This humungous free loader has always had an admiration for the black pajama crowd and in the past had scholarships and grants from the Chinese reds.
His appointment as "Minister without portfolio" was a move by this administration to
use his close, first name basis ties with "commander" Hugo Chavez who opened the Venezuelan oil spigot for the DR in a "use now and pay later" basis.
What about the brave French Foreign Legion and American and South Vietnamese
soldiers who died fighting for their cause, following orders, nobody mourns them because their superiors decided that it was a war that can not be won and ordered evacuation?
This, I was right and you were wrong attitude is what opens up old wounds and inflames and disrupts political compromise instead of learning from past lessons
and moving forward into the 21 ST century having a new and fresh vision for posterity.

Interesting that a country such as DR would pay homage to those who died to instill a communist dictatorship,. whose very principles run contrary to most rights privileges, and ideals mentioned in it’s very constitution.
I can understand economic ties that would prove beneficial to the Dominican people. But to honor those who died fighting for the enslavement of so many who aspired to have what those in the Dominican Republic strive to maintain I find befuddling at best. “ De Oppresso Libre”

someone should research the number of Dominicans serving in the US armed forces who died in this conflict....I bet it was many more than a few....This lefty whining weany should be made aware of it when he returns.....Thank you genoroso for making me aware of this ...as a Canadian who served in this conflict in the US armed forces I also am offended

TomGato; died for the enslavement of so many? how about "died to expel the French from Indo-China, after an extensive epoch of colonisation?" the only reason the USA got into vietnam was because the french kept getting their asses kicked in the region, so Washington decided to stop finacing the operation and do it themselves. if the french had not colonised the area in order to secure rubber resin for michelin, vietnam would not have eventuated.

It was a diplomatic "faux pas" to send or accompany this well known communist sympathizer by DR
ambassador Hans Dannenberg who BTW was doing an excellent job while he was #2 in the tourism department before he was "ostracized" for having philosophical disagreements with his now departed boss.
This brown nosing to the likes of long departed Ho Chin Minh and to the country of Vietnam, who does very little commerce or tourism with the DR I find totally unnecessary and an exercise in futility, with who knows what future benefits for the DR, other than unnecessarily prodding the always benevolent US-DR relationship.

gentlemen, a little even handedness, please. would you express this moral outrage if he had visited with a chinese delegation? what is the gravitas of your disagreement? the fact that the vietnamese fought against the USA? i mean, in both Korea and Vietnam, the chinese gave more than a little help to the North Koreans and Viet Cong. i respect your service in the armed forces, GC, and 9i understand your emotional response to the issue. but expelling colonists from one's country is a normal part of history. just ask the formers of the American Revolution.

dread:
We are not discussing who was right or who was wrong. Maybe we were all wrong in Vietnam.
The idea is to "leave sleeping dogs lie" and not inflame old war wounds by praising one side or the other.
Mostly all wars are for economic or religious reasons. The USA had no business in Vietnam other than projecting their doctrine and backing obsolete and unpopular regimes (such as Dhiem).
The USA is now a friend of Vietnam and war wounds have been healed thanks to personalities
like Senator John McCain that have gone back and mended their war wounds and embraced CLOSURE for BOTH sides in that ugly and unnecessary war.

I would imagine possibly there are still unrepatriated bodies of Dominicans from that conflict in Indo China who served with honour in that conflict.....forget the politics...this needs a few more generations to pass...doing business and putting wreaths on tombs is very different ask McCain

why are you guys such spoilsports? you wish to deny this dutiful public servant a wonderful vacation, at taxpayers expense? talk about grinches who stole Christmas!!

You know the Vietnamese did not say you cannot come unless you put the wreath on the tomb.....Somebody in the DR thought this up

a little butt kissing, GC. he wants to be the guy who is credited with sucking up to the Vietnamese and initiating trade and cultural exchanges, heck, Leo has his Metro; why deny this guy a little glory, too?

And who is the Presidente who approves this outreach?

I personally find this offensive. Will he go to Haiti as well to laud the brave Haitians that lost their lives fighting Dominicans in prior conflicts. I know that statement will open a can of worms and hateful statements and ALL of you please know that it was not made to be offensive to anyone. I guess my point is that if he wanted a vacation in Nam to further the new relations with the DR that it is a good thing.................He just should have kept his mouth shut on this issue while he was there!!

For your info Mr. TomGato. Just before the Vietnam war, the U.S. had forcibly stationed its largest concentration of troops in the Dominican Republic in 1965, with the excuse of "protecting U.S. civilians" and killing many to their benefit and satisfaction and violating the country's sovereignty, but the rubber trees in Vietnam proved to be of more interest and importance to the U.S. Trujillo was put in power by the U.S. and it took them 30 years to come the the conclusion that he was a bad guy for the Dominican people, so then they put Balaguer. So, maybe the Vietnamese didn't want a Trujillo, I mean, I dont think that that many people can be so dumb and fight for no apparent reason. And lets not forget what happened with Noriega or Saddam.

The French did leave a legacy in Vietnam by way of pastries and baking. They actually do it better than the French in my book.

any recipes to share, texasshoe?

