. Mahogany Tassel FINEST DRESS SHOE VALUE IN AMERICA! You don't have to pay $50 to $80 at some fancy Italian Bootery! COME TO HABAND. Update your appearance while you SAVE! of these fine Executive Black Take any Dress Shoes for our famous Oxford low price: 2 pairs for $29.95. Boots now same low price. Mix styles, colors, sizes any way you wish. Order with a friend! Any way you do it, the more you buy the better the price. BEST QUALITY COMPONENTS TOO! • Unique Flexi-Comfort™ design for softness! Brown • Wipe clean all-weather never-need-a-shine uppers. Loafer • Non-slip shock-absorbing lifetime soles and heels. • Meticulous detailing throughout. • Soft insides & full innersoles. BE READY, FRIEND, TO BE DELIGHTED! YES! Haband Company is one of America's very largest shoe retailers, selling hundreds of thousands of pairs direct by mail to men in every city and EVEN town in America. Send us your check today, and we will be delighted to introduce ourselves to you with the most outstanding shoe value of your life. Any TWO pairs, prices starting low as $29.95! BOOTS! "Best Step" Executive Same Low Price! Dress Shoes Note the luxury detailing, the elegant trim, the slightly higher Boot heel to make you 3 pairs $44.25 4 for 59.50 5 for 74.25 you look taller and slimmer, easy-on/ HABAND easy-off full side zipper. Same wipe 265 N. 9th St., Paterson, NJ 07530 WE'VE GOT YOUR SIZE IN D and EEE* WIDTHS! clean easy care and the Executive S'/i 7 Vh 8 8V2 9 Vk 10 lOH 11 12 13 YES! Send pairsl •PLEASE ADD 92.00 PER PAIR FOR EEE WIDTHS Protection you will need on snowy WHAT 0 or HOW Guarantee: If I do not choose blustery winter days. YOU CAN'T 43Y COLOR/STYLE SIZE? EEE«7 MANY? to wear the shoes/boots, I may AFFORD TO PASS THEM UP! return them within 30 days for a B BROWN LOAFER full refund of every penny I paid. Now same low price for C MAHOGANY TASSEL Boots or Shoes. Just Payment enclosed or Charge: G BLACK LOAFER jnake your selection Visa DMC Exp. I S BLACK OXFORD and send today! Acct. # H BLACK BOOT J BROWN BOOT Don't Shoe/Boot Price Ship To Delay 3.45 Brown Boot Apt. » TOTAL HABAND City . 265 North 9th Street Hp 7TE-43Y Paterson, N.J. 07530 " TIKI! ^IMMO^IM frij The Magazine for a Strong America Vol. 126, No. 1 January 1989 ARTICLE s SHARING THE BURDEN OF FREEDOM In battle, when the chips are down, a manfights to help the man next to him. ByAmb. Nicholas Piatt 15 THANKS, BUT NO THANKS Heavily in debt, Andrew leaves noforwarding address. ByJohn Rickey 20 PERSIAN GULF: LIFE ATTHE EDGE OFWAR "You haveyour whole lifeflash beforeyour eyes. By Taylor Henry 24 AMERICA'S SILENT EPIDEMIC Less than 20percent ofthepopulation is drinking80percent of the alcohol in this country. ByJean Kinney 26 ALCOHOLISM: A DISEASE OR WILFULL MISCONDUCT? Experts debate the cause ofone ofAmerica's mostpainful social ills. 28 ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS: DON'TTALK. DONTTRUST. DON'T FEEL More than 50percent ofchildren ofalcoholics become alcoholics themselves. By Stephanie Brown 30 COPING WITH NATURAL DISASTERS "Ifonly we had been prepared" is a sad and unnecessary epitaph to a disaster. ByJames Kramer 32 CENTRAL AMERICA: GUARANTEEING A SOVIET BEACHHEAD Weface the uglyprospect ofsendingAmerica's sons to CentralAmerica later because Congress would not sendguns now. By Lawrence L. Tracy 34 THE FIRST INAUGURATION Amid thepomp andpageantry usually reservedfor kings, Washington humbly accepted the call to lead the nation. By Lester David 36 BATTLE REPORT: HAMBURGER HILL In one ofthe bloodiest confrontations ofthe Vietnam War, U.S. paratroopersfought 10 days to take a mountain. By Vernon Pizer 38 HELPING VETERANS PURSUE THE AMERICAN DREAM The SBA helps people get started in business and helps them stay in business. 42 YOUR AMERICAN LEGION Legion Temporary FinancialAssistance helps veterans' children make it through the rough times. 44 DEPARTME NTS BIG ISSUES Should The WarPowers Resolution Be Repealed By Congress? 8 LETTERS 4 VETERANS UPDATE 40 VETERANS ALERT 56 COMMANDER'S MESSAGE 6 LEGION NEWS 46 PARTING SHOTS 76 DATELINE 10 LEGIONNAIRES IN ACTION 50 COVER An Iranian oil-drillingplatform after attack by U.S. forces. PhotobySygma The American Legion Magazine, a leader among national general-interest publications, is published monthly by The American Legion for its 2.8 million members. These military-service veterans, working through 16,000 community-level posts, aedicate themselves to God and country and traditional Amer- ican values; strong national security; adeguate and compassionate care for veterans, their widows and orphans; community service; and the wholesome development of our nation's youths. JANUARY 1989 1 ON FLORIDA rzermeM&NT/ FOR GOD AND COUNTRY Learn you can retire to Florida how sun-kissed Editorial Offices and piay golf FREE for the rest