Vietnam Veteran News with Mack Payne

In episode 956 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast there is an important message for everyone in the St. Louis, Missouri will be the featured item. A special event will be occurring on September 9, 2017. It was covered in a story appearing on the The ninenet.org website titled: The Vietnam War Preview Screening on September 9 - Presented by Express Scripts.

Express Scripts of the Nine Network Public Media will be presenting a preview screening of the documentary The Vietnam War by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. The showing will be held Saturday, September 9, 1:00 p.m. at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. Ticket for the event are $25.00.

Ken Burns will be in attendance along with Gerald Early, Professor of English, Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters, Washington University in St. Louis. They will be moderating a discussion of the film and the war.

Here is a quote from the website about the Burns and Novick documentary: It is an immersive 360-degree narrative, epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never before been told on film. It is a new 10-part, 18-hour film that features testimony from nearly 100 witnesses, including Americans who fought in the war and those who opposed it, as well as Vietnamese combatants and civilians from both sides.

Additional support for this noteworthy event is made possible by Major sponsors: Centene Charitable Foundation, Emerson, Steward Family Foundation/The Lion Forge, LLC; Supporting sponsors: Ameren, Dan and Connie Burkhardt, Clark-Fox Family Foundation, and The Boeing Company; Patron sponsors: Dr. William H. Danforth, Edward Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Ted Koplar, Colleen and Bob Millstone, Kim and Bruce Olson, and Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Sly.

CLICK HERE for ticket information. http://tickets.touhill.org/single/SelectSeating.aspx?p=6620

Discover more about this event along with candid opinions about the project from Mack Payne, himself a Vietnam Veteran, who is not afraid to tell it like it is at episode 956.

Episode 955 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will be a tribute to the memory of the late Maureen Dunn formerly of Randolph, Massachusetts. Maureen was a wonderful lady who did much to make sure all POWs and MIAs would never be forgotten. She became a mover and shaker in that effort after her husband Joseph P. Dunn, a naval aviator, was lost when his aircraft went down in the South China Sea in 1968. His remains were not recovered and he was declared an MIA.

After the loss her husband, Maureen spent the rest of her life making sure the MIAs would  not be forgotten and the POWs would be aided. She is one of the founding members of the National League of Families of POW/MIAs.

In remembrance of her work, the account of another MIA will be featured and remembered in this episode. Hubert B. Loheed was a naval aviator whose aircraft was shot down over Vietnam in 1966. There was a story about him in The website southcoasttoday.com titled: Remember the Fallen: Hubert B. Loheed, Vietnam and was submitted by Bob Lessard/American Legion Post 64 Historian.

Hubert grew up in Middleboro, MA. While attending the Teachers’ College at Bridgewater, MA, he was nominated as the principal 1944 candidate for a vacancy to the United States Naval Academy. Upon graduation from the Academy in 1951, he went on to the Naval Air Basic Training Command at Pensacola, Florida where upon completion was awarded his golden Navy wings as a Naval Aviator. With that Hubert became a career Naval flying officer.

Then came Vietnam. Hubert was serving as the commander of Attack Squadron-146 flying A-4C Skyhawks aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-61) in 1966. February 1, 1966 his aircraft was shot down over North Vietnam and he became an MIA.

We must never cease to remember brave Vietnam Veterans like Hubert B. Loheed and Joseph P. Dunn.

Get more on this at episode 955 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast.

In this episode 954 of the Vietnam Veterans News Podcast the Declaration of Independence will be featured. On this day 241 years ago a group of brave patriots signed that great document. Showing the typical American spirit of being willing to risk it all in the fight for freedom and liberty, they pledged to each other their Lives, their Fortunes and their sacred Honor.

That momentous document led to the birth of this great nation that nation would go on to be a beacon of hope to the world. It was an inspiration to many around the world. Ho Chi Minh, Our adversary in the Vietnam War, was inspired by its promise and used some of its wording in his own declaration of independence from France in 1945.

Sometimes people would ask the question, why were we in Vietnam fighting in what many called a civil war? The official reason for us being in Vietnam fighting against North Vietnam was to stop the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia and to support the government of South Vietnam.

A reading of the Declaration of Independence will give the real reason. America was founded on the basis of belief in the following lines from the Document: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Communism is the direct antithesis everything in those lines. We as a nation cannot stand by and watch a people being denied those unalienable Rights endowed by their Creator for two reasons. One, it is the right thing to do and two, if we don't stand up and fight for the freedom for others we may soon lose our own.

The entire Declaration of Independence will be presented for your information in this episode.

The Vietnam Veteran News Podcast episode 953 will feature an opinion piece that talks about service to our country through the draft and what the basic institution of drafting citizens for service to country really means. Ed Palm (Contact Ed at [email protected]) was a USMC officer who served in Vietnam. Today he is a community columnist with the Kitsap Sun. He recently published an opinion piece titled: Why are you thanking me?

