Montagnards & 9 yards proposal

[Stephen Goranson]

"Nonsense is nonsense, but the study of nonsense is scholarship." So said Saul
Lieberman [some recall "history" rather than "study"], introducing Scholem's
JTS lectures on Kabbalah.

Thanks for your responses. I reread them. I did more research. I am more
persuaded than ever that the 'yards phrase comes from circa 1966 Vietnam in
reference to the 9 Montagnard groups of I Corps area. The "I Corps" part,
though not in Mole's 1970 title ..."Nine Tribes,"  appears above the
Foreword. Perhaps a publisher wished not to scare off readers. Mole is plain
that there are more tribes elsewhere; he uses the number 33, supplied by the
Summer
Institute of Linguistics. Equally plainly, the 9 in I Corps constitute
a "whole" or "full" group (no need for "all.") I do not share the rejectionist
inclination of D. Wilson and D. Wilton; but their comments may too be helpful
(see below).
There are excellent researchers on this list; it's happening; we can do this
this one together. As I say I'm more interested in "Essenes," and how it also
was almost lost (an etymology
finally accepted by more and more Qumran scholars; e.g. J. VanderKam of Notre
Dame.)

He are some notes, intended to help (in addition to the fine suggestion to
look at White Elephant News--apparently named after a building in
Danang). "'Yards" is
the relatively new part, E.g. in Green Berets (1965). OK, antedaters: how old
is it? and when first known used of tribes? I notice that speculation and use
of
memory have not disappeared from the list, despite warnings. How many Bibles
in that stack? :-)  Absolutely, memory is oft wrong, but, were it never right,
there'd be no language. I count Rex McI. as a significant SF Ft. Bragg
anthropologist rememberer of 1968 (please read his whole text). But, if you
ignore him, we have three main
publications: 1968, 1970, 1972--plus Mole. As I said, Jim Morris (the 1972
author) read Doom Pussy (the 1967), and liked it, He wrote me yesterday that
he thinks he read it, in Vietnam, before he wrote his book. J. Work, the 1970
author, is listed as emeritus English Prof. at Colorado State U; I will snail
mail him unless someone has an email or wishes to phone to ask of his sources
(Chandler? B57 pilots?). I have ILLed for more
on R. L. Mole, including biographical info from Andrews U. and a book (listed
on OCLC, title on request) of his which includes many pages of copies of
articles he wrote in South Vietnam
newspapers and magazines. Mole spent lots of time in SE Asia. His books are
among other things teaching notes. E. Shepard evidently did not know the
original literal meaning of the phrase. But why apparently no previous notice
of the phrase/Montagnards/yards juxtaposition in the book? After all the two
noun listings for yards in OED haven't worked--OED lacks yards as Montagnards--
that's what's new. Smash's daughter Carol seemed happy to remember and respond
about her Dad. Is "Nails" Nelson still in Salt Lake City? To require a slow
evolution from Mole's anthropology lessons in text and oral classrooms--it
only takes one student--would be, itself, with due respect, though one option,
still, presumption and speculation. But there probably, I suggest, was at
least one linking tradent between Mole's student and the pilot Smash. It may
indeed be the case that the 1970 and 1972 references could have come from the
1968 book and "Smash"--though we don't know that yet.

best wishes,
Stephen Goranson