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DLI Alumni Association |
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1.
Message from the President
2. VSIP Again
3. Calendar of Events (FY05)
4. Retirements/Resignations (Jun – Sep 04)
5. In Memoriam (Jun – Sep04)
6. Graduation Marks End of Vietnamese Program at DLI (1954-2004)
7.
Names of DLI West Coast Branch Graduates Killed as a Result of Hostile Action
in Vietnam
8. Vietnamese Training at DLI East Coast, 1971-1972
9. Many Rare Photos of
Presidio in Historian's New Book
10.
Dancing on
History to Language - Ahmad Caracalla
11. Historic Building 640, Presidio of San Francisco, DLI's Birthplace
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1. Message from the President
I
hope you enjoy this newsletter. I look forward to hearing from you about your
thoughts, suggestions and stories. You can write to me at president@dli-alumni.org.
Benjamin De La Selva, President .
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2.
VSIP Again
DLI
has asked each of its schools for the number of GS and FPS faculty who would
be interested in taking advantage of VSIP (Voluntary Separation Incentive
Program). DLI hopes to offer this incentive to many faculty members who would
have to leave during fiscal year 2005. If more than the number offered apply,
the choice of who gets VSIP will be made following a priority order that will
probably begin with those faculty still in the GS system, and in those languages
where faculty layoffs of permanent employees might be expected.
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3.
Calendar of Events - Fiscal Year 2005
-
CLPM Seminar and Joint DoD Language Conference, - 18 - 22 Oct
04 (Hyatt Regency)
-
Last Vietnamese Graduation - 21 Oct 04 - Vietnamese program closes after 50
years (1954-2004)
- Federal Degree Granting Institutions (FDGI) Conference – 27-29 Oct 04 (Pomerene
Hall, Presidio of Monterey)
- DLI 63rd
Anniversary – 1 Nov 04 (Presidio of Monterey)
- American
Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Conference – Nov 04 (Chicago,
Ill)
- Annual
Program Review - Feb 05 (Hyatt Regency)
- Digital
Stream Conference, Mar 05 (California State University,
Monterey Bay - CSUMB)
- Worldwide
Language Competition – May 05 (Presidio of Monterey)
- Language
Day – May 05 (Presidio of Monterey)
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4.
Retirements, Resignations (01Jul - 30Sep04)
Sherry Simmons (Civilian
Personnel)
Beverly Diaz (Civilian Personnel)
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5. In Memoriam (01Jul - 30Sep04)
Edward
Kowal - (Czech) 15 Aug 04 - Former Czech
department chairperson
Steven W. Comerford Sr. (Security Officer) - Jun 04
Christine
Marie Radzivill (Polish) - 8 Aug 04 - Wife of the late Maciej Radzivill,
Polish instructor.
Jadwiga
Zofia Haska (Polish) - 19 Oct 03 - Wife of Tadeusz Haska, former Polish
department chairperson
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6. Vietnamese Graduation Marks End of Vietnamese
Program at DLI
Published
with permission from the Asian School I Dean. This information was taken from
the Vietnamese graduation program, 21 October 2004.
On October 21, 2004, DLI conducted a graduation ceremony that marked the end of the Vietnamese program here at the Presidio of Monterey. To help faculty, staff, and students commemorate the 50 years of contributions the Vietnamese program has made to the United States, DLI had several very special guests in attendance: Col John Bates (guest speaker) LTC Vu Van Loc, and Mr. Huang Lai (General Secretary for the Coalition of Nationalist Vietnamese organizations of Northern California). In addition, graduates of a Vietnamese honors class that graduated in 1972 – Mr. James Barker, Mr. Gary Fitch, and Mr. Michael Hansen – held their first ever reunion in conjunction with the graduation.
The three Vietnames graduates of class 01VN00104 (Oct, 21, 2004) were Capt Rick J. Avera, Mr. William K. Long, and SFC David G. White.
Also attending were former instructors from the Vietnamese course. They included Mr. Peter Van Nghiem and Mr. Duong Bui. Mr. Bui retired in 2003 after 39 years at DLI as instructor and department chair.
(THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY OF THE VIETNAMESE PROGRAM WAS PRESENTED AT GRADUATION BY SFC SCOT C. BROKAW, CHIEF MILITARY LANGUAGE INSTRUCTOR OF ASIAN SCHOOL I, AND IS BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE DLI HISTORIAN)
The Defense Language Institute Vietnamese language department has played a key role in the Department of Defense by providing thousands of qualified military linguists for nearly 50 years.
On June 23, 1954, Mr. Nguyen Huu Thu was hired as the Vietnamese language department chair and was asked to write a Vietnamese basic course.
The first group of students arrived on May 24, 1955. It would be another 10 years before President Lyndon B. Johnson committed combat troops in South Vietnam. However, the U.S. clearly saw the need to train linguists in Vietnamese. In 1963, a 12-week familiarization course was designed for military advisory personnel assigned to Vietnam.
By
late 1964, expanded efforts throughout the Department of Defense to train
linguists depleted the supply of potential Vietnamese instructors throughout
the U.S. By 1965, facilities at DLI West were filled to capacity. Although
funding was authorized for construction of barracks and academic buildings,
DLI West Coast was not able to meet the demand alone. To help meet the increased
demand, contract Vietnamese language training was conducted in Crystal City,
Virginia, under the auspices of the Defense Language Institute, East Coast
Branch.
In
September 1966, DLI opened a new branch at Biggs Air Force Base, in Texas.
Civilian contract instructors taught more than 12,000 personnel between 1966
and 1973. Meanwhile, back here in Monterey, more Vietnamese courses were developed
at a frantic pace. The basic course developed by Mr. Nguyen in the 1950’s
was rewritten from the Hanoi dialect to the Saigon dialect. At DLI, 47-week,
37-week, 32-week, 12-week, and 8-week courses were developed. Instructors
were also asked to teach 12-week courses in the evenings. The classes were
conducted from 1600 to 2200 hours on weeknights for officers and senior NCO’s.
More than 9,000 personnel throughout the Department of Defense received language training in 1966. 38% of them studied Vietnamese. Vietnamese language training peaked in 1966. That year, 4,887 students were enrolled in various Vietnamese courses.
After the war ended, the Vietnamese department was scaled back. In 1975, the number of instructors was reduced from 20 to 12. That number was further reduced to 8 in 1979. In 1987, the Vietnamese department was converted to a language branch.
In the late 80’s and 90’s, the Vietnamese branch was first expanded and later reduced to meet various Department of Defense needs. Many Vietnamese linguists were assigned to Detachment 2, Joint Task Force – to aid in the search to resolve unaccounted for U.S. servicemen lost in the Vietnam War.
Since 2000, the number of Vietnamese students has steadily declined. In all, more than 23,000 service members have studied Vietnamese. Many of them made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting in the Vietnam War. The graduation program listed 295 DLI West Branch graduates who were killed in action in Vietnam from 1963 to 1972.
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7. DLI-West Coast Branch Graduates Killed as a Result of Hostile Action in
Vietnam
This
information was taken from the Vietnamese graduation program, 21 October 2004.
