U.S. Navy

UNITED STATES NAVY SERVICE:

PATH OF LEADERSHIP

MILITARY DOG TAGS

At a time when many wore beads and engaged in the activities of the counter-culture, Cameron was among those who volunteered to serve our nation and who therefore wore military dog tags as a patriotic American during the Vietnam War. This wasn't for a love of conflict or war but for a duty to serve our nation and support the South Vietnamese vision and request for our help to maintain their own democratic independence and freedom. With all the privileges and freedoms we ourselves enjoy and benefit from in our country, how could we responsibly not answer such a call for assistance?

Shortly after entering United States Navy Recruit Training, Cameron was singled-out and assigned a peer leadership position throughout her initial training. In addition to meeting her own training requirements, she was assigned the role to provide her team members with one-to-one tailored mentoring as well as encouragement tailored to the specific needs of each individual. Through these efforts she assisted her team mates through teamwork to develop their own mental toughness as a complement to staff efforts toward this goal.

NAVY

Although employing a very different leadership style than staff in her Boot Camp environment, together their staff leadership and peer leadership efforts concentrated on both mental and physical adjustments. These included managing anxiety and fear, physical demands, survival swim tests, academic expectations, military bearing, capacity to endure psychological stress, and to develop the emotional maturity levels of a professional. In Cameron's viewpoint, the experience can be summed up with the statement that Boot Camp is designed to break the selfish-small self and replace it with a much more conscious and self-less caring for others and a natural bonding through teamwork. Military training throughout the centuries has an amazing success record to foster such positive outcomes. At the conclusion of Cameron's training she and all her her team mates graduated on time, and in a manner that exceeded supervisory expectations.

Her peer team leadership was noted, and at the conclusion of this training her supervisors identified Cameron as "a natural born leader." As a symbol of this collegial success, Cameron and certain other individuals of this team were requested to serve as an Honor Guard for a graduation speech by our President at the time.

At the conclusion of this training, the team for which she was responsible was not only recognized for their outstanding performance but also as an exceptional model; and once again Cameron was officially regarded as a "natural born leader" by her supervisors. Both she and her team received commendations for their individual and collective "superior" performance in both their military bearing and technical specialty skill-sets. In her individual Performance Review she was especially commended for her leadership skills -- highlighting these as among her best assets to the Navy and highly recommending her for advancement.

When reporting for specialized training at the Naval Schools of Photography, surprisingly Cameron discovered she was again assigned responsibilities to provide peer leadership in a similar manner as in recruit training. Therefore, in addition to her own technical training, her duties encompassed peer leadership of those for whom she was directly responsible coupled with oversight and accountability for their actions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In this capacity she provided an embedded peer framework of leadership that established clear high standards, created measures for accountability, provided a conduit for communication from superiors and with her peers, as well as engaged with discipline, teamwork, adaptability, motivation, encouragement, inspiration, and assistance in technical and field training in their profession specialities. In addition, Cameron provided counseling to individuals and team coaching as a whole for both their on-station and off-station behavior. These efforts fostered the highest standards and ethics of the Navy and they were in fact adhered to as a team.

At the conclusion of this training, the team for which she was responsible was not only recognized for their outstanding performance but also as an exceptional model; and once again Cameron was officially regarded as a "natural born leader" by her supervisors. Both she and her team received commendations for their individual and collective "superior" performance in both their military bearing and technical specialty skill-sets. In her individual Performance Review she was especially commended for her leadership skills -- highlighting these as among her best assets to the Navy and highly recommending her for advancement.

THE HONING OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS

The unexpected opportunities to enhance and exemplify leadership skills presented early in Cameron's Navy training provided her with valuable and meaningful opportunities for her own development to serve others in the most effective ways. These leadership positions prepared her by practice to lead widely diverse teams with individuals of all ages, vastly different economic/cultural/and educational backgrounds, differing religious affiliations, both genders, and a wide-range of personal and professional strengths and limitations. Cameron equates this as to a similar experience that she had in learning how to ride a horse. In that training, her riding instructor first required Cameron to develop a confident, positive, healthy, and trusting relationship with a tamed but highly independent wild mustang that had been extracted from the plains of the American Southwest. In that inter-species relationship both she and the mustang earned -- and formed -- trust together. Their relationship was built upon respect; and only when that was genuinely shared did a relationship arise based on mutual partnership. From this perspective, Cameron came to understand that developing effective leadership skills with a wild mustang has many factors in common with leadership of newly formed teams comprised of individuals from such highly diverse personalities and backgrounds.

EARNING OPPORTUNITY

In the Vietnam War era women were just beginning to make some minimal strides in earning opportunities; and women's equality was emerging as both a disputed issue and a human right in America. With only 1% of the Navy permitted to include women across all spectrums of professions and ranks, women had their work cut out for them to prove their worth -- in every field of specialty skills, their commitment and maturity, and in their psychological mental toughness. Such efforts throughout the Navy at the time required extreme and continuous proofs.

INTENTIONS...

Cameron directly and officially volunteered for -- and anticipated -- that she would serve in Vietnam as a combat photographer. This expectation was predicated on the solid foundation she acquired from the New York Institute of Photography (recognized as the highest level of professional training in photography and film in the United States at the time) before she enlisted in the Navy coupled with completion of specific Naval training at the Navy School of Photography & Film. The Navy's recruiting search for a specific cadre of photographers was cryptically communicated, but clear none-the-less emphasizing an urgent need for volunteers among Navy photographers who were "single, unattached, and without obligations." Cameron met that criteria, and was not only willing but sought such a role. Photographers were at high risk in the Vietnam War as documentarians and historians; and life-threatening environments were duly noted and accepted as professional risks by any volunteer.

