Vietnam Veteran News with Mack Payne

Episode 1219 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about what a Vietnam Veteran, Tom Tafoya, is doing to help those suffering the ravages of PTSD. The featured story appeared in the Pueblo Chieftain and was titled: As understanding about PTSD grows, so, do treatment techniques. It was submitted by Luke Lyons of the Pueblo Chieftain.

PTSD is one of the darkest hangovers from the Vietnam War are confronted with as they still seek to a return to normalcy after facing the rigors of Vietnam. The PTSD Organization makes the claim 24.4 million people suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder at any given time in America. Many of those are Vietnam Veterans.

PTSD was officially recognized as a mental condition in 1980. Up until that time Vietnam Veterans received little attention from the medical community including the VA. Since its recognition there have been many programs established to provide assistance to those dealing with the condition. As proof of increased emphasis on the situation, June has been designated PTSD Awareness Month. The intended purpose of this designation is to help spread recognition of the disorder and its lasting, damaging impacts.

There are many treatment methods for PTSD being practiced across the nation.  One of the more effective methods is that being administered by Dave and CJ Dunklee at the Truman VA Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. It utilizes the magic of music. Dunklee's program is called the Healing Box Project and he maintains it has proven to be 100% effective.

The featured story describes the methods used by Tom Tafoya of the Associates for Psychotherapy and Education located at 924 Indiana Ave in Pueblo, Colorado. He is a licensed clinical social worker who uses a unique treatment method for sufferers of PTSD.

Listen to episode 1219 and discover more about how Vietnam Veteran Tom Tafoya is helping PTSD sufferers.

Episode 1218 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast features a story about a civilian and how she was affected by her first visit to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC

Sherri Dalphonse is the executive editor of the Washingtonian magazine. She is the editor in charge of such consumer topics as travel, fitness, health, finance, and beauty, as well as the editor who handles such cover stories as Great Places to Work, Best of Washington, Day Trips, Hidden Gems, Bikes and Hikes, Fairs and Festivals, Great Small Towns, and the Washington Bucket List. She lives in Arlington.

The magazine is the DC region’s top source of information for dining, shopping, entertainment, and personalities. Its print magazine has a monthly readership of 400,000 and its website Washingtonian.com boasts of a million unique readers every month.

She published a story she wrote about the Vietnam Memorial Wall on June 26, 2018 in the Washingtonian titled: What It Was Like Seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the First Time Before You Could Instagram or Tweet It.

Most all Vietnam Veterans will agree the Vietnam Memorial Wall is one of the most significant in Washington. It has deep meanings for Vietnam Veterans. Most know fallen heroes whose names appear on the Wall.

The Wall too is significant to civilians although not as visceral as it is to veterans. In her story Sherri Dalphonse describes her reactions after her first visit to the Wall back in 1983 when she was a college student. At the time she was attending a conference in Washington with seven friends from Syracuse University. On a whim they decided to visit the Memorial Wall soon after their arrival at 10pm on a Friday night.

Listen to episode 1218 of the podcast and discover more about how that visit affected Sherri Dalphonse forever.

Episode 1217 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast features a program in Springfield, Missouri that is providing help for veterans in the area suffering from numerous types emotional challenges including PTSD.

The program is covered in a news piece found at KSMU, a broadcasting service of Missouri State University at Springfield. The piece is titled: In a Group Therapy Room, a Springfield Vietnam Vet Finds Healing. Jennifer Moore of KSMU produced the program and images.

Moore's story centered around Vietnam Vet, Chip Miller. He was assigned to a civil affairs unit in the Central Highland of Vietnam.  While working with a group of Montagnards he witnessed something that stuck to his memory forever.

The intense memory caused him to start drinking heavily on the job and his performance on that job began to suffer. He kept the brutal imagery he witnessed to himself. It stayed with him for decades. Back home in Missouri the memories causes him such distress on several occasions, he stripped all of his clothes off and ran down a country highway. Luckily he had a good wife and she would always bring him back home for clothes.

Fortunately Miller, who is in his early 70s, discovered the Veterans Center on South Campbell Ave. in Springfield. There he found camaraderie and professional help in dealing with the trauma he experienced as a younger man.

All veterans in the Springfield, Missouri area with emotions challenges resulting from service in Vietnam are encouraged to seek help at the Veterans Center.

Listen to episode 1217 of the podcast and discover more about a program providing relief for Veterans in Springfield, Missouri.

The Springfield Veteran Center is open from 8:00 AM – 4:30  PM Monday through Friday and the address is 3616 S. Campbell Avenue. The phone number is (417) 881-4197. Veterans need to bring a copy of their DD-214 to seek services.

CLICK HERE for a link to Dave and CJ Dunklee's Healing Box Project in Columbia.

Episode 1216 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about traveling the length of Vietnam on the Reunification Express railroad. The story comes from Adelaide, Australia and appeared in the In Daily. It is titled: Exploring Vietnam by historical railway and was submitted by Ed Elliot.

If you ask any Vietnam Veteran about the Vietnamese railway system and the most probable response you might receive is "what railway system?" When we were in the country there was no railroad. In between constant air strikes by the US and its partners and the Viet Cong on the other side blowing up everything in sight the national railroad did not have a chance.

