Vietnam Veteran News with Mack Payne

David Haskell Hackworth was a remarkable American who reportedly coined the phrase “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” Next to Audie Murphy he was one of the most decorated individuals to serve in the US Army. He served gallantly in Vietnam where he earned high accolades from both his superiors and those who served under him in battle. His attitude toward the Vietnam War began to change as he saw more and more of the useless destruction to people and country it had wrought.  

His changed attitude toward the Vietnam War was trumpeted during an ABC interview near Saigon when in June of 1971 he declared that the war was unwinnable and called for immediate U.S. withdrawal.  This statement immediately caused him to become a persona non grata with the military hierarchy. Shortly after that event he left the service of the armed forces and became among other things and anti-nuclear war activist.

There was a very informative story into the Colonel in The Independent Australia website title: Colonel David Hackworth: The man who loved the smell of napalm and hated war. The story was submitted by Dr. Norm Sanders. Sanders told of a change meeting with Hackworth in New Zealand while both were speaking at a rally protesting visiting American warships in 1984. It turned out Hackworth and Sanders, an emigre who had renounced his American citizenship, had a lot in common. They both were from the same area of Southern California and had surfed on the same beaches.

Sanders was running for a seat in the Australian Senate in Tasmania and was being frozen out by the media. Hackworth offered to help get some coverage and that began a long time friendship. Sanders story in the Independent Australia goes on to describe Hackworth's career in the military and his post military activities as an anti-war activist. It is a very informative story for this podcast episode.

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In this episode of the podcast "Vietnam Veteran News" the story about a brave US Air Force pilot will be featured. It comes from The Signal of the Santa Clarita Valley titled: Dan W. Petkunas, Vietnam War Fighter Pilot – Valencia Resident and it was submitted by Bill Reynolds. Reynolds describes Dan Petkunas' story beginning with his 1948 birth in Chicago then his high school graduation at Proviso West High School in June 1966 and college graduation at the University of Illinois at Urbana.

Dan was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant through the ROTC program at Urbana and he immediately entered the Air Force flight training program. The next thing he knew he was an F-4 Phantom II Weapons System Officer assigned to the 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Udorn Royal Thai Air Base. Dan flew 222 combat missions during twelve month tour at Udorn. His missions took him from the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam to the regions around Hanoi and he believes they used up seven of his nine lives.

One of his closest calls came on the night of July 30, 1972. He was flying on an escort mission with an F-4 recon team over the city of Hanoi. The length of the mission required air to air refueling out over the South China Sea. While they were in sight of the refueling tanker they ran out of fuel and the pilots had to eject in the dark over the water. After a thirty minute soak time in the Sea he and the other pilot were relieved to see the arrival of a Marine rescue helicopter prior to the appearance of approaching NVA patrol boats.

Dan completed his tour at Udorn, met and married a lovely Thai lady and completed a career as an Air Force pilot. He retired in 2011 from his job as a contract manager. Today Dan enjoys bicycling, the gym, playing poker, and visiting in-laws in Thailand.

In the photo below note the difference in how pilots flying different type of combat aircraft dress for the occasion.

The Vietnam War legacy is filled with many gut wrenching stories of sadness and sorrow many families suffered when they discovered they had lost a loved one in that war. In this 875th episode of the "Vietnam Veteran News Podcast" the story of a fallen hero's family and their excruciatingly painful experience will be featured. The story about the family of fallen Vietnam Veteran, Mark V. Dennis, and their quest to know who is buried in their loved one's grave is found in two stories on WDTN Channel 2 News in Dayton, Ohio, one is titled: Buried truth: who was laid to rest at Hill Grove Cemetery? and a follow up story titled: Graveside memorial for local man killed in Vietnam.  Both stories were submitted by Katie Ussin.

Mark V. Dennis was a Navy medic serving in Vietnam with the US Marines. In 1966 at the age of 19 he was in a helicopter with fifteen others. It crashed and burned after being shot out the air and only three survived the disaster. The survivors did not include Dennis. The GR (graves registration) personnel apparently chose one of the burned corpses and assigned it the identity of Dennis.