What's your poison Dread?

maybe a nice, simple recipe for grilled pork, perhaps

On a grill as in BBQ or stove top in a pan

try this,

1- pork tender, clean away silver strip or tendon

sprikle with yoshida sauce or soy to wet
Salt, Pepper & Garlic to taste
Rub with Colemans mustard powder
Oregano

Grill over open flame

Chicken delight;

6 chicken breast halves-skinless
2 cans cream of chicken soup
6 pieces bacon
12 oz. Sour cream
8 oz. Cream cheese
1 jar dried beef
couple dashes hot sauce

Combine soup as per directions, sour cream, hot sauce and cream cheese and bring to simmer (be careful not to scorch)
Line baking dish with dried beef
Wrap each breast with Bacon
place on dried beef, cover with sauce and bake 350 for 1 1/2 hours covered
Serve with Basmati or Jasmine rice.

thanks, Texasshoe. i am partial to grilling; clean, simple, easy , and healthy. i appreciate the recipes, though dried beef will be a bear to get in this neck of the woods.

Dried beef is sold in almost any supermarket it is usually by the canned meats, tuna etc.

any supermarket in the USA. i am currently in the DR. when i get back to Uncle Sam, i will look for it. with a handle like Texasshoe, you must have seen the mothers of all barbecues. i myself am a pretty evil grillmeister.

I also like to throw fresh garlic, green onions and Rosemarry on the fire right before I put on the meat / chicken

if Tex is from Texas he eats his barbecue out of a pit......bring me a Brisket when you come down

next time you can get some allspice berries (malagueta), soak them in water for a couple of hours, then toss a handful over the coals. man, oh man!

Down in Falfurris (inside the King Ranch over 825,000 acres) they have a fundraiser every year for the Volunteer Fire Department. They dig a 5 x 5 x 4 foot hole load it with Mesquite and burn it until it is just coals. They season the Briskets with Salt / pepper and garlic, wrap them in wet cheesecloth then in foil. They put it on the coals, cover the hole with sheets of tin and then earth. Come back in 12 hours.

Man- talk about good the brisket falls apart

http://www.king-ranch.com/index.html

please, Texasshoe; do not do this again. not when i am having pollo guisado for lunch. i know you are well intentioned and all that, but...

Makin' my mouth water too!!

I guess Vietnam lost over barbeque chicken and pork.....
am I talking to myself here?
Why don't we change the thread to talk about Vietnamese pooon tang better?

All free people celibrate the glorious victory of the People's army in Vietnam over imperialist powers. The glorious 30th. April. All through Europe there were parties in the streets.
http://www.dangcongsan.vn/english....der_topic=175&id=BT3040839631
It is good the the DR government develops good a friendship with Vietnam. My Vietnamese friend says Vietnam is doing well and exports 1 billion dollars of Basa, a very tasty fish per year. Also exports rice to many countries.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/biz/2007/12/761179/
However recent heavy rains and floods are blamed on the US and global warming. Even now the US is bailing out its gas-guzzler car industry.
S.

generoso, Do you think they still accept script ?

domericano:
I wouldn't know about script, I was always more partial to the Thai girls!
Swadicap!

they burned genorosos hootch to the ground when he left

my favorite R&R as well!

Nothing beat Hong Kong in the 60s

domericano:
now answer this:
what makes the Thai girls so special beside their natural sweetness and submissive way?

so you will reminisce: their smooth as silk hair specially down under! LOL.

GC:
we are not that old to remember Kong in the 60's, put your respirator back on!

i think this is a good chance to ask the right person the right question since there are a couple of nam vet on this thread.

on your opinion which is the best vietnam movie of all time?

my pick is platoon

full metal jacket my second

and Apocalypse now my third.

Full metal Jacket..... is my favorite.......Me so horny

Full metal Jacket..... is my favorite.......Me so horny...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU6xUyLKn7U

they were all good in their time.
FMJ had good cinematography and the battle of Hue.
Platoon was good also and Apocalypse had Brando as the burned out Colonel Kurtz and the famous phrase by Robert Duvall with the helis playing Wagner "Dye Valkylrie":
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning"
I actually will borrow that quote from the movie when the Tucano's finally arrive in DR and we can go test fly them over Haiti land with some WP and NP. LOL.

I will stick with this quote http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU6xUyLKn7U

how about

" If I say its safe to surf this beach Captain, then its safe to surf this beach. I mean I'm not afraid to surf this place, I'll surf this whole f**ing place! "

charlie don't surf

I lived the Apocalypse Now movie to some extent.........I was Brown Water Navy/ Mobile Riverines Force, '65 through late '67 out of Dong Tam on the My Tho river and Rung Sat (the Delta). Mostly all night patrols and insertions/extractions of Seal Teams and LRRP teams up river. NO FUN.!!

Domericano by any chance you met john kerry upthere and was he only directing traffic as i'm told he was?

Old school, I never even heard of him before his presidental bid, and I never did any surfing there either. I went back to the world right before the Tet offensive started, he was probably there after me.

The best filmaker, not polluted by Hollywood, on Vietnam is Pilger.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUJP5KyD_0k
Any vets recognise these soldiers?
http://pilger.carlton.com/page.asp?partID=4
Washington's war on democracy continues. Pilger documents this:
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/708/36764
By the way: Australian.
Documentaries are still made about the true American heroes of this war:
http://www.camden28.org/
The US of A should have hired better astrologers. Naturally during WW2 Britain hired the best:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334728,00.html

S.

Don't you mean losey the man behind The Assassination of Trotsky - now Trotsky - he as anti-American?
https://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1956/trotsky.htm
S.

TomGato

"De Oproso LIbre" so your a Green Beret ?

thanks for posting the Video links ABC

A pleasure Chill. Look after the statues:
S.

chill has found another loser father figure to look up to....Chill you will have to come out of the closet sooner or later

The glorious achievement of the Vietnam Peoples Army is for ever remembered.
MacMansions burn this guy could get a medal for helping save the planet should the USA ever come to its senses.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081118/ap_on_re_us/wildfire_conviction
S.

cry baby