of your life. 700 N. Pennsylvania St. P.O. Box 1055 If you have ever considered Florida Retirement, this full length V2 Indianapolis, IN 46206 hour TV Program is a must. It takes you on a tour of Florida's most 317-635-8411 successful, self-contained Active Adult Community. H.F. "Sparky" Gierke Shows you... National Commander • Model Homes and their prices • Free Golf Courses and Country Clubs • Recreation Facilities and Private Restaurants • The Communities Daniel S. Wheeler Banking, Shopping, Medical and Security facilities • The Active Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Retirement Lifestyle Michael D. LaBonne You owe it to yourself to learn how you can enjoy this luxurious Editor leisure lifestyle on your fixed retirement budget by letting us bring this Raymond H. Mahon video tape tour of Orange Blossom Gardens into the comfort of your Managing Editor own living room. All you have to do to receive your FREE V2 hour TV Program is fill Joe Stuteville Associate Editor out the coupon and return it along with $2.00 to cover postage and handling. Simon Smith Art Director ORANGE BLOSSOM GARDENS, DEPT. TV-5A William L. Poff 10 PARADISE DRIVE • LADY LAKE, FL 32659 Production Manager Enclosed is $2.00 to cover postage and handling. Please rush my FREE VHS Video Tape. Advertising Director NAME Donald B.Thomson The American Legion Magazine ADDRESS P.O. Box 7068 Indianapolis, IN 46207 CITY 317-635-8411 STATE ZIP I? Publisher's Representatives Fox Associates, Inc. Chicago: 312-644-3888 New York: 212-725-2106 Los Angeles: 213-487-5630 Detroit, Ml: 313-543-0068 Atlanta: 404-252-0968 The American Legion Magazine Commission Milford A. Forrester, Chairman, Greenville, SC; Ralph L. Smith, Vice Chairman, Bartlesville, OK; James R. Kelley, National Commander's Rep- resentative, Wayne, PA; George F. Ballard, Belleville, IL; J. Leslie Brown Jr., Louisville, KY; Joseph Chase, Hatboro, PA; Richard J. Cherry, Toledo, OH; Donald Conn, South Bend, IN; James W. Conway, Charlestown, MA; Lincoln Cox, Kirby, WV; Orval E. Faubus, Conway, AR; Halbert G. Horton, Topeka, KS; W.B. (Brad) Jorgens, Beardsly, MN; Eugene J. Kelley, Savannah, GA; Russell H. Laird, Des Moines, IA; Larry G. Lewis, Bensenville, IL; Nathaniel J. McKee, Princeton, NJ; J. Fred Mitchell, Brewton, AL; J. H. Morris, Baton Rouge, LA; 1250 HOME DESIGNS George G. Sinopoli, Fresno, CA; Benjamin B. Truskoski, Bristol, CT; Paul T. Woodard, Lacey, ONE OF THEM IS YOURS. WA; Neal L. Thomas Jr., Consultant, Colorado Springs, CO. Find your dream home in these six exciting HOME PLANNERS, INC volumes packed with proven, innovative «\ Copyright 1988 by The American Legion Depl BK 23761 Research Drive, Farmington Hills. Ml 48024 home designs. Order your favorite category, Please RUSH by return mail (check choice) subscription, Post- or send for the complete collection, with over Price: Annual $12; (1) 315 ONE STORY HOMES sponsored gift subscriptions, $4; Single copy, 4,050 illustrations in 1,136 pages! (under 2,000 sq. ft.) $4.95 $2. To subscribe, send $12 ($18 in foreign countries) to Membership Dept., (2) 210 ONE STORY HOMES (over 2,000 sq. ft.) $4.95 Processing P.O. Box 1954, Indianapolis, IN 46206. (3) 150 1-1/2 STORY HOMES $3.95 (4) 360 TWO STORY HOMES $6.95 Change of Address: Notify The American (5)215 MULTI-LEVEL HOMES $4 95 Legion's Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 1954, Indi- anapolis, IN 46206. Attach old address label, (6) 223 VACATION HOMES $4.95 ALM91 provide old and new addresses and current VALUE!) SEND ALL 6 BOOKS AT $19.95 (A $30.70 membership card number. Allow 8 weeks for SAVE! Order our complete change of address to take effect. Also notify your local post adjutant directly at local post's address. collection, all 6 books, only $19.95! (A $30.70 value.) To request microfilm copies, please write to: City. Slale - University Microfilms, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann In Canada add 20°. to above prices Arbor, Ml 48106 Satisfaction Guaranteed! Credit Card and mail in Canadian funds to Amount Enclosed: HOME planners INC Add $1.50 for Postage Orders Call Toil-Free 1-800-322-6797 20 Cedar St n Mich, residents Kitcnener Ontario N2H2W8 add 4% sales tax. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations AMERICAN LEGION MAGAZINE hearing helpfor Nerve Deafness If you hear, but don't always understand the words, Miracle-Ear may be your answer. Miracle-Ear can help many people over- come problems like hearing only parts of words . straining to hear . asking others to repeat ... or becoming confused when spoken to. These are classic symptoms of nerve deafness. If you've been told a hearing aid won't help, now there's Miracle-Ear. Miracle-Ear canal aid is a comfortable "custom-fit" hearing instrument designed to help nerve deafness.