Vietnam Veteran News with Mack Payne

Episode 1189 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will cover the story out of Big Stone Gap, Virginia about a high school class learning about the Vietnam War and the fruits the class produced. The story appeared in The Bristol Herald Courier Titled: Union High School students embrace Memorial Day by learning history of Vietnam War in English class and was submitted by Carolyn R. Wilson.

Today if you ask a typical high school student anything about the Vietnam War most responses will be either a blank stare or the comment that it is ancient history and not important today.

It is critical that such ignorance be stamped out as completely and as soon as possible. George Santayana, the Spanish philosopher, essayist, poet and novelist stated the truism - "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  The Vietnam War is something we do not want to repeat so it is imperative succeeding generations know our history.

That's is where Kim Blanken comes into this podcast episode. She is leading the way in the crusade to stamp out ignorance about the Vietnam War with her high school students. She teaches history to advanced 11th-grade students at Union High School in Big Stone Gap, Virginia.

Recently she assigned her class to complete a research project on a war they only knew about from their history books. Blanken said: “No department in our school is a stand-alone.” She believes it’s just as important for her students to learn English as it is for them to research the past.

Listen to episode 1189 and discover more about what high school students in Big Stone Gap, Virginia learned about the Vietnam War and its veterans and how they reacted to the assignment. Also you will discover more about one of the more larger mix-ups in the War.

Episode 1188 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature the story of what one Vietnam Veteran is doing to encourage other Vietnam Vets to tell their stories. It appeared in the News Tribune of LaSalle, Illinois titled: 'We have to tell our story’ Vietnam veteran urges others to chronicle their experiences and was submitted by Chris Yucus ([email protected]).

When many Vietnam Veterans came home from the War, the reception they received made them want to hide the fact they were there. Rather than being treated as the heroes they were misguided public opinion toward them they were considered undesirable and unwanted.

Thankfully after many years attitudes toward Vietnam Veterans are changing and the country is beginning to see them as the heroes they always were. Because they weren't treated right when they came home many did not get the assistance they needed for the emotional challenges they faced.

PTSD was not diagnosed until 1980. Many who suffered from the condition had to work their way through it on their own. One way to deal with the condition is to tell their stories about their war time experiences to others. It can be done in writing or by word of mouth.

One Vietnam Veteran, Len “Butch” Bertuli of Mark, Illinois has found a way to deal with his demons from the past. A few years ago he got together with some of the friends he bonded with while serving in D Company, 2/12 Cav in the 1st Cav Division in Vietnam in 1969.

While talking about old times "in country" they decided to write an essay about and 11 day battle they took part in. The results were unexpected.

Listen to episode 1188 of the podcast and discover more about those results and what Vietnam Vet Len “Butch” Bertuli has to say about Vietnam Veterans telling their stories.

CLICK HERE for The complete 5,000-word essay “Telling Our Story: 11 Days in March.”

Episode 1187 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast features Vietnam Veteran and ex-POW Charlie Plumb. He has been tapped to deliver a Memorial Day speech in Solvang Park, California. A story about Plumb and the event appeared in The Lompoc Record titled: Former POW to relate experiences during Memorial Day ceremonies in Solvang.  It was submitted by Mike Hodgson ([email protected]).

Plumb is highly qualified to speak on the subject of remembering those who gave their lives for our country. It all started when he became a Naval Academy graduate then went on to became a US Navy aviator.

In 1967 he was flying F-4 Phantom missions off the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk over North Vietnam. On his 75th mission and only 5 days before the end of his tour he was shot down over Hanoi.

He was captured by the communists and spent the next six years in an 8 by 8 foot prison cell. Plumb was tortured for 2,103 days, almost for his entire time in captivity. In 1973 he was released along with 590 other POWs as a result of the Paris Peace Accords. According to the terms of the Peace Accords the 590 Americans were exchanged for 10,000 North Vietnamese being held in South Vietnam. Sounds like an even trade to this writer.

Since his release Plumb has spoken to 5000 audiences. He tells listeners about his experiences and shows how they can help anyone deal with the challenges ordinary people meet every day.

In reference to his Memorial Day speech in Solvang Park he said: “I’ll tell my story and why I’m there. And probably quite a bit about living well … and being strong."

All in the Solvang Park area are highly encouraged to go to the event and listen to this American hero tell his story.

Listen to episode 1187 of the podcast and discover more about Vietnam Veteran and ex-POW Charlie Plumb.

Episode 1186 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about a stopover of the Ride for the Wall expedition in Nitro, West Virginia. The story appeared in The Metro News, the voice of West Virginia titled: Motorcyclists stop in Nitro as part of coast-to-coast journey for veterans. It was submitted by Alex Thomas, a writer for the Metro News. ([email protected]).

The Thomas story describes what happened when a motorcycle convoy of 500 RFTW riders consisting mostly of Vietnam Veterans making a cross country ride stopped off in Nitro.