Amidst a time-frame of women seeking equality in professional occupations in our culture, some like Cameron in all professions, felt the same call to serve as their male counterparts. She acquired letters of reference as well as personnel evaluations that supported her request to serve as a combat photographer in Vietnam, and on her own time while waiting for a response she acquired additional instruction and experience in numerous skill-sets useful for such duty. This included practice in parachute jumping, martial arts,"ditching" from a variety of aircraft and helicopters, EMT skills, coupled with advanced measures in survival at sea. Ultimately, her formal application as a volunteer for this duty as a combat photographer evoked a response letter from the office of the Chief of Naval Personnel in the Pentagon that denied her request. The letter matter-of-factly stated: "Although the United States Navy appreciates your intention and request, the Navy has determined that the American public is not yet ready for reports of the deaths of Navy women in the line of duty in war." The letter also concisely explained the public relations and political ramifications at the time which were complications affecting the service of women in all occupations within the Navy. Based on these realities, it became clear that Cameron was to engage in other ways to serve her military extended family of brothers and sisters as well as our nation at large. To Cameron's close colleagues and brothers who died in this duty as combat photographers and in other roles as photographers she extends this simple statement and earnest reflection of gratitude: "Thank you for your sacrifice. It was truly not in vein."

LEADERSHIP OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS

Cameron's service in the United Staes Navy was on Emergency Response Teams as a Team Leader providing forensic Photography & Film documentation. Her responsibilities were those of documenting Naval aviation disasters, Naval air accidents, as well as other Federal land/sea/air investigations. Her teams contributed to comprehensive full-scale field investigations, analytical reviews, and subsequent presentations of conclusions of "Lessons Learned," and their expertise also contributed to honoring their deceased colleagues based on new policies and procedures to save lives of Navy personnels.

In a professional context, Cameron's teams provided highly detailed and comprehensive visual documentation and written accounts of what they encountered; and these contributions established critical evidence in system-wide investigations. Specifically, these contributions provided factual information utilized by other diverse specialists on the scene and elsewhere to ultimately determine both primary and secondary factors that created these critical incidents. In a personal context, these experiences served as opportunity to reflect upon the stark realities of life and death; and in a similar way these events illustrated the importance of forming authentic and healthy relationships in a very imperfect and impermanent world.

The rigorous requirements of Federal investigations inspired Cameron with a deep appreciation for both evidence-based research and the necessity to consider the HUMAN FACTORS in crisis environments. The task itself illustrated the limitations of leaders relying nearly exclusively on procedural expectations, strategic and tactical planning from afar, protocols not based in reality, over-confidence that one perspective was the only perspective worthy of consideration, as well as some leaders who engaged in creating fear in their crew members as a primary means to initiate motivation. What appeared missing in each of these incidents was accounting for the psychological human element in all of these expectations.

With a reference point using Real-World outcomes, these investigations illustrated how evidence-based fact-finding reveal weaknesses or limitations that had gone unnoticed, unacknowledged, or were hidden. Therefore, the outcomes realistically presented evidence for acknowledgement in not only confronting the Realities but also provided opportunities to usher in new meaningful approaches and practices.

Unfortunately, new procedures and processes for leadership objectives affecting Naval personnel often are determined based on "Lessons Learned." However, subsequent positive changes typically prove to reduce critical incidents and save lives. In this way, leadership approaches, decision-making, and policy-making vividly demonstrate that leaders can achieve several critically important criteria simultaneously. These successes include the benefits of integrating HUMAN FACTORS into the equation that support the fundamental principle that the Navy values its personnel as its most valuable asset.

Understanding and acknowledging and making decisions that demonstrate that personnel are any organization's most valuable asset serves a three-fold moral and practical objective:

1) A mutual commitment to one another creates a natural springboard of high motivation to achieve shared mission objectives.

2) A mutual commitment to one another increases the survival rate of those for whom leaders are responsible.

3) A mutual commitment to one another improves the long-term well-being of professionals serving in crisis environments and illustrates their wellbeing is a major component and asset in evaluating mission success.

Perhaps most importantly, the training Cameron provided also addressed issues relevant to HUMAN FACTORS. Relevant issues were for her crew members to demonstrate a high level of professionalism in standards and practices appropriate for crisis environments. Specifically, this included perspectives that positively contribute to creating cohesive collaborative partnerships with joint-operational teams as well as very practical aspects of self awareness and team awareness. Among the many relevant issues were standards that respect the appropriate compassiontae manner necessary when serving with others in such crisis environments. These principles applied to service with professional partners as well as with survivors and those being triaged by medical personnel.

To complement her team leadership on Navy Emergency Response Teams and in collaborative efforts with the Navy Investigative Service, Cameron's additionally served as an instructor of Federal investigative methods and practices where she trained crews in the specialty to provide forensic evidence in the form of film documentation based on the highest Standards of Practice. Although a portion of her investigation instruction was provided to crews in a class atmosphere the majority occurred in direct advanced field-training in Real-Life scenarios. In this training format, Cameron incorporated a myriad of technical issues associated with documenting these air/land/sea critical incidents under austere and extreme conditions.

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As an instructor to teach forensic evidence film documentation for Federal investigations in crisis environments -- encompassing air disasters, aircraft accidents, critical incidents, suicides, and homicides -- Cameron also provided practical education tailored to be empowering to her team. She educated her student crews in healthy psychological practices to appropriately and professionally manage psychological reactions and personal emotions that otherwise present realistic challenges to mind, body, and spirit. Psychological research was only in its infancy at the time regarding traumatic stress; and recognizing or acknowledging its symptoms or ways in which to provide effective clinical treatments was very limited. Cameron had a keen early interest in psychology for practical reasons in the military; and thus she studied psychology in order to be able to provide educational information in this area to the degree it was available.

Cameron also applied Zen practices in a secular format as methods to enhance psychological coping skills, and shared this with her crews if they chose to incorporate these approaches. Little did she know that 40 years later, these same practices would be researched by esteemed universities and acknowledged as effective for both preventing and recovery from post traumatic stress. Nor did she realize at the time that they would be officially incorporated as an evidence-based-best practice into Veterans Affairs Healthcare. At a time when standard practice within all branches of military service typically totally denied, ignored, or accused anyone affected by compassion fatigue or trauma as "weak," Cameron's candid and practical approach proved useful by offering methods for crew members to psychologically prepare, build emotional resilience, increase coping skills, and maintain confidence and professionalism in crisis environments. It's unknown whether this instruction and education prevented traumatic stress among her students or crews, however, it was an uncommon (and innovative) positive and practical contribution in its time.

HONORING A MENTOR'S LEGACY

In her later service with the Navy, Cameron was informed that among her next options of duty were those that included service at a Command where her own Navy recruiter had recently committed suicide. Although this information could have swayed Cameron's decision-making in either direction, choosing where her recruiter served her last duty became the determining factor for Cameron's investment of effort and commitment. Cameron chose this service location and assignment -- the Pacific Recruiting Command --in which her recruiter committed suicide in order to honor the life and professional efforts of this esteemed individual. Although she noted their assignments were different, their mission was the same.

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During the Vietnam War era, women could comprise no more than 1% of the U.S. Navy's active duty personnel -- in totality -- inclusive of all professions. For this reason, from the outset of applying for Navy enlistment, a waiting period of many months was required before Cameron's entrance, and this time ultimately forged the beginning of a continuing professional alliance for years between Cameron and her recruiter. During those years, Cameron's recruiter served as her career counselor, mentor, and role model; and Cameron regards her most distinguishing contributions as those of setting an example in every way of the Navy's highest ideals, character, and ethical decision-making.

By choosing to serve in the same Command (and even at the same facility and adjacent office) where her recruiter last served before her death, Cameron focused on efforts to honor her recruiter's personal and professional legacy and to her commitment to the enduring values she exemplified.

Although there are numerous reasons why an individual may commit suicide, based on statistics now available from a historical perspective, suicide became identified as a high risk factor for those serving in recruiting during the Vietnam War era. Shortly after assuming her own responsibilities with her operational base located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Cameron realized the public and private pressures that likely led to -- or significantly contributed to -- her mentor shooting herself. These realizations were clearly the "dark side" of serving in the Navy's Recruiting Command in the San Francisco Bay Area at a time in our nation's history where the general public chose to target our U.S. military personnel as scape-goats for a war and policies that were no longer supported by the majority.

MEDIA LAISON AND LEADERSHIP:

COMMITMENT TO OUR MILITARY FAMILY

In a new leadership position for the Pacific Fleet-Air Command Cameron was responsible for the development, production, and distribution of the Navy's media advertising spanning across California, Washington State, Oregon, Alaska, and the Pacific. This encompassed television, radio, magazine, and newspaper promotion. These efforts were tailored specifically to the Navy's search for -- and career grooming of -- the best and the brightest specialists for the new all volunteer era.

Encompassed within these responsibilities, part of this role her duties likewise incorporated serving as a media liaison between the Navy and the larger civilian community as well as a communication link between the Navy and Navy families in these regions.

With a passionate bond to support our military community Cameron also engaged in leadership roles where she directed teams in concept development, script writing, as well as pre-and-post production of Navy documentaries tailored to support the well-being of Navy personnel and increase their morale wherever they are.

In a heartfelt way, in her personal time she chose to meet flights in which deceased U.S. service men and women and their remains arrived directly from Vietnam and other parts of South East Asia. She did so in order to honor their sacrifice and silently welcome them home. Sadly, these deceased military personnel were not afforded the respect they are today of flag-draped caskets during their transfer from deployment. Instead, Navy personnel of the Vietnam era typically returned en masse in mere black body bags stacked high on pallets. These flights arrived between midnight and 2AM where an Airman was tasked with the solitary duty of carefully navigating a forklift to maneuver pallets filled with the dead from a cargo aircraft. No notification was permitted to news outlets of these flights nor normally to families to initially meet and claim the remains of their loved ones. Instead these arrivals typically occurred in the most quiet hours where unloading could be accomplished at secure military bases -- thereby preventing volatile demonstrations and protests outside the gate as well as disgraceful scenes and a jeering public. It's a sad commentary that the facts required our dead to arrive secretly in order that they be respected.

In a like manner, Cameron ensured that she was present among those to extend her respect to military Prisoner's of War when they returned from South East Asia. The return of POWs primarily occurred in groups during the day hours; and to prevent harassment to them Commanders and Admirals scheduled these arrivals on secure bases to assure a warm welcome from their grateful families as well as from their extended family of military brothers and sisters. However, even the publication by the civilian press of their return after the fact often ignited agitation from demonstrators against not only our government as well as all men and women in uniform, but also to POWs themselves. It seemed evident that compassion for the suffering and sacrifices of these returning POWs seemed quite beyond the scope of capabilities of many within the public sector.