| CAPT Leon J. Kramer,
31 Jan 63 1LT Parker D. Cramer, 6 May 63 CPT Curtis J. Steckbauer, 1 Jul 63 1LT Donald C. Johansen, 20 Oct 63 SFC Chester D. Townsend, 1 Dec 63 SFC David Thompson, 27 Jan 64 CPT Jerry L. Taylor, 17 Feb 64 CAPT Thomas J. Bergin, 14 Mar 64 CAPT James P. Spruill, 21 Apr 64 1LT Ronald D.J. Hines, 26 Apr 64 MAJ Arnold D. Kniffin, 1 Jun 64 1LT Ralph G. Redmond, 4 Jun 64 SFC Thomas Maultsby Jr., 10 Jul 64 CAPT Billy T. Hatfield, 13 Jul 64 CAPT Richard M. Stroka, 13 Jul 64 CAPT James J. McClain, 28 Jul 64 CAPT Dale D. Thomas, 30 Jul 64 SSG Wilfrid N. Bourgeois, 17 Aug 64 CAPT James M. Coyle, 20 Aug 64 CPT William D.H. Ragin, 20 Aug 64 CAPT Byron C. Stone, 20 Aug 64 CAPT Robert J. Reilly, 11 Oct 64 CAPT Herman Towery, 22 Oct 64 LT COL Thomas Whitlock, 1 Nov 64 CAPT Heriberto A. Garcia, 8 Nov 64 SFC Donald E. Smith, 13 Nov 64 MAJ Roy E. Congleton, 21 Dec 64 SSGT Gerard A. Binger, 22 Jan 65 CAPT Elvis G. Barker, 1 Mar 65 CPT Alvin K. Broyles Jr., 28 Apr 65 CAPT John C. Sigg, 28 May 65 MSG Hugh M. Robbins, 1 Jun 65 SWF2 William C. Hoover, 10 Jun 65 SFC Fred M. Owens, 10 Jun 65 CAPT Eugene D. Franklin, 24 Jun 65 SFC Alfred H. Combs Jr., 25 Jun 65 SFC Henry Alfred Musa Jr., 5 Jul 65 SSG Herbert Smith Jr., 8 Jul 65 CAPT Robert J. Voss, 8 Jul 65 SP5 Stanley P. Kierzek, 20 Jul 65 CAPT James C. Caston, 10 Aug 65 CAPT Robert H. Fuellhart, 12 Aug 65 SFC Thomas H. Betts, 4 Sep 65 MAJ Herbert J. Dexter, 18 Sep 65 SSGT David A. Morgan, 23 Sep 65 SSGT Daniel C. Chappell, 26 Oct 65 1LT William J. Lyons, 4 Nov 65 COL George McCutchen, 20 Nov 65 MAJ Raymond Celeste, 22 Nov 65 CAPT William R. McPherson, 3 Dec 65 1SG James P. Tyner, 8 Jan 66 SSG Donald L. Dotson, 29 Jan 66 MAJ Daniel M. Martz Jr., 12 Feb 66 CAPT Lyell F. King, 18 Feb 66 CPT William A. Stacy Jr., 21 Mar 66 MAJ James B. Conway, 12 Apr 66 CPT Burton K. McCord, 14 Apr 66 CPT Joseph J. Polonko Jr., 29 Apr 66 SFC John J. Dewers, 5 May 66 SFC Thomas H. Welsh, 16 May 66 CPT John E. Dieckmann, 18 May 66 LTC Ernest E. Lane Jr., 18 May 66 MAJ Gunther W. Norberg, 7 Jun 66 CPT Michael J. Soth, 21 Jun 66 CPT Humbert R. Versace, 1 Jul 66 MAJ Edwin J. MacNamera, 3 Jul 66 CPT Sherrill V. Brown, 10 Jul 66 MSG Henry H. Delano, 22 Jul 66 MSG Clarence L. Sexton, 30 Jul 66 CPT Gary L. Vinas, 13 Aug 66 CPT Don T. Elledge, 18 Aug 66 MAJ Joseph B. Mack Jr., 17 Sep 66 PFC John W. Jarrell, 13 Oct 66 SGT John B. Geisen Jr., 26 Oct 66 CPL David A. Baruth, 27 Oct 66 LTC William C. Barott, 4 Nov 66 CPT Gerald F. Currier, 4 Nov 66 CPT Bernard S. Plaza, 23 Nov 66 1LT Daniel M. Kellett, 8 Dec 66 MAJ John H. Joyce, 21 Dec 66 CPT Roy M. McWilliams, 20 Jan 67 CPT Hardy W. Peeples, 21 Jan 67 CPT Charles M. Titus, 28 Jan 67 SSG