Today when the United States is so heavily involved in Iraq, this letter former member Floyd Likins wrote on August 26, 1969, to Sid McCain, then president of the Auburn Rotary club, has a special resonance.
Floyd had been dispatched to Vietnam and looked to our club for support in winning the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people. He wrote:
[My wife] Neela tells me that the Rotary Club may have already started one project to help my people over here. If so, I'm really proud of you. But first let me bring you all up to date on my activities.
I have been assigned as the Battalion Civil Action Officer for the 1stt Battalion, 69th Armor, 4th Infantry Division. My base camp is at Anh Kbe in the Central Highlands. I have a five-man team, plus four Vietnamese interpreters. We have the responsibility for nine hamlets divided into three villages. We care for about 256 families and a total of over 1,500 people. I have just this past week also been assigned responsibility for the Vinh Thanh Valley, which is 15,000 plus people. This is a new area that U.S. forces personnel have not been in for over two years
Our daily activities consist of visiting as many hamlets as possible. We provide medical, sanitation, school support and material assistance to each hamlet or village as the needs arise. It is a big job. As an example, during the period from 20-24 August my team, with the battalion doctor, set a new division record by treating 6,089 medical problems. We had hoped to reach 14,000 in seven days, but due to the increase in enemy action, our team was called back to base camp at the end of five days, so we had to settle for 6,000 plus
You would never believe what I see on a daily basis. I've got untrained PFCs and Sp 4s (captains to the old Army men) who treat on a daily basis such things as smallpox, plague or worse. Our biggest problem is sanitation. One box of face soap on the market here costs $100 VN, or 96 cents U.S.
Ask the Club for soap. It is a cheap item in the U.S. but over here it is an item only the very rich have. I can assure you that every bar sent over here will reach some child who needs a bath to keep him healthy.
I really miss the Thursday meetings and have a real sense of loss since I stopped attending. It is too hard to try to remember each of you without making my self home sick. May God bless each of you, the Auburn Rotary Club, and our objectives throughout the world.
Floyd Likins
(Far Eastern Representative)
