ABSTRACT
In the camps Vietnamese were "processed" into American society, both literally and figuratively. Each refugee camp was run jointly by the Interagency Task Force and one of the military services. Camp Pendleton was a marine base; Forts Chaffee and Indian Town Gap, army bases; and Eglin, an air force base. The nature of the services offered by organizations like the Red Cross depended on the division of labor among agencies in the camps decided on by the senior civilian coordinator and his staff. Vietnamese assistants at Fort Indian Town Gap and, after the end of Vietnamese self-government, at other camps, were selected by the American area coordinators. The camps were organized and administered to minimize the impact of persons or organizations, whether American or Vietnamese, hesitant about government policy. The camps' organization, routines, and educational programs promoted the transformation from refugee to immigrant. Another major form of recreation for many refugees was "hanging around" Americans.
