Newspapers / The Pilot (Southern Pines, … / March 29, 1967, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAGE TWO THE PILOT—Sputhern Pines, North Carolina WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1967 ■ MONTAGNARD WEAPONS —' Lt. Col. Edward J. Vaughn (left) holds a Montagnard crossbow and Rotary Club President John McPhaul a Montagnard knife that Co. Vaughn picked up while serving in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. The background for the- weapons is a map of the Central Highlands. The photo was made a few minutes after Col. Vaughn spoke about the highlands people, the country and the war in South Vietnam. (Pilot photo) Vietnam Communities Developing (Continued from Pg. 1, Sec. 1) some aspects of South Viet nam, showing the difficulties the nation faces in its efforts to develop. Kontum has always been remote and is th^ largest pro vince in South Vietnam. It contains 98,000 people, Mon- tagnards,—in 18 different tribes. The i tribes speak a dozen different dialects—and only five have been reduced to written form. The province contains the highest mountains in all Viet nam. The mountains are cov ered with jungle in three gen eral layers—^vegetation about 25 feet high in one, 75 in an other, and 125 in the third. The main highway through the province has 112 bridges on one stretch of 90 miles. Some American military advisors and civilians and some French priests and nuns are working among the na tives. Some of them have been there for many years^—like Sister Marie Louise, who has been serving the leper colony there for 24 years. Among the Americans are some Northwestern Uni versity language specialists who are putting Montagnard dialects into a Bible. Only in recent years has exploitation of the provinces resources gotten under way. Generally, the province' i5 on a subsistence economy—the people produce for' their own use. And they have to import some of the commodities need ed for every day living, like kerosene for lighting, and dried fish. Two-thirds of the rice crop is made into rice wine. Native hamlets are clear ings in the mountain jungles in much of the country. The reason why Viet Cong and North Vietnamese ambushes are successful regularly is that there is only one road or trail connecting the hamlet with the outside areas. Consequent ly, when the enemy attacks a hamlet, a relief force can reach it by only the one trail. In the total scene, the French occupied virtually all the influential administrative and technical positions them selves during their occupation. Consequently, Vietnamese independence coming in 1954 found the country with hard ly any trained civil servants or technicians. The only Vietnamese who received higher educations during the more than 100 years of French occupation were those most loyal to the French. These were sent to Paris for their education. The nation has universities — but these are low in quality. The shortage of skilled na tive servants was aggravated by the Viet Cong. They mur dered 11,000 civil leaders in 1962 alone. The shortage of talent is hindering progress. Dedicated, unpublicized American military and civ ilians are working with native authorities on civil as well as military development. On his military tour. Col. Vaughn said, “we (military advisors) were concerned with the administrative side of run ning the province” when he was in Kontum in 1964. At the time, he explained, there was little military activity. The natives were strapped for military equipment and per sonnel. However, the regional Popular Front force was ef fective then, because the only Viet Cong in the province were local people. In January 1965, though, the North Vietnamese 101st Regi ment infiltrated and subse quently took three of the pro vinces five districts before re lief was brought when Ameri can troops moved in. (It was not till the spring of 1965 that the first large, conventional American force—the 173rd Airborne Brigade based on Okinawa—was committed to the Vietnam war). The North Vietnamese at tacks sent refugees fleeing in their path. Problems of sup plies were created. All sup plies had to be brought in by air, because the North Viet namese troops had cut the roads. The situation was desperate when the American soldiers arrived, stopping the enemy campaign to cut off the high lands. Col. Vaughn was one of five officers and five enlisted men in Kontum when he first ar rived. Only 13,000 American military men were in all of South Vietnam then. (Now, he said, there are more than 450,000.) He said the American ad visor has been in Vietnam since about 1957. The advisor and the American civilian worker are in the publicity shadow now, he said. But, he said, the sector advisors are the closest to the Vietnamese people. They will be the last ones