Join a discussion about Cannon Fodder and other Vietnam War books. Prior to being shipped to V'nam everyone regardless of rank, MOS, or prior 'Nam service, was first required to go through a week of "Republic of V'nam Orientation and Training". The name designating that course turned out to be a misnomer. Because the Army had a habit of assigning abbreviated nomenclatures to all of its operations, organizations, and programs, the Republic of V'nam Orientation and Training course was shortened to "ROT".
Although some students saw dark humor in the name others didn't think it funny when the CO told them they were "scheduled to ROT" after graduation. Ft Gordon's ROT center was located in a remote corner of the base surrounded by a natural barricade of trees that prevented surveillance from the spying eyes of civilian anti-war protesters.
The front gates of every military base from California to New York were haunted by protesters anxious to insert a few flowers into the barrels of our rifles. Mixed in with the 's of GI's attending ROT were groups of civilians from private companies and government agencies that had commercial or diplomatic interests in Vietnam.
Included were industrial contractors, journalists, bankers, import and export companies, mine workers, postal clerks, intelligence and State Department personnel, and a variety of other people whose employers were encouraged by the DOA to have their Vietnam-bound employees receive pre-RVN indoctrination.
Most of the civilians were snobbish and chose to cluster in segregated groups away from Army personnel. They acted liked they were afraid the OD-green color of our uniforms would rub off on their golf shirts and corduroy pants. Other civilians, who realized they might need the protection of a few GI's one day, were openly cordial and circulated among us. The ROT course was designed to introduce and familiarize GI's to Vietnam, it's people, culture, peculiarities, and the war before arriving there.