Theodore H. Davis, 26 Feb 67 CPT Nelson S. Lehman Jr., 7 Mar 67 CPT Thomas E. Sauble, 13 Mar 67 MSG Charles E. Hosking Jr., 21 Mar 67 LCPL Leigh W. Hunt, 24 Mar 67 CPT Thomas P. Mitchell, 26 Mar 67 CPT Daniel F. Monahan, 14 Apr 67 PFC Bruce C. Parmalee, 21 Apr 67 LTC Charles J. Tighe, 23 Apr 67 CPT William A. Crenshaw, 4 May 67 CPT Joseph C. Hailey, 14 May 67 CPT Gerald A. Brown, 16 May 67 LTC Edward R. Frank Sr., 18 May 67 SSG Pedro A. Cruz, 22 May 67 CPT Joseph A. Tomko, 1 Jun 67 2LT Straughan Kelsey Jr., 3 Jun 67 |
PVT Grant C. Taylor,
5 Jun 67 LCPL Victor L. Burns, 27 Jun 67 CPT Graham N. Lowdon Jr., 28 Jun 67 PFC Kevin G. O’Connell, 29 Jun 67 LCPL Glenn E. Sanders, 29 Jun 67 PFC Terri L. Hines, 2 Jul 67 MAJ John M. Kessinger, 2 Jul 67 LCPL Terry L. Quigley, 2 Jul 67 1LT Anthony J. Borrego, 5 Jul 67 LCPL John W. Granahan, 5 Jul 67 LCPL Richard R. Davis, 7 Jul 67 LCPL Richard H. Lopez, 7 Jul 67 LCPL Michael Boardman, 19 Jul 67 LCPL Richard J. Behrns, 23 Jul 67 PFC Roderick L. Weiss, 24 Jul 67 CPT Arthur H. Green, 3 Aug 67 LCPL Robert I. Klootwyk, 8 Aug 67 CPL Vernon Thorsteinson, 12 Aug 67 LCPL David M. Calabria, 17 Aug 67 PFC Jack E. Telling, 4 Sep 67 LCPL James M. Daniels, 7 Sep 67 LCPL Robert R. Rogers, 7 Sep 67 CPL Robert M. Warren, 7 Sep 67 CPT Thomas D. Culp, 11 Sep 67 PFC John O. Kerney, 13 Sep 67 LCPL Duane J. Foss, 14 Oct 67 MAJ John O. Cooper III, 26 Oct 67 CPL Nicholas B. Enriquez, 1 Nov 67 CPT Michael A. Crabtree, 18 Nov 67 CPT David J. Decker, 19 Nov 67 CPT Harold J. Kaufman, 20 Nov 67 SP5 Michael P. Brown, 26 Nov 67 MAJ Antonio Mauroudis, 28 Nov 67 LCPL Thomas McElynn, 30 Nov 67 MAJ Charles D. Wilkie, 8 Dec 67 MSG Edward K. Robison, 3 Jan 68 LT Richard O. Williams, 5 Jan 68 MAJ Lawrence M. Malone, 7 Jan 68 PFC William A. Markarian, 7 Jan 68 LCPL Thomas N. Brewer, 7 Jan 68 CPL David D. Nicholson, 8 Jan 68 CPL Philip F. Burrell, 11 Jan 68 1LT Alfred B. Russ, 13 Jan 68 CPL Roger L. Wilson, 20 Jan 68 PFC Michael D. Cruitt, 21 Jan 68 CPT Daniel W. Kent, 24 Jan 68 MAJ Francis G. Gercz Jr., 25 Jan 68 SSG Gary L. Crone, 29 Jan 68 CPL Callen J. Courtemanche, 31 Jan 68 MSGT Marvin J. Plata, 31 Jan 68 CPL Robert E. Hall, 3 Feb 68 GYSGT George P. Kendall Jr., 4 Feb 68 LTC Vorin E. Whan, 7 Feb 68 CPT Howard L. Joselane, 8 Feb 68 CPT Sidney L. Leonard, 10 Feb 68 CPT Felix Sosa-Camejo, 13 Feb 68 LCPL Joe M. Copeland, 20 Feb 68 LTC James R. Etheridge, 23 Feb 68 CPT Daniel R. Schueren, 25 Feb 68 SSG Joe S. Rodriguez, 29 Feb 68 SSG Stephen J. Bobkovich, 1 Mar 68 LTC William C. DeLapp III, 8 Mar 68 CPL Keith M. Flumere, 11 Mar 68 LCPL Roger T. Nelson, 15 Mar 68 LTC Howard P. Petty, 15 Mar 68 SSG Billie O. Kean, 16 Mar 68 PFC Charles E. McMullin, 17 Mar 68 