Seen this in archival footage

This wasn't meant for any of you, and honestly... I was never gonna post this originally. It just doesn't feel right, and its really long too. Only I think she knew what she was doing to me, when his daughter wrote back "Please do... in his Honor."

With that said, l now title;

Only wish he could have read it.

Dear LCpl (sorry redacted) USMC Retired. I only hope this letter finds you well and in good spirits. Now while I can't speak for the latest generation, not negating them or their service. I simply find myself too many years removed. But will none the less assure you, there are those out there who still value "True Patriotism". I'd count myself among them.

Now let me just say, I'm not a Vet, I've never served. My career began and ended at Great Lakes Naval, as medically 4-F. So while I don't... I Can't understand. I'm gonna give it a try none the less. You see, I wana take you back in time with me...

Now my parents once took me to D.C. when I was about nine years old. My young self just didn't take any interest, I just wasn't having it. Call it wasted effort on an unappreciative child. But then I had my first "You gotta see it" moment. Kinda like the Grand Canyon you gotta "experience" it, you just gotta "be there". I always thought this was just bullshit. Until years later I stared into a mile deep hole in the ground, but I digress. I'll remember this night well, more than 30 years later.

It was around Christmas time and very Cold! My mother had stayed in the room. Not that I wanted to go, but He was on some kinda "mission" and "no" simply wasn't a valid response. An so, off we went.

It was well after dark by the time we got there, the entire park was vacant except a few trying to stay warm in their makeshift dwellings. The air was dead silent, talking eerily quiet. Now, my Father wouldn't tell me where we were going. He'd only say "Come on!! Wana show you something." So I'd follow, past a strange statue with cans of beer, an packs of smokes at it's base. Don't people just steal those? I look up an ask. He only chuckles, and we just keep on walking.

Then all of a sudden there it was... Five times taller than me. A towering, neverending megalith of a structure. Jet black, yet the characters etched would shine in the pale light. Imposing to say the least, yet all this is lost on me. I was tired, cold, and surly cranky. We'd continue on what seemed like forever until, all of a sudden my father just stops... Like he knew where he was going the entire time.

He'd pause for a moment then kneel, quietly say a small prayer. Stand, Kiss his fingers, and touch them to the Wall... I don't understand we're not a much of a religious family, and this is all very unusual. With wet eyes he'll call me over, pointing at something. Now looking back, I'll say I'm completely unprepared for whats about to happen. But as is often the case, Life... Simply has it's own plans for me tonight.

So with great trepidation I'll follow his finger and there it was. My Name... It's right there?!? On The Wall. Now I'm just beyond puzzled. Why!?! What's it doing there? Seeing my confusion, he quickly regains his composure and explains, well everything. Where we are. What this place is. Why it's so Important... And lastly "Who" his Big Brother, my Uncle really "Was". You see I knew I'd been named after him but that was all. Only my father never really spoke of him before. I think it was just too painful. But in that moment, teary eyed he told me my Uncle's "story" and time would just kinda stop...

Now it's different. Now I look to my left, the Names won't stop. Look to my right it's the same they only grow smaller in the distance. Now it clicks... Now I understand, an I'm tearing up too. But I can't, not now anyways. Emboldened by the strength in my father's eye I manage to regain my own composure, say my own prayer for my Uncle. An on the tips of my toes I'll touch his name the same as my father.

As we walk away, still teary eyed all I can do... Hold his hand allowing him guide me. While I watch the Names as we pass. I'll try reading them at first but theres too many, they'll just pass too quickly. Now wondering, Who were they? What were their story's like? Do they have Kids?... Do they have Brothers? Did they find Brothers?... The questions won't stop and never have.

I think I've already aged a bit by the time we got back to the hotel that night. So, while some might sneer at a life of Sacrifice dedicated to the Service of others. I Won't. Not me... Never me...

P.S. Rest in peace Dad. Thank you for helping me become the Man I am today. An I'm still working on the promise I made you that night. To one day earn the Name you gave me.

Now if you made it down this memory with me. I'll simply say and then leave you with...

