Book Review: Home Before Morning

Title: Home Before Morning - The True Story of an Army Nurse in Vietnam
Author: Lynda Van Devanter with Christopher Morgan
ISBN: 0-446-35147-4 (First Print by Warner Books 1984)

For many of us the Vietnam war is detailed by the men who fought in malaria-infested jungles, leech-biting paddyfields, and the yarns are of camraderie in close-quarter combat and of stupid officers but outstanding sergeants.

This book takes us through another path - one less travelled and recognized - the Army Nurse.

We are vaguely familiar - for some - of the M*A*S*H series detailing the life of the medical corps during the Korean War. But there has never been any information of the Vietnam War's medical tales (aside from "Medic! Medic!" in the other war chronicles) until Lynda's personal account in this book.

It was a difficult book to read yet difficult to put down. The constant stuggle to reconcile a nurse's conviction of saving lives against the morallity of the war in Vietnam. It also takes a look at the emotional and psychological damage of war from a non-combatant.

But what made the book even more interesting is the time after Lynda's Vietnam experience. The book tells of her life back in the USA after returning and how she managed to cope or not cope in her civilian life. Probably the most telling is her efforts to reconcile her memories by being part of the Vietnam Veterans group to return to Vietnam - meeting people who were once her enemies, working with them to identify MIAs (Missing in Action) and such.

The modern day geo-politics may differ from the Cold War era, the truth is that war hurts - physically, emotionally, psychologically - long after the last bullet has been fired. This book may be 20 years old, but the reality of the hurt and the social costs remain. Similar to Tom Cruise's portrayal of the war in "Born on the Fourth of July", war veterans live their post-war lives dangerously.
Every year, the USA spends milliions of dollars on medical benefits for veterans of all wars - Korean, Vietnam, 1991 Iraq. With ailments ranging from Agent Orange to PTSD, these are stories that the civilian population does not want to hear.

For those who have read the heroics, the blood and gore, it is time to pick up this book to see the other side.

Unfortunately, Lynda passed on in November 15, 2002. Here are links to more of her information:
Vietnam Veterans Against the War
In Memoriam

For the latest copies of this book, check out Amazon.com's website:
Home Before Morning


Happy Reading!

Endnote:
For those who are interested, there is a VCD titled "Vietnam: The Soldiers' Story: Women at War" available. This VCD is from a documentary by the History Channel in the USA.
The author - Lynda - was in the documentary and other women non-combatants of that era also spoke about their contributions.
If interested in obtaining a copy of the VCD, please contact LTA(NCC) William Aw at [anwarasw at gmail dot com]. Each VCD will cost SGD2.00.

MSTD (20060203)

On the February 3, 2006 4 cadets, 4 CLT and a teacher officer went on board the RSS Endurance (plate no. 207) for a Sea Attachment along with the midshipmen. The naval officer in charge of us was CPT David Wong (Communication Officer of RSS Resolution [208]).

Throughout this trip we (the cadets and the officer) learnt a lot about the life at sea, how the RSN functions, and along with some history of the RSN and the ships. One of the facts was why the ship (RSS Endurance) was plated 207. The reason was simple; the previous LSTs (Landing Ship Tank), which are now decommissioned, were plated from number 201 to 206 so the plate number was continued on the present LSTs.

Due to some fault on the ship, our activities and movement were restricted. Some
activities we had throughout the trip were meals, P.T., some lessons on chart reading, position fixing, piping, Morse code and basic astro-navigation, an emergency life raft drill, and 180s (which was a 3mins sharing). There was also a close up (duty) planned for us on the 4th day into the trip (6/2/06).

The benefits we (the cadets) attained from this trip were overwhelming. It was not just an eye opener, it also exposed us to the living environment of life at sea of the naval personnel, as some of us witness the elevator of the LST, floodgate and the FLC (Fast Landing Craft) in action which to some of us might be a once in a lifetime experience.

Some personal comments from the cadets: "It was a nice experience even though the first 2 days were spent in Singapore waters due to the fault in the engine. There wasn't much activity because priority was given to the midshipmen. However, the close overshadows the negative points."

Another comment was, "It was a great experience, as some of us witness the naval personnel splicing a rope many times thicker and longer then what we are splicing in NCC. Now NCC seems like a starter point to a naval career."

In conclusion, we strongly encourage cadets (especially females and Muslims) to attend the attachment and activities if possible to be planned for the future batch of cadets going for the attachment instead of a task book as cadets can experience first hand.

***Above is based on CLT Teo Wei Qiang report***

Photos to come soon!

