Article on US Medical research

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363-01782 to 363-01792.pdf
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363-01782 to 363-01792
Title
Article on US Medical research
Description
Original title: "cavalry" Article by Keever on US Medical research
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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.
Transcript
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Beverly Poopo
JUSPAO
APO 143
San Francic00, California
August 12, 1966
oovalry-page 1
us. medical
KX AN KHE, SOUTH VISTIAN
Along the tarred jetstzip at this headquarters torn of the
U. S. Arcy First Air Cavalry Division, as young American troopers in
battle gear propared to load on turbo-jot transports, two friends, both
sorgeants, briefly not and cabhanged "How's things goin'?" grootings.
"Half of my company is down with malaria," ropliod the sergeant
with B Company, 2 Battalion, 5 Cavalry Roginont. 22 "Soventy of my mon
wont into the hospital with malaria in 30 days." Thon the two sorgeanto
ruched thoir soparato ways. As the norgeant with B Company thightoned his z
sontbolt in the light trangsort carrying him towards the South China Son,
ho continued, "on battlo comunition, we've also lost about half a
company. To had oix killed and sixty sounded whon our company was onbushod
in Operation Mechor in Pobruery. Othervice we've been pretty lucky in battle."
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Doope
Cavalrypage 2
The cargoant's conversation intimately tolescopes the staggering
proportions in which Communist troops and malaria-tzenmitting mosquitoos
have combined to hit the clite First Air Cavalry Division, affectionatoly
olle called here the First Cov, which reportedly "loads all other
American unite in malaria casos." For the first timo in tho Vlotnom var,
an Acorionn division has officially rolonood trainin the number of ite
battlo casualtion and malaria cascot 2000 by malasin, of which 9 diod;
625 killed in actions 1850 wounded in action; cix missing in ection.
additional 2500 camunlties wore sustained in non-battlo circumstances. The
molaria incident rate of all other American units operating in Wetnom
in classified.
During the first olovon months of combat in Vietnam, the First
Cov's combined total of 5275 malaria oncos and battlo casualties have gnawod
any nearly sixty porcent of the strength of the 8,000 or 9,000 troopose
in the eight "nanouvor" battalions who rogularly stomp the jungles
infected with Viot Cong guorrillaak guerrillas, North Vietnamese regular
unite and molara malaria-carrying female Anopheles monquitoos. While the
total strength of the augmented First Cav roachos 20,000, the 12,000
support troops in holicoptor maintenance, logistion, and administration who
Paroly love the An Khe boso camp for extended tactical operations aro also
those rarely hit by the plasmodium falciparum strain of malaria. It is
mg in sono of the densest junglo in the world that the Cavia "log" troopers
must vago a double battle against the male Communist and the fonolo
Anopholon.
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Doope
Cavalry-pace 3
The Tings Cav spolerman maid roughly twenty porcent of the 1850
coultion wounded in battle suffered jabs from punji stakon, a
hazardously bezp bentoo stick tipped with formonted animal dung, which
causes boopitalisation of coveral days to a month, depending on whothor
blood poisoning invades. Last month, the Department of Defence in Washington
reportedly dropped punji stake wounded as combat oecualtior-disqualifying
thon for Purple Hoorthich, in the case of the First Cov, mould offoot
a twenty percent optiolfically, statistical decrease in Anoxica's combat
wounded ontocory
Unique in the Amorioen military syeton for ccomand integration
of combat troope plus pomorful holicopters, the Pirot Gav has cuffored
oactoltion to ito multi-million dellas helicoptor loot that aso no
locs surprising then its personnel oncualtios.
The isot Cav spolomon
announced that of the 465 helicoptors in the division, 12 hovo boon
sistemas lost in combat action and on additional 265 have been
"obot down by onely groundfire but 20covered and repaired. sovoral othore
moro destroyed in mid-air collisions.
(Mozo)
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Doope
Cavalpage 4
The First Cov in also the first American unit to rolonso its battle
casualtios for specific operations. In Washington, overall morioin
casualties are rolenced mockly but not on the basis of individual
military operations or American unite involved. In Saigon, Amorioen
newson are prohibited ot the price of having pross credentials
withdrawn from giving battle losses in mumbors. Instead, official
descriptions have boon devi ood labelling American comunltics as "light,
noderate or hoovy," depending on the proportion of tillod and moundod
compared to tho total number of troope in the oporation. The First Cev
relonce indicatos that battle casualties described officially as "light"
in one operation may be shockingly high numerically.
Those are some of the First Cov battlocchioh include some of the
hoaviest, blooddont fighting to dete in the Vietnam were
The Plot No Campaign (Oct. 23-Nov. 26, 1965), 111tary officials
had regularly dimioned recurring reports that the Ploi Me Special Foreco
camp, tam trenty miles from the Cambodian bordor, would be attacked--
until the Communists loid their surprise a siege on Oct. 19. Four doye
lator, the First Cov ontoret its first major operation of the war and ongnged
in succession three Communist rogiments, partially omhilinting tro of thong
at a considerable price in Amorioan blood. On November 17, so it hastily
withdrew from the base of the Che Phong mountain, ono battalion of the 7th
Covla Cavalry Regiment was onbushod noor Landing Zone Albany in the fened
Ia sang Valley. It une idex and still holds the record of boing Amosica's
contlicat, bloodiest day in the Viotnom var with 151 Amosioane killod,
321 mounded vorous 473 Communist confimod dood end an additional 100 estimated
111106.