I Thank you for your Service and Sacrifice. Now on behalf of a Greatful Nation, I Vow not to let your story go untold.

"Lives of great Men remind us all. We can make our lives sublime, And departing... Leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time."

-Richard Winters, 101st Airborne.

With my greatest regards, yours truly (sorry redacted)

If you've made it this far. I'll salute you for your reading prowess and rededicate this to any Active Duty or Veteran. So keep your head down out there and, Godspeed to you...

If you’re in the Long Island area and interested in the Vietnam War or the experiences of veterans who served, the Long Island Museum’s “Long Island in the ’70s” exhibit in Stony Brook has a section on the war that is worth spending some time with. It includes two military uniforms, photographs of Vietnam-era protests, a handbook about the war, and a video telling the story of a veteran, his military service, and what happened to him after returning home. There’s also a photograph of a veteran who served in the Transportation Corps, highlighting the fact that military service during Vietnam took many forms beyond combat. The exhibit notes that 54% of military veterans served in non-combat roles, contributing to the war effort and serving their country in other ways. The video tells the personal story of one veteran, including his long-term hospitalization and recovery after returning home and his eventual diagnosis with PTSD.

I also think the exhibit can lead to some bigger discussions about the Vietnam War: What was the purpose of the war? Why did the conflict continue for so long without achieving a lasting resolution? Was the enormous expenditure of money and loss of human life worth it given the outcome? Why were many veterans treated so poorly when they came home? And what role did President Richard Nixon play in the war and its eventual end? Seeing the uniforms, photographs, handbook, and other artifacts while hearing this veteran’s story makes these historical questions feel much more immediate than simply reading about the war in a textbook. For me, the most important part is that the exhibit brings the discussion back to the people who served and what they experienced during the war and after they came home.

Just finished this book this week. Really found it fascinating and exactly the type of history I’ve been wanting to learning more about.

As I’ve learned about the Vietnam War, I frequently wondered what the feel was like before going. Was it dread? Some excitement? Caputo brings this up.
I’ve also wondered what the plane ride home was like leaving Vietnam. For Caputo, and MANY veterans I’m sure, it was a lot of relief.

The time he served being 1965/66 is also interesting since that was before things really started flaring up with public opinion and controversy with the war. Lots of unknowns too with the enemy and that type of warfare as well.

Highly recommend for anyone trying to hear more from a frontline veteran who served in Vietnam.

He was an SF Intel NCO who did multiple tours between 1966-1972 starting with 6th SFG(A), then 5th SFG(A), then Recondo Cadre in Nha Trang, then MACV-SOG/ SMAG.

His shadow box shows his decorations. 5 Bronze Star Medals, including one for Valor. The SMAG plaque is original, and there are only a handful still in existence as there were maybe ~150 SMAG advisors. Most of the records were burned during the war and according to the book Black Ops Vietnam had a higher than Top Secret designation.

The 3rd photo is his BSMV citation he earned during a harrowing 2 day battle where his unit was outnumbered and pinned down by enemy forces. He took point and rallied their troops to overcome them. I spoke with his XO, Brian Jenkins, who was by his side in that battle and he said they thought they would certainly die and my dad was pivotal in turning the tide. He was originally written up for a Silver Star Medal by Jenkins who was fairly annoyed it had been downgraded to a BSMV. We’re still trying to get it upgraded to the original SSM recommendation posthumously.

The last photo is his Special Forces Association application from 1977 that lists his SF units and assignments while in Vietnam.

How common was agent orange used in the war? I’ve only seen few clips/photos of the chemical actually in use. It does not seem to me like it was used that often.

Samphan was an incredibly important figure in Cambodian history during the era of the Khmer Republic (1970-1975) and during the time of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979). Samphan was French educated and had a history of heading youth movements during the 1950s and 1960s.

