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elcid -> some data for you (3/15/2003 3:06:03 PM)
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I did serve in the Viet Nam era, and also in Viet Nam itself, but not in the Army. I also was trained as a military policeman in the naval services, and later in an army type state unit, plus I know an army story similar to your father's. So maybe I can help.
First, it was entirely possible to fly or sail to Viet Nam, and I did both. One reason I sailed is that I was a crewman on a ship, whereas Army guys often would fly over, and mate up with equipment sent by ship.
Second, in WWII, the Army seems to have recruited MPs exactly as your father described. My father in law tells a similar story. In my own case, I was in the Navy, and the system is entirely different - but possibly the outcome is similar. The Navy used not to have MPs as such. All the Navy military police (then called SPs and Brig Chasers) were "temporary assignments" and not job "ratings." Nevertheless, you could go to specialized schools, and you also could be assigned to "perminant shore patrol duty" or "brig chaser duty" for a period of time (vice the more normal one night or weekend period). I missed movement once (because a ship moved ahead of plan) and got assigned to brig chaser duty on a completely random basis, because I was a very junior petty officer. Later I got assigned shore patrol duty because I was very experienced and had a good record handling situations - the more there was worry the situation required a cool head the more likely I would get the job. I hated that kind of work - it took me to places I never would go otherwise and it made me actually seek out trouble - not something advisable to do in such places! It probably caused me to have zero interest in getting drunk or other things soldiers and sailors do on liberty, having seen them all close up and sober!
Viet Nam is a hard war to understand. It involved several countries and even more ethnic groups, and Viet Nam is on the line where Chinese and Indian cultures meet, which is to say there are fundamental culture clashes already there BEFORE you add Americans to the mix. It matters where you were and also when you were there - as it lasts many years and things changed dramatically over that time. I made it around quite a bit, but never to the big city (Saigon), which was very corrupt by all accounts. Rural Vietnam, and also Cambodia, were in contrast very ethical places, places people do not need locks on their doors or jails in their towns. The only movie to capture this spirit I ever saw was Operation Dumbo Drop, starring Danny Glover, and made by Walt Disney - and it is even historical. The special forces captain cannot understand why his men are entirely concerned with local village issues, but within days he is up to his neck breaking rules to help them as well, having his heart captured by the overwhelming logic and honesty of their situations. Girls in the villages won't speak to a man (unless he is invited to the New Year family dinner, which means he is now part of the family community) - very different from girls in Saigon I hear. None of which means things could not be quite grim, as the VC would punish either an entire family or an entire village, for virtually any infraction of their rules. And punish is the polite way to put it. Sailors sometimes served in detached situations (as did Special Forces and Marines) because they are not too disoriented when there are not friends on the right, friends on the left, friends to the rear and the enemy in front (a la classical regular army units). I saw a bit of this, and it must have been similar to mixed American and Korean units in the Korean War. This sort of thing often did not work out well, but the Marine/Navy idea of training in the local language and culture worked much better than the Army idea such things were too expensive - so my experience was very positive. I had more trouble with Army men misbehaving (rape, shelling civilians for kicks, etc.) than I ever did with disloyal or disinterested Vietnamese or Cambodians. But there are other stories, and it is clear from history that the VC informant system was often quite effective, and deadly. As I say, Viet Nam is very complicated. Also probably unwinnable - as Johnson had made a secret deal with Mao we didn't know about whose terms pretty well limited our options (out of fear of another PLA invasion as happened in Korea). There is nothing quite as frustrating as a war you cannot win which is also unpopular at home. I was not welcomed home for 30 years - when finally someone, upon learning that, said "welcome home!"
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