HONORING THE DEAD AND SUPPORTING NAVY FAMILIES

In temporary additional duty assignments, Cameron served as liaison between the Navy and Navy families in a role to inform family members in person that their husband, wife, brother, sister, mother, father, or child had died in their service to our country. Military families are quite aware and alert to the unspoken meaning when service members -- in dress uniform -- solemnly exit a Navy vehicle and approach their front door unannounced and with no prior telephone call. Such a event conveys a high probability of the notification of the death of a loved one; and often engenders spontaneous weeping by family members even prior to officially sharing the tragic news.

As a representative of the Navy, Cameron provided the details of their loved one's deaths honestly and based upon the most accurate information available through the Navy with these family members; and then provided acute grief counseling, a list of Navy family support contacts, as well as networks for additional professional resources for the family.

Cameron was often requested for these assignments by her supervisors and other colleagues, as she earnestly felt their loss and was neither adverse nor afraid to be with those who grieved the loss of loved ones.

HEALTHY LEADERSHIP -- LEARNING FROM MENTORS

AS A STUDY, A PRACTICE, AND A LIFELONG JOURNEY

In other avenues of her journey of Navy service, Cameron engaged in continuous study and explored diverse avenues to enhance her own deepening understanding of -- and practice of -- wise leadership skills. She did so through Navy specialized training in management and leadership as well as what has evolved as a lifelong formal study and practice of behavioral psychology, social psychology, and organizational pscychology. Since her earliest encounters in leadership opportunities, Cameron has continuously honed these skill-sets and mind-sets in her encounters throughout her various roles -- inclusive of ordinary day-to-day events as well as in weighty decision-making.

Of particular educational influence in her own leadership development were Cameron's direct assignments with Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, Chief of Naval Operations while serving in the Navy. Admiral Zumwalt's well-earned legacy (of what would today be identified as Transformational Leadership skills) clearly modeled and inspired a highly progressive style and Enlightened Leadership as he confronted complex new paradigms. He did so by moment-by-moment choices that reflect the principles that support human dignity, respect, and humility; and he encouraged all whom he encountered to live by the highest of ideals, professionalism, and the consistency of an honorable Code of Conduct.

Enlightened

Leadership

At the time when the military draft ended, and all branches of service were transitioning into recruitment of all-volunteer professional specialists, Cameron assumed a new position in a role to manage the U.S. Pacific/ West Coast Navy media advertising and as a liaison between the Navy and the larger community as well as a liaison between the Navy and its Navy family. The territories for which she was responsible spanned California, Washington State, Oregon, Alaska, and the Pacific; and in this role she had the priviledge of encountering and working with Admiral Zumwalt numerous times. In that role she had a clear view of the monumental impact Admiral Zumwalt's approach and his Z-Grams had on not only the retention of highy trained personnel but also in recruiting many of the best and the brightest to enlist into the Navy and for their consideration of the Navy as a career.

THE HOMEFRONT: THE SECOND FACE OF THE VIETNAM WAR ERA

FROM A STATE-SIDE MILITARY PERSPECTIVE

In Cameron's service at the Naval Recruiting Command one of her principle responsibilities was a search for the best and the brightest volunteers to fill specialist positions through her leadership role in developing advertising for the Navy's Pacific Fleet & Air needs. Der operational base was located in the downtown commercial district of Oakland, California -- approximately a 10 minute drive from the campus of the University of California at Berkeley. This catapulted Cameron and her many military colleagues in the San Francisco Bay Area into the direct fire of this central hub of the anti-government and anti-war movement in America during the Vietnam War era.

The Weatherman Organization -- or Weathermen -- (names adopted from a Bob Dylan song) became the most influential and violent arm of the SDS. In the 1970s the Weathermen changed their name to the Weather Underground Organization since many in their leadership lived out of sight from the public eye -- roaming from "underground safe-houses" among their supporters and sympathizers in efforts to flee from the FBI and any accountability for their terrorist acts and serious violent crime sprees.

The Department of Defense Federal building in which she served frequently found itself the site of demonstrations, violent protests, and civil unrest of every imaginable type. This facility was the home of the Navy recruiting headquarters for the Pacific, and additionally encompassed the military joint-induction center that administratively processed enlistees, conducted their medical exams, and where enlistees finalized their commitment by oath to protect and defend America and her Constitution. Therefore, all branches of service were on-site: Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard; and from this centralized point new enlistees traveled directly from this facility to their respective recruit training facilities.

At the height of their influence in 1975 and 1976, declassified FBI reports indicate these organizations had by that time annexed approximately 1,200 diverse extremist special interest groups in a commitment of one over-arching objective: To create the armed great Revolution that would ultimately overthrow the U.S. government and replace it with communism. The "New Left Notes" published by the SDS (coupled with declassified FBI intelligence archival reports since the 1960s) confirm that during the Vietnam War era the leadership of the SDS and Weather Underground directly met with North Vietnam communist leader Ho Chi Minh as well as other communist leaders in North Vietnam numerous times. Furthermore, sometimes they were accompanied by American "celebrities" who brought considerable media attention to their cause. These meetings were reported by SDS leaders as focused on dveloping strategies as well as specific tactics designed as psychological warfare in efforts to demoralize U.S. troops and extinguish American public support for the war.

According to declassified Top Secret reports of August 20, 1976 from the FBI library (referred to as The Vault), San Francisco was the Pacific region headquarters of the Communist Party; and the Oakland-Berkeley area in particular was a focal-point of a myriad of hard-core socialist-communist organizations that functioned as fronts for the Communist Party. Therefore, this area not only pulsed with the passion of a youth and counter-culture movement that sought major change, but also seethed with the rage of those who were fully dedicated to create a violent Revolution for the purpose of overthrowing the nation's democratic form of government in order to replace it with communism. The primary orchestrator of diverse radical groups engaged in this effort was the organization known as the Students for a Democratic Society (which directly arose originally from the orthodoxy of Marxist-Leninist Russian communism and later embraced Marxist-Leninist Maoist communism).