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Doope
Cavalry-page 5
The totals for the 33-day campaign--which American officials lauded
as a victory-were as follows.
Friendly
KIA 300
VIA 524
MIA 3
Bhony
Kin (bodycount) 1519
XIA (estimate)
2042
IA (estimate) 1178
The Bong Son Campaign (Jan. 25-March 5, 1966).
During the 39-day operation covoring more than 1600 square kilometers
in eastern Binh Dánh province, the First Cav engaged elements of the Seo Vene
(Yellow star) North Vietnamese-Viet Cong Division, and rendered five of the
nine battaliono ineffcotive. Fighting began January 29 with the 3rd Air Cav
Brigado mixx heli-lifting right on top of a Viet Cong battalion four miles
north of the district town of Bong Son. During three days of heavy fighting,
a North Vietnamese regiment lost more than 500 confirmed killed by
bodycount. Based on information from a captured Communist battalion commander,
another brigade moved into a Communist regimental headquarters area known
as the "Iron iriangle," which for four days was hit by wave after wave
of B-52 SAC bombers plus volleys of artillery. The reagne roginontal
headquarters was captured Feb. 21. Enemy body count during this action was only
54 but enemy blood ran from trenches and pieces of flis flosh were found in the
tree tops.
Friendly
KIA 220
TIA 834
MIA
Enency
KIA (bodyoount) 1342
KIA (estimate) 1746
FIA (optimate) 1348
Teapons
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Doope
Cavalry-page 6
Oporation Boo Boo (April 26-29). During two soparate raido noor
Bong Son,
the First Air Cav caught Communist elements in the opon toxin
and with airborno socket artillory conducted a "a turkey shoot from helicopters."
Without sufforing any oncualties, tho Pirot Cov Killod 72 Camuninte
Operation Crazy Horse (May 16-31). During the evening hours,
B Company, 2 Battalion, 8th Cavalry uno dropped into a lending nono only 15
milon northeast of An Khe headquartorn on what was originally a
company-cisod training mission for incoming "groon" troops. Only 14 oeno
out of the battlo unoratohod as at loast Viot Cong battaliono surrounded it.
Another Air Cav unit voo holi-lifted noor the oncixolod company and required
Sun noro than four hours of stiff fighting to roliovo it. Throo
more days of heavy fighting continued on the lot Air Cav Trigado engaged
the 2nd Viet Cong Reigmont.
Friendly
KIA 70
PIA 150
MIZA 2
Inony
KIA (bodyoounty) 502
KIA (estimate) 380
TIA footimate)
175
Toapone
112
404219
At tho An Kho hondquarters, Lt. Col. Jonos E. HoCarty, koops tabs on the
Firot Cav's other onorylasiohich has inflicted more casualties (but for
fovor dooths) than the Communists. the wall of his mucey fold tont
in covorod with charts of the malaria inoidont rato, To had to moto the charts
Oz otontiol," ho quickly advicos quote, "osh "or they would be higher then the
top of the tont."
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Doope
Cavalry-page 7
Sho division surgoon of the First Cov is quickly becoming the second
most important man in the division-not simply for prescribing anti-calorie
tablote but also in influencing military oporationce On another wall,
Lt. Col. McCarty pointed to a map of the jungle central highlands which
onsried gronco ponail blobo of the specific areas of the Pirot Cavta
operations. Inside each blob is a numbox-some as high as 25.0, como se
low as 1.4. The numbers indicate the malaria incident rate per i 1000 exposure
days.
"No have reached the point where the malaxia rate partially dictates.
military tactics," Lt. Col. McCarty explained. "If the commanding gonoral
vante to go into a cortain jungled aron, ho has to colcht his intelligence
ancommont of how many Communiste ho oan amach vorsus how many malaria onces
we're likely to suffor doing it. He must docido hothos intolligomo
information indicatos the Communist targot in worth of risk of a 25.0 rato
of malaria, for examplo." Evon as the surgeon was talking, the division
headquarters olomonte hnd pulled books from an operation in the jungled
mountains south of An Kho. "Eo didn't think those wore mony Viet Cong in that
6200," one First Cov officer explained, "co vo decided it won't worth the
risk of exposing one brigade to possiblo high malaria rato. To just loft
some scatto od mall und to in that area to anoop around for avahilo."
(Claro)
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Boopo
Cavalry-page #78.