LCPL Billy Roy Bowen, 18 Mar 68 LCPL David L. Brown, 18 Mar 68 1SG Alan R. Haugen, 6 Apr 68 CPT William J. Whitehead, 7 Apr 68 PVT Robert J. Marcantoni, 10 Apr 68 CPL P.G. McGarvey, 12 Apr 68 CPL R.C. McMackins Jr., 14 Apr 68 LCPL Jerry F. Garcia, 17 Apr 68 CPL S.G. Schauermann, 30 Apr 68 LCPL W.B. Foard, 2 May 68 CPL Allen R. Bradford, 7 May 68 PFC Larry Stern, 25 May 68 CPT H.L. Haley, 26 May 68 CPL Craig B. Holt, 26 May 68 LCPL Gary C. Shafer, 27 May 68 LCPL Jeffery E. Feser, 5 Jun 68 PFC James R. Richmond, 13 Jun 68 PFC R.D. Conklin, 15 Jun 68 LCPL Bernard F. Dutton Jr., 4 Jul 68 CPT John B. Reed, 4 Jul 68 CPL Richard S. Brown, 5 Jul 68 CPL John W. Hansard III, 15 Jul 68 CPT David G. Mitchell, 23 Jul 68 SSG Thomas G. Hudson, 5 Aug 68 PFC Donald M. Redmond, 10 Aug 68 CPL James O. Spaw, 18 Aug 68 LCPL Jerry A. Weimer, 23 Aug 68 1LT John E. Miller, 24 Aug 68 LTC Michael J. Ingrassia, 28 Aug 68 LCPL William L. Pitt, 28 Aug 68 CPL Ricky J. Almanza, 3 Sep 68 MSG Thomas W. Barnard, 8 Sep 68 |
PFC Peter W. Sobacki,
10 Sep 68 PFC Harold J. Mathews Jr., 11 Sep 68 MAJ Alvin G. Mutter, 14 Sep 68 PFC Edward Cunningram, 16 Sep 68 MAJ Norman Cunningham, 24 Sep 68 MSG Antonio B. Jaime, 5 Oct 68 LCPL Al D. Corbo, 13 Oct 68 MAJ Thomas J. Baker, 4 Nov 68 LCPL Lawrence J. Putz Jr., 25 Nov 68 SP6 Allen I. Limbreck, 22 Dec 68 LTC Thomas F. O’Dea, 25 Dec 68 LCPL Jon M. Rumble, 26 Dec 68 SFC James C. Nicholson, 2 Jan 69 MAJ William Elsten, 5 Jan 69 PFC Deane F. Smith, 8 Jan 69 LCPL William C. Ingram, 22 Jan 69 SSG Bruce E. Deerinwater, 25 Jan 69 PFC Robert W. Whitney, 16 Feb 69 LCPL Dennis J. Kane, 17 Feb 69 CPL John P. Cook, 18 Feb 69 CPT Lee R. Herron, 22 Feb 69 CPL Bruce E. Robinson, 22 Feb 69 LTC William W. Dickey, 23 Feb 69 CPL Roger M. Kittleson, 25 Feb 69 CPT Ronald M. Goulet, 26 Feb 69 LCPL Martin R. Powers, 27 Feb 69 LCPL Philip H. Marks, 16 Mar 69 LTC Albert C. Butler, 22 Mar 69 LCPL Michael R. Ball, 26 Mar 69 SFC Arthur M. Bradberry, 30 Mar 69 MSGT John E. Lewis, 16 Apr 69 SFC William F. Rocco, 23 Apr 69 SFC Robert L. King, 25 Apr 69 LCPL David L. Girardo, 3 May 69 SFC Kenneth L. Dulley, 6 May 69 PFC Robert J. Alert Jr., 9 May 69 PFC Richard D. Cheney, 9 May 69 CPT Gerald Wrazen, 14 May 69 MSGT Bruce I. Luttrell, 20 May 69 CPL Albert J. Cartledge, 27 May 69 SSG John M. Blackford, 7 Jun 69 PFC Larry C. Davidson, 7 Jun 69 LCPL Robert V. Reker, 13 Jun 69 SSG Gerald K. Neer, 17 Jun 69 CPT James R. Daniel, 19 Jun 69 CPT Anton W. Boroski, 26 Jun 69 LCPL Patrick R. Scott, 6 Jul 69 LTC Arnold C. Hayward, 11 Jul 69 SP4 George J. Pascale, 14 Jul 69 LCPL John S. Kraabel, 18 Jul 69 CPL Michael C. Wunsch, 28 Jul 69 PFC Bruce W. Carter, 7 Aug 69 PFC Charles Velasquez, 13 