The American Legion [Volume 146, No. 1 (January 1999)]
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
. New Customer Offer: DrSchoHs For 90 Years, Dr. SchoU's® has been keeping feet Healthy and Comfortable! Now here is everything you FREEPOSWGE! want in a shoe, in this one Very Handsome Dr. SchoU's" Leather Casual! Only $29.95! • Soft genuine leather uppers are supple, breathable with Magic Cling™ closures for easy on/easy off. • Soft, brushed Nylex^" linings. • Foam padded throughout, especially around ankle collars, to cradle your foot. • Genuine Dr SchoU's " comfort features and heel stabilizer for greater support. • Lightweight cushion soles with traction tread make walking ftin again! • Imported. This is Genuine Leather, the unique Dr. SchoU's® Tri-Level Comfort Insoles, and an Unbeatable Haband Deal — $29.95 direct to your door, NO POSTAGE CHARGES! Call or send today! Haband Exclusive! Not in any store anywhere. Don't buy imitations—^ order direct by mail from HABAND only! WHAT WHAT HOW 7T5-49H SIZE? WIDTH? MANY? D and EEE Widths 1 c Taupe NO EXTRA CHARGE FOR EEE! D Brown 7 7/2 8 8/2 9 9/2 10 E Black 107: 11 12 13 H Grey 1 Send me pairs of shoes. I enclose purchase price, plus ~~~~~~$. t^:%S. toward postage & insurance, NO POSTAGE CHARGES ON THIS ORDER! Check Enclosed Discover/Novus*' DVisa MasterCard GAresk Card # Exp, Mr Mrs. Ms. Mail Address .Apt. City & State. .Zip_ 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed or Full Refund of Purchase Price at Any Time! Order 24 hours a day, possible service call 7 days a week Vol. 146, No. 1 The Magazine for a Strong America January iggg ^"^^ ARTICLES CHALIiNGES IN THE 106TH CONGRESS The budget squeeze has hit older veterans, but look for progress on the Gl Bill of Health. M DOUBLE EXPOSURE By Tony Miller A new study will focus on the long-term effects of Agent Orange. i BALLAD OF A GREEN BERET By Robin Moore A Special Forces soldier rises to the top of his profession. 21 FIDEL'S FAILED UTOPIA By Georgie Anne Geyer The 40-year consequences of a communist revolution are revolting. CONSCIENCE WITHOUT COLOR interview Renaissance man Ken Hamblin makes waves on Denver's airwaves. il STANDARD ISSUE By Tom Slear Military gadgets can become civilian necessities. TO BRING THEM HOME By Terry Coffey Legion official views North Korea MIA operations. 42 FACING THE MORAL CRISIS By David Penticuff Legion leaders chartDEPARTMENTSa course of honor to protect Old Glory and America's veterans. VETVOICE BIG ISSUES VETS COMMANDER'S MESSAGE 11 VETERANS UPDATE PARTING SHOTS WASHINGTON WATCH i LEGION NEWS COVER Gen. Henry Shelton (Department of Defense photo) The American Legion Magazine, a leader among national general-interest publications, is published monthly by The American Legion for its 2.7 million members. These wartime veterans, working through nearly 1 5,000 community-level Posts, dedicate themselves to God and country and traditional Ameri- can values; strong national security; adequate and compassionate care for veterans, their widows and orphans; community service; and the wholesome development of our nation's youths. JANUARY 1999 • THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE • \ ' n TTlMll ^IMlll^l]©^ HearThe RadioThatWoke Up An Entire Industry. FOR GOD AND COUNTRY 700 N. Pennsylvania St. The sound of ^ credit card-sized P.O. Box 1055 most tabletop remote control, Indianapolis, IN 46206 317-630-1200 radios leaves ^^^^p six AM and six National Commander Harold L. "Butch" much to be '"^mm r^" FM station pre- Miller Publisher/Editor-in-Chief desired. But now sets, and more. It fits Dick McNaily the rich-sounding Bose Wave radio almost anywhere and is Art Director changes all that. available directly from Smith We think it's the best-sounding Bose for $349. Call today to learn Managing Editor Robert C. Imler radio you can buy, and audio critics more about our six-month, interest- Assistant Editors agree. Like Popular Science, which free payment plan, 100% satisfaction Layne Cameron gave it their "Best of What's New" guarantee, and in-home trial. David Penticuff award. And Radio World, which And hear for yourself what Terry Coffey staff Photographer called the sound "simply amazing!' Wired called the "clean, sweet sound" John Simon The Wave radio includes a of the Wave radio. Call today, 1-800-845-BOSE, ext. T2247. For information on all our products: www.bose.com/t2247 General Administration Please specify your choice of color when ordering: Imperial White Graphite Gray Robyn Blacit Robin Production Manager Jon Reynolds Production Assistant Mail to: Bose® Corporation, Mary Magee ' Dept. CDD-T2247, The Framingham, MA 01701-9168. Better sound through research ® 1999 Bose Corporation. Covered by patent rights issued l 'or pending. Installment payment plan not to be combined with a Advertising Assistants )tter and available on credit card orders only. Price does n nclude $15 shipping and handling and applicable sales tax. Price payment plan subject to change without ice. Frank