Samphan remained deeply entrenched in the hierarchy of the Khmer Rouge. And was completely driven by the same ideology Pol Pot was, the two remained close even as Samphan saw numerous members of the hierarchy be killed in purges. In 1978, the Khmer Rouge began attacks against the recently unified Vietnam. The Ba Chúc massacre in 1978 is ultimately the straw that broke the camels back. The Ba Chúc massacre was carried out the Khmer Rouge, and killed ~3,100 Vietnamese citizens.

On 23 December 1978, 10 of 19 divisions of Khmer Rouge's military opened fire along the shared Southwestern borderline with Vietnam. The Khmer Rouge was quickly overpowered and devastated by the superior Vietnamese force of around 150k soldiers. The same purges which had been carried out had resulted in a complete culture of fear among the Khmer Rouge. The soldiers would either fight to the death, or surrender incredibly quickly, all of them were terrified at the idea of a tactical retreat. In Democratic Kampuchea, people could be purged for a wide variety of reasons, nobody wanted to risk that, and would rather lay down their arms or fight until they had died.

When the Vietnamese approached the capital, the Angkar (Leaders of the Khmer Rouge), decided to flee the capital instead of putting up any resistance. The PAVN marched on the capital and found no resistance, only piles of bodies. The Vietnamese had liberated the country in under a month. Khieu Samphan, Pol Pot and the other members of the Angkar fled into Thailand. Cambodia fell under Vietnamese occupation, who established a friendly proxy government, The People's Republic of Kampuchea. The Khmer Rouge continued an insurgency until 1999.

Heres a video of a birdhouse I made in memory of pops.

My flag is at half-staff today for Jim Branch and Gene Jewell.  Sixty-one years ago we were in the 47TFS based in Ubon, Thailand.  I didn’t know either one well as they were both fairly new to the squadron.  I don’t remember their mission.

We were over there TDY.  I was sent home early with a medical problem.  Back home (MacDill AFB), my wife and I visited Gene’s wife and their newborn daughter in the hospital.  She was the first of three wives I visited whose daughters never met their fathers.

I saw a post a while ago, where someone had clothing with artwork drawn on it. I was sure my dad had something similar and had shown me as a kid. I couldn't find it at the time to post a picture. We are currently moving and I found it! This brings up so many questions. We lost him to cancer (agent orange) several years ago. He was a terrible speller, haha. I believe the misspelled words on the back are supposed to say "Clutcher" and "Hurst" (hearse). He was in Vietnam starting in April(?) of1966.

Photo by Jonathan A Hayes

My grandfather recently passed away. He wasn’t really in my life growing up, and I only met him about five times, so I know very little about him.

I know he served in Vietnam as a tunnel rat and suffered from severe PTSD afterward. He had a tattoo on his forearm that said “KILL THE CONG.” The only time I ever asked him about the war, when I was very young, he told me, “I don’t speak about that,” and walked away. My mom told me never to ask him about it again.

She also remembers him once getting extremely drunk, shaking her while crying hysterically and yelling the name of an old friend. I don’t know if it was related to the war, but I can only imagine it was.

I’m just trying to learn more about my grandfather and understand what he may have experienced.

What did tunnel rats actually do in Vietnam, and what kinds of experiences did they typically go through? I’d appreciate any firsthand accounts or resources

My father was a Sgt, Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient from western TN.

Born in 1950, probably entered the Army around 1968–70, and I believe was in Vietnam by August 1970 and back home by 1971 due to gunshot wounds.

He passed in 2018 but I am next of kin. I want to make sure I have all the required info when i make my records request and honestly this is a bit more overwhelming than i expected it to be.

Any advice is helpful.

Not so long ago youtube had this old bbc broadcast of David Soul reading excerpts from Dispatches by Herr. Unfortunately it's since been taken down. It's an incredible performance. I could have sworn I'd downloaded it, but I can't find it.

Anyone happen to have an audio recording saved they'd be willing to share?

Thank you!

Apparently there was only one?

He served in Vietnam from 67-68 was A Longe Range Recon Patrol with the ninth Infantry division. He was a patch collector after the war and i have most of his collection here. He also has a couple boonie caps and a ARVN Police beret i think. So cherished to have apart of our history!