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hmTv | Influential Origins Ep. 469
Influential Origins with Alan Mindel and guest Simon Deng (Part 3) featuring Charles Jacobs

In Part 3 of this gripping series, Alan Mindel is joined by human rights activist Charles Jacobs to explain how the world finally confronted the hidden reality Simon Deng described: modern-day slavery and mass atrocities in Sudan and beyond. Jacobs traces his own path from civil rights idealism to shock and outrage after reading a report that Black Africans could be bought and sold for as little as $10 to $30. What haunted him just as much as the truth was where it appeared: buried and ignored.

Jacobs recounts breaking the story in major American media, forming the American Anti-Slavery Group, and uniting communities that were being targeted in different places, including Black Christians from Sudan and Black Muslims from Mauritania. He reveals a hard lesson in advocacy: mass murder did not move the public, but the word “slavery” did, because it struck at the moral nerve of a country that once fought a civil war over human ownership.

The episode delivers a stunning on-the-ground account of slave “redemption” missions led by Christian Solidarity International, where money was used at border regions to free enslaved women, children, and families in real time. Jacobs describes witnessing liberation firsthand, including a Passover moment that connected ancient memory to modern emancipation.

Simon Deng then connects past to present, explaining why the October 7 attacks in Israel felt chillingly familiar to him. He shares how he traveled to Israel repeatedly, marched with South Sudanese allies in solidarity, and sat with hostage families, sometimes in silence, simply holding hands and offering the one thing survivors understand best: presence.

This episode is a powerful meditation on moral clarity, the failure of global institutions to act, and the obligation to recognize evil patterns wherever they appear. It is not only history, it is a warning, and a call to witness.

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hmTv | Influential Origins Ep. 468
Influential Origins with Alan Mindel and guest Simon Deng (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this extraordinary conversation, Simon Deng moves from witnessing violence to living through one of the world’s least-discussed realities: modern-day slavery. Deng explains the meaning of the word abid — a term used in Sudan to label Black Africans as “slave” — and describes how racism, identity, and religion fueled decades of persecution that ultimately split Sudan into two nations.

At just nine years old, Deng was deceived by a neighbor, taken hundreds of miles from his family, and given away as property. For three and a half years he lived as a child slave. He recounts the daily brutality: forced labor, hunger, beatings, sleeping with animals, and being treated as less than human. Even children were encouraged to torment him because, in their eyes, he was not a person.

The episode then turns to the moment hope appeared. A chance encounter with members of his own tribe led to a secret rescue, while his family back home had already held a funeral believing he was dead. Yet freedom did not end discrimination. Back in Sudan he was still called a slave and even chased out of a public swimming pool simply because of his skin color. Ironically, that moment pushed him toward swimming and ultimately toward reclaiming his dignity and identity.

Part 2 is a raw, deeply personal account of survival, resilience, and the psychological scars of dehumanization. It sets the stage for how Simon Deng would later bring his story to the world and become an advocate for human rights and the abolition of slavery.

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hmTv | Influential Origins Ep. 467
Influential Origins with Alan Mindel and guest Simon Deng (Part 1)

In this deeply powerful opening episode, Alan Mindel sits down with human rights activist and former Sudanese slave Simon Deng to explore his earliest memories growing up along the White Nile in South Sudan. Deng shares what life was like inside the Shilluk kingdom, a peaceful Christian community that lived close to nature, raising cattle and families in a tight-knit village society.

But childhood in his village was shaped by a terrifying reality. From the moment children learned to speak, they were taught one thing: run when the soldiers came. Deng recounts repeated raids by the Sudanese army, villages burned to ashes, neighbors murdered, children shot while fleeing, and families forced into the bush where survival itself became uncertain. He speaks candidly about witnessing atrocities, including the burning of civilians and the systematic abuse of women.

The conversation widens beyond one village to the broader tragedy of southern Sudan. Deng discusses the mass killings of millions, the enslavement of Christians, and the world’s silence during decades of violence. He also describes a horrific documented massacre in which thousands of refugees, mostly women and children, were locked into train cars and burned alive.

Through his testimony, Deng reflects on identity, humanity, and what it means to grow up believing suffering is simply the way life is, until discovering a larger world beyond it. Part 1 sets the foundation for understanding not only his personal story, but why he now dedicates his life to human rights advocacy and remembrance.

This is a sobering and unforgettable conversation about survival, memory, and the responsibility to bear witness.

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In Part 5 of The Fog of War and Humanity, host Richard Acritelli concludes his extended conversation with Vietnam veteran Clarence F. Simpson by focusing on what has become Clarence’s “second mission” after the war: serving other veterans. Clarence discusses his long involvement with Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 11 in Suffolk County and the group’s guiding principle, never again will one generation of veterans abandon another. He reflects on the difficult reception many Vietnam veterans faced when they returned home and why peer support and recognition matter so deeply to those who served.