Aug 69 MSG Chalmers Humphreys, 17 Aug 69 LCPL Charles B. Walker Jr., 3 Sep 69 LCPL John Chesebrough, 17 Sep 69 MAJ David R. Mackey, 17 Sep 69 PFC Allen T. Aslett, 27 Sep 69 SSGT Michael A. Piacentino, 28Sep69 CPL George A. Gillespie, 2 Nov 69 CPT Robert C. Beckman, 11 Nov 69 1LT Charles V. Penn, 29 Nov 69 LCPL Douglas Young, 20 Dec 69 EML James C. Mitchell Jr., 8 Jan 70 MAJ Tedd M. Lewis, 9 Jan 70 CPL Michael R. James, 11 Jan 70 CPT Richard J. Sexton III, 15 Feb 70 LCPL Jack A. Zoodsma, 17 Feb 70 LTC George A. Finter, 28 Feb 70 SGT Ehrhard K. Pohl, 22 Mar 70 CPL James C. Carlin, 1 Apr 70 MAJ James A. Russ, 27 Apr 70 CPT Ron V. Gray, 27 Apr 70 CPT James M. Treesh, 3 May 70 SP6 Thomas T. Smith, 3 May 70 MAJ George E. Hussey, 4 May 70 SGT David W. Smith, 17 May 70 MAJ Shane N. Soldato, 23 May 70 CPT Robert L. McCurdy, 26 May 70 1LT Dale Reising, 29 May 70 SGT Joseph J. Smith, 1 Jun 70 SP4 Robert W. McDonald, 16 Jun 70 MG George W. Casey, 7 Jul 70 MAJ Kenneth P. Tanner, 23 Jul 70 CPT David R. Weigner, 27 Jul 70 MAJ Barry F. Graham, 3 Aug 70 SGT Paul Miller, 20 Aug 70 CPL Gary W. Jones, 23 Aug 70 SGT Arthur Fisher, 20 Nov 70 SSG Steven F. Johnson, 14 Dec 70 ENC Frank W. Bomar, 20 Dec 70 SGT David C. Johnson, 5 Feb 71 SFC Olan D. Coleman, 11 Feb 71 SP5 Gary P. Westcott, 30 Mar 72 CPT Charles L. Flott, 5 Jun 72 LTC Willey B. McBride, 19 Jun 72 CPL Michael C. Smartt, 31 Dec 72 |
8. Vietnamese Training at DLI East Coast,
1971-1972
By Charles Joseph, ATC
USN (ret), DLIEC Vietnamese class of Jan 72
Chao Ong, Ong mahn gioi khong? Yep. I was there. Thirty-five weeks
of language and customs training. The school was run by WIT Educational Services
under the auspices of the Defense Language Institute, East Coast. The same
contractor that handled language schools for the State Dept. The school was
held in Crystal City, Arlington, Va. The class began with
some 300 Navy students. Supposedly we were to be a new level of advisors,
to dispel the 'Ugly American' image. We would be heavily trained in language
and customs. It would be unlikely that we'd see many Americans during our
tour in Vietnam, so they were going
to be very selective. Mild infractions could get you washed out. After six
weeks, no English would be spoken in class. Some of us were so thick, that
rule didn't hold up, but you get the idea.
The class was broken into 8-10 man groups per classroom. Our instructor
for the first 6 weeks was Ba (Mrs.) Davis, a very nice and pretty lady from
Vietnam, married to an Army Officer. When I had my kids up for a
two week visit in the summer, my kid-sitter was a wonderful 16 year old, whose
name, Hoa, meant 'Flower'. I met some wonderful Vietnamese people during that
school.