But yes, there was a railroad in Vietnam that ran from Hanoi to Saigon. Construction of the railroad began in the 1880s by French Colonists who hoped it would assist in their exploitation of Indo-China. The ace French engineers completed the railroad in 1936, just in time to be destroyed in thirty years of conflict that beset the country from the 1940s to 1975.

Demonstrating their resourcefulness, The newly united Vietnamese were able to get the trains back on track and running by 1976. Today it is running from top to bottom on a regular basis.

More and more Vietnam Veterans are making a return trip to the country where they fought a war fifty years ago. The reasons for which they are returning are two numerous and personal to count. But whatever the reason, a ride on the Reunification Express would be a great addition to anyone's Vietnam itinerary.

Listen to episode 1216 and discover more about the railway system of modern day Vietnam.

CLICK HERE for more information on the Vietnam Railway System.

Episode 1215 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast with feature a story from Pulitzer Prize winning The Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colorado, established in 1872. The title of the story is Medal of Honor recipient reflects on Vietnam War, politics during Pueblo portrait unveiling. The story was submitted by Erin Prater.

Prater's story described an event held at the Center for American Values in Pueblo, Colorado. It seems retired Marine Maj. Gen. James Livingston was speaking at his portrait unveiling ceremony at the Center. His portrait will be added to the 140 other Medal of Honor recipients at the center.

According to the center's website: "The Center for American Values, Inc. is a non‐political organization formed in 2010 for charitable and educational purposes. Its founders identified the need for a national initiative to recognize and preserve the values this great country was founded on."

The center is open daily 10am to 4pm. It is located at 101 South Main Street, Riverwalk 100 in Pueblo. Their telephone number is 719-543-9502. CLICK HERE for additional information about the center.

Remarks by General Livingston at the event centered around the Vietnam Was due to the fact he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions near May 2, 1968, in the village of Dai Do, Vietnam. He was presented with the award on May 14, 1970 President Richard Nixon in the White House.

The SRO crowd at the event was treated to hearing the general deliver his trademark comment about the action that day in Vietnam: "The battle was about 10,000 North Vietnamese against about 800 Marines. So it was a fair fight.”

Listen to episode 1215 and discover more about retired Marine Maj. Gen. James Livingston and what he said at the Center for American Values and the quote he left to accompany his portrait.

Episode 1214 of The Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will cover the story of a Vietnam Veteran who spent time in two concentration camps during World War II and survived to serve two tours in Vietnam as a member of the US Army.

Bob Sawada is the Vietnam Veteran featured in a story that appeared in The Redstone Rocket website and is title: Vietnam vet survived WWII concentration camp. It was submitted by Skip Vaughn, the Rocket editor. This story is the 174th in a series of articles about Vietnam veterans as the United States commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War that Vaughn has submitted.

This story by him is a barn burner. He interviewed Bob Sawada about not only his service in the Vietnam War but his life as a young Pole in World War II. Sawada was an eleven year old Polish youth when the Germans invaded his country in September of 1939.

His family was not Jewish but they were all thrown into a Jewish ghetto and things went downhill from there. His life would be a great movie theme. Today Sawada looks back on a full life that includes careers in the US Army and the Research, Development and Engineering Center at Redstone Arsenal for 22 years and retired in 1994.

He described the treatment he received upon his return from Vietnam in San Francisco. It was not good. The returnees in his group were instructed to get out of uniform as soon as possible due to the open hostility the locals were heaping on the veterans.

Sawada was proud of his uniform and his service to his country. It is humbling for us all to see the patriotism and love of the USA displayed by a Polish immigrant who came to America with nothing.

Listen to episode 1214 of the podcast and discover more about Vietnam Veteran, Bob Sawada and his amazing story of survivability and love of country.

Episode 1213 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Veteran Thomas Morrissey who is another tremendous representative of the Great Vietnam Veteran Generation. The featured story comes from The Valley Breeze of Lincoln, Rhode Island and is titled: Lincoln Vietnam veteran’s photos accepted into archive. It was submitted by Nicole Dotzenrod,  a Valley Breeze Staff Writer.

The gist of Dotzenrod's story is that photographs taken during the Vietnam War and after by Morrissey were accepted to become a part of the prestigious Texas Tech University Vietnam Center and Archive collection located at Lubbock, Texas.

The story expands on the topic of Morrissey's photographs and details some of the highlights of his life. Dotzenrod described his unusual formative years growing up in the Ringling Bros. Circus where both his parents were employed. His mother rode horses and was an acrobat in the show and his father worked in the front office.

Also covered was his entry into the US Army Flight School as a prelude to becoming an airline pilot. That did not work out due to lack of openings in the commercial aircraft business but things turned out quite well for Morrissey despite that setback in his career planning. After not finding desired work as a commercial airline pilot he went back to college and became a photographer and artist of note. One of his sculptures is on display in Hue, Vietnam.

Dotzenrod's makes it clear to see that Thomas Morrissey is another one of those excellent representatives of the Great Vietnam Veteran Generation, one that is as great as any that ever heeded the call from its country.

