Conversations between Mike Wallace and a planeload of young American soldiers en route to Saigon -- and a war-weary group headed home
May 26, 2011 - In 1970, five years after the troop buildup in the Vietnam War began, American servicemen were still being drafted and shipped to war at the rate of about 12 planeloads a week. At the time, the entire country was gnarled in a great debate over the war and whether the sacrifice of these young Americans was worth the fight. So, Mike Wallace boarded a commercial Super DC-8, chartered by the military and bound for Bien Hoa airport near what was then called Saigon, to ask the freshly drafted soldiers what they thought of this war they were told to fight.
After they arrived, he boarded a plane back to the U.S. with a group of war-weary troops who just finished their year-long tour in Vietnam. The result is a fascinating documentary-style look at the soldier's state-of-mind in 1970 America.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Coming and going to Vietnam:
Putting a Strain on VA Benefits System
A strain that should never exist as each generation thinks it can become the 'next great generation' only they do so with just using the Wars of Choice and Absolutely No Sacrifice. They don't even question that fact nor Demand that they do. Just cheer on war like it's a sporting event, they even talk about it like they do sports they don't play in as if they really knew, played out by others, with no casualties, as they eat their popcorn, then they move on not the least of thought of the results of as they don't live through none of it and rarely view or read about. Not as interesting as the latest public grifter or hollywood style destructive life or marketing ploy of.
Some say the department has improved in recent years but is understaffed as more veterans enter the system.
05/28/2011 - Sgt. Geoffrey Alexander Emschweiler of Red Lion gets out of the Army in the fall, and he's trying to figure out what to do with his life.
He's been in the Army for almost five years,including stints in Iraq and Afghanistan. He's seen combat in both countries. Last year, he won two Army Commendation Medals with Valor.
He's getting treatment for his post-traumatic stress disorder. He took a pass on the medication, but said he is receiving counseling.
These days, Emschweiler said, the Army does a good job educating combat veterans like himself about PTSD's pervasiveness and symptoms. There's no longer a stigma attached.
He sought treatment when found he was able to sleep for only a couple of hours each night. When he did sleep, he'd have nightmares about friends who got killed.
When he goes into a room, he's acutely aware of things like his position in relation to the door and where people are holding their hands. Standing in a crowd, or loud noises, will make his heart beat fast and his adrenaline kick in. Suddenly, he's back in combat mode.
"It's hard to turn it off," he said. {continued}
Memorial Day Outrage: Stolen Valor
While the FBI says many war hero impostors purchase replica medals, some people actually create non-existent medals, like those pictured here. (FBI)
May 30, 2011 - As millions of Americans honor the service and sacrifices of veterans this Memorial Day, the FBI said it will be busy keeping a close eye out for reports of "frauds" who don fake medals and tell tales of false heroism in hopes of taking advantage of honest patriotism.
While at any particular time the FBI is investigating from 15 to 30 cases of people illegally posing as American war heroes, the Bureau said public veteran celebrations, like the parades taking place across the nation today, are ripe targets for imposters.
"They're going to come out of the woodwork," Don Shipley, a private watchdog and former U.S. Navy SEAL, told ABC News. "This is like Christmas for a phony."
Wearing a service medal or claiming to be a medal winner is illegal under U.S. law in most cases and in the past five years alone the Department of Justice has charged dozens of people for violations -- including five so far this year. {continued}
Memorial Day 2011: 6,000 As A Visual Reminder
The annual display will remain on Eighth Ave. until dusk on Monday
Philip Morris, a veteran of the Army National Guard, looks at the tombstones of his friend, DeForest Talbert along the Memorial Mile along 8th Avenue on Saturday, May 28, 2011 in Gainesville, Fla. Matt Stamey/Staff photographer
May 28, 2011 - More than 6,000 tombstones with names of those who have died in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq now line the sides of Northwest Eighth Avenue — and they'll remain in place until dusk on Monday.
Saturday morning, the tombstones were put in place by the local chapter of Veterans for Peace as part of its Memorial Day weekend tribute — the fifth year the veterans have erected what has come to be known as the Memorial Mile.
The display grows every year as the number of deaths grows. This year more than 600 tombstones were added, said Scott Camil, president of Veterans for Peace Chapter 14 and a Vietnam veteran.
It is the third time the tombstones have lined both the north and south sides of Eighth Avenue, Camil said.
Camil said that when he first started the display years ago, he never would have thought the war would still be going on in 2011. {continued}
30 May 2011 - For many veterans and their families, Memorial Day is about more than a day off for shopping and barbecues.
Lee Dorman is the chair of the Orange County Veterans Advisory Council.
"I am a veteran and I have always recognized Memorial Day, Veterans Day," Dornan said. "And I think it's wrong to call it a holiday because it isn’t really. It’s a day of remembrance."
Dorman served 10 years in the Navy during the Vietnam War era. He says he spent most of that time in the Mediterranean region.
Ken Armelin is the commander of Disabled American Veterans Chapter 23 in Santa Ana.
"Memorial Day means remembering my comrades that I served with in Vietnam and honoring them, and also attempting to try to help the newer vets as well as the older vets and directing them where they can acquire their benefits," he said at a recent veterans job fair in Costa Mesa.
In the middle of the conversation, a man approached Armelin to shake his hand.
"Can I just say, thank you for your service young man?" the man said.
"Thank you very much," Armelin replied.
The man thanked him a second time before walking away.
"Having veterans like this come up to you," Armelin said, "it means a lot to have them thank me for their benefits and vice versa."
Armelin says he’s spending his Memorial Day at a barbecue for hospitalized veterans. He said for him, the day is about giving back to his military comrades, especially those who are ill or can no longer take care of themselves. {continued}
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