Cheers!

AKE Prep 02 (20060218)

The 2nd prep for AKE was held on Feb 18, 2006 (Saturday) at Sembawang STC.

AKE Prep for the LSTC Cluster included:
1. Assumption English Sec Sch
2. Ahmad Ibrahim Sec Sch
3. Compassvale Sec Sch
4. Juying Sec Sch
5. Orchid Park Sec Sch
6. Presbyterian High Sch

In the morning, the cadets were required to canoe to the Causeway and back. While the cadets were covered by 3 safety boats, they were also covered by "sweepers" (CLTs and Snr Specs) who worked to ensure that cadets did not stray too far from the main group.

For the afternoon, the original plan to canoe to Seletar Island was scrapped in favour of building water confidence for the eventual Mini-Expeditiona and AKE.
Split into two groups, the cadets had to practice their capsize and recovery drill.
Also, some of the cadets were made to practice swimming with their canoes, from the observation pontoon to shore.

Bends and Hitches, and physical conditioning exercises were taught to the cadets so that they are mentally and physically ready for the Mini-Expedition and AKE.

Here is a snapshot of the activity from that day.

Here is the link to the photos from that day:
AKE Prep 02 Photo Set Link

Cheers!

2005 Annual Kayaking Expedition (Mini-Expedition)

The flagship event of NCC (Sea) SG, the Annual Kayaking Expedition.

Here is a snapshot of the activity from that event.

Here is the link to the photos from that event:
2005 Annual Kayaking Expedition
Photos courtesy of Presbyterian High School.

Cheers!

Cutter Pulling at Changi STC (20051222)

With the success of the first cutter pulling event in October, HQ NCC (Sea) decided to give their CLTs a chance to experience it and by the looks of it they were having a whale of time.

Here is a snapshot of the activity from that day.

Here is the link to the photos from that day:
Cutter Pulling 20051222 Photo Set Link
Photos courtesy of MAJ(NCC) Lee Wing Ying.

Cheers!

Transponded!! (20051028)

HARTS (Harbour Craft Transponder System) Project was implemented by MPA (Maritime Port Authority) in 2005. This means that all harbour crafts must be fitted with a transponder to allow easy identification and tracking of all water-borne vessels within Singapore's territorial water.

Here is a link to the Press Release by MPA on this excellent use of technology.

With a number of safety boats in our inventory, we had a team of installers visit SSTC to have them properly installed.


Here is a snapshot of that day's activities.
Photographs courtesy of MAJ(NCC) Lee Wing Ying.

Here is the link to the photos from that day:
Giving HARTS to our boats

Cheers!

ISCEP Hong Kong 200508

Cadets and officers were shipped to Hong Kong to participate in the International Sea Cadet Exchange Programme.

The exchange programme was held in August 2005 and included cadets from various countries including
1. Korea
2. Japan
3. China
4. Hong Kong
5. Britain

There was ample opportunity to mingle and the activities included:
1. Ocean Park
2. Stanley for Dragonboating and Windsurfing
3. Sea sortie with the Maritime Police (Coast Guard)
4. Maritime Services Training Institute
5. Various museums and memorials

Here is a snapshot of that trip's activities.

Here is the link to the photos from that trip:
ISCEP 2005 (Hong Kong)

Cheers!

MSTD 2005 (Surabaya)

Cadets and officers were given a chance to sail with the RSN.

The trip was from 2005.08.16 to 2005.08.24 and the following cadets participated:
1. 2SG Daniel Wong (MSHS)
2. 2SG Ryan Ng (MSHS)
3. 2SG Lester Loh (MSHS)
4. 2SG Reagen Low (PHS)
5. 2SG Reuben Ho (MSHS)
They were accompanied by 2LT(NCC) Tan Wi Shen, CO MSHS.

The cadets were given excellent exposure to the daily life aboard a naval vessel. From picking up tips on countering sea-sickness to participating in the exercises with the crew. The naval tradition of saluting to the quarterdeck was also imparted for their liberty in Surabaya.

Though there were a couple of unforeseen circumstances, the cadets were still able to enjoy themselves. Through it all, they've made new friends and hopefully bring an appreciation of the Navy to their peers upon their return.

***Above info was gleaned from a report by 2SG Reuben Ho***


Here is a snapshot of that trip's activities.

Here is the link to the photos from that trip:
MSTD 2005 (Surabaya)

Cheers!

