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Endless Variations

These stories, too, have endless
variations. And they all come to
one point: that the ARVN are
invidious and incompetent.

When I first arrived in Vietnam
everyone was talking about the
"gooks" - a word I had heard for
the first time. I thought it applied
to the enemy VC. But no: it applies
to all Vietnamese, friend and
enemy alike. For friend and enemy
alike are regarded with logically
absurd equality, with contempt,
suspicion and hatred.