An academic exercise in preparing for a terrible, but important thing

Excellent advice that I hope I never need to put into play.

General Patraeus Redux

Via Stryker News an hour long interview with General Patraeus by Charlie Rose is here.

It is a full hour long...and even if a transcript were available..none of it could be excerpted responsibly.

Meanwhile, Back in Iraq

So - with the Commanding General in the U.S. this week, did the troops of MNF-I slack off?

Doesn't look like it:

32 Years Ago on April 29, 1975

April 29, 1975. Flying refugees out of Saigon as the NVA rolls in:

"When we got on the ship, the South Vietnamese were landing helicopters right on the deck," said Stewart, remembering his actions during the operation. "We'd take the people off and push the helicopters over the side. They tried to land (planes) on the ship and the Navy would wave them off. Then they'd ditch the planes into the ocean and jump out and the Navy would fish them out of the water. It was very hectic."

The planners anticipated they would be moving about 100 people out of Saigon, but when it was over, they had relocated 1,373 Americans and 5,595 foreign refugees.

There came a point during the night when the order was given to only take American citizens because the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong were getting close to the DOA compound and American Embassy.

"I can't imagine what it must have been like to have to look at those people, knowing that if they were caught they'd probably be killed," Buckel said. "As good a feeling as it must've been helping the ones they could, there also had to be a little bit of guilt there too."