Vietnam Veteran News with Mack Payne

In previous episodes of this podcast the topic of Honor Flights was featured. The Honor Flight program has "hubs" across the nation that organizes flights to Washington DC for veterans in their respective areas. To date, Honor Flights has flown 160,000 veterans to Washington DC. The program was initially intended to serve World War II veterans, later Korean War veterans were included and now Vietnam veterans are been sent on the flights.

A parallel program in Hall County, Nebraska known as The Hall County Hero Flights for Vietnam Veterans will be featured in this episode. The Grand Island Independent titled: Vietnam vets to receive long overdue appreciation. The Hall County Hero Flights program has sent 80 Vietnam War veterans on a 2 ½ day tour of Washington, D.C., that will include visits to war memorials, monuments, Arlington National Cemetery, Fort Myer and other sights.  The veterans will return to the Grand Island Airport at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. A big part of the experience for the Vietnam Veterans is not just visiting the Capital and all its monuments and spending time with their fellow veterans but coming home to a grand welcome that will help make up for the welcome they were denied when they first came home from the war. All in the environs of Grand Island, Nebraska are encouraged to attend the welcoming event at the airport.

Response to this trip has been so strong another trip next year is already in the planning stages and its going to take money to make it happen. If you would like to help out with a contribution go to the website for the Hall County Hero Flights and make it happen. For your information the donate button is under construction but if you contact Don Shuda, the chairman of the association he will help you out.

Contact the Association at:

Hall County Hero Flight Association

131 South Locust, Grand Island, NE 68801

Phone 308-385-5065

In this episode we are going to look at the Vietnam Refugee experience and how it has worked out for them and the country but first a big announcement. The Wall of Faces Project has closed out another state in the search for pictures of fallen heroes of Vietnam. The project is an ambitious plan to secure a picture of every person whose name is on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC. Of the 58,000+ names on the wall, more than 46,000 of those names now have a corresponding picture on the Wall of Faces.

Janna Hoehn of the great State of Hawaii is one of the most active volunteers in the find a picture operation. She just found a picture of the 710th person from Oregon to fall in Vietnam. That act completed the quest for pictures of all the 710 Oregonians who died during the Vietnam War.

If you know of someone who died in the Vietnam War, please go to the Wall of Faces Website to determine if a picture of the person has been added to the collection. If a picture of the person you know has not been included on the Wall of Faces and you can help locate a photo, contact Janna Hoehn at [email protected] and she can help you get a photo submitted.

The story of a Vietnamese Refugee featured in this episode comes from Quartz. For your information this about us info comes from their website: "Quartz is a digitally native news outlet, born in 2012, for business people in the new global economy. We publish bracingly creative and intelligent journalism with a broad worldview, built primarily for the devices closest at hand: tablets and mobile phones."

"Quartz’s founding team includes veterans of some of the world’s highest-quality news organizations who have reported in 115 countries and speak 19 languages. Our main office is in New York City, and we have correspondents and staff reporters in London, Paris, Indonesia, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. We expect to expand quickly to other locations."     The featured story from Quartz is titled: Forty-one years ago, the US took a big gamble on Vietnamese refugees. It was submitted by Thu-Huong Ha in which he tells the story of his parents perilous escape from war torn Vietnam. Ha's story tells how the Vietnamese Refugees were at first not welcomed with open arms by this country but in the end for the most part they became successfully intertwined into the fabric of American society.

In the previous episode of this podcast the topic of how the Vietnam Veterans paved the way for today's veterans coming home from war was addressed. It was all in context of the Vietnam War Summit recently held at the LBJ Presidential Library on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin. An eclectic assortment of notables appeared at the event and put in their two cents worth. They ranged from current Secretary of State Mr. John Kerry, who by the way served in Vietnam, to singer Country Joe Macdonald. Of course Country Joe had to interject current politics into the event with the comment: “When you see the Trump rallies and a demonstrator and somebody getting punched and stuff like that, it was that magnified 10,000 times every single day.”