Leaders of the SDS floundered in their earliest attempts in organizing based upon their vastly different ideologies and goals; and in their trial-and-error attempts to unify groups together those in power determined that their best course of action was to focus on Anti-Vietnam War strateigies. In so doing they created a frame-work that would serve as a practical means by which to turn the tide of public opinion against the U.S. government and thereby fulfill the key objectives of the communist vision and agenda. Under the SDS organizing charter, public dissent by primarily the youth movement sought to abruptly end the existing U.S. foreign and domestic policies and practices by no less than full-scale unmanaged violence, terrorism, urban riots, and ultimate Revolution. Therefore, the overarching agenda that they could all agree upon became forged in their mutual hatred of the "existing system of U.S. imperialism" and their collective intent to overthrow America's democratic form of government. Their tactics therefore focused on engaging in efforts to exploit social unrest and dissent, discredit U.S. democratic principles and institutions, instill a sense of distrust, anxiety, and fear in American's citizens, and ultimately overthrow the government in a violent coup.

Numerous leaders of these U.S. based socialist-communist organizations also met with communist revolutionary leaders in other countries, including Fidel Castro and Chi Guevara in Cuba. In their discussions with these two Cuban revolutionaries, collectively they identified guerrilla tactics to implement in the United States that had proven successful in creating revolutions in other foreign nations with successful outcomes of overthrowing those governments. These discussions and objectives are clearly identified and publicly and proudly touted in the Weather Underground's own organization notes.

Che Guevara was considered instrumental in not only guerrilla efforts in South America but also elsewhere. These revolutionary actions were organized under the banner of promoting (and implementing) a World-Wide Communist Revolution -- intended to include Asia, South America, and the United States and then expand to include the remainder of the world. At the time, the Maoist-based Chinese communists were in some degree of conflict with the Stalin-based Russian vision of communism since each was equally vying for leadership in this world-wide effort to achieve their own success. The Cubans strove to prevent offending both Russia and China in order to gather support from both. Therefore, the SDS and Weather Underground likewise collaborated with Russia and China since both of these countries assessed that to achieve their long-term strategic goals -- including the overthrow of the U.S. government -- it was imperative that they must first overthrow the republic of South Vietnam.

By forming major branches of the SDS and Weather Underground in 13 major U.S. cities the leaders of these fanatical organizations approached their objectives in a comprehensive way; and San Francisco, Chicago, and Manhattan were the sites of their principle leadership centers. The San Francisco Bay Area therefore became a major hub for the most ardent of anarchists who conducted activities as the master-minds of these strategies which were implemented across America. The manifestos of these organizations as well as their undergrouond magazines and newspapers were sold in local book-stores catering to university students and counter-culture groups in the Oakland-Berkeley area. Additionally, they were made available on many street corners throughout the Bay Area by hippies as they distributed printed flyers and breaking news by word-of-mouth. These same sources distributed a constant stream of updated lists of "opportunities for direct action" as well as schedules for "trainings" across the San Francisco region and on the UC Berkeley campus itself.

Public engagement through non-violent demonstrations, protests, and resistance are integral and essential elements of carrying out our responsibilities in American democracy. Such actions form a vital check-and-balance not only of our governmental institutions but also over specific policies and decision-making of our Executive Branch and Legislative leaders. As additional oversight and a balance of power, an independent judicial system -- as well as a free and independent press -- are all hallmarks reflecting our U.S. Constitutional rights, freedoms, and obligations. However, it is documented in the radical communist organizational manifestos of this time (as well as through indisputable evidence provided by FBI intelligence operatives) that the role of "seasoned" and experienced professional communist agitators focused on creating strategicly planned efforts designed to promote highly disruptive incidents. Tactically, these agitators concentrated on actions that would attract the mainstream media to events that promoted their own carefully crafted propaganda messages; and these organizational leaders labeled these efforts as "direct participatory democracy." These were not new tactics tailored for the United States, but were well-developed ones employed by communist organizations in other international regions over decades. In these incidents, violence was not merely an unintended consequence, it was, instead, a clearly defined intention to initiate the armed violent Revolution "by the people" upon which socialist-communist agendas are so obsessively fixated.

As the primary action arm of the SDS, the Weather Underground and its like-minded affiliates directly planted bombs in Navy recruiting stations located in heavy-traffic business districts across the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. In orchestrating many of the communist efforts in the United States, Weather Underground members also directly planted Improvised Explosive Devises that targeted numerous military bases of all branches of service and Federal government facilities. Some of their successful bombings targeted: The Pentagon; the Twin-Towers in New York; the San Francisco Army Presideo; military recruiting stations in Manhattan; La Guardia Airport; San Francisco and New York police stations; ROTC recruiting and operational centers on university campuses; draft registration locations; American-owned banks; a National Guard Armonry (also acquring large quantities of ammuntion); a judge's home residence; the San Francisco Hall of Justice; the San Francisco and Sacramento Office of California Prisons; a California Senator's office; Health Education and Welfare offices; judicial courtrooms; a university international law library; and research centers of distinguished U.S. universities.

