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‘Did We Cop Out?’ICCS Takeoff Eve Edged in SadnessBy STEPHEN SCOTT SAIGON (CP) — The last Canadian truceobservers in the field in South Vietnam arrived here Thursday, leaving the teamsites of the International Commission of Control and Supervision to the Hungarians, Poles and Indonesians.The Hungarians and Poles, who rarely agreed with the Canadians and Indonesians, say the ICCS cannot work with only three countries.In Saigon, the Canadians are on their own. after medical checks, until departure for home next Tuesday.In the ICCS officers’ mess today, men met others they had not seen often during the six months in South Vietnam.•'Listen, you Canadians, drinks are on me, courtesy Air America, shouted one man. “You're a great bunch of guys.”Air America is the contractor that piw vides the aircraft for the ICCS airline, a service that has been operated by Canadians.A Victoria naval officer gave up that offer of a drink to sit thoughtfully on a bed to wonder out loud whether Canada is copping out.Cmdr. Jay Rangel, a tall man who usually looks down on people with an engaging smile and a quick quip, said seriously: “I’ve thought about this for a long time.He said that this week South Vietnamese army officials in Pleiku, in the central highlands. held a magnificent party for the men of ICCS Region III where Rangel had spent the last months.After the party, he said, the half-dozen Canadians looked at each other and agreed with him that I feel like a heel.We wondered whether we were copping out. he said.Rangel described South Vietnam as a “beautiful, tragic land and expressed admiration for the South Vietnamese army. He also expressed sympathy for the army which he said is left at the mercy of the Hungarians and Poles in the ICCS.He said the only hope for the ICCS -which he said did some good — is for a country such as Canada to be on it.I'm satisfied that the Canadians were objective in their work, he said.He also said he came to have more understanding of the South Vietnamese army and to have gotten rid of some misconceptions he lelt about it before he came.I thought the armed forces were corrupt, ineffective and needed American support.” But now he found that these are people that do not run, that are not padding their payroll. . . .”
Newspaper Details
Victoria Daily Colonist
Victoria, British Columbia, CA
Fri, Jul 27, 1973
Page 40
Full Page
Clipped by
Tim G.
USA 21 May 2019
Other Publications Near Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria General Conference Daily Bulletin
Victoria Evening Telegraph
Victoria New Westminster Times and Vancouver Island Guardian
Victoria New Westminster Times
Victoria Vancouver Daily Standard