In this episode of the podcast we take a look at none other than Henry Kissinger who made a rare public appearance at the event. Kissinger was the national security advisor and Secretary of State under both presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and helped end America's involvement in the Vietnam war. His comments were featured in a piece from Time Warner Cable News of Austin, Texas titled: Henry Kissinger Speaks at LBJ Library as Part of Vietnam War Summit submitted by Stef Manisero.

According to Manisero Kissinger said: "There was nobody who wanted war, there was nobody who wanted to escalate the war. They all wanted peace. But the question was, 'Under what conditions can you do that?, It's an answer he says President Johnson was always searching for. "But his notions of peace were that you made a compromise and that is the one thing that the North Vietnamese were never prepared to do."

Kissinger's comments were a tremendous contribution to the meaningfulness of the conference. Another heavy contribution was the appearance of Vietnam Wall Replica. All in the Central Texas area are encouraged to go and see the display.

At last a new day is dawning America for a new and greater appreciation for its Vietnam Veterans. The Country is finally seeing the Vietnam Veterans as the heroes they truly are. All around the nation things are happening that show that development. A story in The Dallas Morning News titled: How are veterans coming home today treated differently from Vietnam vets? submitted by Bobby Blanchard is featured as it tells about one of those events that show the Nation is changing its mind about Vietnam Vets.

The Lyndon B. Johnson Library at the University of Texas at Austin hosted the Vietnam War Summit this week, more than 40 years after the war ended. In his opening remarks, LBJ Library Director Mark Updegrove said how the summit would take an “unvarnished look” at the war. Experts at a Vietnam War Summit in Austin discussed how the public stigmatized Vietnam veterans after the war.

One of the "experts" who contributed at the event was none other than that noted Vietnam Veteran, John Kerry who in a short four month tour in country was awarded a Silver Star and three Purple Hearts. Unfortunately he thought so little of his medals he threw them over the fence around the White House and then proceeded to testify before Congress about all the terrible things the evil Vietnam Veterans did to the poor peace loving Viet Cong.

The writer of the Austin event stated it took an "unvarnished" look at the Vietnam War, as if that hasn't been done for decades. The good thing to come out of the terrible way Vietnam Veterans were treated is that apparently the country was so shamed at how they abused those veterans it now goes out of its way to honor veterans who come home from wars the country fights now.

The Southern part of Vietnam is booming. As a Vietnam Veteran, I find that interesting. It was always my impression that the Vietnamese people were good and hard working and if they were left to their own devices they could do just fine. For too many years the area was beset with the problems of war starting with the fight for independence from France in the 1950's and the Vietnam War through 1975. For decades that poor country was wracked with the constant destruction of war. After decades of national recuperation and despite having to operate under the yoke of a stifling communist government Vietnam is booming.

In this episode a story from Forbes/ Asia titled: What 'Stark Tower' Tells Us About Vietnam's Economy  by Johan Nylander a Contributor that illustrates the new and rising prosperity of the country is featured. In his article, Nylander describes the Bitexco Financial Tower. It is the city’s tallest building and in its 68 floors rising 262 meters above ground houses everything from financial firms to a mall with European luxury brands and a variety of fine cafés and restaurants. He goes on to say "just five years ago, it was the country’s tallest building. Next year, it’ll be fourth tallest."

The growing economy is turning the country into a magnet for foreign investment and trade. Vietnam is expected to benefit greatly from the recently approved TPP trade agreement. With all the new growth Vietnamese traditionalists have the luxury of beginning to worry about preserving heritage and conservation of historic buildings.

The one big cloud on the horizon that could spoil the party is the aggressive nature of their big neighbor to the North. China too is growing and has the tendency to throw their new found weight around. Specifically they are claiming the Spratley and Paracel island groups in the South China Sea. This will allow the Chinese to exploit the rich fishing grounds and petroleum deposits in the area as well as controlling the critical sea lanes where much of the East Asian commerce passes through. Let's hope they work that out.

As a Vietnam Veteran I wish Vietnam the best.

Fort Lee, Virginia is a very nice place. That was my impression of the of the post when I arrived there in 1967. The Army sent my there for some QM training while I was enroute to Vietnam. I had just left an assignment with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg North Carolina and the least I can say about that gig was that it was a highly intensive experience with much running, jumping, training and pressure. The atmosphere at Fort Lee was much more laid back. That was due to the nature of the mission there. It was and still is the home of the US Army Quartermaster Corps. The purpose of the QM Corps is to be the "grocery store" of the Army. They manage the supply chain and many other ancillary activities including graves registration, petroleum management, food services, field services like showers and laundries and aerial delivery duties.

That last mission of the QM Corps is featured in this episode. There was a story from the Richmond Times Dispatch titled: Vietnam veterans reunited at Fort Lee for first time in 5 decades submitted by John Ramsey Richmond Times-Dispatch that tells about a group of Vietnam Veterans who held a unit reunion at Fort Lee. They were members of the 109th Quartermaster Company and had not seen each other for fifty years since they left Vietnam and headed for parts unknown.

They all trained together at Fort Lee where they learned the art of rigging parachutes for personnel jumping and equipment for aerial delivery, rigging and sling loading. In 1966 they went over to Vietnam as a unit which was a little different from the norm of soldiers being sent over unassigned to any particular units. They trained together and served together in some harrowing situations where they had to drop supplies regardless of the intense ground fire they often encountered. Three of their unit members were killed in Vietnam.

When they decided to meet at Fort Lee, the red carpet was rolled out for them. Post personnel went all out for the group showing them all the latest techniques for dropping men and equipment on the battlefield.

Hope you enjoy they story.

Memories can be a good thing and they can be a bad thing that ruins a person's life. In this episode a story will be featured that tells how bad memories spoiled a Vietnam Veteran's life and how the curse of Alzheimer's Disease is providing some relief from soul crushing memories of something that happened in the Vietnam War many years ago. The featured story comes from the Billings Gazette. It is  titled: The world wasn't young in those days. I was and was submitted by  Darrell Ehrlick [email protected].

The veteran described in the story is Gordon Cormier, a native of Billings, Montana born there in 1943. He served as an artillery forward observer with 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam. Prior to his departure to the war zone he was meandering around downtown Billings and by happenchance went into the local FW Woolworth Store where they were having a sale on pocket dairies. Cormier decided it might be a good idea to record his experiences in his upcoming combat assignment. He bought not one but two just in case he had heavy days of writing. He liked to write.

He did a good job of recording his Vietnam memories. In 2006, he used those diary entries and letters he had written to his father and brothers from the war zone to    published his memoirs and diaries of Vietnam, "Everyone Had His Turn: An Odyssey Through The Vietnam War and Beyond." The 699-page book describes the challenges of being an officer in Vietnam and living with the memories. It is a good thing he did that because today those memories are quickly fading away due the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.

Cormier's life changed forever on Feb. 2, 1968 during a firefight just north of My Tho City, a town about 50 miles south of Saigon. He called in artillery fire during the action and apparently there was a short round that landed close to their friendly troops. Six were wounded and six were KIA. Cormier assumed personal responsibility for the unfortunate occurrence and lived with the self assumed guilt for the rest of his life. Here his story on the podcast.

Recommended Reading:

In this episode we pay tribute to a brave Vietnam Veteran who recently passed away in Leesburg, FL. His name was Clark Welch and he served in the US Army for 31 years. I was first attracted to this story because I was born in Leesburg, FL. After learning more about this Vietnam Veteran and what an outstanding soldier he was for our country it became even more significant. The announcement of his passing comes from an article in the Orlando Sentinel titled: Vietnam War hero dies in Leesburg by Lauren Ritchie -Contact Reporter.

He was born in Dover, N.H., and was a 1957 graduate of Oyster River High School and president of the senior class. He enlisted in the Army two days after graduating. He went on to become an Army Ranger and a jumper. In Vietnam he was seriously wounded in a battle with the Viet Cong at Ong Thanh. His 70 man unit walked into a three sided ambush and when it was over 60 of him men lay dead. Even though he was badly wounded he continued to fight.

