From ABC News: How Mom’s Letter Paved Way for Young Man’s Visit With President
A young man whose mother wrote a letter to President Obama is now scheduled to meet with the president.
Jeremy Carr, 23, has Down syndrome. Carr volunteered with his mother, a Vietnam War veteran, at a road clean-up event in the spring staged by Chapter 862 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. It was one of several veterans volunteer events in which Carr has taken part.
Throughout the morning of the clean-up, he never asked to take a break, didn’t stop to talk about his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, or his favorite WWE star John Cena, his mother said. He didn’t even ask for anything to eat or drink. He asked his mother only one thing several times during the day, “Mom, will President Barack Obama be proud of me for helping the soldiers?”
She reassured him he was, but that wasn’t enough for him. Carr asked his mother to write Obama to ask him. For a long time, Theresa Carr put off writing the letter, she said, thinking, how could she write to the president of the United States with such a request?
But as the months passed, she told ABC News, she asked herself, “How could I not honor such a simple request from a young man who would love nothing more than to serve his country, serve his commander-in-chief?”
In early September, Theresa Carr mailed Obama a letter with her son’s question, never believing he would respond.
She was wrong.
Since his first week in office, the president has read 10 letters every day, culled from the tens of thousands of letters, emails, and faxes the White House receives daily. And every week, he replies to 15 to 20 of them with hand-written answers.
He responded to the Carrs’ letter, however, in a speech. On Veterans Day, in an address at Arlington National Cemetery, the president said, “Jeremy, I want you to know: Yes, I am proud of you. I could not be prouder of you, and your country is proud of you.”
After the speech, the National Association of Vietnam Veterans of America arranged for Carr to meet the president next month. The group planned the visit to thank Carr for his volunteer work.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Vietnam War veteran back in his rebuilt home after spending years in his garage
The Republic (Columbus, OH): Vietnam War veteran back in his rebuilt home after spending years in his garage
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Dennis Quisenberry is finally waking up in a warm bed, after spending years in his garage following a fire that gutted his house.
In March 2005, Quisenberry arrived home from visiting his brother in Lexington to find his home in flames, according to The State Journal in Frankfort. He took what few belongings he had left and made do by living in his garage.
For years, mornings would consist of waking up in a cold, damp bed — the garage's leaky roof and broken windows didn't do much to keep out the wind and rain.
He didn't have the luxury of walking down the hall to the bathroom; the garage didn't have any plumbing. If he wanted to take a shower, he drove to a friend's house.
Now he's experiencing something he hadn't felt in a long time — comfort. He recently moved into his newly renovated home, referred to by volunteers as "a community Christmas present."
"I was warm, I felt good," Quisenberry said. "And I knew I could get up and go to the bathroom and take a shower."
Larry Arnett, deputy commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources, began helping solicit donations to fix up Quisenberry's home and get him out of his garage.
Arnett, whose brother lives on the same street as Quisenberry, had been passing the gutted home for years and had always assumed it was empty.
Carlos Pugh, former state commander of the VFW, also joined in raising money to get Quisenberry out of his garage. Both served in Vietnam. Quisenberry was an Air Force mechanic.
Willie Hensley also joined in the effort, saying he was appalled that a veteran was living in such poor conditions.
"If you're willing to serve your country and die, and you need help ... everyone in the community ought to help," Hensley said.
Arnett estimated he received more than $40,000 in donations, allowing volunteers to renovate Quisenberry's home at no cost to him.
The kitchen cabinets and furnace were donated. Flooring was installed at a discounted price, and the furniture was donated or bought by volunteers.
After being honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1969, Quisenberry worked at a factory for several years before joining the National Guard in 1976 as a technician.
He was a mechanic there for 14 years before being medically discharged. Quisenberry suffers from arthritis in his hands and has knee problems and swollen feet.
That gave him 18 years of service — two years short of the 20 years required for a full pension and healthcare benefits.
As he sat in his new black leather chair, in front of his new TV, Quisenberry could hardly believe how nice the house turned out.
"I can live life again the way I want to live it," he said.
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Dennis Quisenberry is finally waking up in a warm bed, after spending years in his garage following a fire that gutted his house.
In March 2005, Quisenberry arrived home from visiting his brother in Lexington to find his home in flames, according to The State Journal in Frankfort. He took what few belongings he had left and made do by living in his garage.
For years, mornings would consist of waking up in a cold, damp bed — the garage's leaky roof and broken windows didn't do much to keep out the wind and rain.
He didn't have the luxury of walking down the hall to the bathroom; the garage didn't have any plumbing. If he wanted to take a shower, he drove to a friend's house.
Now he's experiencing something he hadn't felt in a long time — comfort. He recently moved into his newly renovated home, referred to by volunteers as "a community Christmas present."
"I was warm, I felt good," Quisenberry said. "And I knew I could get up and go to the bathroom and take a shower."
Larry Arnett, deputy commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources, began helping solicit donations to fix up Quisenberry's home and get him out of his garage.
Arnett, whose brother lives on the same street as Quisenberry, had been passing the gutted home for years and had always assumed it was empty.
Carlos Pugh, former state commander of the VFW, also joined in raising money to get Quisenberry out of his garage. Both served in Vietnam. Quisenberry was an Air Force mechanic.
Willie Hensley also joined in the effort, saying he was appalled that a veteran was living in such poor conditions.
"If you're willing to serve your country and die, and you need help ... everyone in the community ought to help," Hensley said.
Arnett estimated he received more than $40,000 in donations, allowing volunteers to renovate Quisenberry's home at no cost to him.
The kitchen cabinets and furnace were donated. Flooring was installed at a discounted price, and the furniture was donated or bought by volunteers.
After being honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1969, Quisenberry worked at a factory for several years before joining the National Guard in 1976 as a technician.
He was a mechanic there for 14 years before being medically discharged. Quisenberry suffers from arthritis in his hands and has knee problems and swollen feet.
That gave him 18 years of service — two years short of the 20 years required for a full pension and healthcare benefits.
As he sat in his new black leather chair, in front of his new TV, Quisenberry could hardly believe how nice the house turned out.
"I can live life again the way I want to live it," he said.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Bridgeton City Park war monuments in disrepair
From NJ.com: Bridgeton City Park war monuments in disrepair
BRIDGETON — Before Bridgeton restores the recovered head from the Civil War statue, they should probably check out three other monuments in the immediate area first.
They may be eligible for a bulk discount.
“Honestly, it probably all happened at the same time,” said resident Bill Conway, who spotted the headless Civil War soldier earlier this month.
Upon inspection, he discovered what he believes was a paintball shot dead-center on the World War I memorial. The monument definitely has what can best be described as a green splat right in the middle. Other monuments in the area have green moss growing on them and this spot does not look like moss.
A single metallic decorative leaf at the top of the World War II monument is gone. On the Korean and Vietnam War memorials, the eagle’s left shoulder has a chip that extends onto its neck. Also, the crest is missing a chunk taken right out of the middle.
Conway said the damage “looks to me as if a rock had been thrown at it.”
Bridgeton Police Chief Mark Ott said Monday he can’t say whether the above damages were done recently.
“The damage that’s on the other monuments is not as noticeable as what had happened to the Civil War monument,” Ott said in an email.
Indeed, it would be hard to spot these chips, cracks and splats from the street.
Conway was out by the Veterans Memorial Park last week to meet with Rich Mendoza, captain of the 12th N.J. Company K Civil War re-enactors regiment.
Mendoza, who was also appointed by Gov. Christie to the New Jersey Civil War 150 Committee, contacted a number of authors, speakers and representatives from the History Channel after Conway’s discovery.
Conway was early to his interview and decided to check out the other memorials in the immediate area.
“I had never even looked at the other monuments,” he said. He was merely passing through when he discovered the situation at the Civil War statue. A keen eye soon turned him on to other states of disrepair.
Mendoza, who hails from Voorhees and works with a television production company, is on a warpath to restore the Civil War statue.
Both the head of the soldier and the eagle that adorns the front of the monument sit headless.
Mendoza is interested in launching a fundraiser to help restore the statue and is also planning on a concert, to be held in Bridgeton in February, that would also assist the
effort.
Ott and Mayor Albert Kelly were next to be interviewed after Conway. Since the Civil War statue discovery, Kelly has noted a restoration fund, though an official announcement has yet to be made.
Statewide and regional attention descended upon the area and the reward funds grew handsomely. The head was eventually uncovered nearby by work crews as leaves were being removed from the area.
Interestingly enough, there appears to be no damage to the small flags or flowers planted around the monuments.
When asked if he believes this is just thoughtless vandalism, Conway said “it’s not somebody with a purpose.” He agreed that the flags and flowers could have also been hit if vandals really wanted to inflict all-around damage.
“I know some people will take care of the restoration,” Conway said. “I would like to see whoever is responsible prosecuted.”
BRIDGETON — Before Bridgeton restores the recovered head from the Civil War statue, they should probably check out three other monuments in the immediate area first.
They may be eligible for a bulk discount.
“Honestly, it probably all happened at the same time,” said resident Bill Conway, who spotted the headless Civil War soldier earlier this month.
Upon inspection, he discovered what he believes was a paintball shot dead-center on the World War I memorial. The monument definitely has what can best be described as a green splat right in the middle. Other monuments in the area have green moss growing on them and this spot does not look like moss.
A single metallic decorative leaf at the top of the World War II monument is gone. On the Korean and Vietnam War memorials, the eagle’s left shoulder has a chip that extends onto its neck. Also, the crest is missing a chunk taken right out of the middle.
Conway said the damage “looks to me as if a rock had been thrown at it.”
Bridgeton Police Chief Mark Ott said Monday he can’t say whether the above damages were done recently.
“The damage that’s on the other monuments is not as noticeable as what had happened to the Civil War monument,” Ott said in an email.
Indeed, it would be hard to spot these chips, cracks and splats from the street.
Conway was out by the Veterans Memorial Park last week to meet with Rich Mendoza, captain of the 12th N.J. Company K Civil War re-enactors regiment.
Mendoza, who was also appointed by Gov. Christie to the New Jersey Civil War 150 Committee, contacted a number of authors, speakers and representatives from the History Channel after Conway’s discovery.
Conway was early to his interview and decided to check out the other memorials in the immediate area.
“I had never even looked at the other monuments,” he said. He was merely passing through when he discovered the situation at the Civil War statue. A keen eye soon turned him on to other states of disrepair.
Mendoza, who hails from Voorhees and works with a television production company, is on a warpath to restore the Civil War statue.
Both the head of the soldier and the eagle that adorns the front of the monument sit headless.
Mendoza is interested in launching a fundraiser to help restore the statue and is also planning on a concert, to be held in Bridgeton in February, that would also assist the
effort.
Ott and Mayor Albert Kelly were next to be interviewed after Conway. Since the Civil War statue discovery, Kelly has noted a restoration fund, though an official announcement has yet to be made.
Statewide and regional attention descended upon the area and the reward funds grew handsomely. The head was eventually uncovered nearby by work crews as leaves were being removed from the area.
Interestingly enough, there appears to be no damage to the small flags or flowers planted around the monuments.
When asked if he believes this is just thoughtless vandalism, Conway said “it’s not somebody with a purpose.” He agreed that the flags and flowers could have also been hit if vandals really wanted to inflict all-around damage.
“I know some people will take care of the restoration,” Conway said. “I would like to see whoever is responsible prosecuted.”
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Opinion Why Are We Preparing to Fight the Wrong War -- Again?
From Fox News: Opinion Why Are We Preparing to Fight the Wrong War -- Again?
Over the past 40 years, the one consistent face of war with which we have been confronted is irregular warfare. In parallel, one consistent threat to our security has been our inability to retain the lessons in irregular warfare that we learned on the battlefield.
It is happening again.
From 1965 to 1975 we built knowledge and skill in this area in a decade of conflict in Vietnam. As a result of domestic politics and war fatigue, we abandoned these skills and knowledge of asymmetric warfare, returning instead to the comfort of a more conventional enemy. We then improvised through shorter conflicts in the ’80s and ’90s in dealing with a post-Noriega Panama, a destabilized Somalia, and a post-conflict Balkans with mixed results.
In 2006 we came face to face with the reality that we faced two tough low intensity fights in Iraq and Afghanistan. We were losing ground in both. Only a crash push in counterinsurgency and stability doctrine, operations, training, and equipment allowed us to turn the tides in those conflicts.
Even so, we paid a terrible price as we lacked the force structure and strength to allow for a sustainable force generation and recovery process. Our Army and Marine Corps families saw our loved ones pull five, six and even seven tours of combat over a decade. We also discovered our equipment kit was grossly insufficient for the low intensity threat and relied on expensive rapid procurements in MRAPs, body armor, and urban warfare systems to close our systems gap.
Given this, one would expect that serious national security analysts inside and outside the Pentagon would champion the need to sustain the training, force structure, and asymmetric systems of the past 10 years, right?
Wrong. There is now almost unstoppable momentum from sources to significantly reduce Army and Marine Corps force structure and to refocus the force on "core competencies," which is code for “conventional warfare.” This thinking will eliminate many of the programs that emerged as essential to success in irregular warfare. It is based in the misguided notion that we simply won’t “do” large scale, irregular warfare any more.
Yet that is the very mission we have done repeatedly for the past 40 years. It’s the mission ordered time and again by Republican and Democrat presidents alike. It’s the mission that our enemies know they can win because we never prepare for it.
Cutting ground force training and programs is national security planning based on domestic politics. It fails to take into account recent history and the very real future challenges that today’s young soldier or Marine is likely to see in his or her years of service. We cannot wish away instability, failed states, post-conflict instability, large refugee flows, genocide, terrorism, humanitarian catastrophe, regime change, and the need for intervention.
Part of the problem is lop-sided priorities among Air, Sea, Land and Cyber warfare. Air and Sea already have overmatch dominance while Land and Cyber capabilities are challenged every day. We cannot continue down this path – or worse let our land forces get smaller and less capable in irregular warfare. Only our enemies will thank us for this.
This type of blind approach to security planning will not keep us from sustained low intensity conflict. But it will ensure that we are, yet again, unprepared and under-dominant on a battlefield that is as much about weapons and armor as it is about ideas and the use of smart power to stabilize areas.
We cannot afford to send our soldiers and Marines into harm’s way again without the equipment, training and understanding of irregular warfare they will need to fulfill tomorrow’s missions.
Simply hoping that they will never need any of these is not a plan to bring them safely home; robust full spectrum unified land operations remain imperative for the 21st century.
Gen. Gordon Sullivan served as the 32nd Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and is now the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Association of the United States Army. Dowling served as Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council and is now president of IDS International, a “smart power” government services firm.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Booming trade: remnants of the Vietnam War still used as forest products
From ForestsProducts: Booming trade: remnants of the Vietnam Wars still used as forest products
BOGOR, Indonesia (22 December 2011)_Physical remnants of the Vietnam War are fuelling a trade that threatens to damage one of the world’s most ecologically-important environments but ensuring the income generation of those poorest and landless people, according to a new study by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) with the aid of Tropenbos International Vietnam.
Scrap metal left behind following conflicts forms an important part of the local economy of some areas and should be factored into land management proposals alongside other non-timber forest products (NTFP) concludes the study.
“The importance of scrap metal collection in local forest management and the link between war metal and other NTFP collection must be acknowledged,” said Manuel Boissière, scientist with the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) and lead-author of the study published in the December issue of International Forestry Review.
“In order to include it as a factor for land management, the legality of scrap metal collection needs to be clarified and regulated in national law.”
The study, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, focuses on the perspectives of villagers living in the Annamite Mountains area of central Vietnam. Interviews with collectors, brokers, traders and officials revealed a significant trade in debris left behind following the Vietnam War.
Accompanied by researchers Douglas Sheil and Imam Basuki, Boissière travelled to the village of Khe Tran, a small community of 20 households living in the buffer zone of the Phong Dien protected area. This lowland forest harbours critically-endangered species such as tiger and saola, the so-called “Asian unicorn”. With American forces stationed in the region during the war, the forest was the scene of intense fighting, and large amounts of debris remain, including live rounds, tank mines and air-dropped bombs.