After language school, it would be off to Naval Amphib Base, Coronado, CA, for survival, weapons
and combat training.
About half way through the language and customs training, they called a meeting. A list of names was posted. Everyone's name was on it. They said the list was captured from the Viet Cong. We were told to be careful, even here in the DC area. Apparently there was a price on our heads. But I never heard of anything happening. One of the guys in my classroom was married to a girl from Northern Ireland. She was going home to N. Ireland, while he'd be in Vietnam. He used to joke, they'd be the only family with both in a war zone ~ in different corners of the world.
By the time we finished language school, we were down to about 125 men. Here's
a picture of the class around Dec. 1971. I'm the 10th in from your left, kneeling.
I'm wearing Aviation Greens. I wore them a lot to remind the blackshoes that
I was an Airdale.
Final test came and I
was classified as a class II interpreter (as was the majority of the class).
There were 3 classes. Class II meant 'capable of routine conversations'. But,
all the instructors said I had a terrible accent.
Shortly after the New Year, 1972, I headed West in my Rebel station wagon for Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado. I had plenty of leave on the books and travel time. I planned on seeing the states. I did. I criss-crossed up and down, North and South while generally heading West. Made a major stop at the Grand Canyon in February. 20 degrees at the top and 71 degrees in the valley! When I had left Washington DC, I had needed a haircut. By the time I got to Coronado, I really needed one. I checked into an apartment complex on Coronado for singles. After I'd filled out the application, the girl read it. Her eyes went wide when she got to occupation. She said, "you can't be a Navy Chief. Are you under cover or something?" Needless to say, I got a haircut before I checked into the base.
Back to Naval Amphib Base, Coronado. On the Silver Strand.
The first day aboard, I had just been issued my BDUs, when I ran into another
of the Chiefs from my class. The same one that had hung out the window of
my station wagon, barfing (too much ba muoi ba), after a night at the NavSta,
DC CPO club. I tell that on him, because of what he did to me. He said, "go
over to the tailor shop and have them put on the sew on type CPO collar insignia,
that's what they want in school here". Like a dummy I trotted over and
had it done. Next morning, the instructor jumped all over me. "Whaddaya
gonna' do, get yer a__ shot off the first day in country". Geez, here
I was, an E-7 FNG and I'm still in the states.
On the weapons course, I proved to be such a terrible shot, the guys told
me, if they're ever around me when there's a fire-fight, they're going over
to the other side. I had a picture of me in BDUs holding an M-16, but I can't
find it. Strange thing to see an ATC dressed like that.
A few weeks into the NAB training, rumors started flying. We were being canceled,
we weren't, we were, etc., etc. The cut-backs had started. Taking the bull
by the horns, I called the MACV desk in DC. I was told, “you guys are definitely
going over”. I came back and passed the word. The next day we were canceled.
So much for my credibility. Even though we were still in the states, we were
already assigned to MACV. A paragraph appeared in the paper that a 125 man
unit from MACV was disestablished and coming home. That was us. We were home!
We hadn't left yet!!
I called the CPO detailer and said, I didn't mind canceling my shore duty
for something I volunteered for, but since this program was canceled can I
have my shore duty back. He said, "Sure, where's your stuff stored?"
I said “DC, but I'm single now, I don't have much.” He said “money's tight,
it is cheaper to send you East, than your stuff West.” So, I asked, "OK,
whatcha got?" He answered, "got a nice slot in Albany, GA". I replied, "No
Way! I just left there last year". Then he said, "we need a flight
tech instructor for P-3's in VP-30, Pax River". My heart leapt.
VP! I'd been trying to get back to that community since 1960. I said, "Chief,
you just found your flight tech instructor!!"
So, there I was, a Vietnamese speaking combat trained Chief Aviation Electronics Technician. Trained for war and none to go to.
That’s the story of my DLIEC Vietnamese Language training and my MACV training.
As you can see, after all that, I never went to ‘Nam. I did become the Navy’s
P-3C Chief In-flight Technician in VP-30 at NAS Patuxent River, MD. After three years, I
cross-decked to the Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department for a year.
Following that I retired from active duty in 1976.
