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THE BATTALION
College .Station, Texas
Tuesday, February 13, 1%8
Sound Off CADET SLOUCH by Jim Earle
Khe Sanh “Must”
Battle For Reds
The big- wait is on. Six thousand Marines are prepar
ing- for what may be the biggest battle of the Vietnam War.
It’s at the South Vietnamese position at Khe Sanh that
more than 20,000 North Vietnamese troops are preparing
to attack those American troops.
The imminent battle comes 14 years after the French
took a bloody pounding at Dien Bien Phu. It was shortly
after that 55-day siege that France pulled out of Indo-
China.
And the same general who successfully defeated the
French has been given a similar assignement at Khe Sanh,
that of delivering a large-scale military defeat to the United
States, forcing this nation to negotiate and withdraw.
The President and the Chiefs of Staff have been non
committal when apphaising our ability to hold the position
successfully.
But the Khe Sanh’s Marine commander, Col. David
Lownds says the base can be defended. He believes his
men “are spoiling for a fight,” and not as ill-prepared as
were his French predecessors at Dien Bien Phu.
U. S. military officials, unlike the French, say they
will be able to provide the Marines with firepower, ma
terial, and unlimited air support.
It is the absence of these factors that are considered
the decisive factors in the French defeat against the Viet
Minh in 1954.
It is difficult to understand the delay in the North
Vietnamese to make the assault, in light of the recent
heavy attacks on Saigon and guerrilla activities in other
South Vietnamese provincial capitals.
The loss of almost 30,000 men in the past two weeks
has slowed down the North Vietnamese plan.
They realize that the assault on Khe Sanh' must be
successful. A victory could cause enough second thought
in the United States that negotiations under favorable
conditions to the Communists might begin soon thereafter.
A defeat, with loss of substantial men and materials,
might do just the opposite.
Both sides are preparing. The Communists have
brought in heavy artillery, tanks, mortars, and their finest
division regulars.
The Americans have dug in, and have used the extra
time to better coordinate supply, air support, and military
aid from the other 40,000 U. S. infantrymen within striking
distance.
The Marines also have two intangibles, high morale and
superb leadership. The battle is a must for both sides.
Both are prepared for a bloody turning point to a long
and stalemated war.
The heavy shelling which will probably precede an
enemy assault, may herald a “Custer’s Last Stand” for the
Americans.
On the other hand, Marines may emerge from bunkers
more than prepared to meet the challenge, and with enough
firepower and air support to decimate the opposition. We’ll
wait patiently for the latter.
Editor,
The Battalion
The purpose of this letter is
not to antagonize the already
uneasy Corps-Civilian affinity,
but why does it seem like most
of the articles written about the
Corps or by a Corps member in
clude a dig directed toward the
civilian student body? I am cit
ing Mr. Bob Palmer’s contribu
tion in Thursday’s Battalion. Was
it necessary to include a statement
as, “The D&C fee should be low
enough to afford cadets unquili-
fied for contracts a fair chance to
stay in the only good part of this
school.” Of course, this statement
could be interpreted in many
ways, but I think the obvious
meaning was a caustic criticism
directed toward the civilian stu
dent body.
It’s about time this child-like
behavior on the part of the per
sons responsible for such un
grounded animosities ceases. The
Corps is here now and will be
here for many years to come. The
civilian student body is, also, here
and will continue to exist and
grow.
I realize that the Corps is los
ing ground in the battle to main
tain its earlier proportion with
respect to civilian population, but
why must such needless dislike
exist from the Corps toward the
civilians? If one were to use The
Battalion as a sole reference in
determining the Corps-Civilian
relationship he would be forced
to logically conclude the existence
of a great deal of hostility di
rected toward the civilians by the
Cadets. If this same reader were
to reread the same article with
a foreknowledge of the actual on-
campus situation, he would con
clude that The Battalion’s articles
pertaining to or by Corps mem
bers display a narrow-minded,
pessimistic effort by the Corps to
retain the romantic tradition of
01’ Army. Although many Corps
members may be blind to the fact,
the majority of the civilian stu
dents are as devout Aggies as
they. Due to this fact, I feel cer
tain that the majority of civilian
students would be pleased in
being relieved from the bigoted,
one - sided, hypocritical anti -
civilian remarks which often
times appear in The Battalion.
