I read today: “Open burn pits and simple incinerators with little or no air pollution control devices, used at some locations in Iraq and Afghanistan to process waste, generate smoke plumes that may pose a considerable health hazard to deployed personnel." Why did someone from the Pentagon not tell us that when we were in Vietnam?
As I recall when I was with the 62nd Engineer Battalion living in wooden frame, sand-bag protected tents located in the mud near Phan Rang circa 1965, we had 55-gallon barrels cut in half, and located under company area latrine "seats" that collected our waste. Some unlucky Soldier (usually one who had received a form of punishment from the 1SG) drove a deuce-and-a-half that carried the filled barrels out to a central burn area, where diesel was poured on top and the entire mess set on fire. Smoke and stink big time.
We also used tent stove vent pipes carried from the states as P-tubes when we stuck them at an angle in the ground, usually in a line near the inside of the perimeter of our concertina wire. Why we brought stoves to Vietnam in the first place is beyond me but no one ever questioned the reasoning at the time. I remember using one of these located near our base camp's main gate one day around Christmas, when up came two jeeps loaded with Red Cross ladies (we called them "Donut Dollies") and I got quite a shock as they all started laughing. Not having any women around most of the time sort of changed our way of doing things.
Anyway, I'm glad the Pentagon is looking into the burn pit situation today.