The ride is sponsored by the Run for the Wall organization. According to their website: the organization was "founded by Vietnam Veterans, Run For The Wall® recognizes the sacrifices and contributions made by ALL VETERANS who have served our nation. Veterans of recent conflicts, those currently on Active Duty, Non-Veteran Supporters, and Patriots are especially welcome to join and ride with us, as We Ride for Those Who Can’t."

The trip that led to the stopover in Nitro began on May 16 in Ontario, California. One of the riders, Dan Eckstein, who serves as a photographer for the organization’s Central Route team stated that: "Vietnam War veterans use the ride as a healing tool."

Many Vietnam Veterans still to this day are having difficulty in dealing with the horrible treatment they received when returned home. The welcome the riders received in Nitro did a great deal in helping to overcome the pain they have suffered so long.

Eckstein stated this about how the riders were received: “They hug us, they love us. That’s what this is all about.”

CLICK HERE for more information about the Ride for the Wall.

Listen to the entire episode 1186 of the podcast and discover more about the experiences of the Ride for the Wall riders in Nitro.

Episode 1185 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about what NASCAR and one of its teams are doing to remember the memory of all  fallen Vietnam Veterans and one in particular on Memorial Day at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, N.C., which is part of NASCAR’s “600 Miles of Remembrance.”

The story was submitted by Deaundra Allen of The Kansas City Star and was picked up by the Press of Atlantic City of Pleasantville, NJ. It was titled: Truex Jr. to honor Vietnam War hero.

The Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte is the longest race on the NASCAR schedule and one of the most popular. It is always held on the Memorial Day weekend which makes it an ideal occasion to honor all those who gave their lives for their country in wars. This year the race will pay special homage to those who died in the Vietnam War.

Martin Truex and his team are the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion and they are going a step further in honoring those who died in the War. Team owner Barney Visser is placing the name of Arlen Del Richardson, who died during the Vietnam War across the top of the windshield of his number 78 Bass Pro race car.

Richardson was a native of Lawrence, Kansas which is not far from the Kansas Speedway which the race team's home track. He was an Army aviator who served with the 123rd Aviation Battalion and was a medevac pilot. While flying a recon mission in Quang Ngai Province he was killed on February 17, 1970. He left behind a wife and family.

Listen to episode 1185 of the podcast and discover more about what a NASCAR team is doing to honor the memory of a fallen hero from the Vietnam War.

Episode 1184 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a new book by Vietnam Veteran Bennie Adkins of Opelika, Alabama. A story about the book appeared in the Opelika-Auburn Now titled: A Tiger Among Us: that was submitted by Troy Turner, the editor.

Bennie Adkins is a bona fide Vietnam War hero. He served three tours in the Vietnam War. His list of awards include the Congressional Medal of honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal with one "V" Device and many others too numerous to mention.

He served in the US Army from 1956 until his retirement in 1978. He did not stop there. He earned a bachelor's degree from Troy State University, in 1979. That was followed up with a Master's Degree in Education, in 1982. But he wasn't finished at Troy State yet, he received another Master's Degree in Management, in 1988.

While still a student at Troy State he established Adkins Accounting Service, Inc. in Auburn and ran that for 22 years. In his spare time he taught night classes at Alabama's Southern Union Junior College, for 10 years, and at Auburn University, for six years.

While serving in Vietnam in March of 1966 he found himself at the A Shau Special Forces Camp with 16 other Green Berets. The A Shau Valley ran parallel to the Laotian border and served as a major off ramp for the Ho Chi Minh Trail and was a hot bed of NVA activity.

Adkins and his fellow Green Berets survived a terrible 38 hour battle. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions during and after the battle the A Shau Special Forces Camp.

Listen to episode 1184 of the podcast and discover more about Bennie Adkins new book A Tiger Among Us where he describes the battle.

Recommended Reading:

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Episode 1183 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature some welcome news for members of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans. It has to do with the pending legislation in Congress with the purpose of providing coverage by the VA for that group of Vietnam Veterans who suffer from Agent Orange related medical maladies. A story appeared in The Military News section of The Day newspaper of New London, CT titled: Bill to provide VA benefits to Blue Water Navy vets passes key U.S. House committee that provided an excellent summary of the situation.

It is generally accepted by most officials that the "willy-nilly" use of the defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War has caused many Veterans of that War to die early and painful deaths. Decision makers have come to the conclusion that exposure to the super weed killer can cause fourteen undesirable conditions including heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and respiratory cancers as well as terrible other conditions.

The VA fought hard to not recognize the realities of the terrible things caused by Agent Orange exposure but Congress forced their hand with the passage of the Agent Orange Act of 1991. Things got better for the sufferers of Agent Orange related diseases and conditions as the VA was required by Congress to began to provide coverage to the veterans.

