Vietnam Veteran News with Mack Payne

When we talk about Vietnam Veterans we must never overlook the contributions made by 20,000 Canadians who came down to the USA and joined the fight against the hijacked civil war in Vietnam. Vietnam was garden variety civil war that got all tangled up in the titanic struggle against the insidious peril of world domination by the communists. While draft dodging cowards from the US ran off to Canada many brave Canadians passed them by as they came here to join the crusade of freedom loving people to help snuff out the threat.

In this episode the story of a brave Canadian, Thomas George Sweetnam is featured. His life and wartime bravery was described in a story from the National Post of Canada titled: The last days of a decorated Canadian vet, The ghosts of Vietnam. It was submitted by Joe O'Connor, email:[email protected]. O'Connor tells about Sweetnam's formative years in Alberta, Canada. He tells about how Sweetnam and a friend ended up on a trip that led him to Washington State and a happenstance meeting with the driver of an Army bus.

The bus driver talked to the pair about Vietnam and the American military and they was hooked. They decided to join the US Army and Sweetnam ended up as a Green Beret and later a member of a LRRP (long range reconnaissance  patrol) unit with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam.

The Story begins with a description of Sweetnam's recent death in Monte Vista, Colorado. He died along in a humble house trailer on the outskirts of town. It was a sad end for a brave Vietnam Veteran. In Vietnam he was exposed to much nerve shattering LRRP operations. The incident that caused him the most difficult  challenges was an operation in the Roung Roung Valley where his helicopter was shot down and four of the personnel on board were killed and he was seriously wounded. He never seemed to get over the horror of that day in Vietnam almost 50 years ago.

His story will rip emotions. Please listen the life saga of Thomas George Sweetnam on the podcast.

In this episode a story from West Hawaii Today of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii titled: War Orphan Mike Frailey and Veteran Keith Nealy Share Perspectives on Vietnam War by Max Dible writer for West Hawaii Today [email protected] is featured.

The story is about two men whose paths crossed about a year ago at a ManKind Project men’s circle meeting at North Kohala, Hawaii where both reside. One was Keith Nealy a Vietnam Vet and the other was Mike Frailey, who was orphaned by the Vietnam War. Mike Frailey's story was especially poignant. As a child in Vietnam during the war his family was killed as a result of combat action where he was also wounded and had to spend hard time in a hospital recovering from serious wounds. After his release from the hospital he was dropped off and the young age of only 5 by a stranger at an orphanage. Life at the orphanage was tough. He subsisted on insects and stolen food from Buddha offerings or by begging at the feet of American soldiers.

God stepped in with a little divine guidance when he sent Cheri Clark, an American nurse to Vietnam during the war to help alleviate the orphan crisis. Frailey(nee unknown) was rescued from the wretched orphanage and was delivered to America in April 1975 as a part of Operation Babylift. He was one of approximately 2,500 orphans who were evacuated from war-torn Vietnam only days prior to the fall of Saigon. Life was not a bed of roses for Frailey after he got to the States but he made it and is doing fine today.

The other person featured in the story is Vietnam Vet Keith Nealy. He was a combat salvage diver who faced death many times in Vietnam and came home to suffer the indignity of be spat upon by long haired dope smoking anti-war demonstrators. Today they have established a strong bond after their chance meeting at the ManKind Project meeting. Listen to the podcast episode and enjoy their stories of success in the face of big challenges.

William "Bill" McIntyre a U.S. Army Veteran and Steeleville, Illinois resident will be on the next Land of Lincoln Honor Flight to Washington DC. His story was featured in an article in the Randolph County Herald Tribune of Chester, Illinois titled: Nothing but blood and holes. The story was submitted by Pete Spitler, Staff Writer for the Randolph County Herald Tribune.

McIntyre only spent 15 days in country but he was there long enough to get blown away by an NVA mortar round and pick up an Agent Orange Disease. He was assigned to a towed 155mm howitzer battalion. The action where he was wounded in a mortar attack occurred one night in April of 1967 in the vicinity of Tuy Hoa. His unit was conducting a fire mission in support of friendly troops when their firebase received a mortar attack followed up by an assault by waves of NVA.

The attack was beaten back after a few hours but not before a mortar round landed behind McIntyre and caused severe wounds to the back of his legs. He was shipped out to Japan where he spent seven months in intensive care learning how to walk again. The doctors told him he would never walk again but he proved them wrong. Later he had to win another battle with lymphoma which the doctors say was caused by exposure to the dioxins of Agent Orange.

He is going to Washington on an Honor Flight courtesy of the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight whose mission statement is: "Our mission is to provide round trip transportation from Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield, Illinois for veterans in order of their service (WWII, Korean Era and Vietnam Era) who wish to visit their memorials in Washington, D.C. This day trip is provided completely free of charge to the veteran in honor of his/her service to our country."

Honor Flights offer veterans a wonder opportunity to go to Washington and see the monuments to their service. You are encouraged to support the Honor Flight program of your choice.

CLICK HERE for more information about the Land of Lincoln Honor Flights.

Vietnam Veterans served in many capacities during the Vietnam Conflict in all branches of the service including the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. In this episode the story of US Army Vietnam Vet Russ Miller will be featured. It  comes from an article in the Holland Sentinel titled: Veterans Spotlight: Russ Miller intercepted enemy communications during flights over Vietnam by Curtis Wildfong of the Sentinel staff.

Russ Miller today lives in Holland, Michigan. He served a tour in Vietnam as an electronic technician on surveillance flights over both North and South Vietnam as well as the Ho Chi Minh trail. His job was to make sure the electronic equipment worked properly so the five translators on each flight could listen to the opposing forces radio transmissions and quickly pass on the information picked up to friendly forces. Any of his time on the intelligence gathering flights not spent on equipment maintenance and operations was devoted to watching for possible anti-aircraft missiles being fired toward his aircraft.

One bit of dark humor in the story was when Miller told about his decision to enlist for a four year hitch rather than be drafted for a two year tour. By doing that he figured he could avoid the possibility of a combat assignment and he could choose a technical type job of his choice. He told when he enlisted he would not be going to Vietnam due to the technical nature of his MOS. Within twelve months of his enlistment he was in Vietnam.

After his tour in Vietnam Miller spent the final two years of his commitment as an instructor at Fort Devens in Massachusetts. Russ Miller is another fine representative of the Vietnam Veteran Generation. A Generation as great as any that ever answered the call of duty from their country.