What a friend told me....

[Redtail1949]

he had been doing "work" in the Phillipines around Minidanoh (?) every since 9-11. However when Obama took office they had to stand down. seems he said that "someone wanted to let things quieten down and they wanted no problems involving American Soldiers in that area. he stated that most with him are sick in their stomach knowing that once again Amerca does not have the will to do what is needed.

[kwells2006]

that makes twice we've evacuated the Philippines... bad juju

[rockbilly]

For all practical purposes we evacuated the Philippines when we closed Clark Air Force Base, the largest military installation in the world and Subic Bay, one of the busiest naval ports in that part of the world during the Viet Nam era, ……….that was approximately 10 years ago.

[Redtail1949]

we were doing somew good work in there after 911 just not noticed as all eyes were on irag and afghanistan...special ops were really doing some good...then obama comes along and just basicly shut them down. he is an idiot.

[P.A. Myers]

The French have the Foreign Legion, they work well and quietly. I should have joined in '71 when I had the chance. Of course I would be dead now, but what an adventure.

[rockbilly]

P.A. I served with a couple of guys that were left in Viet Nam by the French.  They were originally American citizens who joined to FFL and served in Viet Nam with them.  When the French pulled out they left them behind.  In order to regain their American citizenship they were welcomed by the Army as interpreters since they were fluent in the Vietnamese language.  Both of these guys spoke very bad of the FFL, if you were not of French descent you were nothing.

I remember how tough they were, these two guys could whip a boxcar load of bad guys.  I witnessed a fight between one named Tock (last name); he took on nine drunken marines and made mince meat of them. He was like an artist at work.  It really got my attention since I had grabbed him by the arm and threw him out of the NCO Club a few weeks earlier. He later told me that there was no way he would have taken any action against me since I was Sergeant of the Guard that night.

Based on what they had to say about the FFL I don't really think they were as elite a group as some think.

[P.A. Myers]

I am sure what you say is true. I failed to point out that you get to learn french, quickly. I often think back about the road not taken. '68,'71,'82, I took the safe course, the wise decision. So now I am whole, Iam warm, I am wealthy, and yet.................