Book Review ... "Reaching Out: Operation Flying Eagle"

Title: Reaching Out: Operation Flying Eagle - SAF Humanitarian Assistance after the Tsunami
Author: David Boey
ISBN: 981-248-097-8
Published by: SNP International Pte Ltd

This is an excellent addition to anyone who collects military books and is interested in the history and efforts of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

It is true that pictures say a thousand words, and this book truly reflects the devastation that was encountered by the nations shook and shocked by the 2004 Tsunami. The full force of the military was brought to bear on this momentous event. While we lament the fact that we or those we know (sons, husbands, brothers, boyfriends) "suffer" at the hands of tough sergeants, we finally were able to translate the super-efficient machine into a life-saving force to aid our ailing neighbours!

The narrative was similar to those started by Tom Clancy, though not as gripping, but Clancy's fans will be pulled along with the interesting photos. Non-military types will be touched by the heartwarming efforts of the various branches to make lives of the living victims better.

After reading through it, I feel proud of Singapore and the SAF as an organization.

I don't know how many of the books are in print but I had difficulty in obtaining it, only finding it in a book store in Sentosa.
(found a link to the Mindef book resource page: Click Here. You can order the order the book directly from the publisher!)

FYI: Ex-NCC(Sea) cadet who is currently a RSN officer was also mentioned in the book.

Have a good day!

Gunning for Superiority (ST Digital Life 20060207)

A new system that aims to integrate the logistics, procurement and finance of the SAF is under way.
Serene Luo (serl@sph.com.sg) reports

These days, SSG Wee spends less time playing postman, delivering messages from office to ships and back.
The 28-year-old from Changi Maintenance Base's marine engineering workshops can focus on ship and engine repairs, instead.
All courtesy of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system the SAF adopted last year.
Until then, the SAF used separate legacy systems to handle the logistics, procurement and finance for each of its three units - the army, navy and air force.
A challenge because each unit had its own logistics systems, said BG Philip Lim, the head of SAF's joint logistics department.
As the systems were due for replacement after 10 years, a decision was made to buy one that would integrate all of them, explained BG Lim.
So far, the system - called SAF Enterprise System (ES) - has been put in place for the RSN in April last year, and will be implemented for the army this year.
The RSAF will get its systems overhauled by 2007.
Already, processing time has improved by between 20 and 60 per cent - and that is just the navy using the ES, said BG Lim.
Given that men are now routed from menial administrative tasks to maintenance work, the savings apply to both operational and manpower costs, he added.

From start to end
According to LTC Tan, head of logistics systems branch at SAF the ES provides "end-to-end support". From buying a piece of equipment (say, a new submarine), paying the contractors, tracking the movement of the submarine and who is using it, up to when and how it is disposed of at the end of its lifespan.
The ES covers finance and cost accounting, acquisition and purchasing, supply management, and engineering and maintenance. It also gives a secure gateway portal for the SAF to transact with its suppliers and other ministries.
Take the recent SAF humanitarian mission in Meulaboh, Aceh. The system could track which warehouses the supplies were stored in and have the goods quickly transferred to ports, making everything moer "transparent", said Lt-Col Tan.
Also, Said SSG Wee, the system is intelligent enough to generate maintenance work orders for scheduled tasks. So, there is no need to have someone check the logs frequently or manually, saving time.
Checks on the spare parts available are done with a single click, he said. And because "everything is available on a single screen", users do not need to log off from one system and sign on to another.
For MSG Wilson Tan, who works at the Submarine Maintenance Branch, the system means a shorter processing time: authorisation and accceptance of jobs can be done through the intranet.
"In the past, we would need to route hard copy forms down to the ships physically to get signatures. That would take between three and seven days," said MSG Tan.
Electronic approvals via the ES have cut the waiting time by half, he added.

Putting it together
The Defence Science and Technology Agency came in to act as programme manager for the system bought "off-the-shelf" from ERP solution specialist, SAP.
The agency "translated (SAF's) operational requirements into stringent technical specifications and guidelines", said its division manager, Ms Woo.
Where the servers are concerned, there is a "load balancing" function - so the usage is spread out evenly to prevent congestion - and functions for critical applications like database servers and application servers are always up and running.
A disaster recovery solution is in the works, said Ms Woo.

Next steps
Being a third-generation or "3G" SAF is not just a matter of having technologically superior - and deadlier - weapons. It is also about backend systems like the ES, said BG Lim.
Many armed forces around the world already have separate ERP systems for each of its army, navy or air force units. But not an integrated tri-service one.
"Our new ES goes beyong logistics," he said. "Now we have an end-to-end system that is more connected and has high visibility."


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