It seems a teenage girl, a stranger, recently thanked him for his service. He responded in kind: “You’re welcome” but it got him to thinking. In the first place, he wishes people would not thank him for his service. He knows they mean well but it bothers him that they have no idea about the duration or character of his service or how I felt about it. He could have been the infamous former Army lieutenant William Calley being thanked for his service.

His point is that he did nothing extraordinary in opting to serve. He grew up in a time when the obligation to serve was taken for granted and even valued as a rite of passage. In those times Not every American male was happy about it, to be sure. But the great majority of our draftees went and made the best of it. Then came Vietnam.

As he told his midshipmen students in the class he taught at the US Naval Academy Vietnam was not just a war. It has come to signify a cultural watershed in this country. He used the draft experiences of Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali (née Cassius Clay) to illustrate his contention. Presley was drafted in 1958. At that time the attitude of the country was positive toward the draft and his service in the Army. A short eight years later in 1966 societal attitude towards the draft had taken a monumental change. When Ali was drafted he became a folk hero for refusing induction. The unpopularity of the war in Vietnam is the generally accepted reason for the national change of attitude toward the draft.

Make sure you listen to episode 953 of this podcast where you will discover Ed Palm's profound ideas about the value of the draft to our nation.

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Episode number 952 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story from "Down Under." It appears the treasurer of an Australian veterans club ran off with up to $400,000 from the club's treasury. The unfortunate situation was covered in a story appearing in The Herald Sun of Melbourne, Australia titled: Veterans fight to save Upwey-Belgrave RSL after treasurer stole from club. The story was provided by Ashley Argoon, a writer for the Herald Sun ([email protected]).

Argoon's story raised several interesting aspects of life in Australia and its veterans. The main gist of her story is about a crime committed by Marion Mills. Mills served as the club treasurer of the Upwey-Belgrave RSL from 2010-13. During her tenure in that office she apparently siphoned off $400,000 from the club's bank account to finance her gambling addiction and high living excesses she enjoyed along with her loving husband.

The loss from its club bank account has put the continued operation of organization in doubt. Australian war veterans value highly the benefits of the Returned and Service League. Club members are very concerned about what has happened and are very distraught about losing the benefits of their club. One member said this about the situation: “It’s not like a club, not like a community centre. It’s a family, that’s what I call it.”

Another issue about life in Australia highlighted in the story is the problem Australians are having with gambling. It is reported that Australians per capita lose $(US) 1,300 annually. The problem is growing primarily due to a form of slot machines called "Pokies."

Gambling is a curse on any society that falls for its temptations. Gamblers like it because of its addictiveness, businesses and governments like the revenue. These realities create a death spiral of ruin. It even effects innocent bystanders like the Upwey-Belgrave RSL which ironically has refused to install any pokies on its premises.

Hear more about this sad story at episode 952 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast

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The story about a wonderful project going on at Paine Field of Everett, Washington will be featured in episode 951 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast. It is about a group of Vietnam Veterans rejoining together to restore a special B-52 bomber nicknamed “Midnight Express.” The story was covered by Seattle Tacoma's Fox Q13 TV in a segment titled: Vietnam vets launch new mission to give aging B-52 a place of honor and glory. The segment was produced by Matt Lorch.

The emerging saga began when two retired Air Force pilots who were both shot down during the Vietnam War got together. One was 76-year old Joe Crecca of North Bend. He was a F-4 pilot who was shot down over Vietnam and spent six-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war in the Hanoi Hilton with John McCain. The other pilot was Jim Farmer, now a Bellevue resident, who flew one of those B-52s.

Along with the original crew of the B-52 bomber "Midnight Express" they have launched a new mission together. They aim to accomplish the immense job of saving the B-52 that’s been languishing up here (at Paine Field) for 26 years.

When finished the restored B-52 will be the centerpiece of a new memorial park, paying tribute to the aircraft of the Vietnam War, while honoring the service members who flew and supported them. The new park will be created from Project "Welcome Home" that was started by the veterans involved in the B-52 restoration mission.

The estimated cost to bring the B-52 back to its original combat condition is $600,000. The projected total cost of Project 'Welcome Home' is $2.2 million. Like most memorable projects like this one in Seattle the majority of the funding will be from private donations.

You are encouraged to make a donation to this wonderful project that will honor all Vietnam Veterans.

CLICK HERE for more about information about Project "Welcome Home" and to make a donation.

Discover more about this ambitious restoration project at episode 951 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast.

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In this, the 950th episode of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast two current event items that should be of interest to all Vietnam Veterans will be featured. One is about world affairs and how it might affect our future dealings with Russia. Most Vietnam Veterans have no use for war. We do not want our children and grandchildren facing the same wartime challenges we faced in Vietnam. Interactions with potential adversaries on the world scene shed much light on what may be in store for our country when it comes to the question.

Recently the venerable Henry Kissinger commented on what Russia us up to these days. His comments were covered in a story in The First Post titled: Russia wants to be 'accepted' by Europe, gain foothold in new world order says Henry Kissinger. We should listen when Kissinger speaks about national interactions. The 94-year-old senior statesman supported a policy of detente with the Soviet Union, opened relations with China and helped negotiate the Paris Peace Accords, which helped end US involvement in the Vietnam War. He was also involved in negotiating with Syria to stop the fighting that emerged from the 1973 war between Egypt and Israel. Hear his conclusions about today's Russia and their inclinations at episode 950.

