Guest Writer – Bob “Smoke” Schweitzer; Hot Texas Sun

Military justice is to justice, what military music is to music.
~ Groucho Marx

                  Introduction

Long Binh Jail Vietnam was hell on earth

Military life was at times terrorizing, and other times numbingly boring. Some GI’s got into trouble during those times, as a way to escape the terror…or the boredom.

Some folks stole, to make their lives easier, some folks used alcohol or drugs to escape the boredom and/or terror. Others brawled to blow off steam, and yet others went AWOL (absent without leave) to escape whatever demons were tormenting them. Sometimes those escapes were short lived, other times they were lengthy absences.

The military dealt with infractions of all nature through The Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Many in the military committed minor infractions at one time or another during their time in service. These were the equivalent of a misdemeanor and could result in an “Article 15”. (A little more than a slap on the wrist) Some guys had so many “15’s” they could paper the walls with them.

Of course, at some point an excess of Article Fifteens led to more serious charges…in the nature of a felony. Some felonies were stand alone, and more serious than others, and those received sentences appropriate to their severity.

In Vietnam, there was a notorious hellhole called “LBJ”, (Long Binh Jail) a U.S. military in-country detention center. In order to prevent the troops from committing crimes just to escape the war, the military concocted one of the nastiest places on earth. LBJ was known (and feared) far and wide, and it’s well-deserved reputation discouraged lawlessness; to a point. All manner of abuse fell upon those unlucky enough to be sent to LBJ, and not all survived the ordeal.

The mere presence of LBJ, kept many offenders from carrying out unlawful activities…and that was the idea. Any GI who committed a crime to escape hazardous duty soon realized they made a huge mistake, after serving time at LBJ.

Vietnam Veteran Bob “Smoke” Schweitzer shares one of his writings on the topic of military incarceration.
Bob’s muse reflects on life in a Texas military detention center, followed by a trip to the Nam.

Hot Texas Sun
By Bob “Smoke” Schweitzer

Walkin the line,
Doin my time,
Ain’t no fun,
In the hot Texas Sun

Armed Guards to the chow hall,
Single file,
Starvin Child

Ain’t so fun
In the hot Texas sun

Hard ass now,
Getting frisked,
Wanna go home,
No way now,
Thirty days to go,

Ain’t so fun,
In the hot Texas sun

Hey troop,
Four years to go!

And you volunteered for the Nam.

Won’t be so fun,
No my son,
In the hot Asian Sun

HUT hut…hut hut!!

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