Stephen Smith ’69
David Garrison ’69
Dwight J. Dunlap ’69
Ernest H. Fries ’70
Richard N. Roberts ’70
“Better watch Professor Jekyll—they tell me there’s a
radical change in his jovial, good-natured disposition after
th’ last day when you can drop a course!”
Read Classifieds Daily
Depends on the giant. Actually, some giants are just regular
kinds of guys. Except bigger.
And that can be an advantage.
How? Well, for one thing, you’ve got more going for
you. Take Ford Motor Company. A giant in an exciting
and vital business. Thinking giant thoughts. About market
ing Mustang. Cougar. A city car for the future.
Come to work for this giant and you’ll begin to think
like one.
Because you're dealing with bigger problems, the
consequences, of course, will be greater. Your responsibilities
heavier. That means your experience must be better—more
complete. And so, you’ll get the kind of opportunities only a
giant can give.
Giants just naturally seem to attract top professionals.
Men that you’ll be working with, and for. Marketing and
sales pros working hard to accelerate your advancement.
Because there’s more to do, you’ll learn more. In more
Read Battalion Classifieds
BUSIER AGENCY
REAL ESTATE • INSURANCE
F.H.A.—Veterans and Conventional Loans
FARM & HOME SAVINGS ASSOCIATION
Home Office: Nevada, Mo.
3523 Texafe Ave. (in Ridgecrest) 846-3708
Call 822-1441
Allow 20 Minutes
Carry Out or Eat-In
THE PIZZA HUT
2610 Texas Ave.
LET US ARRANGE YOUR
TRAVEL ...
ANYWHERE IN THE U. S. A.
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD
Reservations and Tickets For All Airlines
and Steamships — Hotels and
Rent Car Reservations
MI,
urn
Tickets Delivered
—Call 822-3737—
Robert Halsell Travel Service
1016 Texas Avenue Bryan
areas. You may handle as many as three different assignments
in your first two years.
You’ll develop a talent for making hard-nosed, imagina
tive decisions. And you'll know how these decisions affect
the guts of the operation. At the grass roots. Because you’ll
have been there.
If you’d like to be a giant yourself, and you’ve got
better ideas in marketing and sales, see the man from Ford
when he visits your campus. Or send your resume to Ford
Motor Company, College Recruiting Department.
You and Ford can grow bigger together.
10,789 Enrollment Announced Here
A record spring enrollment of
10,789 at Texas A&M has been
reported by Registrar H. L.
Heaton.
Heaton said A&M registration
is up 10.5 per cent, or 1,053 stu
dents over the same period last
year.
Although registration officially
closed Saturday, the registrar
noted this semester’s total should
increase slightly when final tabu
lations are made on various spe
cial categories of students.
The spring enrollment is the
second largest in the school’s
history, exceeded only by the
12,029 registration last fall.
Heaton pointed out the number
of students is traditionally lower
in the spring because of mid-term
graduation. This year’s January
graduating class totaled 673, an
all-time high.
The
LAND IS AT
AGGIELAND FLOWER
AND GIFT SHOPPE
North Gate
THE AMERICAN ROAD, DEARBORN, MICHIGAN
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
,vT,Y
THE BATTALION
Opinions expressed in The Battalion
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The Associated Press is
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News contributions may be made by telephoning 846-6618
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Linds
Arts ;
Members of the Student Publications Board are:
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rs
ey, chairman ; Dr. David Bowers, College
Arts; F. S. White, College of Engineering; Dr. Kobert S.
Titus, College of Veterinary Medicine; and Hal Taylor, Col
lege of Agriculture.
Jim
of Liberal
Robert S.
lege
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MEMBER
The Associated Press, Texas Press Association
EDITOR CHARLES ROWTON
Managing Editor John Fuller
News Editor John McCarroll
Sports Editor Gary Sherer
Editorial Columnist Robert Solovey
Features Editor Mike Plake
Staff Writers Bob Palmer, John Platzer,
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Aggie February Special
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