Another very interesting current event that should be of interest to most all Vietnam Veterans is the announcement of the preservation for a while at least of the Air Force's A-10 Thunderbolt II, commonly called the “Warthog.” The A-10 came on the scene after the Vietnam War but it has definitely proven itself in combat around the world since those days. Top brass in the US Air Force have been trying to get rid of the close air support aircraft for years. Thanks to timely action by the Congress the A-10 will survive until something better comes along. A story in The Weekly Standard website titled: The A-10 Warthog Lives that was submitted by Benjamin Parker covers the details. Discover what those details are along with special comments from Mack Payne in episode 950 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast.

In episode number 949 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast William A. Robinson will be featured. He is one of the longest surviving POWs of the Vietnam War. He is going to be honored by The American Veterans Tribute on Saturday, July 1, 2017 on Pea Hill Creek in Gasburg, Virginia. There was a story about the event in the Brunswick Times Gazette titled: William A. Robinson P.O.W. during Vietnam War to be honored in Gasburg. The story was submitted by Bobby Conner.

CLICK HERE  for more information about the American Veterans Tribute organization.

Robinson, a native of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina was born in 1943. He joined the United States Air Force after graduating high school in 1961. In April of 1965 he was sent to Thailand for what was supposed to be a three month tour as a helicopter crew chief. His tour was extended three months and that turned out to be a fateful life changing situation. On September 20, 1965 while flying on a rescue mission in Vietnam his helicopter was shot down. The crew members survived and were taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese. That began a 7 year and 5 month stay in the Hanoi Hilton for Robinson.

There is a story in the The Armed Forces History Museum website titled: One of the Longest Surviving POWs – William Andrew Robinson that tells about Robinson's Air Force duty leading up to his capture. The story also describes the unique methods he used to survive his harsh ordeal as a POW in Hanoi.

Discover what those unique methods were in episode 949 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast.

Go to: vietnamveterannews.com

Also if you are going to be in the vicinity of Gasburg, Virginia on July 1, 2017 you are encouraged to go to The American Veterans Tribute on Pea Hill Creek to have a good time and honor Vietnam POW William A. Robinson.

Steve Waller is a Vietnam Veteran who served with the 101st Airborne Division. On December 16, 2016 he laid down his earthly burdens and passed away. The way Steve lived his life is a testimony to the proposition of this podcast that the Vietnam Veteran Generation is as great as any that ever heeded the call of duty from its country. There was a story about Steve in The Chicago Tribune Daily Southtown edition titled: Shnay: Southland veteran continues to give after military service. The story was submitted by Jerry Shnay a freelance journalist who can be reached at [email protected].

According to Shnay's story - "Waller was so excited about joining the army that he missed his graduation ceremony in order to get a head start on basic training." A short two months later Steve was a member of the 101st Airborne Division as it was on a campaign to clean out the A Shau Valley in Vietnam. The A Shau Valley was a twenty five mile long piece of real estate sitting atop one of the main off ramps of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. It was one of the most dangerous places in the war.

While patrolling in the Valley on Aug. 11, 1968, Steve had the misfortune of setting off an IED (improvised explosive device). He survived the blast but suffered a serious brain injury and he lost an eye.

After recovery from his battlefield injuries, Steve went back home on Sherman Street. He worked hard to re-start his life. He found a job with the State of Illinois, started investing his money and began attending the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Park Forest.

Discover what Steve did with his life and how he continued to serve his country in episode 948 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast.

This is an invitation to check out episode number 947 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast. The title of the episode, To draft or not to draft - that is the  question, gives an excellent lead in to the episode topic. In the Vietnam War the military draft was a hot issue. There was much unhappiness about young men being called to serve in a war of dubious purposes that was highly likely to place the lives of the young draftees in extreme peril.

After much political upheaval surrounding the Vietnam War, on January 27, 1973 the military draft ended in the United States about the same time as the end of our involvement in that War. The country went to an all volunteer army and that system has sufficed well ever since. Down through the years though there has been talk of reviving the draft.

One opinion on the question comes from an unwilling Vietnam Era draftee, a person opposed to all current wars and a hardcore lefty, Ken Midkiff of Columbia, Missouri. His position on the issue was found in an opinion piece in The Missourian titled: KEN MIDKIFF: A draft could make for a better military.

He began with the statement: "It was the time of the Vietnam War, my number had come up in the draft, and the local draft board sent a notice that I was called to serve." Looking back on his time in the Army he came up with the conclusion that  there was some good in being a draftee although he viewed his two years in uniform as miserable. His conclusions on the revival of the draft is quite unusual.

Discover Ken Midkiff's primary reason why he thinks the Army would benefit from a reinstatement of the draft in episode 947 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast.