European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 16, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Page 8 the stars and stripes monday october 16, 1967 language proficiency is vital combat men must communicate by Tom Stewart Washington a the marines and army have decided you can t fight alongside vietnamese allies or against vietnamese enemies unless your a buddy speak vietnamese. And so by the thousand they re learning this baffling Tongue. If you asked us to produce400 machine gunners a Marine spokesman said we could Pressa Button in personnel and Berrr to just like that you Dhave  but when the language program began we were starting from practically  by putting As Many men As i could spare through the All service courses of the defens language Institute and establishing its own smaller schools he said the marines now have enough language trained men to put one in every company in  army also is making a heavy investment of Man Yearsin language skills but it does t use a one per company Yard stick. We leave it up to the unit commanders a spokesman said. At division level say the commander can specify that out of so Many replacements he wants so Many to be language trained. It varies from division to  together the various programs add up to a far greater commitment to language training than in any previous War. The leathernecks plan to put some 2,600 officers and enlisted men through courses of varying length during this fiscal year. In late 1964 and Early 1965 by com Parison the corps sent Only 32for such instruction. With four times As Many Menin Vietnam As the marines the army has nearly 5,300 learning the language in the year ending june 30, up 64 per cent from the year before. The shortest course either service employees is a six week school for newly minted Marine lieutenants at Quantico. At the other end of the scale is a4f-week grind at the school the army runs for the defense Lan Narn Guage Institute in Monterey Calif. For most situations the serv ices feel a Man can get what he needs from a Short  he emerges he won t be fluent but hell be Able to communicate. He can ask a villager How Many enemy troops have passed through lately what sort of weapons they had whether they seemed Low on food. And he can be More convincing in an offer of  want to give the Man in an Ordinary situation what  sub fluency a Marine offi cer said. The boys we want Tobe fluent Here we re talking about interpreters and interrogators they get the 47  pc. Back safely Tail Hook extended cables taut an a4 sky Hawk attack aircraft comes in for an arrested Landing aboard the Carrier intrepid after an air strike Over North Vietnam. The intrepid is performing limited duties As an attack Carrier while operating As a unit of task Force 77 in the Gulf of Tonkin. Navy photo army aids vietnamese in civic action program Saigon special  soldiers in Vietnam Are helping the vietnamese people in Many ways through a continuing civic action  on . Civic action activities during the first Hal of this year show the extent of american help in the social and economic development of Vietnam medical treatments 4,843,396 immunizations 1,381,968 Foo distribution 12,044 tons Volun tary contributions 27,525,175 Pia goers redistribution of captured Rice 2,953 tons construction projects such As schools roads Bridges Public buildings Indwells 24,819 repaired or con  action one aspect of the revolutionary development program of the Republic of Viet Nam also includes activities such As re settlement of Refu gees and tribal groups inter Preter support English Lan Guage training establishment oflaundries., and provision of a pot Able water  . Army civil affairs Ca units coordinate civic activities in Vietnam. The 41st Ca company supports i Field Force in the vietnamese ii corps area the 29th Ca company support the Iii Marine amphibious Force in the i corps area an the 2nd Ca company supports the h Field Force in the i corps area and the in corps advisory element in the Mekong Delta. Civil affairs staff elements reassigned to All divisions Bri Gades and infantry battalions deployed in Vietnam. Green berets doff hats to none in enemy zone by Robert Kaylor Plesku Vietnam up sgt. . George Petrie grunted strained and lifted the bulging equipment bag to Hook it to his Parachute harness. The 28-year-old Soldier from Lenoir n.c., had just stuffed a Rucksack with five Days ratio Sand equipment a pistol Belt with 400 rounds of ammunition and other assorted gear. It prob ably weighed around 70 pounds. They say that of Green berets bigger than 10 men said Petrie As someone gave him hand. Well i be got mine inside there. That must be Why it s  the Green Beret is the badge of Honor for the men of special forces. And there was a special reason Why it was in Pete Petrie s equipment bag on this Day. Petrie and a group of his montagnard tribesmen soldiers from the 25th Mike Force company were getting rigged for a Para Chute jump into Viet Cong coun try near the cambodian Border. They were going in As path finders before the main body of troops to Mark the drop zone and Assembly areas. I went along for the fide and the jump. When special forces troops go into combat they usually Wear Flop brimmed camouflage hats so they will look As much like their native troops As pos sible. A Green Beret can be an awfully inviting target. This time the special forces men were determined to Wear their  s equipment had the refinement of a nifty pair of Sun glasses which he would t be without despite an  Complete jump Rig makes a Man feel like a bloated Hippopotamus and at least As heavy. That was about How Petrie Felt when he finished suiting up and flopped Down on his Back to await the order to get into the  reports of rain on the drop zone at by Prang caused a two hour delay. For Petrie and his men it meant getting unsuited from the cramped harness and then suited up again. Once crammed inside the Hotplate in four rows knee to knee with other jumpers there was a one hour flight to the drop zone. The time honoured Way for paratrooper to sweat that out is to go to sleep. Almost everyone did. At just Over six minutes out the jump master gave the com mands to stand up Hook up the Static lines that automatically yank the parachutes open As you leave the plane and Check equip  the doors were opened and there was a blast of cold air. To those of us near the door it looked As though the ground was much closer than the 700-foot jump Altitude. Much closer. The Leader of the pathfinders maj. Chumley w. Waldrop of Maud okla., stood in one  the last moment the Pilot called off the jump because of Clouds and rain. He made two More  a jumper Hooks his Static line and puts a safety pin through it he can t unhook again. So we spent another half hour standing in the stiff Nylon harnesses or trying to rest none knee. On the third try Waldrop finally got an Okay to go and the plane  was the feeling of being sucked out into empty space Brief glimpse of the ground and then the helplessness of being thrown Back and Forth by what seemed like a huge invisible hand As the Parachute deployed. And then swinging into a upright position and that Happy feeling that comes from look ing up and seeing a full canopy Over your head. As usual practically everyone forgot the rules about making a Good Landing. It was a Case offset backside and head. Petrie came Down the drop zone at a do Trot with his weapon in his hand. Just As he reached another american there was the crack of a Rifle off to the left followed by a burst of automatic fire and the heavier sound of an m Joma Chine gun. Then he charged off in the direction of the fire. He showed up in a few minutes at the Assembly Point. Did t find anything he said and got his montagnard into a perimeter. He also decided it might be better idea to wait until More people got on the ground before putting on his Beret. Man i like to broke both my Knees Petrie said when he had a moment to relax. Landed right on  War s foe it s mud and More mud As a Marine guides Ana Mored personnel Carrier through the muck at con Thien. Mon soon Rains have turned the area into a Slimy quagmire. The personnel carriers Are used to ferry supplies dropped by Heli copters to the marines. A photo