out of Vietnam, he said. Col. Vaughn said he return ed to Vietnam for service as a civilian because it is import ant to know the civilian as pects of the struggle as well as the military. In his 16 years of Army ser vice he has been under fire in two wars. Vietnam is his sec ond. His first was Korea while he was serving with the 45th Infantry Division. He and his wife lived on Midland Road before moving to their new home in High land Trails . Col. Vaughn said after the meeting that progress in the Vietnamese highlands is meas ured by changes which are insignificant to Americans: for example, a Montagnard start ing to ride a bicycle, instead of walking. But in 10 years, he predict ed, the country will be com pletely changed. John McPhaul, Rotary Club president, presided at the meeting. PATRONIZE OUR ADVERTISERS Just Received! NEW SPRING TROUSERS SPORT COATS and Traditional SHIRTS by Moss Shirlmakers Patch's Tog Shop, Inc. Men's furnishings and apparel since 1922 We are open on Wednesday afternoon 150 N. W. Broad Southern Pines BUY A M During The Past 5 Years, Chevrolet Has Outsold Ford By 2,172,745 Cars Based On R. L Polk, Official Registration Figures For The Industry, Here Is The Story: YEAR 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 FORD 1,486,060 1,556,193 1,744,790 1,998,385 1,991,520 CHEVROLET 2,072,947 2,156,298 2,119,279 2,424,358 2,158,811 THERE MUST BE A REASON And We Think It Lies In BETTER SERVICE LOWER UPKI HIGHER RESALE VALUE You Can Fool Some Of The People All The Time, And You Can Fool All Of The People Some Of The Time, But You Can't Fool All The People All The Time Service is what you should look for in buying a car new or used. We will allow top dollar on Fords, Plymouths and other makes of cars just to prove to you that Chevrolet still makes the best car for the money, and is backed by the best service anywhere. If you are in the market for a new or used car, try us this week, and see. MSSS&m PHONE 294-4951 GARAGE CO. INC. DEALER'S LliCENSE NO. 2027 PINEHURST, N. C. WEST END NEWS BY SALLY AUMAN School News Ray Atkins, Vice-President of the Student Organization, presided at an Easter Assem bly at the school Thursday. He presented the Rev. Fred Currie, who gave an inspira tional message on The Resur- i rection. 1 The High School Girl’s Glee | Club participated in the dis- i trict concert in Durham on' Friday and received a rating ■ of “Very Good.” | The students performed j formed well and their direc tor, Mrs. Leah Spencer, plans to have, them take part in the contest again next year. The club was from the small est school and, with only 16, was the smallest group to sing. Janice Gordon was the accom panist and the girls were Janet Markham, Judy Brewer, Ava Motsinger, Betty Jo Stubbs, Laura and Jean Au- man, Susan McCaskill, Judy Blue, Patricia Luck, Joan Butler, Dorothy Brown, Janet Reynolds, Joyce Cole, Laura Sutphin, and Martha Blake. ^Personals Guests of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Sutphin for the Easter holi days were Mr. and Mrs. Char les Steelman with Wanda, Paula Jean, Charles and Chri stopher of Mount Arhngton, N. J. Mrs. Steelman is a neice of Mrs. Sutphin and they visit ed Fred Jones, Mrs. Supthm’s father who is a patient at the Montgomery Nursing Home. Visiting Hawley Poole for the weekend were Miss Mary Booker of Goldsboro, and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lee Boney of Selma. iPFC Staley Walter Lee Staley has been promoted to PFC-E-3 since arriving in Korea 3 months ago with the armed forces. Also during the time he had a broken arm and hand but he has advised his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Barna Staley that- he has completely recup erated. His wife, Barbara, is making her homt with his parents during the tour of overseas duty. His address is PFC-E-3 Wal ter Lee Staley, 655343932 Co. A USA Camp Carroll Depot, APO San Francisco 96460, Box 78. Utilization of the sawtimber harvest by the South’s naany mechanized sawmills is 'ex^' tremely thrifty. The sawlog is debarked by mechanical or hydraulic devices as it enters the mill. This increases the precision of lumber manufac ture. It also permits the con version of slabs, edgings and other leavings of the saws to pulp chips for paper fills. Subscribe To THE PILOT, Moore County's Leading News Weekly. 1€8 N. W. Broad St. Sbutbern Pii^es, N. G. mwm *41 ■■ 11 * W4i. m ''■'1 I,# '"''I ^ SWIIH ,' f ,0» ' ' kif psi mm tit#; m jf.,v fn**- 'tv > V., t,- '• .■ , ivl “""4 ''OS ntnd SK-, Holt International Sales "STFM '“OVp.'N-r US Hy. 1-S INC. Southern Pines Ph. 295-6551 692-8609
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
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March 29, 1967, edition 1
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