European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 20, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday february 20, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 3 critics deny Many gis failed to fire in Battle by Richard Halloran Washington not two historians and writer have sought to prove that a major work by the prominent military historian . Marshall which says foot soldiers in world War ii often failed to fire was based on faked evidence. Marshall who was a brigadier general and a journalist with the Detroit news served As a military his Torian in world War ii and wrote Many books on  soldiers have said his influence on individual and Small unit training was pervasive especially around the time of the korean War in the Early 1950s. Marshall died in 1977. In a forthcoming article in the Magazine american heritage Fredric Smoler a historian at Sarah Law rence College draws on research by Roger Spiller historian at the army s command and general staff College in fort Leavenworth kan., and Harold , who was a Rifle company commander in world War ii and is the co author of the men of company  they attack Marshall for asserting in the Book me against fire published in 1947, that an infantry commander should know when he engages the enemy not More than one Quarter of his men will Ever strike areal  Spiller and Leinbaugh contended that Marshall did not have the research data he said he had to support his conclusion. The 25 percent estimate stands even for Well trained and Campaign seasoned troops he wrote in1947. I mean that 75 percent will not fire or will not persist in firing against the enemy and his works. These men May face danger but they will not  Marshall said soldiers who did not fire were motivated by fear a desire to minimize risk and a willingness As in civilian life to let a minority of other people carry the Load. When the infantryman s mind is gripped by fear he wrote his body is gripped by  Leinbaugh who served with the Federal Bureau of investigation after world War ii said Marshall s . Marshall is file charges Are absurd ridiculous and totally  Spiller questioned Marshall s assertion that he inter viewed 400 companies of about 125 soldiers apiece right after each had fought a Battle. He is quoted assaying the systematic collection of data that made americans Aid Vietnam Hospital Worcester mass. Up a Hospital built 20 years ago in the Central Highlands of Vietnam As a tribute to american War dead and mias is getting new assistance from veterans groups and Gold Star mothers who financed it. The living memorial Hospital is alive but not Well or. James Turpin the doctor who opened and ran the facility for seven years said saturday. Turpin and members of the american legion and the Worcester county Gold Star mothers scheduled a sunday Kickoff for a Campaign to raise at least $ 150,000 in Medicine and surgical supplies. The Hospital is the Only health facility for 150,000 people most of them from the Koho tribe of the montagnard who live in Central Vietnam. It was built during the height of the Vietnam War and operated by project concern inc., an International humanitarian Relief group Turpin founded in 1962. Turpin who now practices Rural Medicine in Asheville n.c., returned to the Hospital last month on a fact finding Mission approved by the Vietnam Ese government. The very fact that it has survived through All these years is a Miracle and attests to the fact that the provincial government values it highly Turpin said. He found it is in dire need of the most Basic supplies and equipment because so much has worn out since it opened in 1970. The requests he brought Back include drugs vitamins surgical equipment an a Ray machine and operating room lights. Supplies stopped coming Long ago to major and provincial hospitals Turpin said. They had no Access to parts. When a heart defibrillator s rechargeable Battery wore out they were without that. The operating room lamp had nine bulbs. Only three Are still working. They Are desperately looking to us for the kind of support they once hoped would come from the russians but that support is not forthcoming. Turpin added i Don t think malaria intestinal parasites or tetanus Are political conditions. They Are human conditions. What the people of Worces ter Are coming to realize is that the Hospital is a source of health and Well being it can also be a source of Healing for the Viet Nam veterans who came Back embittered. We need these people As much As they need  Francis r. Carroll past commander of american legion Post 435 and chairman of the original 1969 70 building Campaign met in new York on Jan. 18 with Trinh Xuan Lang vietnamese ambassador tothe United nations. At that meeting came the first notification since the american government s 1975 withdrawal from Vietnam that the Hospital was still operating. The ambassador arranged for Turpin s trip and told Carroll the Hanoi government will cooperate in efforts to resupply the Hospital because it can serve As a Cornerstone for further humanitarian