The episode highlights the chapter’s hands-on work in the community, including the Incarcerated Veterans Program and the Suffolk County Veterans Court mentoring initiative. Clarence explains how volunteers mentor struggling veterans dealing with substance abuse, legal trouble, and reintegration challenges, helping them access treatment and rebuild their lives. He shares powerful real-world examples of former mentees who found stable employment, restored family relationships, and even went on to careers in public service.

Beyond programs and statistics, the conversation explores the emotional side of veteran brotherhood. Clarence describes the camaraderie, humor, and quiet one-on-one support that allows veterans to open up without reliving trauma publicly. For him, the organization has become an extended family and a network that ensures no veteran faces hardship alone.

The series closes with a heartfelt thank-you from Richard, recognizing Clarence’s military service and his ongoing commitment to helping fellow veterans. The episode leaves listeners with a clear message: the impact of war does not end when soldiers come home, but neither does their service.

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In Part 4 of The Fog of War and Humanity, host Richard Acritelli sits with Vietnam veteran Clarence F. Simpson for a wide-ranging conversation that connects military service, family legacy, and the lifelong impact of war. Clarence shares a remarkable discovery about his Uncle Larry, a quiet family man who revealed late in life that he served with the Tuskegee Airmen as an Army Air Corps specialist, armoring and outfitting aircraft that supported missions across North Africa and Europe. Clarence also recalls learning that another uncle fought in the Battle of the Bulge, a reminder of how many veterans carried unimaginable experiences without ever speaking about them.

The episode then returns to Vietnam, where Clarence recounts the tense reality of leaving the war: being assigned to an ambush patrol the night before heading home, the tunnel systems near Nui Ba Den (Black Virgin Mountain), and the dangerous mental shift that happens when a soldier gets “short” and starts counting the days. Clarence speaks candidly about PTSD, triggers, and the importance of long-term brotherhood through his support group.

From there, Clarence walks listeners through his transition back to civilian life, from working at Grumman and Brookhaven Lab to a long career that followed the evolution of American telecommunications through Xerox, AT&T, and the companies that eventually became Verizon. He reflects on commuting into New York City, the pace of working life, and how retirement reintroduced him to his own neighborhood in a way the daily grind never allowed.

The conversation closes with a vivid memory of September 11, 2001. Clarence describes being at Fulton and William and witnessing the second plane strike, then watching the towers fall from a Brooklyn office window on a flawless late-summer morning. The episode ends with a teaser for Part 5, where Richard plans to explore Clarence’s work with the South County chapter of Vietnam Veterans and his continuing mission to support fellow service members.

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In Part 3 of The Fog of War and Humanity, host Richard Acritelli continues his powerful conversation with Vietnam veteran Clarence F. Simpson as Clarence recalls landing in South Vietnam at just 19 years old and confronting a world of oppressive heat, relentless rain, and constant danger. He describes building a tent city near Dau Tieng and the Michelin rubber plantation, the reality of living on C-rations, and spending most days away from base on search-and-destroy and reconnaissance missions. Clarence shares striking details about battlefield conditions, medical evacuation, and the long shadow of toxic exposure, including health battles that followed him home and the slow fight for recognition.

The conversation moves to the Cambodian border and War Zone C, where Clarence explains how crossing into Cambodia felt geographically the same, yet carried enormous risk and political consequences. He also offers an unfiltered look at the frustrations of combat, including rules of engagement that sometimes prevented soldiers from firing back, even when under threat. Clarence reflects on what war really becomes in the field: not a grand strategy, but loyalty to the brothers on your left and right and doing whatever it takes to get everyone home.

The episode closes on legacy and service across generations. Clarence speaks as a Gold Star father, connecting Vietnam’s toxins to later conflicts and the suffering of veterans he sees daily at the VA. He then shares a moving family revelation: discovering his Uncle Larry’s hidden history as part of the Tuskegee Airmen effort, a story that opens the door to an even deeper discussion of military service and civil rights in the next episode.

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hmTv
The Fog of War and Humanity – Episode 463
Host: Richard Acritelli | Guest: Clarence F. Simpson (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this compelling conversation, Vietnam veteran Clarence F. Simpson continues his story with host Richard Acritelli, moving from training grounds in the United States to the moment his unit entered the war.

Clarence describes his time at Fort Lewis, Washington, where intensive infantry training prepared young soldiers for a reality they could barely imagine. Living in the rain-soaked forests of the Pacific Northwest, recruits trained constantly, learning weapons proficiency, survival skills, and discipline under the guidance of battle-tested non-commissioned officers. Friendships deepened quickly, forming a brotherhood that would carry them through the uncertainty ahead.