In 1992, the forest was made a protected area, and logging and hunting within its perimeters was banned. Government policies that encourage the cultivation of plantation crops such as rubber, eucalyptus and acacia to reduce community dependence on the forests have been relatively successful in Khe Tran. An earlier expedition by Boissière and his team found that scrap metal collection was the main reason villagers entered the forest.
Villagers in Khe Tran first started collecting scrap metal in 1994, carrying up to 30kg at a time from the forest. Larger finds are dragged to nearby rivers and transported on makeshift rafts. However, the availability of scrap metal soon declined, and within a decade the only metal still found in large quantity was deep in the forest, over a day’s walk from Khe Tran. Despite the obvious risks from collecting war debris, accidents are rare, with only 50 incidents recorded since 1975, few as a direct result of metal collection. The majority occurred soon after the war and the most recent was in 2000, when a Hien Thuc villager digging in his garden detonated an anti-tank mine.
Scrap metal collectors could earn about VND1 million (US$62) annually. That’s bigger than VND900,000 received for clearing and planting acacia plantations or VND400,000 for plantation maintenance.
Officially scrap metal collection is banned during the dry season (December to October), due to the practice of burning away understory in order to reveal scrap metal and safely detonate live ordnance. While none of the villagers Boissière and his team spoke to admitted to starting such fires, they acknowledged that it did happen. With only eight rangers to patrol 40,000 hectares of forest, the ban is rarely enforced.
The relatively low returns for the time invested means that scrap metal is only carried out by the poorest of households in Khe Tran. Boissière and his team discovered that the majority of scrap metal collectors entering the Phong Dien protected area were in fact landless Kinh people from the neighbouring commune of Phong Son.
Without crops to support themselves these villager’s main income is derived from scrap metal collection. However they also collect rattan and bamboo whilst in the forest, and most likely hunt game to support themselves during these trips. In this way, the authors write that war residue forms a “backbone” product that supports a wider range of forest uses and impacts.
“Those who rely on metal collection lack other sources of income generation,” says Boissière. “They are proud of what they do but recognise that the resource is declining. Searching for valuable metal now takes much longer than it used to with collectors increasingly supplementing their collection with other forest products.”
Asked about the wider ramifications of this trade, Boissière says: “This pattern should be found in all parts of the world where people and environment are affected by war. Papers on NTFP are about biological forest products; we introduce here the concept of a non-biological products determining how and why forests are used the way they are.”
BOGOR, Indonesia (22 December 2011)_Physical remnants of the Vietnam War are fuelling a trade that threatens to damage one of the world’s most ecologically-important environments but ensuring the income generation of those poorest and landless people, according to a new study by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) with the aid of Tropenbos International Vietnam.
Scrap metal left behind following conflicts forms an important part of the local economy of some areas and should be factored into land management proposals alongside other non-timber forest products (NTFP) concludes the study.
“The importance of scrap metal collection in local forest management and the link between war metal and other NTFP collection must be acknowledged,” said Manuel Boissière, scientist with the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) and lead-author of the study published in the December issue of International Forestry Review.
“In order to include it as a factor for land management, the legality of scrap metal collection needs to be clarified and regulated in national law.”
The study, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, focuses on the perspectives of villagers living in the Annamite Mountains area of central Vietnam. Interviews with collectors, brokers, traders and officials revealed a significant trade in debris left behind following the Vietnam War.
Accompanied by researchers Douglas Sheil and Imam Basuki, Boissière travelled to the village of Khe Tran, a small community of 20 households living in the buffer zone of the Phong Dien protected area. This lowland forest harbours critically-endangered species such as tiger and saola, the so-called “Asian unicorn”. With American forces stationed in the region during the war, the forest was the scene of intense fighting, and large amounts of debris remain, including live rounds, tank mines and air-dropped bombs.
In 1992, the forest was made a protected area, and logging and hunting within its perimeters was banned. Government policies that encourage the cultivation of plantation crops such as rubber, eucalyptus and acacia to reduce community dependence on the forests have been relatively successful in Khe Tran. An earlier expedition by Boissière and his team found that scrap metal collection was the main reason villagers entered the forest.
Villagers in Khe Tran first started collecting scrap metal in 1994, carrying up to 30kg at a time from the forest. Larger finds are dragged to nearby rivers and transported on makeshift rafts. However, the availability of scrap metal soon declined, and within a decade the only metal still found in large quantity was deep in the forest, over a day’s walk from Khe Tran. Despite the obvious risks from collecting war debris, accidents are rare, with only 50 incidents recorded since 1975, few as a direct result of metal collection. The majority occurred soon after the war and the most recent was in 2000, when a Hien Thuc villager digging in his garden detonated an anti-tank mine.
Scrap metal collectors could earn about VND1 million (US$62) annually. That’s bigger than VND900,000 received for clearing and planting acacia plantations or VND400,000 for plantation maintenance.
Officially scrap metal collection is banned during the dry season (December to October), due to the practice of burning away understory in order to reveal scrap metal and safely detonate live ordnance. While none of the villagers Boissière and his team spoke to admitted to starting such fires, they acknowledged that it did happen. With only eight rangers to patrol 40,000 hectares of forest, the ban is rarely enforced.
The relatively low returns for the time invested means that scrap metal is only carried out by the poorest of households in Khe Tran. Boissière and his team discovered that the majority of scrap metal collectors entering the Phong Dien protected area were in fact landless Kinh people from the neighbouring commune of Phong Son.
Without crops to support themselves these villager’s main income is derived from scrap metal collection. However they also collect rattan and bamboo whilst in the forest, and most likely hunt game to support themselves during these trips. In this way, the authors write that war residue forms a “backbone” product that supports a wider range of forest uses and impacts.
“Those who rely on metal collection lack other sources of income generation,” says Boissière. “They are proud of what they do but recognise that the resource is declining. Searching for valuable metal now takes much longer than it used to with collectors increasingly supplementing their collection with other forest products.”
Asked about the wider ramifications of this trade, Boissière says: “This pattern should be found in all parts of the world where people and environment are affected by war. Papers on NTFP are about biological forest products; we introduce here the concept of a non-biological products determining how and why forests are used the way they are.”
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) 15th Annual Christmas Tree Ceremony at The Wall to Be Webcast Live December 19 on VVMF TV
From MarketWatch: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) 15th Annual Christmas Tree Ceremony at The Wall to Be Webcast Live December 19 on VVMF TV
CHANTILLY, VA, Dec 16, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- TV Worldwide, since 1999, a pioneering web-based global TV network, announced that VVMF-TV, ( www.VVMF.TV ), the Internet TV Channel recently launched in cooperation with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), would webcast the 15th Annual Christmas Tree Ceremony at the Wall honoring veterans and active-duty military personnel at 10 AM ET on Monday, December 19, 2011. During the ceremony, representatives of the VVMF will place a Christmas tree at the apex of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Volunteers will decorate the tree with holiday greeting cards sent to the VVMF by Americans of all ages. The tree will also be adorned with cards and ornaments hand-made by schoolchildren from around the country.
VVMF President Jan Scruggs will serve as master of ceremonies for the event. The featured speakers will be Walt Sides, John Weber and Seth Lynn.
Walt Sides was one of the "founding fathers" of Rolling Thunder, an organization dedicated to prisoner of war and missing in action issues and the annual Memorial Day "Demonstration Run," which has become the world's largest single-day motorcycle event.
John Weber is a partner in Baker Hostetler's Washington, D.C., office and is the head of the firm's Intellectual Property, Technology and Media Group. He served in the U.S. Army infantry in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970 and was awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman's Badge.
Prior to founding the Veterans Campaign, Seth Lynn served as an Amphibious Assault Vehicle Officer in the Marine Corps. While on active duty, Lynn deployed to Kuwait, Iraq, and Japan, and also participated in the Indonesian tsunami relief effort. As part of this year's ceremony, VVMF is proud to join in the cause of Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends over 100,000 care packages annually to service-members in hostile regions around the world. The packages are filled with food, hygiene products, and entertainment items. VVMF staff sorted nearly fifty packages filled with snacks and personal care products to be sent overseas to soldiers who will be away from their families this holiday season.
"The Wall is a sacred place, and one of so few where visitors are so directly exposed to the most noble American values of duty, honor, courage and sacrifice," says Jan Scruggs. "This ceremony, now in its 15th year, has become a cherished part of the holidays, and we are proud to join Operation Gratitude in showing appreciation to our service men and women who are making tremendous sacrifices in the name of freedom."
After the ceremony, the tree and many boxes of cards and ornaments will be left at The Wall, so that visitors can read the messages and add decorations when they visit throughout the holidays. Hand-made cards and ornaments have been contributed by these schools and Scout troops:
-- Pack #120 - Irvington, NY, Cub Scout Troop
-- Mrs. Whitehead's 4th Grade Class - Carlisle Elementary School, Boaz,
AL
-- Rosewood Christian Elementary School, Castro Valley, CA
-- Loggers Run Middle School, Boca Raton, FL
-- Ms. Gahr's 7th and 8th Graders from Berryhill School, Charlotte, NC
About VVMF and the Education Center at the Wall
The Education Center at The Wall is a place on our National Mall where our military heroes' stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten. With a groundbreaking planned for November 2012, The Education Center at The Wall is a multi-million dollar, state-of- the-art visitor's center and learning facility to be built on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans and the Lincoln Memorials. Visitors will better understand the profound impact the Vietnam War had their friends and family members, their home towns, and the Nation. The Education Center will feature the faces and stories of the 58,272 men and women on "The Wall," honoring those who fell in Vietnam, those who fought and returned, as well as the friends and families of all who served. For more information, visit www.buildthecenter.org .
Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War.
Support the Education Center at The Wall by visiting www.buildthecenter.org , calling 866-990-WALL, or by texting "WALL" to 2022.
CHANTILLY, VA, Dec 16, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- TV Worldwide, since 1999, a pioneering web-based global TV network, announced that VVMF-TV, ( www.VVMF.TV ), the Internet TV Channel recently launched in cooperation with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), would webcast the 15th Annual Christmas Tree Ceremony at the Wall honoring veterans and active-duty military personnel at 10 AM ET on Monday, December 19, 2011. During the ceremony, representatives of the VVMF will place a Christmas tree at the apex of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Volunteers will decorate the tree with holiday greeting cards sent to the VVMF by Americans of all ages. The tree will also be adorned with cards and ornaments hand-made by schoolchildren from around the country.
VVMF President Jan Scruggs will serve as master of ceremonies for the event. The featured speakers will be Walt Sides, John Weber and Seth Lynn.
Walt Sides was one of the "founding fathers" of Rolling Thunder, an organization dedicated to prisoner of war and missing in action issues and the annual Memorial Day "Demonstration Run," which has become the world's largest single-day motorcycle event.
John Weber is a partner in Baker Hostetler's Washington, D.C., office and is the head of the firm's Intellectual Property, Technology and Media Group. He served in the U.S. Army infantry in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970 and was awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman's Badge.
Prior to founding the Veterans Campaign, Seth Lynn served as an Amphibious Assault Vehicle Officer in the Marine Corps. While on active duty, Lynn deployed to Kuwait, Iraq, and Japan, and also participated in the Indonesian tsunami relief effort. As part of this year's ceremony, VVMF is proud to join in the cause of Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends over 100,000 care packages annually to service-members in hostile regions around the world. The packages are filled with food, hygiene products, and entertainment items. VVMF staff sorted nearly fifty packages filled with snacks and personal care products to be sent overseas to soldiers who will be away from their families this holiday season.
"The Wall is a sacred place, and one of so few where visitors are so directly exposed to the most noble American values of duty, honor, courage and sacrifice," says Jan Scruggs. "This ceremony, now in its 15th year, has become a cherished part of the holidays, and we are proud to join Operation Gratitude in showing appreciation to our service men and women who are making tremendous sacrifices in the name of freedom."
After the ceremony, the tree and many boxes of cards and ornaments will be left at The Wall, so that visitors can read the messages and add decorations when they visit throughout the holidays. Hand-made cards and ornaments have been contributed by these schools and Scout troops:
-- Pack #120 - Irvington, NY, Cub Scout Troop
-- Mrs. Whitehead's 4th Grade Class - Carlisle Elementary School, Boaz,
AL
-- Rosewood Christian Elementary School, Castro Valley, CA
-- Loggers Run Middle School, Boca Raton, FL
-- Ms. Gahr's 7th and 8th Graders from Berryhill School, Charlotte, NC
About VVMF and the Education Center at the Wall
The Education Center at The Wall is a place on our National Mall where our military heroes' stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten. With a groundbreaking planned for November 2012, The Education Center at The Wall is a multi-million dollar, state-of- the-art visitor's center and learning facility to be built on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans and the Lincoln Memorials. Visitors will better understand the profound impact the Vietnam War had their friends and family members, their home towns, and the Nation. The Education Center will feature the faces and stories of the 58,272 men and women on "The Wall," honoring those who fell in Vietnam, those who fought and returned, as well as the friends and families of all who served. For more information, visit www.buildthecenter.org .
Established in 1979, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War.
Support the Education Center at The Wall by visiting www.buildthecenter.org , calling 866-990-WALL, or by texting "WALL" to 2022.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Local Veterans React to End of Iraq War
From WWSB: Local Veterans React to End of Iraq War
Sarasota-Today's end of operations in Iraq marks the largest drawdown of U.S. forces since the end of the Vietnam war more than thirty years ago. The two conflicts have many differences, but they they both deeply divided people in this country.
Some on the Suncoast who served in southeast Asia are glad to see those in Iraq getting to return.
"They fought and we've lost a lot of wonderful troops, this post is named after one of them, so i think it's a wonderful thing that they're coming home," said Charlie Shoudy, who served in Vietnam.
He's now an official at the Christopher Cobb Memorial American Legion Post in Sarasota, and says whether or not you agreed with the war, the soldiers there did what they were trained to do.
"We were doing what every military person, man or woman does because if our commander in chief tells us we have to do it, we have to do what we're told."
Other vets like James Bendowski hope that what troops accomplished during the war leads to a stable Iraq.
"It's great that they are coming back but i hope we can stay out of there, that's the worst part about it," said Bendowski.
He admits while the troops are coming home, there was still a heavy price to pay for the operation.
"Any time you lose lives it's not really worth it, but that's our heritage, no doubt about it."
There will continue to be a U.S. presence in Iraq. About 16,000 people involved in the diplomatic effort will remain behind, about 7,000 of which will be private security contractors.
Sarasota-Today's end of operations in Iraq marks the largest drawdown of U.S. forces since the end of the Vietnam war more than thirty years ago. The two conflicts have many differences, but they they both deeply divided people in this country.
Some on the Suncoast who served in southeast Asia are glad to see those in Iraq getting to return.
"They fought and we've lost a lot of wonderful troops, this post is named after one of them, so i think it's a wonderful thing that they're coming home," said Charlie Shoudy, who served in Vietnam.
He's now an official at the Christopher Cobb Memorial American Legion Post in Sarasota, and says whether or not you agreed with the war, the soldiers there did what they were trained to do.
"We were doing what every military person, man or woman does because if our commander in chief tells us we have to do it, we have to do what we're told."
Other vets like James Bendowski hope that what troops accomplished during the war leads to a stable Iraq.
"It's great that they are coming back but i hope we can stay out of there, that's the worst part about it," said Bendowski.
He admits while the troops are coming home, there was still a heavy price to pay for the operation.
"Any time you lose lives it's not really worth it, but that's our heritage, no doubt about it."
There will continue to be a U.S. presence in Iraq. About 16,000 people involved in the diplomatic effort will remain behind, about 7,000 of which will be private security contractors.
Vietnam War veteran, 60, gets bachelor's degree
From Reading Reader: Vietnam War veteran, 60, gets bachelor's degree
He's served in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine, was injured by gunfire from an AK-47 rifle and spent three and a half months in a military hospital in Guam before returning to serve two more campaigns during the Vietnam War.