The pick and miss identified remains of the brave and good Mark V. Dennis were sent home to his family at Miamisburg, Ohio and he was honored with full military honors and a graveside memorial at Hillgrove Cemetery. The grieving family and friends went on with their lives the best they could after the burial ceremony. Then something happened that stirred up the pot in reference to the disposition of the earthly remains of Mark V. Dennis.

In a 1970 edition of Newsweek Magazine that included an article about POWs, an image of an unidentified American POW was included in the story. Due to the remarkable resemblance of the POW in the story and their loved one, the family decided to dig into the matter literally. They had samples of the remains in Mark's grave analyzed by laboratories in two different states. Both reported the remains in the grave were not those of Mark. Despite the findings of the independent labs, as of today, the DoD still stands by its position the remains in the grave are those of Mark.

The remaining family members essentially said "to hell with it" and decided to put the matter to rest by holding a second memorial service for Mark at the same spot it was first held in 1966.

The pastor at the service said it best: “Today we lay Mark’s spirit and memory to rest.”

This episode of the podcast "Vietnam Veteran New" you will be treated to a love story. It is about a Vietnam Vet, Bob Banks, who is celebrating several fiftieth anniversaries this month. The story about them are found in The Herald of Everett, Washington titled: Home from war 50 years ago, he met his love and bought a car.  It was submitted by Julie Muhlstein, 425-339-3460; jmuhlstein @heraldnet.com.

Some of the fiftieth anniversaries Bob is celebrating this month include:

His safe return from the Vietnam War.

He was able to go back to his old pre-Vietnam War job he had with West Coast Telephone Co. in Everett.

He bought a 1967 Pontiac LeMans.

He proposed marriage to his sweetheart and she accepted.

The notable thing about Bob's anniversaries is that he is still married to his sweetheart, Sue and he still owns the same 1967 Pontiac LeMans.

Bob is another great example of the tremendous Vietnam Veteran Generation. He served his country in Vietnam, came home and continued serving as a citizen of Marysville, WA. He put in a career with West Coast Telephone Co. (later GTE Corp) in Everett, he maintained a stable home where he raised two children and he stayed married to the same woman.

The fact that he kept the car he purchased fifty years ago is especially noteworthy to this writer because I too bought a Pontiac LeMans in 1966 but did not have the foresight or wherewithal to hold on to it. When I went to Vietnam the first time, one year seemed like an eternity so I sold my prized LeMans before I departed. Now after hearing about Bob Banks keeping his LeMans, I am kicking myself for not doing the same.

Talking about his life in Marysville, Washington Bob says: “We’ve been awfully happy and awfully blessed.”

In this episode of the podcast "Vietnam Veteran News" the plight of one of our most loyal and effective allies in the Vietnam War will be featured. In the highlands of Vietnam there existed numerous tribes of "indigenous" peoples. Historically they were looked down upon by the ruling Cochin people of Indochina as backward and they suffered much discrimination at the hands of their more advances neighbors in the lowlands. The French referred to the tribes as  Montagnards which translated means mountain people.

The friction that existed between the Montagnards and especially the northern Vietnamese contributed to their willingness to work with the Americans when they came to fight against the North Vietnamese in the Vietnam War. When the war ended and the Americans left the country the Montagnards were left high and dry to suffer the ire of their former opponent when the North Vietnamese took over the entire country in 1975. Ever since they have suffered persecution and retribution from a revengeful Vietnam Communist government.

Recently a story appeared in Radio Free Asia titled: Dozens of Montagnards Flee Cambodia For Thailand Amid Fears of Repatriation to Vietnam. The story was reported by Thanh Truc for RFA’s Vietnamese Service, translated by Viet Ha and written in English by Joshua Lipes. It describes what some Montagnards are doing to escape the vengeful treatment they receive from the Communists in Vietnam and Cambodia.

It appears that a group of Montagnards who made their way to Cambodia seeking refugee status are being threatened with repatriation back to Vietnam where they face jail time and torture according to the escapees. Some have moved on to Thailand to avoid being sent back to Vietnam.

