Vince,

I thought you were in OR on the lower Big C tribs today doing some scouting. Did the rain change the plans?

I was going to head to SW WA this morning, but I've been sicker than the proverbial dog since Wednesday morning.

Apologies for thread drift.

My thought is that in any conflict involving guerilla warfare, like with an insurgency, atrocities by both sides are nearly a given. This could have been anticipated. You put good soldiers in this kind of situation, and some will crack and do the unthinkable. Mai Lai is perhaps the best known example from Vietnam, but there were numerous unreported smaller incidents. I suspect that the stress associated with these kinds of patrols contributes to bringing out the very worst in human behavior. I'm not excusing the behavior, but trying only to explain and understand why it happens.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.