing hats. They don't look like servicemen."

Bartlett said many career servicement were in their 30s and 40s when they fought in Vietnam. The statue "could have been more representative" of all groups who fought in the war, he said.

In 1982, the Association rented a suite at a Washington Hotel as a reunion center for Vietnam era Marines and to recruit new association members Bartlett said more than more than 3,000 former Marines visited the room. "They had beards and mustaches," Bartlett said. "They wore dirty jeans with medals (awarded during Vietnam service) hanging all over them."

"I was amazed at the crud that came two years ago. I fought twice in Vietnam, but we fought, then came home and joined society....They just were not Marines. They didn't respect the Corps. If those are our representatives, I don't want anything to do with them."

McManaway agreed with Bartlett's assessment of the association's efforts at the hospitality suite.

"It was absolutely the grossest error," he said, adding that the Marines who attended were "the great flea-bitten masses."

"Where are the guys who go tot work in a coat and tie?" McManaway asked.

Reprinted by THE VETERAN without comment.