When Mr. Zelman first spoke with me about his need
for another writer for JPFO, it took me a few minutes to conclude
it would be a good thing for me to consider. This is my introduction
to all of you.
I will have my 60th birthday in August of 2007. I came of age (with
several million other baby boomers) in the mid-1960's. As I frequently
say publicly, U.S. Military Intelligence School( Ft. Holibird, Baltimore
MD) took my 19 year old pile-of-mush brain (in 1967) and made it
into something useful. Eventually my brain became a disciplined,
cognitive tool with the questioning mind of the homicide detective,
the discipline of an intelligence analyst, the skills of a para-legal
and the lack of fear of a Green Beret.
Coming from a small ( 100 seniors) High School in a small town near
St. Louis I was about as naive as a 19 year old young man could
be.
Two weeks after my 20th birthday, I landed in the Republic of South
Vietnam. I was to be an Intelligence Analyst assigned to Psychological
Operations with the 10Th Psyop Battalion in the Mekong Delta the
next twelve months.
I landed in Vietnam a boy. I left a man. As most men who have been
in combat will tell you, the experience defines their life.
My main duty was to conduct classified studies of the war. I was
immersed in classified briefings ( at the 4Th Corps Tactical Operations
Center every weekday morning) classified documents from the C.I.A.,
Rand Corporation, Military Intelligence and more. Everything I read,
heard leading eventually to the intelligence summaries I wrote,
was classified.
By the end of September 1967, I began to read and learn the indicators
that the Viet Cong were planing a major military offensive around
the Chinese New Year (Called TET). which is a major celebration
near the end of January every year.
As the Fall of 1967 proceeded, I kept getting more and more independent
confirmation of the pending offensive. At the same time, levels
of Viet Cong activity were at all-time lows.
The light at the end of the tunnel
In December 1967, General Westmoreland gave his famous (infamous?)
"light at the end of the tunnel" speech to a joint session
of Congress. This was a big deal. he told Congress that the enemy
( Viet Cong (V.C.) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) where a defeated
force and could no longer mount a credible offense on the battlefield.
Years later, Westmoreland filed a lawsuit (Westmoreland V. CBS)
over "The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception" aired
September 13, 1982, about the events surrounding the 1968 TET Offensive.
The historical novel "A Station In The Delta" by John
Cassidy, also does an excellent job of documenting the Fall of 1967.
I just re-read the book recently. It brought back a wave of memories.
I digress.
As the months rolled by, I saw clear and convincing evidence of
this coming offensive and absolutely NO PREPARATION on the part
the of U.S. Army! I took it upon myself to warn the men in my outfit.
I urged them to stockpile food and ammunition. A few (very few)
paid heed, most (nearly all) did not.
The first morning of the TET offensive found my outfit completely
caught off-guard.
We had enough meals ( C-Rations) to feed every man 1/2 of one c-ration
meal one time.
After the shooting slowed down mid-morning, our First Sergeant called
a meeting. He asked
every man who had at least one magazine (20 rounds) of ammunition
for his M-14 rifle to raise his hand. We had a number of men that
did not have even one magazine of ammo!
He then asked those with two or more to keep their hand up, then
three, then four, etc.
At six or more magazines, I was the only one with his hand still
up.
"Moore, how many magazines of ammo do you have?" He said
smiling.
"Ten , First Sergeant!"
"Moore, keep four and distribute the rest"
"Yes, First Sergeant!"
A month earlier, I was out at Binh Tuey Air Force Base to fly combat
air missions (as a crew member) dropping leaflets ( I flew 57 combat
air missions during my tour) and play propaganda tapes over very
powerful loudspeakers. We worked too late and could not make the
return trip ( ten miles on a two-lane black-top highway thru Indian
country). The two men from my outfit and I were looking forward
to a movie and good Air Force food that night. That is, until the
base was put on alert for attack.
We sought out and found the Air Force Major in charge of Base Security.
We introduced ourselves and offered to man the perimeter at his
most vulnerable, most likely point of attack that night. Our price?
All the M-14 ammo we could carry home with us the next day!
He took one look at us carrying our M-14's smiled, agreed to our
offer and told us when and where to report for duty that night.
He was VERY grateful!
The attack came about 0200 hours. Mortars hit the main base buildings.
We were in a small bunker hearing the shells go over us.
No ground attack.
I should have made a tougher bargain for the flares and grenades,
in addition to the ammo.
I lost several friends in the TET Offensive. Needless deaths due
to an Army that would not pay heed to its own intelligence.
Bottom line? I learned at the tender age of 20:
Rule# 1 "Never trust anything the Government says." A
quote from Patriots, Surviving The Coming Collapse.
Upon return to the U.S. I was assigned to the 6th Special Forces
Group ( Airborne) at Ft. Bragg N.C. There, I conducted classified
studies of Middle-East Terrorists. I was put on alert several times
to invade the Middle-East. Working with the Green Berets gives you
a very
unrealistic view of life. Imagine yourself living and working with
600 men, none of whom have less than a 120 I.Q. All of whom could
be collegiate athletes, none of whom are overweight, or even wore
glasses. Nearly all of whom are Alpha Males. All of whom think that
jumping out of a cargo plane at midnight, over enemy territory,
is a perfectly normal thing to do!
I left the Green Berets ( and the Army) to go to college. I graduated
as a Para-Legal in 1972 and ( in less than a year) was recruited
by the State of Missouri to become a criminal investigator and homicide
detective.
I'm in my 35th year working as a private investigator and criminal
defense investigator.
My professional life has been one of working on serious matters
with serious consequences.
I became politically active in the pro-gun movement in the late
1980's. Working to help pass concealed carry in Missouri, getting
my own radio talk-show in 1995. Even running for U.S. Congress in
1996! The Crime Bill of 1994 ( with it's ban of semi-auto rifles)
energized me in ways I never expected. My 20 plus years of experience
(at that point in time) in dealing with crime professionally, gave
me an intimate knowledge of the guns of choice for criminals. I
knew that banning semi-automatic rifles had nothing to do with crime.
I also knew that the rifles they wanted to ban were the most desirable
to defend the Republic with.
My professional associations and contacts within law enforcement
and the judicial system led me to know in intimate detail what the
attitudes and knowledge was inside various government agencies.
They were either clueless, or did not care, what the consequences
of the rifle and magazine ban were for the Republic.
Tiger
My radio call-sign in the Green Berets was "Tiger". When
it comes to the security of our Republic, our Constitution, the
Bill of Rights and the Second Amendment, I am truly a "Tiger".
I'm a husband, father and grandfather. I teach concealed carry classes,
still have a radio show and do public speaking on preparedness and
terrorism. I'm the author of
"Feel Safe Anywhere, You Can Be Your Own Bodyguard". I
look forward to working with JPFO and writing articles that you
will find thought provoking and helpful.
My weekly radio show is on the Republic Broadcasting Network every
Sunday 4 to 6 P.M. Central time at:
WWW.REPUBLICBROADCASTING.ORG
My website is
WWW.THELIBERTYMAN.COM
Regards,
John "J.R." Moore