involvement. The Campaign has already received an Anonymous corporate pledge of $38,000, and the widow of a Worcester area physician or. Sam Perrine is donating his surgical equipment and medical Library. The original idea for the living memorial Hospi Tal came from the area s Gold Star mothers 21 years ago at a Tea of the organization of mothers of veterans. They told Carroll most of their sons were Only 18 or 19 and single yet often wrote Home about the children of Vietnam and the people of Vietnam and could t we do something to help them he and four of the mothers flew to Vietnam in 1970 for the Hospital s dedication. Turpin said his recent visit brought Back wonder Ful memories. The Koho Are magnificent people. Our people there really fell for them. They made me a tribal brother after i was there for three or four years and i treasure that As much As anything he said. Today Vietnam is impoverished the third poorest country in the world. We have a Way to help them again in a much better Opportunity than we had  Marshall s ratio of fire so authoritative appears to have been an  professional officers said it did not make much Dif Ference whether Marshall s work was accurate because he provided data to support what Many believed to Betrue both instinctively and through combat experience. In Basic training after world War ii Soldier were taught to keep up continual Rifle fire As they advanced on enemy positions. Col. Anthony f. Caggiano the spokesman for the army s training and doctrine command at fort Monroe va., served two combat Tours in Vietnam. He said of Marshall As an infantryman he has had a profound influence Over the years. In my own military education in Roth and the Basic infantry school his writings and lessons were  col. Harold Nelson a military historian at the army War College at Carlisle Barracks pa., said the train ing aspects of . Marshall were the most important. The argument is not very important in an histor ical sense but it is in a training  a retired general who commanded an infantry Bat Talion in world War ii said Marshall was probably right about soldiers in that War but would not have been right today. In world War i soldiers advanced in massed formations. But with the pervasive use of the machine gun and other powerful weapons soldiers in world War ii had to Man Euver As they fired which often left them on their own. The retired general who asked not to be named said that in Light of training intended to overcome the flaws seen by Marshall i have no doubt that the number of people who fired their weapons in the korean War was greater than in world War ii and i Vietnam it was More and today it would be even  he contrasted the drafted hastily trained troops led by unprofessional officers in world War ii with the Volunteer extensively trained Force led by regular army officers and competent sergeants today. The change he said began about the time of the Korea War. Since then he went on the army has been Able to insist on More realistic training that has made them More effective. Lawmaker claims officials muzzled Tower investigator by the los Angeles times Washington the chairman of a House panel investigating the activities of Secretary of defense Des Ignate John Tower As head of a . Disarmament negotiating team in Geneva said saturday that he will step up the inquiry after a dispute with the state department Over Access to an investigator s reports on Tower. Rep. John d. Dingell d-mich., who Heads an Energy and Commerce subcommittee investigation said an investigator who had flown to Washington to Dis cuss his findings on Tower was muzzled by state department officials earlier saturday. Dingell said that although top state department officials later assured him the department would Coop Erate with his panel department Security officers met the investigator at a Washington area Airport and or dered him not to talk about Tower even to Congress. According to subcommittee documents investigators say Tower had extramarital affairs with two secretaries while he was in Geneva. One of the investigators Brian Hess of the air Force s office of special investigations met with the subcommittee staff Friday after being interviewed by the Senate armed service committee. The other Berne Indahl a state department Security officer arrived Over the weekend from Senegal and was supposed to see the panel Early this week. It was Indahl who Dingell said had been instructed not to talk to the panel. Despite department officials assurances that there had been a misunderstanding Dingell said he intends to pursue his investigation. Administration officials said saturday that an Fri report on Tower is expected to go to c. Boyden Gray president Bush s counsel by late monday after agents finish their interviews. The report is expected to go to the Senate armed services committee on tuesday. The Seattle Post intelligencer reported sunday that administration officials have approached sex defense Secretary Donald Rumsfield As a possible nominee to replace Tower should the confirmation fail