14. Training often did not reflect the reality of conditions in Vietnam
In all branches of the military, stateside training included the spit and polish of military life. Uniforms were meticulously maintained and worn with precise correctness. Badges of rank and awards were conspicuously displayed. What was meant to be shiny was shined to a glimmering sheen. Non-authorized items were not displayed on the uniform or the person. All forms of military courtesy were scrupulously followed, both in uniform while on duty and when in mufti when not. Little prepared a new recruit for the changes which would follow when arriving in Vietnam if the recruit was bound for an assignment in or near combat.
New assignees to infantry units were quickly taught not to salute their officers, and newly arrived officers were just as quickly taught to make their rank and presence inconspicuous. This was to prevent them from being identified and targeted by enemy snipers. What was carried out on patrols was less what was prescribed in field manuals and more based on conditions to be expected based on experience in the field. Unauthorized items of wear were common, as were decorations which were not strictly military in nature, at least while in country, as the expression went. Military decorum remained in place at bases and facilities not in direct contact with the enemy, for the most part.