This is a sad state of affairs for a former loyal and effective ally in the Vietnam War.

CLICK HERE for more on Denise Coghlan, the director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, and what she is doing to help the Montagnard people in Cambodia.

In this episode of the podcast "Vietnam Veteran News" you will be treated to  enticing news of a culinary nature. A new Vietnamese restaurant has opened in Deland, Florida. The opening was covered in a story found in The West Volusia Beacon titled: Pho Co. adds Vietnamese cuisine to Downtown DeLand mix that was submitted by Anthony DeFeo and Barb Shepherd.

It is always heartening to this writer when someone takes the plunge into the entrepreneurial arena especially if it is a foreigner who is escaping the bleak aspects of living in a Communist country. Tai Pham, an emigre from the Communist paradise of Vietnam, has opened a Vietnamese restaurant at 111 N. Woodland Blvd. in DeLand, Florida. The new eatery is called Pho Co. Noodle House and features a menu filled with Vietnamese delights. The star of the culinary show is the popular Vietnamese pho noodle soup which is available with a variety of meats and is served with a plate of fresh Thai basil sprigs, sliced jalapeños and limes.

A DeLand artist, Rachel Hernandez, painted a large mural that shows Vietnamese farmers in their fields. This adds to an atmosphere that makes diners feel like they are in a cafe in Vietnam when they walk in the door. The locals in the Deland area appreciate the fact they can enjoy authentic Vietnamese food made by Vietnamese right there on Woodland boulevard in Deland.

The new restaurant comes highly rated by diners and all who would like to enjoy some real Vietnamese dining are encouraged to try out the new restaurant in Deland.

Pho Co. Noodle House fact sheet:

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Specialty: Pho

Location: 111 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, closed Sunday

Bill for two meals, an appetizer and dessert: $38.29

Seating options: Inside table service

Beverages available: Bubble tea, milk tea, iced tea, lemonade, coffee, soft drinks, smoothies

Types of service: Table service

Kid-friendly: Yes

Pet-friendly: No

Reservations: No

These days "fake news" is getting a lot of attention in the political area. If one did not know better they would think it is a new phenomenon. In this podcast I will point out that it has been going on at least back to the Vietnam War. Take for example the case of Kim Phuc, the "Napalm Girl" of Vietnam. It is hard not to forget the image of her as a nine year old back in June of 1972 running from a napalm attack on her village of Trang Bang where she was terribly burned. Award winning Associated Press photographer Nick Ut was in the right place at the right time to snap the iconic photograph. Over the years it has been a lasting reminder of the horrors of the Vietnam War in a way words could never describe.

Since the "Napalm Girl" image is so ingrained in our national psyche, fake news myths (lies) have grown up about the incident. Recently W. Joseph Campbell, a professor at American University in Washington, D.C. and an author of six books, including a recently published second edition of "Getting It Wrong" (University of California Press), which is about media-driven myths. Submitted a story about the subject of fake news about the "Napalm Girl" to The Baltimore Sun titled: Confronting the myths of the 'Napalm Girl'.

In his piece in the Baltimore Sun he lists these three myths (lies) about the incident:

The bombs were dropped by the US military aircraft.

The image changed Americans attitude toward the war

It caused the US to withdraw its forces from the war.

In the podcast each one of these myths will be shown to be totally false by Campbell and the evidence he lays out.

The lesson to be taken from this podcast episode is to be careful when you things in today's media.

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Back in the olden days of 1970 and 1971, I had the distinct privilege of being allowed to fly an AH-1G Cobra gunship in the Vietnam Conflict. As a member of A Battery, 4th Battalion, 77th Field Artillery (Aerial Rocket Artillery) of the 101st Airborne Division I flew in many high intense situations where we were rockin' and sockin' members of the oppositional forces. We flew out of our home base at Phu Bai near the old imperial city of Hue that was surrounded and protected by its St. Augustine style fortress wall. I guess the ancient Cochin people believed in walls. We operated in areas like the A Shau Valley, Khe Sanh, Laos and both sides of the DMZ to name a few.