He's worked with Berks County veterans and organized a Toys for Tots drive at Penn State Berks.
And on Saturday, he graduated from the college with a bachelor's degree in business - at age 60.
But Arthur Brunt doesn't consider himself anything special.
The Reading resident shrugs when referred to by others as an inspiration.
"Inspiring? Inspiring to who?" he asked. "Every individual hits a certain point where their intrinsic needs outweigh the extrinsic needs. I think that's what happened to me."
Brunt, a Philadelphia native who moved to Reading in 1980, could have spent the rest of his life living off his military pension.
"But it wasn't what I wanted," he said. "I didn't want to hold still. I just didn't know what direction I wanted to go in."
And so, after years of working odd jobs - as a truck driver, bus driver, short-order cook and small-business owner, to name a few - Brunt enrolled at Penn State Berks in 2009.
Despite having an associate's degree and two semesters at an online university under his belt, he recalled, "I was scared out of my mind."
"Being an older person and being in the company of younger people, feeling inadequate and thinking that you're a has-been and they must be a lot smarter than you that's the general consensus I think most adults have coming in," he said. "How can I keep up? These kids are so bright."
"I was really shy and quiet," Brunt said.
Referring to his suit and tie, he recalled with a laugh, "I didn't at all look like this. I came across as a rugged blue-collar guy. But I thought, 'I'm not dumb. I can do this.' So I proved it. And I went through an amazing transformation."
Brunt recalled with a smile the support he received from both faculty and fellow students.
"I got more than education," he said. "Not just knowledge and facts, but exposure to different people and cultures through the events that I attended, hobnobbing and networking. And these young people were always talking to me. It seemed like anything I said they wanted to hear about. I felt so welcome and relaxed."
Though he's old enough to be a father to many of the students, Brunt will wake up today with the same goal as many of his classmates with whom he received his diploma at commencement Saturday: finding a job.
He hopes to work in the public sector - ideally the Veterans Affairs office.
For many years, he recalled: "I thought my life wasn't successful because I didn't have anything to show for it. But it's not what you have to show for it, but what you've been able to do with it. I'm rich in discipline and morals."
He's served in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine, was injured by gunfire from an AK-47 rifle and spent three and a half months in a military hospital in Guam before returning to serve two more campaigns during the Vietnam War.
He's worked with Berks County veterans and organized a Toys for Tots drive at Penn State Berks.
And on Saturday, he graduated from the college with a bachelor's degree in business - at age 60.
But Arthur Brunt doesn't consider himself anything special.
The Reading resident shrugs when referred to by others as an inspiration.
"Inspiring? Inspiring to who?" he asked. "Every individual hits a certain point where their intrinsic needs outweigh the extrinsic needs. I think that's what happened to me."
Brunt, a Philadelphia native who moved to Reading in 1980, could have spent the rest of his life living off his military pension.
"But it wasn't what I wanted," he said. "I didn't want to hold still. I just didn't know what direction I wanted to go in."
And so, after years of working odd jobs - as a truck driver, bus driver, short-order cook and small-business owner, to name a few - Brunt enrolled at Penn State Berks in 2009.
Despite having an associate's degree and two semesters at an online university under his belt, he recalled, "I was scared out of my mind."
"Being an older person and being in the company of younger people, feeling inadequate and thinking that you're a has-been and they must be a lot smarter than you that's the general consensus I think most adults have coming in," he said. "How can I keep up? These kids are so bright."
"I was really shy and quiet," Brunt said.
Referring to his suit and tie, he recalled with a laugh, "I didn't at all look like this. I came across as a rugged blue-collar guy. But I thought, 'I'm not dumb. I can do this.' So I proved it. And I went through an amazing transformation."
Brunt recalled with a smile the support he received from both faculty and fellow students.
"I got more than education," he said. "Not just knowledge and facts, but exposure to different people and cultures through the events that I attended, hobnobbing and networking. And these young people were always talking to me. It seemed like anything I said they wanted to hear about. I felt so welcome and relaxed."
Though he's old enough to be a father to many of the students, Brunt will wake up today with the same goal as many of his classmates with whom he received his diploma at commencement Saturday: finding a job.
He hopes to work in the public sector - ideally the Veterans Affairs office.
For many years, he recalled: "I thought my life wasn't successful because I didn't have anything to show for it. But it's not what you have to show for it, but what you've been able to do with it. I'm rich in discipline and morals."
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Flag honors Vietnam War Army hero
From South Coast Today: Flag honors Vietnam War Army hero
NEW BEDFORD — During December, the 471st flag to fly atop Old Glory Tower in the North End honors the memory of Vietnam War hero, U.S. Army First Sgt. John Vincent Veara, who was killed in action Aug. 19, 1968 at age 37 of small arms fire. He served his country for 16 years.
Veara, a native of Long Island, was stationed with Co. D. , 2nd Battalion, 3rd training Brigade at Ft. Bliss, TX before his assignment to A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division. Veara met his wife, Maja, in Germany while serving abroad and they were married in Germany on a Christmas Eve.
Pamela LaBonte, Veara's sister, said "he had been wounded twice before, but he volunteered to stay in because he felt somebody had to be there. He wrote saying to wish him luck because he only had 40 days left there. Then he was going to Germany for two years and then ... retiring."
Veara's death left his widow, Maja, with three children ages 15, 7 and a newborn to raise. She and the kids settled in Acushnet.
Veara received numerous posthumous awards including the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Purple Heart.
"First Sgt. Veara distinguished himself by heroic actions on 19 Aug. 1968, while serving as 1st Sgt. with A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, in the Republic of Vietnam," according to Col. Neil Chapin in a ceremony presenting Veara's wife with his decorations.
"While on a combat operation, A Troop came under an intense enemy attack. During the ensuing battle," he said. Sgt. Veara's track was hit by an RPG round. Immediately, Sgt. Veara began to direct his crew in laying down heavy fire towards enemy positions. Upon seeing that a track commander was wounded, Sgt. Veara, with complete disregard for his own safety, exposed himself to a heavy volume of enemy fire as he administered first aid and evacuated the man. He then continued to direct his men until he was mortally wounded. His valorous actions contributed immeasurably to the success of the mission and the defeat of the enemy force."
Veara received the following medals, many of which were awarded for gallantry in action the day he died: two Silver Stars, 3 Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, Gallantry Cross with palm, Military Merit Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal from the Vietnamese Government, Vietnam Service Badge, National Service Medal, Expert Cannoneer Badge, Sharpshooter Badge (Rifle), and Marksman Badge (Pistol).
Veara's name is inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington on panel 47W, line 005. Many of his uniforms and medals are currently displayed at the Fort Taber Military Museum.
Roy Veara, John's middle son, is an Army veteran like his dad. He said in a Standard-Times story that "it still hurts every time I hear taps. It's still tough to hold back tears." Roy was only seven years old when his father died in 1968.
Veara's widow Maja (Gress), became an active member of the "Gold Star Wives of America" as well as the VFW. They had three sons: Gerold Veara of New Mexico, Roy Veara of New Bedford and John Veara, formerly of Acushnet.
Veara also had three siblings; a sister, Pamela LaBonte of North Dartmouth, two brothers, Richard Veara of New York and the late Robert Veara. He is also survived by two grandchildren: Amanda Veara of New Bedford and Shaun Veara of Fairhaven, as well as his sister-in-law, Liselotte Casey of Acushnet.
The late Joseph Theodore, a WWII veteran and Purple Hear recipient began the practice of flying veterans' flags above the Old Glory Tower 38 years ago. Linda Ferreira, a marketing representative at Ashley Ford in New Bedford, researches the life histories of area veterans and Paul Neary, general manager of the dealership, raises the memorial flags on the veterans' behalf.
If you would like to honor a veteran by flying a flag at the tower, contact Ferreira at 508-996-5611 or at marketing@ashleyfordsales.com.
NEW BEDFORD — During December, the 471st flag to fly atop Old Glory Tower in the North End honors the memory of Vietnam War hero, U.S. Army First Sgt. John Vincent Veara, who was killed in action Aug. 19, 1968 at age 37 of small arms fire. He served his country for 16 years.
Veara, a native of Long Island, was stationed with Co. D. , 2nd Battalion, 3rd training Brigade at Ft. Bliss, TX before his assignment to A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division. Veara met his wife, Maja, in Germany while serving abroad and they were married in Germany on a Christmas Eve.
Pamela LaBonte, Veara's sister, said "he had been wounded twice before, but he volunteered to stay in because he felt somebody had to be there. He wrote saying to wish him luck because he only had 40 days left there. Then he was going to Germany for two years and then ... retiring."
Veara's death left his widow, Maja, with three children ages 15, 7 and a newborn to raise. She and the kids settled in Acushnet.
Veara received numerous posthumous awards including the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Purple Heart.
"First Sgt. Veara distinguished himself by heroic actions on 19 Aug. 1968, while serving as 1st Sgt. with A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, in the Republic of Vietnam," according to Col. Neil Chapin in a ceremony presenting Veara's wife with his decorations.
"While on a combat operation, A Troop came under an intense enemy attack. During the ensuing battle," he said. Sgt. Veara's track was hit by an RPG round. Immediately, Sgt. Veara began to direct his crew in laying down heavy fire towards enemy positions. Upon seeing that a track commander was wounded, Sgt. Veara, with complete disregard for his own safety, exposed himself to a heavy volume of enemy fire as he administered first aid and evacuated the man. He then continued to direct his men until he was mortally wounded. His valorous actions contributed immeasurably to the success of the mission and the defeat of the enemy force."
Veara received the following medals, many of which were awarded for gallantry in action the day he died: two Silver Stars, 3 Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, Gallantry Cross with palm, Military Merit Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal from the Vietnamese Government, Vietnam Service Badge, National Service Medal, Expert Cannoneer Badge, Sharpshooter Badge (Rifle), and Marksman Badge (Pistol).
Veara's name is inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington on panel 47W, line 005. Many of his uniforms and medals are currently displayed at the Fort Taber Military Museum.
Roy Veara, John's middle son, is an Army veteran like his dad. He said in a Standard-Times story that "it still hurts every time I hear taps. It's still tough to hold back tears." Roy was only seven years old when his father died in 1968.
Veara's widow Maja (Gress), became an active member of the "Gold Star Wives of America" as well as the VFW. They had three sons: Gerold Veara of New Mexico, Roy Veara of New Bedford and John Veara, formerly of Acushnet.
Veara also had three siblings; a sister, Pamela LaBonte of North Dartmouth, two brothers, Richard Veara of New York and the late Robert Veara. He is also survived by two grandchildren: Amanda Veara of New Bedford and Shaun Veara of Fairhaven, as well as his sister-in-law, Liselotte Casey of Acushnet.
The late Joseph Theodore, a WWII veteran and Purple Hear recipient began the practice of flying veterans' flags above the Old Glory Tower 38 years ago. Linda Ferreira, a marketing representative at Ashley Ford in New Bedford, researches the life histories of area veterans and Paul Neary, general manager of the dealership, raises the memorial flags on the veterans' behalf.
If you would like to honor a veteran by flying a flag at the tower, contact Ferreira at 508-996-5611 or at marketing@ashleyfordsales.com.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Time Keeps On Slipping Into the Future
Sorry for the dearth of posts recently...I've been working on a project, wanted to devote all my time to it, and kept telling myself...it'll be done today so I can get back to blogging here tomorrow.
The next day it was... okay, it's definitely going to get done today....
Well, today it is done... so back to posting here on a daily basis tomorrow. (With the first post appearing tomorrow afternoon while I'm watching football!)
Thanks for your patience.
The next day it was... okay, it's definitely going to get done today....
Well, today it is done... so back to posting here on a daily basis tomorrow. (With the first post appearing tomorrow afternoon while I'm watching football!)
Thanks for your patience.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Vietnam: Thousands die due to unexploded munitions from Vietnam War
From Yahoo News: Vietnam: Thousands die due to unexploded munitions from Vietnam War
One does wonder just how long this "clean up" process has been going on. Has all the money the US has given to Vietnam gone to cleaning up munitions, or has much of it been siphoned away. I mean, really, only 5% cleared after a cost of $62 million?
HANOI, Vietnam – More than 100,000 Vietnamese have been killed or injured by land mines or other abandoned explosives since the Vietnam War ended nearly 40 years ago, and clearing all of the country will take decades more, officials said Monday.
"The war's painful legacy, which includes hundreds of thousands of tons of bombs and unexploded ordnance, continues to cause painful casualties every day," Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told a U.N.-sponsored conference on ways to deal with the problem.
Dung said 42,132 people have been killed and 62,163 others wounded by land mines, bombs and other explosives since the war ended in 1975. The United States used about 16 million tons of bombs and ammunition while allied with the former South Vietnam government, which was defeated by northern communist fighters who reunified the country.
U.S. Ambassador David Shear told the conference that the United States has provided $62 million to help Vietnam cope with "this painful legacy."
"Our efforts to help Vietnam deal with this difficult problem have helped build the mutual trust and understanding between the U.S. and Vietnam that has allowed our bilateral relationship to flourish," he said.
Bui Hong Linh, vice minister of labor, war invalids and social affairs, said explosives remain on about 16 million acres (6.6 million hectares) of land, or more than one-fifth of the country.
He said only 740,000 acres (300,000 hectares) or 5 percent of the contaminated area has been cleared and a recently approved government plan calls for clearance of an additional 1.2 million acres (500,000 hectares) that would cost $595 million in the next five years.
One does wonder just how long this "clean up" process has been going on. Has all the money the US has given to Vietnam gone to cleaning up munitions, or has much of it been siphoned away. I mean, really, only 5% cleared after a cost of $62 million?
The New WLA – War, Literature & the Arts Journal from the USAFA
From Arts of War on the Web: The New WLA – War, Literature & the Arts Journal from the USAFA
The Department of English and Fine Arts at the U.S. Air Force Academy has been publishing WLA: War, Literature & the Arts: An International Journal of the Humanities since 1989. The latest edition, Vol. 23, 2011, contains what we expect from this excellent journal: a rich collection of memoir excerpts, artwork, fiction, critical and personal essays, poetry, and commentary dealing with war and its impact. And, as is always the case, several of the offerings deal with Vietnam veterans and the Vietnam War.
There’s an essay by Jerry Kykisz, a Vietnam veteran, artist, and board member of the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, called “Trauma & Metamorphosis” that also includes artwork by Vietnam veterans Helen White, Ron Mann, Joe Fornelli, and Stephen Ham. Mann’s “Reflections” graces the cover.
The short story “At The Wall” by Nicholas Poluhoff is about a strange set of events at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. And there are seven poems by Vietnam veteran Dale Ritterbusch, several of which touch on the war in Vietnam.
Additional material, including book reviews may be found on WLA’s website: http://wlajournal.com/23_1/23_1_index.html
The Department of English and Fine Arts at the U.S. Air Force Academy has been publishing WLA: War, Literature & the Arts: An International Journal of the Humanities since 1989. The latest edition, Vol. 23, 2011, contains what we expect from this excellent journal: a rich collection of memoir excerpts, artwork, fiction, critical and personal essays, poetry, and commentary dealing with war and its impact. And, as is always the case, several of the offerings deal with Vietnam veterans and the Vietnam War.
There’s an essay by Jerry Kykisz, a Vietnam veteran, artist, and board member of the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, called “Trauma & Metamorphosis” that also includes artwork by Vietnam veterans Helen White, Ron Mann, Joe Fornelli, and Stephen Ham. Mann’s “Reflections” graces the cover.
The short story “At The Wall” by Nicholas Poluhoff is about a strange set of events at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. And there are seven poems by Vietnam veteran Dale Ritterbusch, several of which touch on the war in Vietnam.
Additional material, including book reviews may be found on WLA’s website: http://wlajournal.com/23_1/23_1_index.html
Friday, December 2, 2011
Meeting with Vietnam War hero 40 years in making
From In My Community.com: Meeting with Vietnam War hero 40 years in making
FORTY years melted away when Currambine woman Judi Shelton and retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander Gordon Paige met for the first time in Arizona recently.
For Judi meeting “Gordy” was the emotional end to a patriotic journey, which began on a street in Buffalo, New York in 1972 when she bought a bracelet engraved with his name from US college students raising money “to bring the boys home” from Vietnam.
The bracelets were a reminder of American servicemen who were PoWs or missing in action – Gordon Paige was shot down over North Vietnam in 1972, was captured by the Vietnamese and returned home in 1973.
After making email contact with Gordon in 2009, Judi vowed to “stop by” in Gilbert, Arizona to meet him while visiting daughter Rebecca in Maine this year.
“It was important to me after everything I had gone through to bring the story to life to finish the journey,” she said of the two-day visit.
“Meeting Gordy was a huge experience, something I will always remember.
“Now he is not just a name on a bracelet but a friend, and that is the best outcome from the journey and why he asked me to keep the bracelet, so we would keep connected.”
Judi said she had worn the silver-plated bracelet for many years and then, as time went on, tucked it away, always wondering about the man behind the name.
The piece travelled with her as she moved within the US and, in 1991, to Perth where she settled with second husband, Australian-born Des.
Two years ago, she finally tracked Gordon down in Arizona, where the retired Navy pilot lives with wife Wendy and their children, and manages an air charter company.
After many telephone calls and emails, they pair finally met a few weeks ago.
“When I walked out of the arrivals area at the airport, Gordy was leaning against a pole holding a sign which said ‘Judi: Welcome to AZ from OZ,’ she said
“I got in about 1pm and spent from then until 10pm talking to him and his family – I have never felt so comfortable with a perfect stranger.”
Judi, who left Gordon with an Australian Army Rising Sun pin and Community cuttings about her search for him, hopes he will come to Perth next year to march with Des in the Anzac Day parade.
“He thinks our Anzac Day is a wonderful thing,” she said.
“He sent us best wishes for last Anzac Day, the day I always wear his bracelet.”
FORTY years melted away when Currambine woman Judi Shelton and retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander Gordon Paige met for the first time in Arizona recently.
For Judi meeting “Gordy” was the emotional end to a patriotic journey, which began on a street in Buffalo, New York in 1972 when she bought a bracelet engraved with his name from US college students raising money “to bring the boys home” from Vietnam.
The bracelets were a reminder of American servicemen who were PoWs or missing in action – Gordon Paige was shot down over North Vietnam in 1972, was captured by the Vietnamese and returned home in 1973.
After making email contact with Gordon in 2009, Judi vowed to “stop by” in Gilbert, Arizona to meet him while visiting daughter Rebecca in Maine this year.
“It was important to me after everything I had gone through to bring the story to life to finish the journey,” she said of the two-day visit.
“Meeting Gordy was a huge experience, something I will always remember.
“Now he is not just a name on a bracelet but a friend, and that is the best outcome from the journey and why he asked me to keep the bracelet, so we would keep connected.”
Judi said she had worn the silver-plated bracelet for many years and then, as time went on, tucked it away, always wondering about the man behind the name.
The piece travelled with her as she moved within the US and, in 1991, to Perth where she settled with second husband, Australian-born Des.
Two years ago, she finally tracked Gordon down in Arizona, where the retired Navy pilot lives with wife Wendy and their children, and manages an air charter company.
After many telephone calls and emails, they pair finally met a few weeks ago.
“When I walked out of the arrivals area at the airport, Gordy was leaning against a pole holding a sign which said ‘Judi: Welcome to AZ from OZ,’ she said
“I got in about 1pm and spent from then until 10pm talking to him and his family – I have never felt so comfortable with a perfect stranger.”
Judi, who left Gordon with an Australian Army Rising Sun pin and Community cuttings about her search for him, hopes he will come to Perth next year to march with Des in the Anzac Day parade.
“He thinks our Anzac Day is a wonderful thing,” she said.
“He sent us best wishes for last Anzac Day, the day I always wear his bracelet.”
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Era of Vietnam War veterans serving in N.D. National Guard ends with Peterson
From DVIDS: Era of Vietnam War veterans serving in N.D. National Guard ends with Peterson
FARGO, N.D. — While most North Dakota Guardsmen are war veterans, one holds a special distinction: He’s the last serving combat Vietnam War veteran in the North Dakota National Guard.
When Master Sgt. Alan K. Peterson, of West Fargo, N.D., retired Nov. 30, he ended an era in both the Army and Air National Guard in the state. There’s believed to be only one remaining Vietnam vet nationwide in the Air Force, and while it’s unknown, there are presumably very few left in the Army.
“Throughout his decades-long military career, Master Sgt. Peterson served this state and nation with honor and distinction, whether assisting his fellow citizens here at home or defending this great country in foreign lands,” said Gov. Jack Dalrymple. “His retirement marks the end of an era for the North Dakota National Guard, bringing to a close the exemplary service and leadership of a generation of patriots who served in the Vietnam War. We are grateful to Master Sgt. Peterson and all of our Vietnam veterans for their noble and courageous service.”
During the ceremony, Peterson received the federal Meritorious Service Medal and North Dakota Legion of Merit, as well as several certificates, a commemorative musket, plaques, a host of letters wishing him well and a cased U.S. flag. His wife, Christie, also received a framed certificate of appreciation in honor of her support during her husband’s decades-long military career.
“Thank you for sharing Al with us all of these years,” Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general, said to Peterson’s family during today’s retirement ceremony at the Fargo Armed Forces Reserve Center. “As I said to Christie, it’s the family that really has the tough job when our Soldiers are called to war and called to duty.”
Setting Sail
After having seen the photos and trinkets his uncle brought back from his travels with the Navy, Peterson enlisted in the service’s delayed entry program shortly before graduating from Pine River, Minn., High School in 1970. The war in Vietnam was well under way by then, with involvement peaking the year prior with a half-million U.S. military personnel serving there. On April 28, 1971 — barely a year after graduating high school — Peterson found himself involved in the war, as well.
He first headed to the Philippines to fulfill a 90-day “mess cooking” stint — similar to the Army’s KP, or “kitchen patrol” — required for those ranked E-3 and below. After 60 days, he was attached to a ship and itching to get up top.
“I wanted to get on the flight deck — little extra money, you got hazardous duty pay and you got to work in the open air, which I enjoyed. I didn’t have enough seniority to do that,” he says.
He stayed in the airframes division for the length of that first, short cruise before an opportunity to apply for a plane captain spot in a line division presented itself. He got the job and was promoted to an E-4, or petty officer third class, which is a non-commissioned officer in the Navy. That made him second in charge in a squadron of 10 that managed 14 aircraft. In this role, he served on two additional cruises, working on the USS Kitty Hawk CVA-63.
Similar to a crew chief in the Army and Air Force, a plane captain in the Navy maintains and cleans the aircraft, monitors the work that’s done on it, helps the pilot into the cockpit, and conducts a preflight turnaround for the aircraft. Peterson also did maintenance turnarounds, which allowed him to sit in the aircraft while it was tied to the deck and operate the controls while it was being worked on.
Making Landfall
His time on the ship doing 30- to 40-day stints in the Gulf of Tonkin off of the Vietnam coast would be limited, though. Soon, Peterson was part of a group of 15 or so sent to shore in July 1972. For the next eight months, he stayed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base outside of Da Nang replacing tailhooks, patching holes and repairing landing gear on aircraft that couldn’t be recovered by the carrier ships.
“The amenities we have now days for creature comfort weren’t there at that time,” he says of his accommodations near Da Nang. “Any correspondence I had back home was letters, and usually that was about a two-week turnaround before I got one back.”
The workdays on land were shorter than the 14- to 16-hour shifts at sea, though. Peterson worked dawn to dusk with the open-air maintenance work ceasing at dark to prevent becoming a lighted target at night.
“When I look back at it, it was fun to get off the ship,” Peterson says. “Life on the ship was pretty monotonous after a fashion. Our close-circuit TVs were limited to what you could watch and there wasn’t many of those you could watch … so you read, laid in your rack, read books, (read) whatever you could get your hands on, walk around, actually run on the flight deck and do PT (physical training), too, to take up your time. Sleep. That’s about it.”
The berthing compartment where he slept differed greatly from the damp huts near Da Nang that were sunken 3-4 feet into the ground with hurricane fans blowing through at night. Other than the climate and extra amenities, his living conditions in the Iraq War three decades later would prove similar.
Navy to Army
When Peterson’s Navy stint concluded, the young war veteran did much the same as his peers in the 1970s: grew his hair long and sprouted a beard. By the end of the era, in February 1979, he was ready to don the uniform again, though.
“I still had a beard and long hair, and they told me, ‘You know, you’re going to have to cut that off.’ I guess it was time for a change,” he says.
He started as a combat engineer with the North Dakota Army National Guard’s unit in Hazen, N.D., while working in a coal mine in the area. His first platoon leader, Dennis Jacobson, still serves with the North Dakota National Guard, but now has two stars on his uniform.
After seven years as an engineer and traditional Guardsman, Peterson switched back into a maintenance job, but life outside of the Guard took a major downturn. The house he grew up in was engulfed in a fire, claiming his parents’ lives. Plus, work in the coal mine had slowed, and in December 1986 he received a 30-day notice for being laid off.
“That was a pretty tough year for me. I had a wife and three kids to take care of. What am I going to do?”
He drilled the weekend he received the layoff notice and saw a job posting for a maintenance position in Minot. He had his application submitted in a matter of days and before long embarked on a full-time career for the N.D. Guard, first in the Minot shop and later at the Fargo shop, from which he retired today.
In the years in between, he shared his knowledge as a maintenance supervisor, deployed to Iraq with the 142nd Engineer Combat Battalion, and developed a unique connection with his middle son, Joshua, who also deployed with him to Iraq in the same maintenance section.
“When I look back, (Vietnam) kind of set me up for the deployment to Iraq and what I experienced over there,” he says.
The one major difference? Coming home.
“(My son and I) sat together on the ride back and talked about the year we were gone and things that happened and how we would react. … It’s quite a different feeling when you get off the plane and all those people are lined up to greet you. It’s a lot to take in. … It wasn’t the same back during Vietnam. There was nobody. When I flew back and got out, it was just my parents there to greet me.”
Now, he’s looking back at both deployments along with a decades-long military career and pondering how he has already turned the mandatory retirement age of 60.
“Here now it’s my turn (to retire), and I say, ‘Wow, where did all those years go?’”
“I think the Guard for me has been a good choice. It has given me a direction in life and supported me quite well. I look back all the experiences that I have had and all the people that have either worked with or just crossed paths, and I feel it was well worth it.”
FARGO, N.D. — While most North Dakota Guardsmen are war veterans, one holds a special distinction: He’s the last serving combat Vietnam War veteran in the North Dakota National Guard.
When Master Sgt. Alan K. Peterson, of West Fargo, N.D., retired Nov. 30, he ended an era in both the Army and Air National Guard in the state. There’s believed to be only one remaining Vietnam vet nationwide in the Air Force, and while it’s unknown, there are presumably very few left in the Army.
“Throughout his decades-long military career, Master Sgt. Peterson served this state and nation with honor and distinction, whether assisting his fellow citizens here at home or defending this great country in foreign lands,” said Gov. Jack Dalrymple. “His retirement marks the end of an era for the North Dakota National Guard, bringing to a close the exemplary service and leadership of a generation of patriots who served in the Vietnam War. We are grateful to Master Sgt. Peterson and all of our Vietnam veterans for their noble and courageous service.”
During the ceremony, Peterson received the federal Meritorious Service Medal and North Dakota Legion of Merit, as well as several certificates, a commemorative musket, plaques, a host of letters wishing him well and a cased U.S. flag. His wife, Christie, also received a framed certificate of appreciation in honor of her support during her husband’s decades-long military career.
“Thank you for sharing Al with us all of these years,” Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general, said to Peterson’s family during today’s retirement ceremony at the Fargo Armed Forces Reserve Center. “As I said to Christie, it’s the family that really has the tough job when our Soldiers are called to war and called to duty.”
Setting Sail
After having seen the photos and trinkets his uncle brought back from his travels with the Navy, Peterson enlisted in the service’s delayed entry program shortly before graduating from Pine River, Minn., High School in 1970. The war in Vietnam was well under way by then, with involvement peaking the year prior with a half-million U.S. military personnel serving there. On April 28, 1971 — barely a year after graduating high school — Peterson found himself involved in the war, as well.
He first headed to the Philippines to fulfill a 90-day “mess cooking” stint — similar to the Army’s KP, or “kitchen patrol” — required for those ranked E-3 and below. After 60 days, he was attached to a ship and itching to get up top.
“I wanted to get on the flight deck — little extra money, you got hazardous duty pay and you got to work in the open air, which I enjoyed. I didn’t have enough seniority to do that,” he says.
He stayed in the airframes division for the length of that first, short cruise before an opportunity to apply for a plane captain spot in a line division presented itself. He got the job and was promoted to an E-4, or petty officer third class, which is a non-commissioned officer in the Navy. That made him second in charge in a squadron of 10 that managed 14 aircraft. In this role, he served on two additional cruises, working on the USS Kitty Hawk CVA-63.
Similar to a crew chief in the Army and Air Force, a plane captain in the Navy maintains and cleans the aircraft, monitors the work that’s done on it, helps the pilot into the cockpit, and conducts a preflight turnaround for the aircraft. Peterson also did maintenance turnarounds, which allowed him to sit in the aircraft while it was tied to the deck and operate the controls while it was being worked on.
Making Landfall
His time on the ship doing 30- to 40-day stints in the Gulf of Tonkin off of the Vietnam coast would be limited, though. Soon, Peterson was part of a group of 15 or so sent to shore in July 1972. For the next eight months, he stayed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base outside of Da Nang replacing tailhooks, patching holes and repairing landing gear on aircraft that couldn’t be recovered by the carrier ships.
“The amenities we have now days for creature comfort weren’t there at that time,” he says of his accommodations near Da Nang. “Any correspondence I had back home was letters, and usually that was about a two-week turnaround before I got one back.”
The workdays on land were shorter than the 14- to 16-hour shifts at sea, though. Peterson worked dawn to dusk with the open-air maintenance work ceasing at dark to prevent becoming a lighted target at night.
“When I look back at it, it was fun to get off the ship,” Peterson says. “Life on the ship was pretty monotonous after a fashion. Our close-circuit TVs were limited to what you could watch and there wasn’t many of those you could watch … so you read, laid in your rack, read books, (read) whatever you could get your hands on, walk around, actually run on the flight deck and do PT (physical training), too, to take up your time. Sleep. That’s about it.”
The berthing compartment where he slept differed greatly from the damp huts near Da Nang that were sunken 3-4 feet into the ground with hurricane fans blowing through at night. Other than the climate and extra amenities, his living conditions in the Iraq War three decades later would prove similar.
Navy to Army
When Peterson’s Navy stint concluded, the young war veteran did much the same as his peers in the 1970s: grew his hair long and sprouted a beard. By the end of the era, in February 1979, he was ready to don the uniform again, though.
“I still had a beard and long hair, and they told me, ‘You know, you’re going to have to cut that off.’ I guess it was time for a change,” he says.
He started as a combat engineer with the North Dakota Army National Guard’s unit in Hazen, N.D., while working in a coal mine in the area. His first platoon leader, Dennis Jacobson, still serves with the North Dakota National Guard, but now has two stars on his uniform.
After seven years as an engineer and traditional Guardsman, Peterson switched back into a maintenance job, but life outside of the Guard took a major downturn. The house he grew up in was engulfed in a fire, claiming his parents’ lives. Plus, work in the coal mine had slowed, and in December 1986 he received a 30-day notice for being laid off.
“That was a pretty tough year for me. I had a wife and three kids to take care of. What am I going to do?”
He drilled the weekend he received the layoff notice and saw a job posting for a maintenance position in Minot. He had his application submitted in a matter of days and before long embarked on a full-time career for the N.D. Guard, first in the Minot shop and later at the Fargo shop, from which he retired today.
In the years in between, he shared his knowledge as a maintenance supervisor, deployed to Iraq with the 142nd Engineer Combat Battalion, and developed a unique connection with his middle son, Joshua, who also deployed with him to Iraq in the same maintenance section.
“When I look back, (Vietnam) kind of set me up for the deployment to Iraq and what I experienced over there,” he says.
The one major difference? Coming home.
“(My son and I) sat together on the ride back and talked about the year we were gone and things that happened and how we would react. … It’s quite a different feeling when you get off the plane and all those people are lined up to greet you. It’s a lot to take in. … It wasn’t the same back during Vietnam. There was nobody. When I flew back and got out, it was just my parents there to greet me.”
Now, he’s looking back at both deployments along with a decades-long military career and pondering how he has already turned the mandatory retirement age of 60.
“Here now it’s my turn (to retire), and I say, ‘Wow, where did all those years go?’”
“I think the Guard for me has been a good choice. It has given me a direction in life and supported me quite well. I look back all the experiences that I have had and all the people that have either worked with or just crossed paths, and I feel it was well worth it.”
Sunday, November 27, 2011
For Perry, Life Was Broadened and Narrowed by the Military
From the New York Times: For Perry, Life Was Broadened and Narrowed by the Military
COLLEGE STATION, Tex. — Rick Perry arrived on the campus of Texas A&M University in the tumultuous fall of 1968, cut his hair short, regulation military style, and donned a uniform. College students across America were rising up against the Vietnam War, but Mr. Perry, a member of the Corps of Cadets here, would not be among them.
“There will be no Columbia, no Berkeley here,” the university president, Earl Rudder, declared that fall. When a small band of antiwar protesters took to the steps of the Memorial Student Center, a building dedicated to “Aggies who gave their lives for our country,” young Mr. Perry was incensed.
¶ “I don’t want to use the word ‘long-haired hippie types,’ ” said John Sharp, a Perry classmate and chancellor of the Texas A&M University system, “but a person who did not look like they fit into A&M said some kind of Jane Fonda-type stuff, and I remember Perry got up in his face pretty quick over that. He took exception to it, shouted the guy down.”
¶ Today Mr. Perry, the Texas governor, is running for president in a crowded Republican field as one of just two candidates with military experience. (The other is Ron Paul.) As an Air Force pilot, he flew C-130 cargo planes out of Dyess Air Force Base outside Abilene, about an hour south of the tiny town of Paint Creek, where he grew up.
¶ On the campaign trail, Mr. Perry has focused on domestic affairs, pitching himself as the man who can “overhaul Washington.” His Air Force days give a hint of how he might handle another aspect of the presidency, national security. In recent debates, he has emerged as a muscular interventionist, a stance that can be traced, in part, to his military service.
¶ It was an experience that both expanded and narrowed him, taking him to exotic locales while cementing his Texas roots and the traditional, conservative values that have been so central to his political identity. On Air Force missions overseas, he told students at Liberty University this fall, he had his first encounters with “oppressed people” — an experience that sharpened his idea of the United States as a beacon of democracy and helped convince him that Americans “cannot isolate ourselves within our borders.”
¶ Today, the college student who backed the Vietnam War is, at 61, the hawkish presidential candidate. Mr. Perry has called President Obama “irresponsible” for ending the Iraq war, urged the overthrow of the Iranian government — he would not rule out a military strike — and suggested he would deploy troops to Mexico to “kill these drug cartels” there.
¶ He has also pledged to reinstate “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the military policy that barred openly gay soldiers.
¶ Vietnam hung as a shadow over Mr. Perry’s service. As a young cadet, he mourned A&M graduates killed in battle. But with the war winding down, Mr. Perry did not see combat. Instead, he carried people and supplies (“trash hauling,” he and his buddies called it) around the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa.
¶ “I saw the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, the old cities of Europe that existed long before Columbus ever set sail for the Americas, and the sands of the Persian Gulf, occupied by Bedouins who seemed stuck in a previous century,” Mr. Perry wrote in “On My Honor,” his book about the values of the Boy Scouts.
¶ Yet Mr. Perry’s world travels did not stir any longing for a life on the road. Rather, he felt “a growing sensation of homesickness,” he wrote. When stationed in Abilene, he lived in a little house he had fixed up out in the country. His fellow pilots remember him more for the cookouts and hunting trips he organized than for any zest to see the world.
¶ “He barely left home, and while he moved around the world it was in the military bubble,” said Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas who has followed Mr. Perry’s career. “My sense of it is that it insulated him, as opposed to broadening his perspective.”
Mr. Perry declined to be interviewed for this article, and his campaign has declined to release his military records, though it provided The New York Times part of one performance evaluation, dated September 1976, citing him as an “outstanding young officer.”
As a presidential candidate, Mr. Perry has invoked his status as a veteran only briefly, mostly to contrast himself with Mr. Obama, who did not serve. But as governor, Mr. Perry did release an Air Force publicity photo, a glamour shot taken during his pilot training. In it, he wears a jumpsuit, aviator glasses and a faraway look as he leans against a sleek T-38 supersonic jet trainer — a plane that bears no resemblance to the bulky cargo planes that he eventually flew.
As a boy in Paint Creek — a town with no stoplight, no grocery store and a 13-member high school graduating class — Rick Perry dreamed of doing two things. One was becoming an Aggie — a student at A&M. The other was learning to fly.
“We grew up watching those crop-dusters fly in and out,” said Jim Bob Mickler, a friend who now works for a state agency that provides low-interest loans to veterans. “The more affluent men in our county had their own private planes, and if you had your own plane, you were really something.”
The two men Mr. Perry most admired — his father and Gene Overton, his scoutmaster — had both served in World War II. Mr. Overton, a 1931 A&M graduate, often took his scout troop to College Station for football weekends.
“It was all male, very military,” said Mr. Overton’s son, Wallar. “Rick fell in love with the corps.”
Mr. Perry arrived, at 18, hoping to become a veterinarian. He collected poor grades (a transcript widely circulated on the Internet is rife with C’s and D’s, with an A in “world military systems” ) and acquired a reputation as a prankster. (He once put live chickens in a classmate’s closet and left them there over Christmas break.)
But he also endured a demanding corps regimen. Cadets woke before dawn to a whistle; they marched in formation to the chow hall for breakfast. Freshmen were called “fish,” as in “Fish Perry,” and were expected to obey upperclassmen.
Uniforms were to be kept “neat and clean,” according to the student handbook, with “shoes and brass shined.” An infraction by one cadet meant punishment for the class.
The first year was so difficult, said Tony Best, a Perry classmate, “I saw guys come in and throw themselves on the floor, crying.”
Selective Service records show that Mr. Perry’s draft lottery number was relatively high, 275, which meant his chance of being drafted was low. Joining the Corps of Cadets did not require a commitment to serving in the military, but as a junior, Mr. Perry made one.
“It was the time, we got caught up in that — it was service, service to the nation, the country’s at war,” said one classmate who also joined, Joe Weber, a retired Marine general who is now vice president for student affairs at A&M.
In his speech at Liberty University, Mr. Perry offered another explanation: “Four semesters of organic chemistry,” he said, “made a pilot out of me.”
He graduated in 1972, finished pilot training in February 1974 and was assigned to the 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron at Dyess, whose duties included two-month overseas rotations at a Royal Air Force station in Mildenhall, England, and Rhein-Main Air Base near Frankfurt, Germany. His missions included a 1974 State Department drought relief effort in Mali, Mauritania and Chad, and two years later, earthquake relief in Guatemala.
“For the first time in my life I met oppressed people who didn’t take freedom for granted because it didn’t exist where they lived,” Mr. Perry told the Liberty students. “I saw rulers treat people like subjects.”
The squadron tended to divide between bachelors and married men; Mr. Perry, single but dating his future wife, was a driving force behind bachelor social activities.
“The preponderance of the guys had a good time,” said Dale Scoggins, a former fellow pilot, “and Rick had a good time.”
Mr. Scoggins and others who flew alongside Mr. Perry remember him neither as a standout nor a problem. His squadron commanders, Richard L. W. Henry and Bruce Mosley, now both retired colonels, said they knew of no disciplinary action against Mr. Perry. A former pilot and friend, Ronny Munson, recalls him as even-keeled and steady.
“He never lost his temper or got scared,” Mr. Munson said.
In August 1976, Mr. Perry was promoted from co-pilot to aircraft commander, in charge of a five-member crew. In the excerpted performance evaluation, his squadron instructor pilot suggested he attend squadron officer school. But his commander at the time, Colonel Mosley, said Mr. Perry had little interest in a military career.
The Air Force, faced with a glut of pilots in the aftermath of the war, offered some early exits. Mr. Perry accepted. He was, he wrote in his book, “yearning for new opportunities at home.” In February 1977, he retired as a captain and returned to Paint Creek to farm.
He was days shy of his 27th birthday, and not much changed by his years away. He seemed more mature, his hometown friends say, and more appreciative of the United States. But at heart, his old friend Mr. Mickler said, he was still “just a good old West Texas boy.”
COLLEGE STATION, Tex. — Rick Perry arrived on the campus of Texas A&M University in the tumultuous fall of 1968, cut his hair short, regulation military style, and donned a uniform. College students across America were rising up against the Vietnam War, but Mr. Perry, a member of the Corps of Cadets here, would not be among them.
“There will be no Columbia, no Berkeley here,” the university president, Earl Rudder, declared that fall. When a small band of antiwar protesters took to the steps of the Memorial Student Center, a building dedicated to “Aggies who gave their lives for our country,” young Mr. Perry was incensed.
¶ “I don’t want to use the word ‘long-haired hippie types,’ ” said John Sharp, a Perry classmate and chancellor of the Texas A&M University system, “but a person who did not look like they fit into A&M said some kind of Jane Fonda-type stuff, and I remember Perry got up in his face pretty quick over that. He took exception to it, shouted the guy down.”
¶ Today Mr. Perry, the Texas governor, is running for president in a crowded Republican field as one of just two candidates with military experience. (The other is Ron Paul.) As an Air Force pilot, he flew C-130 cargo planes out of Dyess Air Force Base outside Abilene, about an hour south of the tiny town of Paint Creek, where he grew up.
¶ On the campaign trail, Mr. Perry has focused on domestic affairs, pitching himself as the man who can “overhaul Washington.” His Air Force days give a hint of how he might handle another aspect of the presidency, national security. In recent debates, he has emerged as a muscular interventionist, a stance that can be traced, in part, to his military service.
¶ It was an experience that both expanded and narrowed him, taking him to exotic locales while cementing his Texas roots and the traditional, conservative values that have been so central to his political identity. On Air Force missions overseas, he told students at Liberty University this fall, he had his first encounters with “oppressed people” — an experience that sharpened his idea of the United States as a beacon of democracy and helped convince him that Americans “cannot isolate ourselves within our borders.”
¶ Today, the college student who backed the Vietnam War is, at 61, the hawkish presidential candidate. Mr. Perry has called President Obama “irresponsible” for ending the Iraq war, urged the overthrow of the Iranian government — he would not rule out a military strike — and suggested he would deploy troops to Mexico to “kill these drug cartels” there.
¶ He has also pledged to reinstate “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the military policy that barred openly gay soldiers.
¶ Vietnam hung as a shadow over Mr. Perry’s service. As a young cadet, he mourned A&M graduates killed in battle. But with the war winding down, Mr. Perry did not see combat. Instead, he carried people and supplies (“trash hauling,” he and his buddies called it) around the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa.
¶ “I saw the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, the old cities of Europe that existed long before Columbus ever set sail for the Americas, and the sands of the Persian Gulf, occupied by Bedouins who seemed stuck in a previous century,” Mr. Perry wrote in “On My Honor,” his book about the values of the Boy Scouts.
¶ Yet Mr. Perry’s world travels did not stir any longing for a life on the road. Rather, he felt “a growing sensation of homesickness,” he wrote. When stationed in Abilene, he lived in a little house he had fixed up out in the country. His fellow pilots remember him more for the cookouts and hunting trips he organized than for any zest to see the world.
¶ “He barely left home, and while he moved around the world it was in the military bubble,” said Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas who has followed Mr. Perry’s career. “My sense of it is that it insulated him, as opposed to broadening his perspective.”
Mr. Perry declined to be interviewed for this article, and his campaign has declined to release his military records, though it provided The New York Times part of one performance evaluation, dated September 1976, citing him as an “outstanding young officer.”
As a presidential candidate, Mr. Perry has invoked his status as a veteran only briefly, mostly to contrast himself with Mr. Obama, who did not serve. But as governor, Mr. Perry did release an Air Force publicity photo, a glamour shot taken during his pilot training. In it, he wears a jumpsuit, aviator glasses and a faraway look as he leans against a sleek T-38 supersonic jet trainer — a plane that bears no resemblance to the bulky cargo planes that he eventually flew.
As a boy in Paint Creek — a town with no stoplight, no grocery store and a 13-member high school graduating class — Rick Perry dreamed of doing two things. One was becoming an Aggie — a student at A&M. The other was learning to fly.
“We grew up watching those crop-dusters fly in and out,” said Jim Bob Mickler, a friend who now works for a state agency that provides low-interest loans to veterans. “The more affluent men in our county had their own private planes, and if you had your own plane, you were really something.”
The two men Mr. Perry most admired — his father and Gene Overton, his scoutmaster — had both served in World War II. Mr. Overton, a 1931 A&M graduate, often took his scout troop to College Station for football weekends.
“It was all male, very military,” said Mr. Overton’s son, Wallar. “Rick fell in love with the corps.”
Mr. Perry arrived, at 18, hoping to become a veterinarian. He collected poor grades (a transcript widely circulated on the Internet is rife with C’s and D’s, with an A in “world military systems” ) and acquired a reputation as a prankster. (He once put live chickens in a classmate’s closet and left them there over Christmas break.)
But he also endured a demanding corps regimen. Cadets woke before dawn to a whistle; they marched in formation to the chow hall for breakfast. Freshmen were called “fish,” as in “Fish Perry,” and were expected to obey upperclassmen.
Uniforms were to be kept “neat and clean,” according to the student handbook, with “shoes and brass shined.” An infraction by one cadet meant punishment for the class.
The first year was so difficult, said Tony Best, a Perry classmate, “I saw guys come in and throw themselves on the floor, crying.”
Selective Service records show that Mr. Perry’s draft lottery number was relatively high, 275, which meant his chance of being drafted was low. Joining the Corps of Cadets did not require a commitment to serving in the military, but as a junior, Mr. Perry made one.
“It was the time, we got caught up in that — it was service, service to the nation, the country’s at war,” said one classmate who also joined, Joe Weber, a retired Marine general who is now vice president for student affairs at A&M.
In his speech at Liberty University, Mr. Perry offered another explanation: “Four semesters of organic chemistry,” he said, “made a pilot out of me.”
He graduated in 1972, finished pilot training in February 1974 and was assigned to the 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron at Dyess, whose duties included two-month overseas rotations at a Royal Air Force station in Mildenhall, England, and Rhein-Main Air Base near Frankfurt, Germany. His missions included a 1974 State Department drought relief effort in Mali, Mauritania and Chad, and two years later, earthquake relief in Guatemala.
“For the first time in my life I met oppressed people who didn’t take freedom for granted because it didn’t exist where they lived,” Mr. Perry told the Liberty students. “I saw rulers treat people like subjects.”
The squadron tended to divide between bachelors and married men; Mr. Perry, single but dating his future wife, was a driving force behind bachelor social activities.
“The preponderance of the guys had a good time,” said Dale Scoggins, a former fellow pilot, “and Rick had a good time.”
Mr. Scoggins and others who flew alongside Mr. Perry remember him neither as a standout nor a problem. His squadron commanders, Richard L. W. Henry and Bruce Mosley, now both retired colonels, said they knew of no disciplinary action against Mr. Perry. A former pilot and friend, Ronny Munson, recalls him as even-keeled and steady.
“He never lost his temper or got scared,” Mr. Munson said.
In August 1976, Mr. Perry was promoted from co-pilot to aircraft commander, in charge of a five-member crew. In the excerpted performance evaluation, his squadron instructor pilot suggested he attend squadron officer school. But his commander at the time, Colonel Mosley, said Mr. Perry had little interest in a military career.
The Air Force, faced with a glut of pilots in the aftermath of the war, offered some early exits. Mr. Perry accepted. He was, he wrote in his book, “yearning for new opportunities at home.” In February 1977, he retired as a captain and returned to Paint Creek to farm.
He was days shy of his 27th birthday, and not much changed by his years away. He seemed more mature, his hometown friends say, and more appreciative of the United States. But at heart, his old friend Mr. Mickler said, he was still “just a good old West Texas boy.”
Saturday, November 26, 2011
New pool mural honors Mass. man killed in Vietnam
From Boston.com: New pool mural honors Mass. man killed in Vietnam
A new mural at a state swimming pool in Worcester honors the life of a local man killed in the Vietnam War when he was 21 years old.
The mural was dedicated Friday at the pool named for Cpl. Dennis F. Shine Jr., who died in 1969.
The work was a cooperative venture among Shine’s family, Millbury Savings Bank and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Lt. Gov. Tim Murray said the partnership brings “history, art and a local hero’s story home.’’
A new mural at a state swimming pool in Worcester honors the life of a local man killed in the Vietnam War when he was 21 years old.
The mural was dedicated Friday at the pool named for Cpl. Dennis F. Shine Jr., who died in 1969.
The work was a cooperative venture among Shine’s family, Millbury Savings Bank and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Lt. Gov. Tim Murray said the partnership brings “history, art and a local hero’s story home.’’
Agent Orange: With more diseases tied to use during Vietnam War, bill for veterans' care skyrockets
From Grand Forks Herald: Agent Orange: With more diseases tied to use during Vietnam War, bill for veterans' care skyrockets
More than 40 years after the U.S. military used Agent Orange to defoliate the jungles of Vietnam, the health-care bill is escalating.
Over the past two years, federal officials say, an estimated 10,000 more veterans have sought medical compensation for diseases related to Agent Orange, an herbicide that contains a toxic chemical called dioxin.
The Institute of Medicine said in a recent report that there is sufficient evidence of an association between exposure to Agent Orange and illnesses including soft-tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma and chloracne.
The report recommended further research to determine whether there could be a link between Agent Orange exposure and other illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, tonsil cancer, melanoma and Alzheimer’s disease.
Over the next decade, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to pay $50 billion for health-care compensation for ischemic heart disease alone — one of the 14 diseases the VA says is associated with Agent Orange exposure.
Last year, ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and B-cell leukemia were added to the list of diseases the VA associates with Agent Orange exposure. That added $236 million in 2010 and $165 million this year in compensation costs, according to a VA report.
In addition, today’s soldiers could be subject to longer delays for disability-compensation claims from the VA because of veterans from previous generations, said Ryan Edwards, a Queens College economist who has studied the life cycles of veterans’ costs.
“We’re probably not going to see the peak in demand for service needs for another 30 years,” Edwards said. “We have not begun to see the end yet.”
Providing compensation for veterans’ health care is not an economic issue, said Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, who has been on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for 15 years.
“It’s not a question of being able to afford it; it’s an obligation to our veterans, those who put their lives on the line, those who were told it was safe,” said Reyes, who was a helicopter crew chief in Vietnam. “We flew our helicopters through clouds of Agent Orange when it was being applied.”
Still, some prominent political leaders argue that many veterans could have developed these diseases regardless of whether they were exposed to Agent Orange. Those leaders are asking how the VA will afford the compensation claims without breaking the nation’s budget.
“You’re going to find out,” said Alan Simpson, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “These unbelievable compensation systems will fail. There’s no way they can be sustained.”
Retired Army Capt. Allen Clark of Dallas said he served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967 and was exposed to Agent Orange. A year ago, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, though he said he has no way of knowing whether his condition is related to his exposure. And he did not file a claim, because he already has 100 percent disability compensation after losing both legs in a mortar attack.
Proven link or not, he said, “We’re the ones that went off to an unpopular war. … We have earned those benefits by our service to our country under very trying circumstances.”
Other proponents of providing health-care compensation in these Agent Orange cases argue that scientific research can rarely provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
“We always tend to think of science as cut and dried, yes and no, black and white — and there’s a heck of a lot of gray in there,” said Dr. Terry Walters, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ deputy chief consultant for post-deployment health. “That’s why you need experts to evaluate it.”
Usually, to file a claim for compensation, a veteran must show that he has the disease, that he was exposed to Agent Orange and that there is a connection to the disease. But a presumptive link takes the burden of proof off of the veterans, Walters said.
Luther Newberry, 64, a retired Marine Corps E4 corporal who served in Vietnam, said that his ischemic heart disease, diabetes and neuropathy are a direct result of his exposure to Agent Orange.
“There’s not a doubt in my mind,” said Newberry, of Fritch, Texas, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Texas State Council. “Vietnam veterans my age, we’re probably dying at a faster rate than the Korean (or) World War II veterans are right now.”
If these veterans had been aware of the risks of Agent Orange exposure, many of them could have gotten the care they needed earlier — before it was too late, advocates said.
“If our guys had known that we’re more than twice as likely, almost three times as likely, to get prostate cancer, more than twice as likely to get diabetes, more than twice as likely to get sarcoma or renal cancer, people would have been on the lookout for these (health) risks that accrued to veterans who served in the Vietnam theater,” said Rick Weidman, executive director for policy and government affairs at the Vietnam Veterans of America.
Disability compensation for Agent Orange-related illnesses is going to be expensive, but it’s an expense that the VA is willing to accept, Walters said.
“It’s a lot of money, a huge amount of money,” Walters said. “But the (secretary of veterans affairs) doesn’t make the decisions based on money; we try to make the decisions based on science. But the science is very fuzzy. It’s very emotional and it’s political. It’s difficult.”
More than 40 years after the U.S. military used Agent Orange to defoliate the jungles of Vietnam, the health-care bill is escalating.
Over the past two years, federal officials say, an estimated 10,000 more veterans have sought medical compensation for diseases related to Agent Orange, an herbicide that contains a toxic chemical called dioxin.
The Institute of Medicine said in a recent report that there is sufficient evidence of an association between exposure to Agent Orange and illnesses including soft-tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma and chloracne.
The report recommended further research to determine whether there could be a link between Agent Orange exposure and other illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, tonsil cancer, melanoma and Alzheimer’s disease.
Over the next decade, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to pay $50 billion for health-care compensation for ischemic heart disease alone — one of the 14 diseases the VA says is associated with Agent Orange exposure.
Last year, ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and B-cell leukemia were added to the list of diseases the VA associates with Agent Orange exposure. That added $236 million in 2010 and $165 million this year in compensation costs, according to a VA report.
In addition, today’s soldiers could be subject to longer delays for disability-compensation claims from the VA because of veterans from previous generations, said Ryan Edwards, a Queens College economist who has studied the life cycles of veterans’ costs.
“We’re probably not going to see the peak in demand for service needs for another 30 years,” Edwards said. “We have not begun to see the end yet.”
Providing compensation for veterans’ health care is not an economic issue, said Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, who has been on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for 15 years.
“It’s not a question of being able to afford it; it’s an obligation to our veterans, those who put their lives on the line, those who were told it was safe,” said Reyes, who was a helicopter crew chief in Vietnam. “We flew our helicopters through clouds of Agent Orange when it was being applied.”
Still, some prominent political leaders argue that many veterans could have developed these diseases regardless of whether they were exposed to Agent Orange. Those leaders are asking how the VA will afford the compensation claims without breaking the nation’s budget.
“You’re going to find out,” said Alan Simpson, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “These unbelievable compensation systems will fail. There’s no way they can be sustained.”
Retired Army Capt. Allen Clark of Dallas said he served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967 and was exposed to Agent Orange. A year ago, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, though he said he has no way of knowing whether his condition is related to his exposure. And he did not file a claim, because he already has 100 percent disability compensation after losing both legs in a mortar attack.
Proven link or not, he said, “We’re the ones that went off to an unpopular war. … We have earned those benefits by our service to our country under very trying circumstances.”
Other proponents of providing health-care compensation in these Agent Orange cases argue that scientific research can rarely provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
“We always tend to think of science as cut and dried, yes and no, black and white — and there’s a heck of a lot of gray in there,” said Dr. Terry Walters, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ deputy chief consultant for post-deployment health. “That’s why you need experts to evaluate it.”
Usually, to file a claim for compensation, a veteran must show that he has the disease, that he was exposed to Agent Orange and that there is a connection to the disease. But a presumptive link takes the burden of proof off of the veterans, Walters said.
Luther Newberry, 64, a retired Marine Corps E4 corporal who served in Vietnam, said that his ischemic heart disease, diabetes and neuropathy are a direct result of his exposure to Agent Orange.
“There’s not a doubt in my mind,” said Newberry, of Fritch, Texas, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Texas State Council. “Vietnam veterans my age, we’re probably dying at a faster rate than the Korean (or) World War II veterans are right now.”
If these veterans had been aware of the risks of Agent Orange exposure, many of them could have gotten the care they needed earlier — before it was too late, advocates said.
“If our guys had known that we’re more than twice as likely, almost three times as likely, to get prostate cancer, more than twice as likely to get diabetes, more than twice as likely to get sarcoma or renal cancer, people would have been on the lookout for these (health) risks that accrued to veterans who served in the Vietnam theater,” said Rick Weidman, executive director for policy and government affairs at the Vietnam Veterans of America.
Disability compensation for Agent Orange-related illnesses is going to be expensive, but it’s an expense that the VA is willing to accept, Walters said.
“It’s a lot of money, a huge amount of money,” Walters said. “But the (secretary of veterans affairs) doesn’t make the decisions based on money; we try to make the decisions based on science. But the science is very fuzzy. It’s very emotional and it’s political. It’s difficult.”
Monday, November 21, 2011
New posting schedule
Sorry for the long delay in posting - had some family issues.
The posting schedule for this blog - starting this Wednesday, Nov 23, will be Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Thanks for your patience!
The posting schedule for this blog - starting this Wednesday, Nov 23, will be Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Thanks for your patience!
Friday, November 11, 2011
'Ride for 3095' motorcycle rally honored Vietnam War dead
From Inde Online: 'Ride for 3095' motorcycle rally honors Vietnam War dead
CLINTON —
A dozen Massillon-area motorcyclists added more rumble to today’s inaugural “Ride for the 3095” honoring the 3,095 Ohioans who died in the Vietnam War.
Sam Postlethwait, a Vietnam War veteran and director of the American Legion Riders Post 221, organized the local contingent that made the trek from Days Inn & Suites at 4742 Brecksville Road in Richfield, to the Ohio Veterans’ Memorial Park at 8005 Cleveland-Massillon Road in Clinton.
“I think it’s a great idea, being a Vietnam War veteran myself,” Postlethwait said. “When I came home, we got nothing. Now people are paying respect (to veterans) ... I have a close friend who lost his life over there. Even if I didn’t, I’d still do (ride).”
Organizers expected more than 2,000 motorcycles for the event, including some from as far away as Canada and Italy.
“It’s been nonstop. We have people coming from Pennsylvania and West Virginia,” said Ken Noon, event coordinator. “It’s never been done before. It’s pretty exciting. We have a guy coming from Italy, who is originally from Ohio, whose friend died in the war.”
Each motorcyclist carried a flag printed with the name, rank and branch of service of each of the 3,095 Ohio casualties in Vietnam. The flags also feature the Purple Heart Medal. Riders have the option of sponsoring a flag for $25, Noon said. Cash or checks will be accepted. Many of the flags are being purchased by residents who are unable to ride.
“If they just want to participate, it doesn’t cost anything,” Noon said.
Riders registered at The Days Inn until 10 a.m., with staging from 9 to 11 a.m. The ride departed at noon with a service at 2 p.m. at the Ohio Veterans’ Memorial Park. The park, which was dedicated in May 2009, includes a memorial wall featuring the names of each of the 3,095 Ohioans who were killed in Vietnam. The wall is the largest free standing monument in Ohio, according to Noon. During the memorial service, an AH-1 Cobra helicopter that will be permanently displayed at the park will be unveiled. The cobra served in Vietnam and the New Jersey National Guard, according to Noon.
“It had been on display in Zanesville but now we have it permanently,” Noon said.
Keynote speakers for the service included retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Peter Russo, U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Township, and State Rep. Christina Hagan, R-Marlboro Township, according to Frank Sasz, president of the Ohio Veterans’ Memorial Park. Rolling Thunder Chapter 5 will be joining the ceremony with the traveling POW/MIA wall, Ghost Warrior Ceremony and Missing Man Ceremony.
CLINTON —
A dozen Massillon-area motorcyclists added more rumble to today’s inaugural “Ride for the 3095” honoring the 3,095 Ohioans who died in the Vietnam War.
Sam Postlethwait, a Vietnam War veteran and director of the American Legion Riders Post 221, organized the local contingent that made the trek from Days Inn & Suites at 4742 Brecksville Road in Richfield, to the Ohio Veterans’ Memorial Park at 8005 Cleveland-Massillon Road in Clinton.
“I think it’s a great idea, being a Vietnam War veteran myself,” Postlethwait said. “When I came home, we got nothing. Now people are paying respect (to veterans) ... I have a close friend who lost his life over there. Even if I didn’t, I’d still do (ride).”
Organizers expected more than 2,000 motorcycles for the event, including some from as far away as Canada and Italy.
“It’s been nonstop. We have people coming from Pennsylvania and West Virginia,” said Ken Noon, event coordinator. “It’s never been done before. It’s pretty exciting. We have a guy coming from Italy, who is originally from Ohio, whose friend died in the war.”
Each motorcyclist carried a flag printed with the name, rank and branch of service of each of the 3,095 Ohio casualties in Vietnam. The flags also feature the Purple Heart Medal. Riders have the option of sponsoring a flag for $25, Noon said. Cash or checks will be accepted. Many of the flags are being purchased by residents who are unable to ride.
“If they just want to participate, it doesn’t cost anything,” Noon said.
Riders registered at The Days Inn until 10 a.m., with staging from 9 to 11 a.m. The ride departed at noon with a service at 2 p.m. at the Ohio Veterans’ Memorial Park. The park, which was dedicated in May 2009, includes a memorial wall featuring the names of each of the 3,095 Ohioans who were killed in Vietnam. The wall is the largest free standing monument in Ohio, according to Noon. During the memorial service, an AH-1 Cobra helicopter that will be permanently displayed at the park will be unveiled. The cobra served in Vietnam and the New Jersey National Guard, according to Noon.
“It had been on display in Zanesville but now we have it permanently,” Noon said.
Keynote speakers for the service included retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Peter Russo, U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Township, and State Rep. Christina Hagan, R-Marlboro Township, according to Frank Sasz, president of the Ohio Veterans’ Memorial Park. Rolling Thunder Chapter 5 will be joining the ceremony with the traveling POW/MIA wall, Ghost Warrior Ceremony and Missing Man Ceremony.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Vietnam war vets seize back hijacked ship
From Google.com: Vietnam war vets seize back hijacked ship
TAIPEI — Taiwan hailed on Monday the bravery of five Vietnamese war vets who launched a surprise assault on six armed pirates and successfully took back their vessel after it had been hijacked off East Africa.
The former Vietnam war fighters had been recruited by Taiwan to be part of a 28-man crew on the "Chin Yi Wen", a 290-tonne vessel, along with nine Chinese, eight Filipinos and six Indonesians.
The crew, who had been out of contact with the ship since Friday according to the foreign ministry, forced the six armed Somali pirates to jump overboard, and successfully took back control of the ship.
Liu Wan-tien, the owner of the vessel based in the southern Taiwanese city Kaohsiung, said the five Vietnamese sailors launched the surprise assault on the pirates as they were having a meal, the state Central News Agency reported.
The pirates were forced to jump into the high sea and were likely picked up by a small boat operated by the same Somali pirates group, it said.
Liu promised to reward the five "brave" sailors and the rest of crew who were also involved, CNA said.
It added that three sailors were slightly injured in the action, according to Liu, and the ship would remain in the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles before returning to Taiwan.
Taiwan's Fisheries Agency also voiced its gratitude to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), an anti-piracy taskforce, for swiftly coming to the aid of the vessel and providing it with protection.
The UKMTO had received the Agency's request for help on Sunday.
Two decades of lawlessness have carved up Somalia into mini-fiefdoms ruled by gunmen and militia, encouraging rampant piracy.
At least 47 foreign vessels and more than 500 sailors are being held by pirates, according to Ecoterra International, which monitors maritime activity in the region.
TAIPEI — Taiwan hailed on Monday the bravery of five Vietnamese war vets who launched a surprise assault on six armed pirates and successfully took back their vessel after it had been hijacked off East Africa.
The former Vietnam war fighters had been recruited by Taiwan to be part of a 28-man crew on the "Chin Yi Wen", a 290-tonne vessel, along with nine Chinese, eight Filipinos and six Indonesians.
The crew, who had been out of contact with the ship since Friday according to the foreign ministry, forced the six armed Somali pirates to jump overboard, and successfully took back control of the ship.
Liu Wan-tien, the owner of the vessel based in the southern Taiwanese city Kaohsiung, said the five Vietnamese sailors launched the surprise assault on the pirates as they were having a meal, the state Central News Agency reported.
The pirates were forced to jump into the high sea and were likely picked up by a small boat operated by the same Somali pirates group, it said.
Liu promised to reward the five "brave" sailors and the rest of crew who were also involved, CNA said.
It added that three sailors were slightly injured in the action, according to Liu, and the ship would remain in the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles before returning to Taiwan.
Taiwan's Fisheries Agency also voiced its gratitude to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), an anti-piracy taskforce, for swiftly coming to the aid of the vessel and providing it with protection.
The UKMTO had received the Agency's request for help on Sunday.
Two decades of lawlessness have carved up Somalia into mini-fiefdoms ruled by gunmen and militia, encouraging rampant piracy.
At least 47 foreign vessels and more than 500 sailors are being held by pirates, according to Ecoterra International, which monitors maritime activity in the region.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Soldiers Missing from Vietnam War Identified
From DOD: Soldiers Missing from Vietnam War Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of three servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Army Capt. Arnold E. Holm Jr. of Waterford, Conn.; Spc. Robin R. Yeakley of South Bend, Ind.; and Pfc. Wayne Bibbs of Chicago, will be buried as a group, in a single casket representing the entire crew, on Nov. 9, in Arlington National Cemetery. On June 11, 1972, Holm was the pilot of an OH-6A Cayuse helicopter flying a reconnaissance mission in Thua Thien-Hue Province, South Vietnam. Also on board were his observer, Yeakley, and his door gunner, Bibbs. The aircraft made a second pass over a ridge, where enemy bunkers had been sighted, exploded and crashed, exploding again upon impact. Crews of other U.S. aircraft, involved in the mission, reported receiving enemy ground fire as they overflew the crash site looking for survivors.
Between 1993 and 2008, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), interviewed witnesses, investigated, surveyed and excavated possible crash sites several times. They recovered human remains, OH-6A helicopter wreckage and crew-related equipment—including two identification tags bearing Yeakley’s name.
Scientists from the JPAC used forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence to identify the crew.
Today more than 1,600 American remain un-accounted for from the Vietnam War. More than 900 servicemen have been accounted for from that conflict, and returned to their families for burial with military honors since 1973. The U.S. government continues to work closely with the governments of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to recover all Americans lost in the Vietnam War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of three servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Army Capt. Arnold E. Holm Jr. of Waterford, Conn.; Spc. Robin R. Yeakley of South Bend, Ind.; and Pfc. Wayne Bibbs of Chicago, will be buried as a group, in a single casket representing the entire crew, on Nov. 9, in Arlington National Cemetery. On June 11, 1972, Holm was the pilot of an OH-6A Cayuse helicopter flying a reconnaissance mission in Thua Thien-Hue Province, South Vietnam. Also on board were his observer, Yeakley, and his door gunner, Bibbs. The aircraft made a second pass over a ridge, where enemy bunkers had been sighted, exploded and crashed, exploding again upon impact. Crews of other U.S. aircraft, involved in the mission, reported receiving enemy ground fire as they overflew the crash site looking for survivors.
Between 1993 and 2008, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), interviewed witnesses, investigated, surveyed and excavated possible crash sites several times. They recovered human remains, OH-6A helicopter wreckage and crew-related equipment—including two identification tags bearing Yeakley’s name.
Scientists from the JPAC used forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence to identify the crew.
Today more than 1,600 American remain un-accounted for from the Vietnam War. More than 900 servicemen have been accounted for from that conflict, and returned to their families for burial with military honors since 1973. The U.S. government continues to work closely with the governments of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to recover all Americans lost in the Vietnam War.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Medal of Honor winner thrills students with story of heroism
The New Star: Medal of Honor winner thrills students with story of heroism
Vietnam War veteran Sgt. Sammy Davis put his lips to a silver harmonica and played “Shenandoah” for a gymnasium full of middle school students. His hope — it would bring them peace.
But they had already fallen silent.
It’s a tune he’s played more than a dozen times before for his friends, their families and his fallen brothers whose names are etched into the Vietnam War Memorial, he told the students.
After he hit the last note, the students rose from the bleachers for a standing ovation.
Davis, one of 85 living Medal of Honor recipients, and at age 65, one of the youngest, visited West Ridge Middle School in West Monroe on Tuesday as part of a pre-Veterans Day presentation to inspire patriotism among youth. The selection of the school in particular was no coincidence: Davis’ granddaughter, Hannah, is enrolled there.
When Davis was in high school, he knew he wanted to join the Army, so he volunteered to serve in Vietnam. He hailed from a family of service members and wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who had been served as an artilleryman.
It was his job to provide continuous support to the infantry, he said, and that could require maintaining up to 10 hours of nonstop cover followed by a sudden lulls of absolute quiet.
It was that kind of “eerie quiet” that blanketed his unit early one November morning in 1967. Suddenly, Davis’ unit was pelted with heavy mortar. It was 1,500 Vietnamese soldiers vs. 42 Americans, he said.
Davis’ crew, armed with a 105 mm howitzer, received a direct blow from the enemy, throwing Davis into a foxhole. He lost consciousness for a while, but when he finally awoke he grabbed the damaged howitzer once again and gave it all he had. He couldn’t risk letting the other side overrun it, he said.
“I didn’t do anything heroic that night. I did my job,” Davis said.
“It was just like a bad dream,” he said. “I didn’t think that I was probably going to see daylight.”
Davis fired all remaining rounds of the howitzer, a phosphorous shell, and a final “propaganda shell” filled with leaflets, according to a Military.com report.
Vietnam War veteran Sgt. Sammy Davis put his lips to a silver harmonica and played “Shenandoah” for a gymnasium full of middle school students. His hope — it would bring them peace.
But they had already fallen silent.
It’s a tune he’s played more than a dozen times before for his friends, their families and his fallen brothers whose names are etched into the Vietnam War Memorial, he told the students.
After he hit the last note, the students rose from the bleachers for a standing ovation.
Davis, one of 85 living Medal of Honor recipients, and at age 65, one of the youngest, visited West Ridge Middle School in West Monroe on Tuesday as part of a pre-Veterans Day presentation to inspire patriotism among youth. The selection of the school in particular was no coincidence: Davis’ granddaughter, Hannah, is enrolled there.
When Davis was in high school, he knew he wanted to join the Army, so he volunteered to serve in Vietnam. He hailed from a family of service members and wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who had been served as an artilleryman.
It was his job to provide continuous support to the infantry, he said, and that could require maintaining up to 10 hours of nonstop cover followed by a sudden lulls of absolute quiet.
It was that kind of “eerie quiet” that blanketed his unit early one November morning in 1967. Suddenly, Davis’ unit was pelted with heavy mortar. It was 1,500 Vietnamese soldiers vs. 42 Americans, he said.
Davis’ crew, armed with a 105 mm howitzer, received a direct blow from the enemy, throwing Davis into a foxhole. He lost consciousness for a while, but when he finally awoke he grabbed the damaged howitzer once again and gave it all he had. He couldn’t risk letting the other side overrun it, he said.
“I didn’t do anything heroic that night. I did my job,” Davis said.
“It was just like a bad dream,” he said. “I didn’t think that I was probably going to see daylight.”
Davis fired all remaining rounds of the howitzer, a phosphorous shell, and a final “propaganda shell” filled with leaflets, according to a Military.com report.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
History Channel to feature professor
From the Student Printz: History Channel to feature professor
Andrew Weist, a history professor at Southern Miss, has published a total of 14 books, six of which are about Vietnam. Weist recently worked as the head historian for the History Channel documentary "Vietnam in HD." The documentary will premiere Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. on the History Channel.
"Lou Reda Productions needed a Vietnam War expert to set the parameters for the documentary, to work the script writing and to help them find the veterans they needed to interview," Weist said. "As a historian, it seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Weist wanted to take the topic he had been working on for years and translate his knowledge into a format that would affect and reach millions of people.
Weist was in charge of narrowing down a very complex war that lasted eight years and compacted it into a six-hour film series.
""I jumped at the chance," Weist said. "It was also quite challenging and fun."
Weist said he felt compelled to learn more about the war and how Vietnam was unlike wars that came before it.
"It was a war in which our soldiers fought so hard and well, but a war we still lost," Weist said.
Weist also said there are many facets to the Vietnam War, so research is always interesting.
"What I am interested in right now is the U.S. soldiers' experience here," Weist said. "I was too young for the war, but I saw it on television and heard my older sister's friends talking about it all the time."
Although he may not have understood it then, Weist knew that it was the most important event of his generation.
Weist played a part in the history of Southern Miss since 1987. His favorite role on campus was being a professor of history.
"I just loved learning what had come before," Weist said. "My mother, grandmother and my great grandfather all taught," Weist said. "I respected them all quite a bit. I was also affected very much by my high school and college teachers. I wanted to be like them."
Weist said he learned about the war "through reading pretty much everything that comes out on the Vietnam War." He also holds interviews, researches thousands of records in the national archives, takes trips to the Vietnam Center at Texas Tech and has veterans speak to his classes. "There is no better way to learn than from those who were there," Weist said.
Between his research and interviews, Weist experiences emotion every time he opens a book or hears the personal tale of a surviving veteran. He has interviewed over 70 surviving members of a military company unit and 26 of their relatives.
"It is even more emotional still to talk to the loved ones of soldiers who did not return home," Weist said. "It is a real honor for me to be able to interview these veterans, to have them entrust their stories to me."
The documentary also includes the story of a Hattiesburg veteran's role in the notorious Southeast Asian conflict.
The documentary will premiere Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. on the History Channel.
Andrew Weist, a history professor at Southern Miss, has published a total of 14 books, six of which are about Vietnam. Weist recently worked as the head historian for the History Channel documentary "Vietnam in HD." The documentary will premiere Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. on the History Channel.
"Lou Reda Productions needed a Vietnam War expert to set the parameters for the documentary, to work the script writing and to help them find the veterans they needed to interview," Weist said. "As a historian, it seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Weist wanted to take the topic he had been working on for years and translate his knowledge into a format that would affect and reach millions of people.
Weist was in charge of narrowing down a very complex war that lasted eight years and compacted it into a six-hour film series.
""I jumped at the chance," Weist said. "It was also quite challenging and fun."
Weist said he felt compelled to learn more about the war and how Vietnam was unlike wars that came before it.
"It was a war in which our soldiers fought so hard and well, but a war we still lost," Weist said.
Weist also said there are many facets to the Vietnam War, so research is always interesting.
"What I am interested in right now is the U.S. soldiers' experience here," Weist said. "I was too young for the war, but I saw it on television and heard my older sister's friends talking about it all the time."
Although he may not have understood it then, Weist knew that it was the most important event of his generation.
Weist played a part in the history of Southern Miss since 1987. His favorite role on campus was being a professor of history.
"I just loved learning what had come before," Weist said. "My mother, grandmother and my great grandfather all taught," Weist said. "I respected them all quite a bit. I was also affected very much by my high school and college teachers. I wanted to be like them."
Weist said he learned about the war "through reading pretty much everything that comes out on the Vietnam War." He also holds interviews, researches thousands of records in the national archives, takes trips to the Vietnam Center at Texas Tech and has veterans speak to his classes. "There is no better way to learn than from those who were there," Weist said.
Between his research and interviews, Weist experiences emotion every time he opens a book or hears the personal tale of a surviving veteran. He has interviewed over 70 surviving members of a military company unit and 26 of their relatives.
"It is even more emotional still to talk to the loved ones of soldiers who did not return home," Weist said. "It is a real honor for me to be able to interview these veterans, to have them entrust their stories to me."
The documentary also includes the story of a Hattiesburg veteran's role in the notorious Southeast Asian conflict.
The documentary will premiere Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. on the History Channel.
Oakley, CA: Oakley Vietnam veteran shares war stories
From Mercury News.com: Oakley Vietnam veteran shares war stories
While some veterans consider their war experiences too painful to share with the public, Vietnam War veteran Phil Ehrhorn is open about his past as an Air Force staff sergeant who flew in fighter jets and survived a crash.
The Oakley resident especially likes to share his stories with inquisitive elementary school children who ask lots of questions. Ehrhorn has spoken at several public and private schools, and is a regular guest speaker at East Contra Costa County libraries during Veterans Day activities.
"I tell the kids what I did over there. The kids just love it," he said.
At two upcoming events hosted by the Contra Costa County library system, Ehrhorn will share details about April 22, 1970, when the EC-47 surveillance plane that he was aboard as a radio operator was hit and crash-landed into a tree while flying a mission over South Vietnam. He will speak in Pittsburg on Friday and in Brentwood on Tuesday.
"I was working on equipment in the back of the plane when it happened," Ehrhorn said.
Two of the eight crew members were killed, according to Ehrhorn. The aircraft was seriously damaged, and Ehrhorn broke his back.
"A lot of the children want to know more about it because their uncles or grandpas were in the war, too," said Ehrhorn, who served eight years and was assigned to Detachment 2 of the 6994th Security Squadron from October 1967 to June 1970.
Ehrhorn, 68, said he doesn't go into too much detail about the crash, but he does field a lot of detailed questions from students in the third, fourth and fifth grades.
"The kids and I get along great," Ehrhorn said. "I have them on the floor laughing."
During the presentation, Ehrhorn will share photos of war-era aircraft and the medals he earned. For the past few years, he has been speaking to East Contra Costa residents in observance of Veterans Day at both the Oakley and Brentwood libraries.
Youth services librarian Lindsay Dupont said the hourlong Veterans Day event featuring Ehrhorn is designed for children in elementary and middle school, but their parents will enjoy it just as much.
"He loves children, and he has a great story," she said.
IF YOU GO
What: Vietnam War veteran and Oakley resident Phil Ehrhorn presents "Combat Missions in the Sky" in honor of Veterans Day.
When: 4 p.m. Friday at the Pittsburg Library, 80 Power Ave., and 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Brentwood Library, 104 Oak St.
Details: For more information, call the Pittsburg Library at 925-427-8390 or the Brentwood Library at 925-516-5290.
While some veterans consider their war experiences too painful to share with the public, Vietnam War veteran Phil Ehrhorn is open about his past as an Air Force staff sergeant who flew in fighter jets and survived a crash.
The Oakley resident especially likes to share his stories with inquisitive elementary school children who ask lots of questions. Ehrhorn has spoken at several public and private schools, and is a regular guest speaker at East Contra Costa County libraries during Veterans Day activities.
"I tell the kids what I did over there. The kids just love it," he said.
At two upcoming events hosted by the Contra Costa County library system, Ehrhorn will share details about April 22, 1970, when the EC-47 surveillance plane that he was aboard as a radio operator was hit and crash-landed into a tree while flying a mission over South Vietnam. He will speak in Pittsburg on Friday and in Brentwood on Tuesday.
"I was working on equipment in the back of the plane when it happened," Ehrhorn said.
Two of the eight crew members were killed, according to Ehrhorn. The aircraft was seriously damaged, and Ehrhorn broke his back.
"A lot of the children want to know more about it because their uncles or grandpas were in the war, too," said Ehrhorn, who served eight years and was assigned to Detachment 2 of the 6994th Security Squadron from October 1967 to June 1970.
Ehrhorn, 68, said he doesn't go into too much detail about the crash, but he does field a lot of detailed questions from students in the third, fourth and fifth grades.
"The kids and I get along great," Ehrhorn said. "I have them on the floor laughing."
During the presentation, Ehrhorn will share photos of war-era aircraft and the medals he earned. For the past few years, he has been speaking to East Contra Costa residents in observance of Veterans Day at both the Oakley and Brentwood libraries.
Youth services librarian Lindsay Dupont said the hourlong Veterans Day event featuring Ehrhorn is designed for children in elementary and middle school, but their parents will enjoy it just as much.
"He loves children, and he has a great story," she said.
IF YOU GO
What: Vietnam War veteran and Oakley resident Phil Ehrhorn presents "Combat Missions in the Sky" in honor of Veterans Day.
When: 4 p.m. Friday at the Pittsburg Library, 80 Power Ave., and 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Brentwood Library, 104 Oak St.
Details: For more information, call the Pittsburg Library at 925-427-8390 or the Brentwood Library at 925-516-5290.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Five Vietnam War veterans haven't let their memories of combat control their lives
From FayObserver: Five Vietnam War veterans haven't let their memories of combat control their lives
Vietnam.
For years, the mere mention of the name cast a pall over veterans of that war.
The conflict came to embody a splintered era of social unrest. Anti-war protests raged on college campuses, the surging civil rights movement was coming to a head, women jostled for equal rights and blue-jeaned hippies flaunted a beatific message of peace and love.
On March 29, 1973, the last U.S. ground troops left Vietnam. Many veterans returned home only to be treated as outcasts, enduring a blemish of shame for decades.
"The Vietnam veterans came home, and it was a turbulent time," said Ron Miriello, who pulled duty as a "River Rat" on the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. "They stayed away from speaking. They were called baby killers and spit on. I never thought anybody wanted to hear it."
Now, more than four decades after the height of the conflict, Fort Bragg and Fayetteville are uniting in celebration of the men and women who served in Vietnam. Heroes Homecoming, billed as a long-overdue welcome home for Vietnam veterans, will run Nov. 4-13.
"I don't think I deserve or need anything special for what I did. It was my duty," Miriello said. "I think there should have been more learning back in the day. Still, I think it is a great gesture."
In conjunction with the community tribute, Miriello and four other Vietnam veterans shared some of what they brought back from the nightmarish conflict. They are five who proudly wore the uniforms of their country, overcame the combat horrors and achieved success in Cumberland County after Vietnam.
Tony Murzyn
Army paratrooper with A Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry
Three times, North Vietnamese soldiers ransacked Tony Murzyn's body as he lay prone and motionless.
Finally, he was left for dead.
Murzyn had been shot four times - in his left ankle, left shoulder and both legs - on June 22, 1967, during the battle of the Slopes. It was his first significant combat after three months in Vietnam.
His company had been searching for North Vietnam Army troops on a mountainside when it was pinned down by a large enemy force. Ammunition started to run low, and radio contact was lost.
"It was a couple of hours, it seemed like," Murzyn said from his home in the Briarwood subdivision. "I could hear some moaning and groaning of other people around. I couldn't get to them. Then, all of a sudden, I heard Vietnamese talking, so it had to be the enemy."
The first enemy soldier snatched Murzyn's rifle from his hand and walked off. A dazed and disoriented Murzyn then felt a hand reaching for his shirt pocket. The soldier nabbed his notebook.
"Then I felt his hand going across my back like he had put an 'X' across my back. I was really nervous at that time," he said. "Then another individual came along and took whatever food out of my pants legs."
Murzyn and other surviving members of his company who waited through the night heard shots punctuated by screams as the enemy executed the American wounded. Forty-three soldiers, according to accounts, died from head wounds inflicted at close range.
Once the soldiers left, Murzyn rolled around and grabbed a nearby gun. The signal to attract friendly troops was one shot in the air every 30 minutes. Murzyn managed to fire while going in and out of consciousness.
"You're 20 years old. Your thoughts are different than at this age," said Murzyn, now 65. "You sort of think everything will be all right."
After being discharged from the Army in late 1967, he landed a job with Westinghouse Electric Corp. In 1984, he was transferred to what is now Eaton Corp.
Murzyn worked for 38 years with the company, eventually becoming an engineering supervisor.
Looking back, he said, Vietnam didn't change him.
"I think about it a lot," Murzyn said. "I pray about the guys who have passed away, but it doesn't haunt me. It was just another time in my life, like going to work and back. It was then, and now it's gone."
Ron Miriello
Navy machine gunner with the Navy Mobile Riverine Force
Ron Miriello spent a year behind a 50-caliber machine gun on Naval river assault craft, pulling search-and-destroy missions on the Mekong Delta.
"It's always in the back of my mind. It is a moment that will never go away," he said. "You hear that expression about a 'Kodak moment.' But Kodak moments are not just good pictures. Some are bad. They'll never go away. I see them just as visibly today of a mangled body I saw 40-something years ago."
For the past 12 years or so, Miriello has presented a first-hand account of his Vietnam experience for audiences that cross generations - from teens to World War II veterans.
"I talk about statistics, and I tell about the 58,267 (American service members) killed in Vietnam," he said. "I talk about preparing for combat, what it's like during combat. What it's like to return home from combat and all of a sudden being in a peaceful situation, which is hard to adjust to."
By the grace of God, he said, he was lucky during those 300 or so "River Rat" missions with the Navy Mobile Riverine Force.
Miriello, who found himself in vulnerable, risky situations from July 1968 to July 1969, never got hit while patrolling the rivers as a machine gunner.
"It was a year of living off tension and adrenaline. It was an exhausting time every day, your adrenaline so high," he said. "We were under fire often every day. When you hear a round from an AK-47 and hear it whiz by and know if you leaned an inch to the right that you'd get hit, that's scary. We all experienced such things at that time."
Miriello spent four years in the Navy. Afterward, he changed directions, posting a 30-year career in higher education, beginning at Fayetteville Technical Community College. In 2008, he retired as vice president of Central Carolina Community College.
Although his wartime experience was bad, it taught the former petty officer to appreciate the small things in life. Among them, he cites clean water and being able to switch on night lights.
But that stretch of duty also changed him from a trusting, mild-mannered man into someone easily angered and often suspicious.
"I will not sit down at a restaurant until I see everybody in front of me in the restaurant," he said. "It is an uncomfortable feeling not knowing what is coming around you. If people are behind me, I'm not comfortable."
Retired Lt. Col. Arturo Macaltao
Army infantryman with the 1st Calvary Division (Air Mobile)
Arturo Macaltao used to skim over the section in history books on the Vietnam War when he was teaching at Douglas Byrd High School.
Macaltao, who retired from Special Forces as a lieutenant colonel nearly two decades ago, was severely wounded on a search-and-destroy mission on Sept. 23, 1966, in the Hai Lang Forest of South Vietnam.
His voice drops as he recalls a brush with death and the valiant men who died around him, including those who tried to pull him to safety. It explains the difficulty he faced teaching about the war in a classroom.
"It was rough," he said. "You might say I would glide over it, even though some of my students wanted to know more. I always had the memories of guys who I served with and about the war itself."
Macaltao carved out a 28-year military career, enlisting out of high school at age 19 in July 1964.
He taught social studies at Douglas Byrd from 1996 through 2007. Macaltao always had an interest in history, and teaching came natural since training soldiers had been part of his job in the service.
Macaltao, 66, said people tend to ask him about Vietnam.
"I don't really get too much into it," he said.
On that fateful September day in Vietnam, he had been airlifted onto a hilltop. Trapped there were a couple of North Vietnamese regiments. A South Vietnamese unit flanked the American soldiers as Huey helicopters blasted the countryside with rocket artillery.
"I jumped in a depression on the trail and started exchanging fire," said Macaltao, a native of Puerto Rico who grew up in Chicago. "Next thing I knew, I felt like I was lifted up, like someone hit me with a telephone pole."
Macaltao, the fire team leader of about five soldiers, suffered bullet wounds in his lower back just above the right hip and in the left leg and shoulder. Fortunately, a hedge separated him from the enemy.
They knew he was there, he said, but they could not see him.
Macaltao called for a medic and recalls "another kid calling my name - Joseph T. Williams, who was the machine-gunner." He heard gunfire and found out later that Williams had been killed.
Platoon Sgt. 1st Class Antonio R. Osuna, who tried to pull Macaltao out, also was slain in the battle.
"I believe I've got closure with it, as far as looking back. I don't dwell on it," he said. "It brings back bad memories. I think about those guys, and I'm so grateful I'm alive. I guess I feel guilty I'm still alive. I lived a full life, married, had three children and have granddaughters.
"I think about the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice. I accepted it because I always wanted to be a soldier. Those things come with the job."
The Rev. Roy F. Hill
Army administrator with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and Special Forces Fifth Group
When the Rev. Roy F. Hill looks back at himself during his years in the military, he sees a hell-raiser. His first sergeant once told him he was going to put Hill's stripes on with Velcro because he was so often in trouble.
"I was a rah-rah guy," he said. "I was one of the devil's disciples."
Converted to Christianity on Oct. 16, 1983, the Kinston-born serviceman went on to become an ordained nondenominational minister.
He attended Bible college, worked for TV host Pat Robertson and the Christian Broadcasting Network, and was a director of the 700 Club (and now Operation Blessing) in Fayetteville.
He doesn't have his own church, but he presides at funerals, burials, weddings and baptisms. Hill also helps widows of retired Special Forces families.
Six years ago, he compiled a "Survivors Guide: What My Family Should Know" that he gives to Special Forces veterans and their families.
In public speaking, Hill likes to incorporate anecdotes from his long tour of duty in Vietnam. "It has helped me share the gospel," he said. "I'm a man of simple faith."
Hill said he doesn't linger on the baggage of Vietnam.
"We need to get on with life," he said. "We were treated like crap. It's my past. By grace, I got through it, and, by grace, I get through today."
Hill logged nearly 19 months in the Dong Nai province, doing administrative work before returning home in July 1967.
"I think it gave me an understanding of how war worked - how politicians get into it, and when the politicians get into it, how they handcuff the soldiers," he said. "We kept the American people out of it. They weren't telling the truth on what we were doing over there."
Ladell Williams
Army squad leader, demolition leader and platoon sergeant with over three tours of duty in Vietnam
Ladell Williams cannot bear to watch the 1968 John Wayne movie "The Green Berets."
In one scene, a Special Forces camp is attacked and overrun by Viet Cong. It gave him nightmares after his second tour of duty in Vietnam.
The scene is said to be loosely based on the July 6, 1964, Battle of Nam Dong.
"I guess it was just the violence of that particular scene," Williams said from his Hope Mills home. "That was one of the things that keyed my nightmare - that continuous nightmare - the same nightmare that I used to have when I first came back. I never got overrun, but something about that scene was the trigger. I won't ever watch it."
From 1965 to 1972, the St. Louis native served three deployments in Vietnam, anchoring a nearly 30-year career in the military. Later, he married a Vietnamese woman after meeting her on a blind date.
After his retirement from the Army, he worked for three years with Aims Rental Property and Storage and another 15 years at J.C. Penney in Cross Creek Mall.
Though he mostly keeps his perspective on the Vietnam engagement to himself, disturbing images from the war remain embedded in his mind.
"The first time I went, about the worst thing you run into, drug-wise, was maybe somebody smoking a joint," said Williams, who is 69. "Then you went from there, the last time I went back - a whole bunch of folks are strung out. You walk through an area, but instead of finding cigarette butts you'd find these little plastic heroin vials lying all over the place."
Williams long felt responsible for the death of a combat buddy in a helicopter accident. Williams sobbed softly as he recalled the soldier, who died in a burn center in Texas.
He blamed his hurried-up process to book a flight back to base camp in Thuy Hoa in the northern part of South Vietnam after some R&R in Thailand. After Williams was dropped off, the soldier took the same chopper out. The rotor clipped a tree, and the aircraft crashed.
Williams and his wife try to visit Vietnam about every other year. He has passed through areas where he once trudged as a soldier, but it's no longer recognizable to him.
"The good thing I can see: When we were there, you had a divided nation fighting among themselves," he said. "Before, you had two countries, and now there's one. And I can appreciate that. The time I was there, I had chosen the military as my career, and I had to do what I had to do."
Sunday, October 30, 2011
The U.S. Army's Rock 'N' Roll Past
From NPR: The U.S. Army's Rock 'N' Roll Past
The thought of army music evokes a certain tradition — say, trumpets and drums in the style of "Pershing's Own." But that tradition was set on its ear back in the late 1960s and early '70s, when the PFCs stationed overseas formed their own pop bands. Instead of breaking them up, Army brass sent them on tour.
East of Underground was one such band — a multiracial, seven-piece group stationed in Germany at the tail end of the Vietnam War. They were selected during something called "The U.S. Army's Original Magnificent Special Services Entertainment Showband Contest" — let's just call it a battle of the bands. The winners toured other military bases and made records.
Those recordings were lost for decades, until a collector discovered an East of Underground LP in 1997. After that, the search was on — for as many of these Army bands as they could find. A new compilation pulls together some of those old records — it's called East of Underground: Hell Below.
David Hollander produced the compilation. He also wrote the liner notes, which reveal a surprising fact: The U.S. Army spends an estimated $200 million a year on music, and is the largest single employer of musicians in the country.
"I was shocked when I found that out myself, but it kind of makes sense," Hollander tells Guy Raz, host of weekends on All Things Considered. "All the branches of the armed services have always included music as part of their mission. It's there to boost morale, it's there to provide entertainment and comfort for soldiers, it's there to sort of represent what the U.S. is — musically, culturally — to the rest of the world."
Lewis Hitt played guitar in East of Underground. Like all the other members, he was a draftee, and had come from a tiny town in Mississippi. Hitt says he had already been in one Army band by the time he joined the group.
"I initially was stationed in Korea. I was able to get into a band there. When I left Korea, the first thing I did when I got to Germany was to find Special Services, which happened to be right next to my barracks," Hitt recalls. "I met the singers and the other players and we got together and played, and it just kind of all meshed together."
The songs East of Underground played weren't your run-of-the-mill patriotic marches — in fact, some of them included controversial lyrics about race and politics. Hollander says it's not a mistake to read a hint of resistance into the band's repertoire.
"The song selection includes songs that were playing in the States, and very much expressed the countercultural sentiments of political resistance in this country at that time," Hollander says. "Bear in mind that these bands were all engaged in a show band contest in 1971 and 1972, and the winners of the that contest would then be able to tour Europe, and would also record an LP in the Armed Forces Network studios in Frankfurt.
"So this was a very viable way to avoid active duty in Southeast Asia."
Hollander says it isn't clear what the Army planned to do with these recordings, especially since so few copies of them have surfaced — just three dozen in East of Underground's case. It's also a mystery what happened to the bands — apart from Lewis Hitt, none of the members have come forward.
"I've done my own searches on Google and so forth, but I cannot find anything," Hitt says. "I'm just amazed that [the band's] three singers didn't have hit records after they left the Army. They were so talented, I just assumed they would have a contract with the first studio they walked into."
The liner notes of East of Underground: Hell Below conclude with a sort of benediction, lifted wholesale from the U.S. Army Field Manual:
Because of the unique ability of music to communicate, bands will serve in different capacities of publicity and recruiting, and in the support of civil affairs. Most of all, Army bands will strive to honor General George Washington's observation, "Nothing is more agreeable and ornamental than good music."
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