Things were going well for the suffering veterans until. 2002. In that year the VA issued its infamous ruling that henceforth only Vietnam Veterans with "boots on the ground" would be eligible to receive benefits for Agent Orange related medical conditions.

With a stroke of a pen the VA excluded tens of thousands of Blue Water Vietnam Veterans from receiving Agent Orange benefits.

Listen to the entire episode 1183 of the podcast and hear the whole story about the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veteran legislation along with some biting editorial comment.

Episode 1181 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature an interview with Vietnam Veteran Jerry Wiese who founded The Veterans Festival Group. He will describe the feelings for his fellow veterans that inspired him to undertake the tremendous mission of producing the Vet Fest 2018. The event will take place in Effingham, Illinois from June 14 thru 17.

This podcast is a strong proponent of the proposition the Vietnam Veteran Generation is as great as any that ever heeded the call of duty from its country. That proposition is backed up by the individual Vietnam Veterans featured here.

Jerry Wiese is an excellent representative of that Generation. He joined the Army in 1970 with the intention of serving his country in Vietnam. He served as a combat medic with the Americal Division working out of Duc Pho. He spent his entire year in country as a medic with an infantry company. One day in the jungle he saw eight of his good friends die in battle.

He came home with a heavy heart and suffered for years remembering the tough times he spent in Vietnam. He decided to attend the dedication of the Vietnam Memorial Wall and was highly moved by the gathering of 250,000 Vietnam Veterans who attended the event.

He decided he wanted to do something unique to help maintain the brotherhood of the men and women who took part in the Vietnam War. He founded The Veterans Festival Group and began the monumental task of creating a block buster event that is intended to honor all those who served their country in the military.

CLICK HERE for more information about The Veterans Festival Group and the inaugural Vet Fest 2018.

Listen to episode 1182 of the podcast and discover more about the amazing Vet Fest 2018 being produced by Vietnam Veteran Jerry Wiese in Illinois.

Episode 1181 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story by Charles Hurt found in The Washington Times titled: Throw John Kerry in jail. It seems our Vietnam hero, John Kerry, just can't stop serving his country.

Just as a reminder, Mr. Kerry grew up in France as the son of a government worker of modest means. He returned to his home country, the USA, to attend college. He graduated in 1966 and promptly joined the US Navy with the purpose of serving his country in Vietnam. He fulfilled that aspiration by serving in country from November 1968 to April 1969. In those short months he proved himself to be a real hero. While there he was awarded a Silver Star, Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.

Unfortunately when he returned home he defiled his service and that of all those who served in Vietnam. In an attempt to drum attention to his run for political office in his adopted home state of Massachusetts he appeared before Congress where he trashed all Vietnam Veterans.

He made unverified claims we were committing murder and torture in Vietnam. He stated before Congress and on TV Americans in Vietnam were routinely raping, pillaging, killing and ravaging the country like Genghis Khan. The North Vietnamese made good use of Kerry's curious comments.

After his Navy service ended, our hero married into the Heinz fortune and could have lived happily ever after on his rich wife's yacht but he never quits. He served in the US Senate and as Secretary of State in the Obama Administration.

The problem has arisen in that he does not know when to quit. Apparently he could not stand by idly and let the next president alter his greatest achievement as Secretary of State.

Listen to episode 1181 of the podcast and discover more about the nefarious activities of John Kerry.

Episode 1180 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story from the Vietnamese official news outlet. It is about something a Norwegian organization is doing to help the Vietnamese province Quang Tri rid its landscapes of the scourge caused by unexploded bombs dropped by the invading French and Americans from 1945 to 1975.

The featured story comes from The VN Express and is titled: War-ravaged Vietnamese province receives $10 mil from Norway for mine clearance. It was submitted by Vu Minh. Minh's story tells about the agreement with Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) signed on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. The NPA will underwrite an unexploded ordnance cleanup project that is expected to run through 2022.

Educated guessers claim more than 15 million tons of explosives were dropped on Vietnam in a thirty year period ending in 1975. This astounding amount is estimated to be four times higher than the total amount of bombs dropped in World War II.

The Vietnamese governments states that 1500 of its people are killed by UXOs each year and that millions of acres of its countryside are still contaminated with the lethal garbage.

Each year 100,000 to 125,000 acres in Vietnam are cleared of UXOs which works out of a complete cleanup taking 100 years. That is assuming during that century the NPA and others will continue its support at the current rate.

It is one of the burdens that come from communist thinking that "the ends justify the means." During the American Vietnam War it was amply demonstrated the communist North Vietnamese had no regard for the lives of its people.

Today they are living with that legacy that resulted in the bombs being dropped in the first place.

Listen to episode 1180 of the podcast and discover more about the cleanup of unexploded ordnance in Quang Tri Provence of Vietnam and editorial comments about the scourge hanging over the heads of the Vietnamese people.