[SuperScout]

Regarding the famous (or infamous) quote about the horse, I have it on good authority that the story originated thusly:

After years of warfare on the open plains, a tribe of Native Americans were finally moved to a little reservation, with a US Cavalry post on the edge of the village. One older and still pissed off warrior would sit at the edge of the village, and as the Post's First Sergeant would ride by every morning, the warrior would shoot him the finger, first in the vertical, and then in the horizonal mode. The First Sergeant could understand the first gesture, reasoning the warriors' attitude for having been bested by the Yellow Legs, and ultimately, his curiousity got the better of him. Finally one morning, the First Shirt stopped his horse in front of the warrior, and asked, "Listen, I can understand why you're shooting the bird at me, but what's the other gesture?" Naturally, the warrior replied, "Ph**k you, and the horse you rode in on!" And now you know the rest of the story!!

Andy, wish I could have been there to witness this little comedic opera, with a nurse so obvioulsy naive that she couldn't grasp the idea of the odiferous condition of that necklace of ears!

Part of the urban myths about Vietnam veterans is their collective degenerate nature, rampant drug and alcohol abuse, massive homelessness, and all around general unemployability. Mostly, it's the wannabees who are characterized by the above, or just dregs of society trying to filch a free meal or quick buck. But that's just my story, and I'm stickin' to it!!