Many times our activities involving hostile action would include the participation of fast movers (jet aircraft) from other services including the Air Force, Navy and Marines. The aircraft included everyone's favorite the F-4 Phantom Jet, The F-105 Thud (name picked up because of the sound they made when they frequently crashed into the ground) and the A-7 Corsair. One day in the midst of some intense action I noticed a strange looking propeller driven aircraft participating in the combat melee. It looked strangely like a World War II attack aircraft lost in a time warp.

That unusual looking plane turned out to be the Douglas A-1 Skyraider. It was a very tough and capable addition to the American combat weapon inventory during the Vietnam War. The Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. The Skyraider had a remarkably long and successful career.

It was slow and deadly. It cruised at 200 knots, could hang around (loiter) for days (seemingly) and carried twice the bomb load of a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress. It also came fitted out with four forward firing fixed 20 mm cannons. That last feature enabled A-1 Skyraiders to shoot down several North Vietnamese jet fighters.

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider served well in the Vietnam War.

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2.7 million Americans put on a uniform and served their country in the Vietnam War. It is estimated 850,000 of the veterans of that war are still with us today. As they pass off into the sunset of life their memories and stories about those troubled times disappear with them never to be known again if those remembrances are not somehow recorded. It is so important for succeeding generations to know about the experiences of preceding generation war veterans so they will have greater insight into facing the challenges of the future.

There is something special going on up at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire that is helping preserve the memories of participants of the Vietnam War Era. History professor Edward Miller has established the Dartmouth Vietnam Project (DVP). Along with the help of history professor Jennifer Miller and Dartmouth College Rauner Special Collections Library archivist Caitlin Birch.

The DVP was described in a story found in The Dartmouth (America's oldest college newspaper, founded in 1799) that was titled: Vietnam Project collects oral histories and was submitted by Racquel Lyn. Dr. Miller started the project three years ago and has since added 100 interviews to their collection. The interviews are conducted by volunteer students who participate in a cocurriculum program where they are trained in a series of eight workshops. The students conduct the interviews with volunteers under the supervision of faculty staff. The interviewees must have a connection to Dartmouth College.

According to Dr. Miller, the program has been highly beneficial to the students, the interviewees and the College.  He said “this is a program where the students who are participating are learning by doing, especially learning how to do oral history and the program also teaches the theory and ethical issues of oral history.”

Dr Miller is highly qualified to run the DVP. He has a PhD in history from Harvard University, he speaks Vietnamese and has visited the country of Vietnam on many occasions.

CLICK HERE to listen to DVP interviews.

In this episode of the Vietnam Veteran News podcast, we will be taking a look at the slippery slope that led to the creation of a monument in Washington, DC where 58,307 names of fallen Americans were etched on a black marble wall. When the process is examined it becomes reminiscent of a dream where the dreamer is being pushed toward a steep cliff by an unstoppable force. When the dreamer falls over the cliff they wake up and realize it was only a dream. In this case the dream turned out to be a real nightmare for the mothers of those named on the Vietnam War Memorial Wall.

The events leading up to our presence on the slippery slope were presented in a story found on the army.mil website titled: U.S. Army Helicopter Evolution during the Vietnam War. The story was submitted by Dr. Kaylene Hughes who is an AMCOM Historian. She pointed out how our fear of Communism overrode what seemed like clear logic.

Before World War II, France owned Indochina. In that war the Germans defeated France and this allowed the aggressor's friend and ally, Japan, to take the Indochina prize along with its rubber plantations and other resources for their use in fighting the war. The staunch Vietnamese nationalist Ho Chi Minh cooperated with the Americans in fighting the Japanese. As a reward for his cooperation, he was  promised by the Americans that he could lead an independent Vietnam after the war.

Unfortunately the rise of the world wide Communist threat nixed that promise. We reneged on the promise so Ho decided to fight for independence as we had against The King of England.

A war of more than ten years followed with the deaths of millions. Ironically the end result came about regardless of the lives and fortunes sacrificed on both sides. Today Vietnam is united, we are friends with the Vietnamese against a common enemy - Communist China.

Go figure!