Hi all, 1st post
It is 4am here in Australia, I've been working on this for a few hours, and believe I have a plausible theory from a completely different angle. (to
be sure, I read every post in this thread)
Firstly though
- I did not use any typed reproductions (though i was interested to read the developments from members here), I tried to work as much as i could from
the original.
- I have been studying japanese for some time and for those who have had any exposure to japanese will know that direct translation english to
japanese is 'mash it in and make it fit' at best. also in japanese, single characters can mean syllables, words or even whole phrases. Similar to his
shorthand. (nb this is not japanese, though see below...) I think the shorthand is confusing people who are hoping for a letter to letter conversion.
Step back in look at the forest. ;p
-I also looked at the style of notetaking, indentations, paragraphing etc.
My thinking would take many pages to expand, and more hours to type out, but here is the crux of it.
I believe:
- He served in the military, in Vietnam. Probably underage, late in the conflict.
- He may have some understanding of Vietnamese, and possibly served in a low ranking position in linguistics unit or as a whipboy for an intel
unit.
- He recently had his first exposure to the internet, probably in the form of a guestbook page popular in the 90s. Probably accessed from a public
library.
- He was using it to locate other serving vets. Someone who served three tours in Laos/Vietnam.
- He may be trying to come to terms with something that he/they saw, or something that happened there.
- He seems upset/angry about it though methodical in seeking closure on it.
I'm looking into it further, still just a theory...
Think acronyms interspersed with Vietnamese place names and Units/Divisions...
USMC, USAF, 194th, Nang Tat, etc...
Example (name and contact redacted) (actual post from a vet locator circa '99)
Guest Name: E-mail at:
From: San Antonio, TX
Website:
Found 203 Locator By: A friend told me about it
Impressions/Reactions: First Visit Will Come Back Want To Hear From Others
My Background: Other USAFSS/USAF
I Was There In: Before 1967
Comments on 16-Mar-99 09:20 PM:
Found the site through Steve's note in the FTVA Newsletter. I was an MB at the 6988th and flew many droning missions in the GOT out of Bangkok and
later Danang. I think you ought to add the 6988th to your list of units. We pulled TDY duty from 1965 to 1968 for linguists and maintenance troops for
the C-130s. My crew seemd to have the luck of arriving just after or leaving just before the VC would lob rockets into Danang. I did two tours with
the 88th and left for a remote in Korea shortly before the unit was deactivated at Yokota in 1972. Fortunately MGEN Larson had the foresight to
reactivate the 6988th at RAF Mildenhall when he renamed the 6954th. I went on to a tour at Offutt with the 6949th and another remote at Osan before
going to OTS in 1977-78 and trading MSgt stripes for gold bars.. Did my first commissioned tour at the 6990th which was my last airborne assignment.
Finished my career at HQ ESC and HQ AFIC before retiring in Oct 1993. Spent thirty years and worked both the enlisted and officer career fields in the
command.
edit on 3-4-2011 by therapy because: more info added
edit on 3-4-2011 by therapy because: clarity, example given