Soon training turned into deployment. Clarence recounts boarding an aging troop transport and spending 24 days crossing the Pacific Ocean. The long voyage, filled with card games, guard duty, and anticipation, gave soldiers time to wrestle with the realization that they were truly heading into a war zone. A brief stop in Okinawa marked the last pause before entering combat.

Arriving in South Vietnam in 1966, Clarence and his fellow infantrymen descended from their ship by rope into landing craft and came ashore at Vung Tau. Within days they were moving from staging areas to field positions, eventually establishing a base camp at a rubber plantation near Dau Tieng. There was no long adjustment period, only immediate immersion into military operations and patrol cycles that would keep them in the field for weeks at a time.

This episode bridges the gap between preparation and reality, capturing the emotional transition from training soldier to combat soldier and highlighting the courage, camaraderie, and uncertainty faced by a generation of young Americans sent far from home.

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hmTv
The Fog of War and Humanity – Episode 462
Host: Richard Acritelli | Guest: Clarence F. Simpson (Part 1)

In this opening chapter of a powerful conversation, Richard Acritelli sits down with Vietnam War veteran Clarence F. Simpson to explore the life experiences that shaped the soldier long before he ever put on a uniform.

Clarence reflects on his childhood growing up in Harlem during the 1950s, sharing vivid memories of neighborhood life, summer fire hydrants, stickball, and a tight-knit community where kids built their own fun from almost nothing. His story then shifts to a dramatic change when his family moved to rural Manorville on Long Island, where he helped his father build their home by hand. Through chores, discipline, and responsibility, he learned lessons about work ethic, family bonds, and resilience that would later prove invaluable.

The conversation also captures a defining moment for an entire generation. After attending Suffolk Community College, Clarence received his Selective Service draft notice in 1965. He describes the shock of opening the official envelope, attempts to enlist on his own terms, and the realization that his life path had suddenly changed. From Fort Hamilton to Fort Dix and then Fort Lewis, Washington, he entered the Army alongside other young men who would become lifelong brothers.

Part 1 focuses on the human side of military service before combat ever begins. Clarence explains how camaraderie formed immediately among recruits, how families supported one another, and how a mysterious Green Beret accurately predicted their deployment to Vietnam before they even believed the war was real.

This episode sets the emotional foundation for the journey ahead, reminding listeners that every veteran’s story starts with an ordinary young person, a family, and a community, before history calls them into extraordinary circumstances.

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hmTv | The Israeli Bond – Episode 461 (Part 2)
Host: Gal Swisa Cohen
Guest: Orly Regev

In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Gal Swisa Cohen continues her interview with Orly Regev, a Long Island mother of three whose twin sons enlisted in the IDF as lone combat soldiers and served through October 7 and the Iron Swords War.

Orly recounts the terrifying hours when the war began while her family slept in New York and her children were in Israel. She shares how her daughter frantically tried to reach them, how her sons were called back to their units, and what it felt like to lose contact as one son was sent south toward the Gaza envelope. Orly also describes the emotional toll of waiting for any sign of life, the moment a simple photo brought relief, and the heartbreak of learning that a close friend’s son, Omer, had been kidnapped, and later murdered in captivity.

Beyond the first days, Orly explains the long reality of parenting combat soldiers during an extended war, the sleeplessness, the constant alertness, the limited communication, and the helplessness that comes with being thousands of miles away. She reflects on traveling back and forth to Israel for brief reunions, watching her son return changed, and the difference between a parent’s fear and a soldier’s pride and mission.

The episode closes with a message about values, identity, and the lasting impact parents have on the choices their children make.

Subscribe to hmTv for more conversations that connect personal stories, Jewish identity, and the unbreakable bonds between Israel and the diaspora.

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hmTv | The Israeli Bond – Episode 460 (Part 1)
Host: Gal Swisa Cohen
Guest: Orly Regev

What leads American-born teenagers to volunteer for the Israeli Army?

In this deeply personal opening conversation, Gal Swisa Cohen sits down with Orly Regev, a Long Island CPA and mother of three, whose twin sons chose a path very different from the typical American high school graduate. Accepted to college, they instead made aliyah and enlisted in elite IDF combat units as lone soldiers, serving far from home and family.

Orly shares how she and her husband, Israeli immigrants raising children in New York, built a home rooted in identity, responsibility, and connection to Israel. She reflects on parenting between two cultures, the influence of community and Israeli Scouts, and the mindset behind encouraging young adults to give before they take. The discussion also explores the emotional reality of watching children leave for military service, the meaning of pride versus fear, and the unique support networks that exist for lone soldiers.

This episode focuses on the choices and values that led to enlistment. In Part 2, the conversation turns to the moment everything changed after October 7 and what it meant to be the parent of combat soldiers during wartime.

Subscribe to hmTv for more conversations connecting personal stories, history, and identity through The Israeli Bond.

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