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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, September 20, 1967
Navy ROTC commander Viet veteran
Keeping a village free once it has been wrestled from Viet Cong hands was one of the jobs of Marine Col. John P. Lanigan. Now he is the new KU commander of the Naval Reserve Training Corps. Lanigan recently returned from South Vietnam where he commanded the Third Marine Regiment near the Demilitarized Zone.
For more than six months, he commanded the forces near Laos and North Vietnam during some of the heaviest fighting of the war. Before that, he was personnel officer for his division in Vietnam.
People must support government
People must support government The only way to win the war is to have the people behind the government," Col. Lanigan said, explaining his duties overseas.
He said the major problem was to seek and fight the enemy. When other duties were not occupying his time, Col. Lanigan led his troops in crucial battles which resulted in key gains in the northern and western areas of Kue Sahn in South Vietnam.
The colonel stresses an even more important part of Marine work in pacification—keeping a village free of Viet Cong control.
He said Gov. Robert Docking gave this pacification particular attention during his recent Vietnam tour.
Lanigan was stationed at Camp Carroll, south of the DMZ near Dong Ha. His territory stretched west to the Laotian border.
He speaks with pride of the Combined Action units, which administer the pacification program. These units work in villages. Each village, he said, is a collection of hamlets, comparable to the American system of townships.
Marines help train
The Marines help train the popular forces, offering them experience in patroling and defending their own villages.
"This gives the people a sense of security and protection," Lanigan said. "The combined units communicate with larger Marine units in the area and can be reinforced readily if necessary."
He believes the program has been successful.
"Many villagers had fled their homes before the Marines arrived, rather than live under the Viet Cong." Lannigan said. "Now they are going back; they feel secure enough to stay in their area."
"The noncommissioned officers in my unit carry great responsibilities," he said. "Most of them
are tremendous leaders, and pick up the language quickly, while training local people effectively. Frequently we would have a village leader come to us and complain because his Marine leader was being transferred."
The "War Game" Is Coming
The Marines are involved in other programs. One is what Lanigan calls a kind of medicare program. It consists of mobile clinics that visit the villages and give aid and advice concerning medical problems.
Agriculture gets into the picture. The South Vietnamese have a program similar to American farming agents. They give advice to native farmers about improved techniques.
"The Viet Cong has to steal much of their food," the colonel continues, "They cannot sustain themselves from much of the land since they do not know how to cultivate it."
Lanigan's camp was a "tent" camp. Each tent had a wooden floor which kept it dry during the monsoon season. The outfit went 34 days at one time without seeing the sun. There was a constant drizzle.
Lanigan has won several notable military honors. He has the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit.
Lanigan believes Americans receive fairly accurate reports of the war through the news media. And the soldiers in Vietnam know what is happening at home.
Lanigan feels the bombing of North Vietnam is helping militarily.
"They are pretty much removed from the news and are more concerned with the job at hand."
Weather is a problem
But the weather is not always damp and cool. At times the temperatures exceed 100 degrees. The dry season tends to create problems when strong winds tear the tents and pound dust into corners.
"In spite of the drawbacks of the war my Marine unit had no morale problem," he said.
With a slow smile he said that excellent equipment, good food, frequent rest and relaxation times, and the knowledge that in 13 months their tour of duty will
be over help keep the spirits high.
"The draft card burners don't bother the boys much," he said.
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