Lt. Col. MoCarty, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, explained, "I've
just boon roading a medical history of World War II. That we havo hero in V
Viotnon lo rominecoont of the Marinose in Cundaloonal--but we're doing much
bettor then that." Of the 100,000 malaria casos suffered by Anorioan troops
in the South Pacific in World War II, noorly misty poroont more sufforod
by the Marinos on Guadalcanal during a nine-month period. In thoir poai:
month of November, 1942, their malaria rate was 1700 por thousand pe troops
Thoir lowont rato
como porco20
por year-one person having suffered more than one o0.00.
vas July of that year with 608 cases per thousand per your. Tenoty
Twenty four years later, the worst malaria month for the First Car w
Cev was 432 cocos por thousand per year.
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Doope
Cavalry-pago 8
of the three known strains of malaria, two have suce successfully
boon contained since World Tor II by a pánii oh ohloroquino-primoquine
tablet. In Vietnam, all American foroco take the pill so regularly
Defensingthat once a mock that Monday in often called "Inlaria Day"
by the CI.
Sho third strain--the falciparum paraci to which livos in humane and
do tranmitted by the famlo Anopholes mosquito is now roadstant to
chloroquino
"In 1964, those more covoral U. L S. co spoolal Foroos mon tho
cane down with chloroquino-resistant malaria, Do mhan tho Piret Cov
onne to Vietnam we realised wo might have a malaria problem," the Lt. Col.
explained. "But didn't know the magnitude of the problem would be like thio.
The First Cov walked right into the middlo of it and it took us a month
to roalico that ohloroquino didn't provont this kind of malaria."
As of last month, the entire First Cov Division van put on a
daily dose of a tasteless, an odorless while p white pill that is considerably
onellos then ito nanos diaminodiphenylsulfone. It is commonly callod DDS.
Proliminary tooting by First Cov unito chorod that the malaria rato
dropped by 50 por cont.:
Borovoz,
tho malaria incident rato
by the US U. Any 26 25th Division, which tontod the drug last month
whilo on an axtonded jungle oporation, showed that the number of onsen
"continued to go up like a dyrockot," according to Amorican officex.
(Moro)
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P
"
Doopo
Cavalry-page 9
So
"DDB is a very old drug devoloped to combat leprosy," Lt. Col.
fo@arty ooid. *Soncono remembered that lopers didn't have malaria.
that load to the idea of touting it here. It's not the whole answer
to our malaria problem, but it shows real promine."
The question being acced by modioal authorities in Saigon is--how did
Vietnam become anch a hotbed area for the falciparum poradte then there ware
fo for casos reported 2 before the First Car arrived?
There are two hypotheses, both ne contzovornial an they are
significent, but still boyond confirmation by scientific data.
The first
hypothonia is that the North Vietnamese unito lang carried
in the now parasite spoolen as they began their mass infiltration in 1964,
perhaps picking it up in their travels across Laos. Maybe the forth Vietnamese
C20 an uprised by malaria as so sure," Lt. Col. McCarty said. "I locked
over the battlefield after the Plel Me campaign in November and none
of the Worth Vietnamese dead onrried mosquito nets. Pro monte 900,
in a big battle further sath south I notiood they all had mosquito noto."
Captured itons also indicate the North Vietnamese have been hit by malaria-
no one knows or is saying how badly. But large quantities of anti-malaria
durgs and qui quinine for treatment of malaria havo boon capturods Communist
captured Communist records indicated that "well ovor one third of the
Borth Vietnamese troops who roportod for sick call had malaria," one medical
sources explained. "Moro and more piroo prisoners are peopleho who are to
alok to travel ith their unito.
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Doope
Cavalry-pago 10
Intelligence sources believe if this hypothesis is truc, then
the North Vietnamese units which onco infiltratod down the nalazio-infooted
Ho Chi Minh Trail may havo to find another ontrance into the southorn
republic.
The second hypothose in that malaria control programs, booked
and it partially finanood by the United States govornmont through the
Thorld World Health Organisation, has produced a two-prongod boonorengt
the parool to tranmitting mosquito has bocomo resistant to the longo
quantition of DDT sprayed by 10 tooms throughout the tropical areas of
the world and that the falciparum paraad to has become readstant to the
chloroquino tablots. Modioal sources in Saigon point out there was no
Imoun chloroquine-rondstant strain of malaria in 1946447 before the 10
bogon extensivo spraying and issuing of chloroquino.
"To brought this up to the chief of the WHO," ono nodical authority
explained. "There were alot of nasty words said. But alot of wootosn
countries have put alot of monoy into malaria control programs--at the
rocommendation of Western medical exports. So, this is now a big
political controversy beginning to bublo a bubble at the basis of ou
American foreign policy. Maybe the ovidonoe vill grow more conclusivo
in the next couple of years. Right now it's something we think about, but
don't talke about."
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Date
1966, Aug. 12
Subject
Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Medical care--Research; United States. Army; Malaria
Location
An Kh�, South Vietnam
Coordinates
14.0279; 108.6888
Size
20 x 26 cm
Container
B83, F6
Format
dispatches
Collection Number
MS 363
Collection Title
Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
Creator
Keever, Beverly Deepe
Collector
Keever, Beverly Deepe
Copyright Information
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Publisher
Archives & Special Collections
Language
English