Years later I returned to college to complete my engineering degree. My 35
week DLIEC Vietnamese Language training was accepted to meet the Humanities
requirement for the requisite credits. A degree that has come in handy, since
I’m back with the Navy as a civilian testing aircraft.
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9. MANY RARE PHOTOS OF PRESIDIO IN HISTORIAN'S NEW BOOK
Taken from "Community News" article, October 1, 2004
The Presidio
of Monterey is best known as the home of the Defense Language Institute Foreign
Language Center, where generations of service members have been sent for foreign
language training. But the Presidio already had a
colorful history before the Army began using it for that purpose 58 years
ago.
The entire rousing tale is the subject of Presidio of Monterey by retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Harold E. Raugh, Jr., the Command Historian of the Presidio of Monterey. Raugh's new book tells the story of the Presidio through rarely seen photos chosen from the Presidio's archive and from other sources.
Published by Arcadia Publishing in its Images of America series, Raugh's Presidio of Monterey is a 128-page trade paperback that retails for $19.99 and is available at bookstores and AAFES outlets as well as from Internet booksellers.
As related in Raugh's book, the United States seized Monterey in 1846 during the war with Mexico and the U.S. Army soon constructed Fort Mervine overlooking Monterey harbor from a site on today's Presidio. The fort served a number of purposes until it was abandoned in 1866.
In 1902-1903 a modern cantonment was built in the area. In 1904 the new post was officially renamed the Presidio of Monterey after a long-gone Spanish fort established in 1770 near today's Lake El Estero, a few blocks from downtown Monterey. Throughout the first half of the 20th century the new Presidio of Monterey was home to infantry and cavalry regiments and also served in the 1940s as a reception center for Army inductees.
The Military Intelligence Service Language School was moved to the Presidio of Monterey in 1946 and was renamed the Army Language School in 1947. The ALS evolved into today's DLIFLC.
Presidio
of Monterey is Raugh's second book to make extensive
use of captioned photos to tell the story of a famous central California military
post. His Fort Ord, published earlier this year by Arcadia, is now
in its fourth printing.
Note: Presidio of Monterey
will soon be available for sale by DLIAA. Make inquiries by e-mailing
president@dli-alumni.org
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10. Dancing on History to Language - Ahmad Caracalla
Article taken from the Defense Language Institute Website.
Monterey, - Many studies have shown correlations between the ability to play music and sing, with the ability to learn a language. Ahmad Caracalla takes this claim very seriously. He teaches his students how to dance Lebanese dances and sing Arabic songs every year, in preparation for Language Day, when Defense Language Institute (DLI) holds open house for high school children from all over the state.
"I love to teach my students how to dance because it teaches them the spirit of the language and introduces them to the culture," says Caracalla.
A descendant of the family of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (188-217), Caracalla derives his name from the nickname "caracalla" given to the great ruler after the Gallic cloak he wore each day.
Caracalla
began dancing as a young boy in Lebanon, in the ancient city of Ba'albeck,
where remnants of the Greek and Roman empires stand as reminders of the glorious
past. Each monument signifies a period of a ruler, either Assyrian, Babylonian,
Greek and Latin, finally ending with French, English and Arabic. From this
mix, the people of Lebanon have lived on the crossroads of ancient cultures
and languages, and have contributed to them equally.
Dancing on history among the temples of Ba'albeck came as second nature to Caracalla, who began learning his first steps as a young boy at local weddings. He turned professional in the early 1970's performing with his uncle's dance company named Caracalla Dance Co. The dance group performed year after year during the well known Ba'albeck International Festival, where dance troops from all over the world come to perform at the base of the famous Jupiter temple.
"We danced five nights a week all summer long during the festival. It was hard work, but I loved it," says Caracalla. In the early 1980's Caracalla chose to move to the United States and eventually found employment at DLI.
Today Caracalla teaches his students at DLI how to love history and to love dance. His inspiration is lodged in the gathering together of cultures and the spreading of the unity of dance expressions of all nations.
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11.
Historic Building 640: Military Intelligence Service (MIS) National Center
Project
Published with permission from Col Harry K.
Fukuhara (USA ret)