Welch was shot three times more in the chest and once in the leg. During the six-hour battle, he would black out, come to, and fight again, taking suicide risks by running through the thick of the battle to rescue his soldiers, despite a second tourniquet around his leg. For his courageous part in the battle, Welch was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest medal America awards for heroism in combat.

Welch served as an Airborne Ranger in the 1st Infantry Division and Special Forces. He spent 31 years in the service and was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame. In addition to the Distinguished Service Cross, Welch was awarded three Silver Stars with "V" device signaling valor in combat, two Purple Hearts and the Legion of Merit, among others.

Clark Welch will be buried with full military honors at the Arlington National Cemetery.

Clark Welch rest in peace.

Agent Orange is a terrible thing and was a terrible thing to use during the Vietnam War. The benefits accrued from its use in that war has been greatly outweighed by the grief and hardships it has loosed on the world. Millions of Vietnamese people died from its use and today many suffer terrible birth defects caused by the deadly dioxin. Some say as much as 10% of the landmass of the area formally known as South Vietnam is permanently contaminated by Agent Orange which will continue the curse of children being borne with grotesque deformities for generations to come. Vietnam Veterans not only endured the onslaught of illness and diseases caused by exposure to Agent Orange but succeeding generations are beginning to suffer Agent Orange caused health problems.

There is much talk about the government's obligations and responsibilities in respect to what it owes veterans who are suffering as a result of previous actions taken by the government in question. A story from WHO TV Channel 13 of Des Moines, Iowa titled: Iowa Veterans Fight to Stop Government from Defunding Agent Orange Research by Lynn Melling is featured in this episode. It talks about efforts being taken in Iowa to insure funding for further Agent Orange research does not dry up. If that happens, needed research about the effects and treatment for Agent Orange illnesses and diseases will also dry up which will leave many sufferers high and dry.

Melling tells about Vietnam veteran Dan Gannon who is a member of the Iowa Commission on Veterans Affairs and his efforts to gain support for two proposed bills in Congress that will continue funding of the Agent Orange situation. He has found support for bills being considered by Congress from Sen. Chuck Grassley who is a co-sponsor of the Senate version and Congressman David Young a co-sponsor of the House version. Sen. Joni Ernst says she has concerns about the bill and is not committing to it. Iowa's other House representatives did not respond to Channel 13 about their support of the bill. Here the whole story in the podcast.

Back in episode 581 of this podcast we took a look at an Honor Flight from the Land of Lincoln Program. In this episode another Honor Flight will be featured. The story comes from KFSM Channel 5 News titled: Military Veterans Overwhelmed By Support From Washington D.C. Trip by Amy Slanchik and Greg Dailey.  This Honor Flight that departed from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport on Wednesday morning (April 20). The plane was loaded with 74 veterans that included WW II, Korean and Vietnam War Veterans along with their escorts.

Veterans from all three wartime eras were equally impressed with the treatment they received in Washington as well as on their journeys to and from the capital. In Washington traffic was held so the tour buses could get to all the monuments on the schedule. Arkansas lawmakers U.S. Senator John Boozman and Congressman Steve Womack personally greeted the veterans as they toured the sites. The changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier was impressive but the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall captured the most attention of the veterans.

On the flight home O&A Honor Flight volunteers distributed packets, filled with handwritten letters and drawings from school children for each veteran. The children's messages were only icing on the cake of a wonderful day. It only got better when they arrived home at 10:00 pm. They were met by a crowd of 500 well wishers waving American Flags at the airport in Arkansas. The veterans were overwhelmed by the wonderful treatment they received that showed a great deal of recognition and gratitude for their service to their country.

All good citizens of this country are encouraged to support their regional Honor Flight Programs. Honor Flight is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing veterans with honor and closure.

 CLICK HERE to see all the Honor Flight Hubs

CLICK HERE to contribute to the Honor Flight of your choice.