The SDS, the Weather Underground, and their diverse affiliates strategized to overthrow the United States government by disrupting all aspects of our American way of life coupled with discrediting and dismanteling our democratic institutions. In these activities they did not limit their efforts to bombings, terrorism, armed robberies, drug crimes, committing murder, and inciting violence of every imaginable and unimaginable type. Additional havoc was also instigated within U.S. military units themselves since Weatherman Underground leaders also document that they recruited individuals to enlist in the U.S. military specifically with the objective to create disruption and work toward communist espionage and objectives from inside the U.S. military structure in a myriad of ways. This included transfering each of these same strategies that were incorporated on the homefront of America directly into military units on the combat front lines. As fuel to the fire, the SDS and Weather Underground also encouraged and sponsored U.S. celebrities and entertainers to visit or perform in Vietnam as a means of expounding anti-war rhetoric as well as spread communist propaganda messages that seeded insurrection, mutiny, rebellion, racial tension, murdering of U.S. military officers, and dissertion by a percentage of our U.S. troops. Such pursuits as these are touted as successes by the Weathermen and are confirmed by our own U.S. military personnel and U.S. military leaders in their service in VIetnam.

These extremist-terrorists proudly and arrogantly proclaimed their success in manufacturing bombs of many types and for very specific purposes. In densely populated urban centers, bombs were packed tightly with nails or industrial staples in order to maximize their destructiveness and thereby create the most devastating destructive human impact. These incidents were not only designed to illustrate their organization's cleverness by avoiding detection while planting them, but also demonstrated that they had the power to destabilize the relationship between the public, the government, and the military by illustrating that the U.S. government had no power to protect American citizens.

In a manifesto entitled Prairie Fire: The Politics of Revolutionary Anti-Imperialism, the Weather Underground Organization openly published its "Declaration of War Against the U.S. Government." Following this formal announcement, the SDS and Weather Underground systematically sought to increase their membership by attracting special interest groups by offering what they termed as "teach-ins" to share the skills of "community activism." These "teach-ins" and "community action" trainings were ostensibly designed to organize demonstrations but also provided clandestine training to teach others the methods and means of "fund-raising" through criminal activities. Such "fund-raising" encompassed burglary from commercial buildings and residences; formation of cells and networks for the manufacture and large-scale sale of illicit drugs; "how to" tutorials for bank robbery and armed armored car robberies; weapons training; creating and successfully orchestrating fraud schemes, etc. As core components of this criminal education, they also taught the manufacture of bomb-making by using materials that were available at low cost and were easily available in most any community.

These approaches -- using "teach-ins" and "community activism" training -- proved to be very seductive and alluring to a generation that was naive in its perspectives of world history and world events; yet the approach of the SDS and the Weather Underground successfully targeted this youthful desire by providing direct personal action as a means to contribute to the world through what some may call "meaningful change." Therefore, the offerings appealed to many whose desire was to overthrow what they perceived as "the chains" imposed by their parents and "establishment."

Undoubtedly, there were some individuals swept up in this movement that were of the highest caliber and intention -- those who earnestly sought meaningful and lasting social and political change through peaceful means. Perhaps, for others, there may have also been also a degree of being influenced by leaders who used the naivete of American youth as a tool and hijacked their actual personal intent. However, it is undeniable that a considerable amount of complicity and collusion was engaged in by many Americans in these socialist-communist efforts to overthrow the U.S. government since the rhetoric and publications were unmistingly clear about the objectives of this leadership and the intentions of these host organizations.

One such bomb -- laced with large nails as shrapnel to expand its destructive impact -- was manufactured with the intention of accomplishing what was considered by SDS leaders as an important mission; however, it was prematurely detonated by a wiring error in its final minutes of assembly in a Manhattan townhouse. Weather Underground bomb-makers indicate they anticipated planting it that same day at Fort Dix (about 60 miles away) -- where the timing device would ensure it would detonate at a high point when 300 non-commissioned officers plus their dates were in-house that evening for a dance. A member of the Weather Underground, Brian Flanagan, states that this bomb event was "intended to be the most horrific hit the United States government has ever suffered on its terrirotry." The survivors among these bomb-makers publicly expressed their regret that they failed in their objective, and confirmed that such efforts will continue at others times and places in the future -- and claiming that they will be successful next time.

Another bomb planted by the Weather Underground was discovered in the Department of Defense Federal building in Oakland, Califoronia where hundreds of military personnel (including Cameron) served. It was reported that this IED was set to explode immediately after a bomb was successfully detonated in the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C. However, a "tip: from an informant within the Weather Underground advised two San Francisco newspaper corporations and one television media station of the event in order to acquire extensive media coverage of the expected outcome. In response, the media contacted a local Naval Air Station bomb-squad specialist and he -- with his service dog trained to sniff out explosives -- rushed to the scene in Oakland. Collaborating with ATF and FBI agents the entire Federal building was methodically and painstakingly searched with utmost care and urgency. Ultimately, the bomb was found hidden in a briefcase -- wedged behind a ceiling tile (with its clock still ticking). Although it was evident to these counter-terrorism experts that the intended-detonation time had past, the bomb was determined to be totally unstable. Fortunately, these professionals were able to carefully maneuver it to the street and detonate it in a way that prevented harm to anyone -- Navy personnel, new enlistees, or innocent citizens in the downtown Oakland community at large.

From the next day forward, Navy personnel were warned by the Naval Investigative Service (NIS) that valid threats continued to stream from various members of extremist-terrorist organizations specifically targeting military personnel. NIS and local Navy security officers therefore advised military personnel in the San Francisco Bay Area to remain perpetually alert and issued detailed instructions what to look for -- in, around, under, overhead, and near their office space, vehicles, meeting areas, and personal residences. Additionally, they provided guidance relating to subtleties that constitute suspicious behavior and suspicious events. In so doing these experts enlisted the support of many eyes and ears through a team effort, and this collaborative network reduced or neutralized a significant portion of the many continuing threats to military personnel and their families.

Additional actions employed by the Weather Underground instigated major riots in various high security prisons, sponsored prison break-outs, murdered and seriously injured prison guards and police, as well as abducted and killed hostages. Their tactics additionally focused on enlisting even younger youth into their cause by infiltrating high schools, distributing their propaganda literature, and seeking to provide student "programs" in those locations based on "first-amendment rights." Based on their consistent direct engagement in bombings -- coupled with their sponsorship of the highest level of violent criminal activity -- numbeous leaders of the Weather Underground became the Most Wanted by the FBI. Unfortunately, when apprehenced, some of these legal cases were dismissed even though there was irrefutable evidence. This was so due to certain FBI efforts that did not properly acquire the appropriate warrents for wire-tapping.

This degree of terrorism and these terrorist acts occurred regularly and amidst routine life in the homeland of the United States during the 1970s. During this period, Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Advisor and terrorist expert of the esteemed RAND think-tank, reports there were 1,470 successful bombings across America with 184 killed, with those bombings averaging between 50-60 per year. Other estimates were at least one per week occurring somewhere in the United States -- by radical organizations bent on enhancing chaos, creating instability, sowing doubt of our government to protect its people, and fueling the anarchy that they anticipated could overturn our government. These acts were not engaged in by foreign nationalist terrorists, but rather by American (primarily middle-class and privileged) students and others who -- as members of extremist special interest groups -- may very well include one's neighbors. There was no secret as to the intentions of these organizations, and their actions as core members consistently publicly announced their objectives, and distributed materials highlighting their plans and event schedules.

Day-to-day encounters between military personnel and the public frequently illustrated the volatile relationship between these two segments of our society in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was commonplace that members of the general public engaged regularly in shouting accusations in rage at military personnel as well as hurled vile insults and spit in the face of military personnel when encountering them. In these events, the potential for rapid escalation of violence or spontaneous attack by an assembling group that targeted our military servicemen and servicewomen presented a constant necessity for their keen awareness. Other typical personal encounters included attempts (and sometimes success) by members of the public who suddenly and violently ripped military insignia from the uniforms of a U.S. servicemen and servicewomen simply as they passed by on the street or stood in the line of a bank, gas station, or grocery store. Such actions are certainly not those that reflect behaviors of a grateful nation for defending and protecting its freedoms; and the intense degree of disrespect and betrayal by the American public was felt deeply by many military and civilian public service professionals.

These interactions created atmospheres of enhanced uncertainty for those serving in the U.S. military at this time -- not only on the front lines confronting foreign enemies but surprisingly by military servicemen and servicewomen in their own homeland. These incidents also became the last visual image witnessed by new military enlistees as they departed to their various service branch recruit training centers, and these same scenes likewise became a mirror image and treatment when -- and if-- they returned home from deployment. In related matters, military personnel were warned not to drive their service vehicles into downtown San Francisco when they conducted business there, and they were advised not to wear their military uniforms in that area. Past critical incidents provided evidence to leadership that the highly congested and confined areas of downtown San Francisco created situations where military personnel had been -- and would likely continue to be -- less able to escape from impulsive angry crowds targeting them. The Navy acknowledged the facts of the Oakland, Berkeley, and larger San Francisco Bay Area and issued "Hazardous Duty Pay" to those serving in these regions. This is a notable situation within the context that this was the same designation and pay provided to combatants on the front-line in Vietnam. From this perspective, the San Francisco Bay area was a different face of the war in Vietnam -- a homefront composed of Americans who were not only openly hostile to those willing to sacrifice their lives on their behalf, but who also loudly and overtly engaged in actions that blamed our men and women in uniform as the direct source for every evil in the world.

Even more importantly, these terrorist leaders openly proclaimed and documented that such terrorist acts were designed to inspire others to engage in similar ways as well as provide a successful model of how it should be done. Their publicized goals likewise encouraged others to commit to these same acts believing that any one incident had the potential power to spark the armed Revolution that could ultimately overturn the U.S. government and replace it with communism.

Military servicemen and servicewomen and their families reflect resilience and a life-style that continually demonstrates their internal discipline and strength. Their "family business" focuses on the defense of our nation, protection of our communities, and a willingness to serve those across the globe who are vulnerable and seek our nation's help for either humanitarian aid, brokering peace, or protecting and strengthening their own independence as a democratic region. Individuals who serve in such a manner are held to a much higher standard than any ordinary citizen in the United States; yet the extremist behaviors of a large portion of the American public during the Vietnam War era were actions that would wisely be considered shameful to this nation. Events across the nation confirmed that every-day citizens joined the anti-government radicals and together they railed against military personnel who they portrayed as their arch enemies. This was in contrast to employing our American democratic tools in more effective methods to direct meaningful change in Executive policies or to more effectively facilitate Legislative action or deliberation. Sadly, this process of creating scape-goats, hate-speech and vilification of all military personnel -- as well as anyone associated with our government -- became a centerpiece of life in much of America where military personnel were accused, blamed, and taunted as "pigs," "baby killers," "losers," and imperialist monsters." Making matters worse, there were American citizens who called upon others around them "to slaughter U.S. military personnel wherever they can be found," and such behavior and sentiments had surprisingly become not only "normalized" as a concept and principle but also operationalized in our own country.

The U.S. military draft ended in 1973 and from that time onward military service became an entirely volunteer independent choice. Although the Vietnam War ended in 1975 the mockery and the degradation of those who served in the military during the Vietnam War era continued for decades -- openly permeating universities and work environments alike while many servicemen and servicewomen transitioned into civilian life. In analysis of our nation's history, a fundamental equation would seem wise to consider: If we value the committed services of those who vow to protect and sacrifice for our freedoms, then in our encounters with them our attitudes, actions, and actual manifested support ought to reflect our appreciation and sincere respect.

Support

ThoseWho

Sacrifice

For Your

Freedoms

DEFENDING

DEMOCRACY

REQUIRES

VIGALANCE

AND

COMMITMENT

Our communist foes in the United States expressed immense pride in their success to exploit American dissent that favored their own political policies during the Vietnam War era; and they reveled in their ability to effectively magnify this dissent as a carefully strategized and tactical psychological weapon waged against American Democratic institutions, U.S. military personnel, and ultimately culminating in seriously dividing our nations' citizens. Although it is presumed by many Americans that the U.S. 2016 Presidential elections initiated the first serious threat to our U.S. democratic values and institutions in our own homeland conducted by a hostile foreign power that targeted our U.S. democratic values and institutions, clearly, the evidence confirms that 2016 was not the first strategized process.

Communist agendas successfully orchestrated and carried out terrorist activities bent on destroying democracy and overthrowing our governing system across America during the Vietnam War era. In our scholarly study of the Vietnam War era and our reflection on these events may we all gain insights from "lessons learned" that can serve to unify our efforts to safeguard our precious freedoms, and heighten our awareness to the fact that defending democracy requires vigilance and commitment.

The dedication and compassion exhibited by a vast cross-section of American military and civilian public service professionals has contributed to a well-earned reputation of immense and historic service across the globe in every major disaster since we embarked on this "Grand Experiment" we call American democracy. Our commitment has extended not merely to one another within our own vast nation territories, but also in a recognition and acceptance of our leadership role in our global "family of humankind." We therefore not only acknowledge our mutual inter-dependence with one another as healthy and reliable resources, we also commit to the responsibilities inherent in this mutually beneficial partnership with one another. As a direct outcome, one can find our men and women in uniform where no one else will go in the world -- or can go -- selflessly providing defense, security, diplomacy, intelligence, medical care, and humanitarian effforts in literally many of the most challenging places and conditions on earth.

We Don't

Know Them All

But We Owe

Them All

Application of Military Experience to the Expressing Gratitude to Our Military Community

Those who understand the realities of sacrifice and death intimately receive advanced education in the precariousness, seriousness, and preciousness of exsitence. Very often such an education not only vividly illustrates the price to maintain our freedoms but also creates the groundwork for enhanced empathy and compassion for others.

The dedication and compassion of American civilian and military public service professionals is immense and historic, and it spans across every major global disaster since we established this "Grand Experiment" we call American democracy. Our commitment has extended not merely to one another within our vast territories, but also in our undersanding of our leadership role in our global "family of humankind." We not only acknowledge our mutual bond with one another as healthy and reliable resources, we also commit to the responsibilities inherent in this commitment to one another. As a direct outcome, one can find our men and women in uniform where no one else will go in the world -- or can go -- selflessly providing defense, security, diplomacy, medical care, and humanitarian effforts in literally the most challenging places and conditions on earth.

This extremely high level -- and incomparable degree -- of esprit de corps and commaraderie is the source of their success and why such service impacts an individual's entire lifetime. Furthermore, it is why those within this American Federal-family often earn the right to be considered most trustworthy. These individuals within this tight-knit community share a deep understanding of the criteria for genuine human bonding of the highest order. They embody a willingness to sacrifice for othes, as well as demonstrate the critical inter-dependence that creates true teamwork, collaborative effort, and allegiance to the Greater Good.

INTEGRATING THE MILITARY EXPERIENCE INTO THE LARGER COMMUNITY:

THE HEART OF SERVICE TO OTHERS IN CRISIS ENVIRONMENT

As most individuals will testify who have served in our military or in roles as their civilian counterparts, what becomes most important in these commitments are relationships. These relationships are forged through teamwork, caring for others, an intimate family-camaraderie, the responsibility of knowing you are contributing to a higher purpose than merely oneself, and the bond of selfless devlotion that is so characteristic of those who serve our nation or community in crisis.

Within this framework, each branch of the U.S. military encompasses literally hundreds of specialty occupations that include thousands of tasks -- all intracately synchronized and likely to be part of multi-level national objectives or support international joint-operational coalition responsibilities. Therefore, the unique skill-sets each individual brings to his or her role in the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army, or National Guard all become vital elements to fulfill the diverse and ever-evolving needs and interests of our nation as well as define our capability to respond appropriately to the needs of our allies. Such efforts span across every conceivable function that keeps these services and personnnel in action and ensuring that they are on a path of cooperating, coordinating, and in readiness at all times. In short, each individual contributes their own special brand of "the right stuff" to the larger effort.

To this are added the incalcuable number of volunteer efforts and special assignments that contribute to the process of researching problems, reflecting on the options, determining solutions, meeting deadlines, achieving efficiency, and employing the individual talents of individuals and teams to achieve strategic objectives and mission success. These skills -- learned and honed in the military -- serve an individual throughout his or her life whether they remain in the military for their career or transition into the larger community. Whereever they go though, these are skill-sets that are that

COMMITMENT PROFESSIONALISM NOBLE VALUES

Defense & Security

Medical Research & Healthcare

Humanitarian Aid

Encouragement & Ethics