Beacham, Radto World, 12/93. Wired, 6/94. Cathy Frakes M. Bader The American Legion Magazine P.O. Box 7068 Indianapolis, IN 46207 Publisher's Representatives Fox Associates, inc. Chicago: 312-644-3888 Branson! New York: 212-725-2106 Wm! Angeles: 310-841-0280 Los The Branson VIP Vacahon Detroit: 248-543-0068 Atlanta: 404-252-0968 415-989-5804 NOW HERE'S A DEAL...S fun-filled days, 4 star-studded nights at San Francisco: the luxurious Welk Resort Hotel and your choice of any four of these The American Legion Magazine Commission Milford A. Forrester. Chairman, Greenville, SC; Dennis J. attractions: Vinton Show, The legendary Branson O The Bobby @ Henkemeyer. Vice Chairman, St. Cloud, MN; James P. Lawrence Welk Show, Q The Jim Stafford Show, O 1880's Theme Comiskey. National Commander's Representative. Pitts- burgh. PA; Lawrence VanKuran. Encino, CA; Theodore R. Silver Dollar City, The Mel Tillis Show, and The Park © IL; Jr., Louisville, @ Hartmann, Smithton, J. Leslie Brown, KY; Showboat Branson Belle—/or only $229.90* per person Joseph F. Chase, Hatboro, PA; Donald R. Conn. South Bend. IN; James W. Conway, Boston, MA; Hoy Haught, double occupancy plus tax & CDF. Order by March 15 and receive a Huntsville, AR; James H. Hall, Hopewell, NJ; Halbert G. FREE VIP backstage tour of the Welk Champagne Theatre. We'd love to see you! Horton. Topeka, KS; Bettylou Evans, Laurel, DE: Eugene J. Kelley. Savannah, GA; Russell H. Laird. Des Moines, lA; *Rate varies by season. J. Fred Mitchell, Brewton, AL; J.O. Berthelot, Gonzales, LA; Branson extends a warm welcome to American veterans year round! Everett G. Shepard III, Woodstock, CT; Jerrold W. Wilson, Sr., Harrison, OH; Tom C. Smith, Oklahoma City, OK; Henry E. Lamb Sr., Lacey, WA; Robert E. Vass Sr.. Hunt- ington, WV; James J. Charleston, Arlington Hgts., IL and Casimir F. Sojka, New Rochelle, N Y. consultants. Copynght 1998 by The Amencan Legion The American Legion (ISSN 0886-1234) is published monthly by The American Legion, 5561 W. 74th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46268. Periodicals postage paid at Indiana- polis, IN 46204 and additional mailing offices. Annual non-member and gift subscriptions, $15 ($21, for- eign); Post-sponsored and widows' subscriptions, $6; single copy. $3 50 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The American Legion, Input Sen/ices, P.O. Box 1954, Indianapo- lis, IN 46206. Inter net address: htlp://www.legion.org. Change of Address: Notify The American Legion, Input Services, P 0. Box 1954, Indianapolis, IN 46206. (317) 328-4640 Attach old address label, provide old and new addresses and current membership card number. Canada Post International Publications Mall (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 546321. Re-entered 1-800-935-5431 second-class mail matter at Manila Central Post office 1' The Welk Resort Center dated Dec. 22, 1991. Printed in USA 1984 Highway 16S' Branson, Missouri 65616 - Packages available 4/1/99 12/18/99 Member Audit Bureau of Circulations (some restrictions apply) Vacation #AL3D >6 2 • THE AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE • JANUARY 1999 though, encourages immigrants to Criminal Act keep their foreign tongue. As a result, THE Second Amendment means just they are quietly forced into language what it says: "The right of the peo- ghettoes. No American deserves that. ple to keep and bear arms shall not Marylyn Monares Anich be infringed." I am tired of the liberal Omaha, Neb. politicians and media making it look like the law-abiding gun owner is the cause of crime. Passing laws that "Yes"tnEnglisli abridge the Second-Amendment rights VOTE "yes," public schools should of citizens will not stop criminals. be English only. And Congress William Roth Jr. should make English the official lan- Ocean View, N.J. guage. Why? So children can learn English quicker and reduce wasteful spending by duplicating documents AlltHeWay and counterproductive teaching. Let's SHAME on you for not mentioning do it before it's too late. Sgt. Alvin York's unit. I was told Richard Fenzel York was a member of the 325th Inf. Louisville, Ky. No Guns for Honor Guards Rgt., the only Army unit which was regu- Massachusetts legislature just lar infantry in World War I, glider-bome THE Medic! passed the most comprehensive in World War II and airborne when I was and egregious firearms control bill a member of the 82nd Airbome. EVERY veteran will testify that our in the nation. One part, which affects Joe Hale government promised lifetime med- all veterans groups, states that citizens Elwood, III. ical care for each retiree and family at cannot take a firearm into any public no cost to the veteran. Now our govem- area. Hence the color guards cannot ment disavows this promise through dis- take their firearms with them. If con- "No" to Bilingual Schools tortion, deception and other dishonorable victed, they could face jail terms and BILINGUALISM threatens to rip language while some veterans struggle felony charges.