European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Vietnam mias. A. A a a. Continued from Page 19 of a propaganda War waged by North Vietnam and the Nixon administration. Quot the North vietnamese used the pos to put pressure on the United states to come to terms Quot says Summers. Quot As a counter to that the administration began a pow Campaign with Mia bracelets and the whole business and began a groundswell of approval that sort of negated the North vietnamese propaganda. Quot after the repatriation in 1973, in order to maintain support for the South vietnamese government they kept playing up the Mia pow Issue. They created a monster and now the monster won t go away. It just got totally out of  with All of this Summers believes the government at least gave the impression that there would be a final accounting. Quot there has never been a final accounting in War and that s Why we have the Tomb of the unknown Soldier in Arlington Quot Summers says. Quot but the illusion among the Vietnam generation is that somehow there a got to be a final accounting and the Only reason there in t is because there a some government  Sylvester Stallone leads escaping pos to Freedom in Quot rambo first blood part in Quot today finally i am convinced that we can begin writing the last chapter of the Vietnam War. Movies reinforced Mia myths president Bush pet 23, 1992 although government officials claim photos like this one a which supposedly shows three . Pilots shot Down in Southeast Asia a Are frauds they fuel the belief that pos Are still alive. American culture during the 1980s reinforced the belief that there were live pos in indo Mihina according to one historian. Movies with heroic Rescue plots such As uncommon valor missing in action and rambo first blood part ii created the image for americans of pos being tortured for decades by sadistic asian communists says historian and author h. Bruce Franklin Franklin is a professor of English and american studies at Rutgers University in Newark n.j., and the author of . Or myth making in America. Quot it was very much a part of the militarization of american culture that took place in the �?T80s,&Quot he said in an interview. Quot As the Issue transformed into a myth it began to meet psychological needs of tens of millions of americans. The most obvious need was expressed by a moviegoer coming out of uncommon Val Orsben asked Why he liked this movie so  Quot Well we get to win the War Quot he replied. A this is the question rambo asks when he a Given the assignment to Rescue the pos. Quot sir do we get to win this time Quot a aft s a Way of seeing that the War Isnit Over Quot Franklin says Quot that eventually. Maybe Well win that we re the Good Guys that we re the real victims of the War Quot Quot with belief in live pos now an article of Faith in american culture there was no. Longer a pressing need to explain Why the vietnamese would wish to retain hostages whose existence they denied Quot Franklin writes in his Book. Quot once the vietnamese were transformed into the sadistic Little monsters imaged in the Deer Hunter uncommon valor missing in action and rambo asian cruelty and communist perfidy had once 1 again become Good enough explanations. So the question had shifted from Why in the world the vietnamese government would hold these men to Why in the world the . Government would abandon these heroes and even cover up their  a George Esper readers action Lin orientation flights promote air Force it a i be been in. The air Force for two years. One thing i believe in is that the air Force needs training. Orientation incentive flights Are part of that training work in a Job where i Deal Wilh pliers on a daily basis. In this Job we must take care of their medical needs which include stresses of flying. I also Deal with people who get incentive flights. Steffi Graf who is a civilian and has nothing to do with the a military got an f-16 flight which won t help her Tennis game while Many people who Are in the military sit on the ground wishing they could get a Light. This training is. Vital for the air Force. A. This in t the first Lime this has happened. At my last base a reporter and a Beauty pageant Winner also got flights also people i work with say they have seen the same things at their old bases. Please explain this to us military people. Airman 1st class Richard e. Braughton Ramsten a Germany q recently you published a front Page article and picture about Tennis Star Stetti Graf being allowed to take a Light in an f-16d Quot Tor the ride of her  i would like to know How this was justified. How is it that a nonpolitical German citizen is allowed to take a flight in a . Military plane ? in Man american citizen and have been a government employee for 14 years yet when i ask if i could take a flight in a helicopter i m told by friends that it would Cost them too dearly if they were caught giving a civilian a ride is this True if not where can i sign up for my free ride. Michel Schadt Fulda Germany is it. Col. Virginia n. Pribyla chief of Media relations division office of Public affairs he Safe replies a we appreciate the Opportunity to explain the purpose of the air Force s orientation flight program a a function of Public affairs which is conducted in accordance with 1 Dod directive 4515.13-r, afr 60-1 and afr 190-1. The program is designed to provide non department of defense civilian opinion leaders and news Media the Opportunity to better understand . Air Force roles and missions. These individuals because of their stature and influence can obviously make positive contributions to a the Public a understanding of what the air Force is All a about. Steffi Graf because of her International Fame and reputation was an Ideal Choice for am orientation flight. Every time Graf mentions her flight and the dedicated people she met at Ramstein a it s an advertisement for the u a air Force. And she a in a much better position to discuss the need for maintaining a Strong . Military presence in Europe. The orientation flight program does not adversely Impact on the incentive flight program for military Quot members. Unit commanders Are authorized to use the incentive flight program As a method to Reward members of their organization for Superior performance. Within Safe incentive flights outnumber orientation flights by at least 10 to one. By the Way orientation and incentive flights Are conducted during regularly scheduled training missions. Therefore no additional flying hours have to be allocated for these two extremely worthwhile programs nor Are any additional costs incurred. A to write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you a ave a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes unit 29-180, Apoate 09211. All letters must be signed. Please include address and Telephone number. Preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. A. Page 20 the stars and stripes monday january 11, 1993