From my personal point of view, I was a pay clerk in the American disaster in Vietnam. A brown skinned guy came in and annoyed me one payday. I thought that he would be back. Vietnam tunic and trousers screamed "permanent KP loser."
Next payday, I had a Tex-Mex Nco ready to translate. Guy had a simple question, "When did he go home to Puerto Rico?" I glanced through his finance file and drew the wrong conclustion. He had been paid by my unit for 29 or 30 months straight. He was a draftee. His maximum commitment was 24 months in the military much less 30 months in the Nam. I assumed that he had reenlisted. Only way he could have racked up 36 to 38 months of "good time" in the Army. I told him casually that he would get out when his reenlistment expired. I did not need a translator as he went ballistic. That was not the right answer.
I called personnel no reenlistment, draftee with a 24 month maximum commitment. I called his unit, clean record still a PFC because he could not speak English. I asked my pet Tex Mex to confirm that he could not speak cvomprhensible English. Bingo, Houston, we have a problems. We have two enormous problems. A Puerto Rican who has 30 months of "good time in the Nam." Re enlistment no record.I call the airport on my own hook and freeze the north bound flight. I call the Pentagon using the commanding general of II corps codes. I demand the night duty NCO confirm that the Pueto Rican has reenlisted. He's a jack ass. This can wait until tomorrow. I hold shitbird on the line while I call the troop's company and order all of his personal items be packed and delivered to me. Sign his weapon out to the commanding officer and get his shit to me. I call the airfield, they got problems.They have to fly. Not without my Puerto Rican. I fucking pay you. That plane takes off without my OK, kiss your pay to Germany. Niighr officer of the day in Peantgon Personnel get on the line. "You are way out of line, Specialist" "Do you read the Army Times, sir? Did you see yesterday's article about the anti war demonstration in Puerto Rico? Just how fast do you think that they will be rioting when tommows papers and news reports that a PR with 30 months of good time is being held illegally in Vietnam?" "How will they find out?" I'm talking to you, if you even dream that I won't call the press in Puerto Rico, you are insane. I am not career. I want this man on tonight's flight out of Danang. Your fucking career is sitting on the line. This man is going home. I'm freezing flights north until I have confirmation that he is on the east bound flight."
"I can't cut the orders." Give me the address of a Puerto Rican Naitional Guard unit, I will get the order cut." This guy is going home"
7 or 8 hours after he hit my desk, my little PR was on the north bound plane with a travel advance that would give him enough cash to go anywhere in Puerto Rico.
i caught nine kinds of hell. My CO wanted to know why I was able to freeze a personnel flight at the airport. "I pay them sir. I want to be on the first flight out when this crap stops."
Fortunately no one ever asked how I got a personnel Warrant Officer 4 to sign the transfer to a National Guard unit in Puerto Rico. That would have gotten sticky since I was blackmailing the Warrant Officer who I could have in the Army Barracks at Ft Leavenworth in two days,