He will receive an official Vietnam Veteran News Salute for his outstanding service to his country both in Vietnam and back home in the States.

Listen to episode 1213 and discover more about Thomas Morrissey and why he is another tremendous representative of that Great Vietnam Veteran Generation.

Episode 1212 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about a new and unique method of sending veterans on Honor Flights to Washington, DC. The story comes from The Globe News Wire website and is title: VITAS Healthcare Offers Atlanta’s First Virtual Reality Honor Flight; Veteran Unable to Travel Visits War Memorials in D.C.

The first Honor Flight took place back in May of 2005. It started with six small planes that flew 12 veterans to Washington, D.C. so they could visit the war memorials in the city. The initial flight was very popular with the veterans so it was continued utilizing commercial airliners. Within a few years, Honor Flight networks sprung up across the country.

Initially Honor Flights were intended for World War II veterans. The program was so popular the networks began to realize they were running out of World War II veterans who qualified as not being able to go to Washington DC to visit the memorials in the past.

Knowing the tremendous benefits of the Honor Flights, organizers decided to expand the program to include Korean War veterans and later Vietnam Veterans. For flights that are made up of primarily Vietnam Veterans, organizers are beginning to stage welcome home ceremonies for the Vietnam Veterans as they return from their visit to Washington DC. The purpose of those welcome home ceremonies is to make up for the welcome home receptions most Vietnam Veterans missed when they came home from Vietnam fifty years ago.

Honor flights have proven to be a wonderful way for the nation to show its gratitude to its veterans. VITAS Healthcare is a pioneer and leader in the hospice movement since 1978. It has come with a unique method of helping more veterans reap the benefits of Honor Flights.

Listen to episode 1212 of the podcast and discover more about the unique method VITAS Healthcare is utilizing to honor our veterans.

Episode 1211 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast with feature the story of Australian Vet Ray Doudle and the fifty year delay in receiving his valor recognition for action in the Vietnam War. A story about the situation appeared in The Port Lincoln Times and was titled: Veteran finally awarded. It was submitted by Jon Ovan, a Port Lincoln Times journalist.

It seems to be happening more often in America for Vietnam Veterans to be receiving delayed valor award presentations. That could be caused by a myriad of factors too numerous to mention at this time.

Apparently this is not a phenomenon unique to America. A report coming out or Port Lincoln, Australia indicates it is occurring in that country also.

It seems Australian Vietnam Veteran Ray Doudle was a member of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment in Vietnam as it fought in the Battle of Coral-Balmoral, one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War next to the Battle of Hue during the Tet Offensive.

The battle raged during May and June of 1968. Participants included the North Vietnamese army fighting against Australian, New Zealand and United States forces. The fighting was so fierce the outnumbered Australians were ordered to fix bayonets for the last time in Australian military history. When the dust cleared the Aussies lost 25 KIA and their opponents suffered 267 KIA.

On May 13, 2018 Ray Doudle was one of 196 Vietnam Veterans of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment who fought in the battle fifty years ago who received a Unit Citation for Gallantry in Townsville. That award which recognizes extraordinary gallantry in action.

Listen to episode 1211 of the podcast and discover more about Ray Doudle, the Australian Vietnam Veteran who had to wait fifty years for his recognition for valor.

Episode 1210 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature rebuttals by Vietnam Veterans to the specious conclusions presented by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick in their epic documentary The Vietnam War.

Credit for bringing veterans opinions to light goes to the Vietnam Veterans for Factual History. They have done an outstanding job of helping tell the truth about the Vietnam War - its causes, its execution and its aftermath. In response to the documentary the VVFH created the Burns wiki website https://wiki.vvfh.org/.

In the section titled The Vets Strike Back they define the mission of the VVFH in reference to the Burns/Novick documentary:

"This section is primarily comments by Veterans about the Burns/Novick/PBS Series. Perhaps, if there had been any living veterans when Burns made his Civil War docu-tainment, there would be more awareness of the flaws of Burns' views of history. There are still many living veterans of the Vietnam War, both American and South Vietnamese and they find a lot to challenge in the Burns/Novick/PBS presentation of the Vietnam War, not the least of which involved the fact that very few of the Veterans represented on screen were representative of the attitudes of their fellow veterans. The Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) represented a minuscule fraction of those who served, yet were the predominant spokesmen in the video. The contempt in which they were held is evidenced by the strong Vietnam Veteran response against the 2004 Presidential candidacy of John Kerry who had been a leader in VVAW."

Listen to episode 1210 and discover more about Vietnam Veterans striking back at the propositions about the Vietnam War put forth by Ken Burns and his cohort Lynn Novick in their epic documentary The Vietnam War.

Find out more about the Vietnam Veterans for Factual History and the work they do at these sites:

Burns wiki: https://wiki.vvfh.org/

Website: http://www.SpecialForcesBooks.com

Website: https://www.Viet-Myths.net

Website: https://www.VVFH.org

VVFH Magazine: https://www.vvfhmag.org/

Indochina Series Books: https://www.vvfh.org/index.php/books/special-offer