Presidential Proclamation -- Vietnam Veterans Day

Presidential Proclamation -- Vietnam Veterans Day
VIETNAM VETERANS DAY
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

On January 12, 1962, United States Army pilots lifted more than 1,000 South Vietnamese service members over jungle and underbrush to capture a National Liberation Front stronghold near Saigon. Operation Chopper marked America's first combat mission against the Viet Cong, and the beginning of one of our longest and most challenging wars. Through more than a decade of conflict that tested the fabric of our Nation, the service of our men and women in uniform stood true. Fifty years after that fateful mission, we honor the more than 3 million Americans who served, we pay tribute to those we have laid to rest, and we reaffirm our dedication to showing a generation of veterans the respect and support of a grateful Nation.

The Vietnam War is a story of service members of different backgrounds, colors, and creeds who came together to complete a daunting mission. It is a story of Americans from every corner of our Nation who left the warmth of family to serve the country they loved. It is a story of patriots who braved the line of fire, who cast themselves into harm's way to save a friend, who fought hour after hour, day after day to preserve the liberties we hold dear. From Ia Drang to Hue, they won every major battle of the war and upheld the highest traditions of our Armed Forces.

Eleven years of combat left their imprint on a generation. Thousands returned home bearing shrapnel and scars; still more were burdened by the invisible wounds of post-traumatic stress, of Agent Orange, of memories that would never fade. More than 58,000 laid down their lives in service to our Nation. Now and forever, their names are etched into two faces of black granite, a lasting memorial to those who bore conflict's greatest cost.

Our veterans answered our country's call and served with honor, and on March 29, 1973, the last of our troops left Vietnam. Yet, in one of the war's most profound tragedies, many of these men and women came home to be shunned or neglected -- to face treatment unbefitting their courage and a welcome unworthy of their example. We must never let this happen again. Today, we reaffirm one of our most fundamental obligations: to show all who have worn the uniform of the United States the respect and dignity they deserve, and to honor their sacrifice by serving them as well as they served us. Half a century after those helicopters swept off the ground and into the annals of history, we pay tribute to the fallen, the missing, the wounded, the millions who served, and the millions more who awaited their return. Our Nation stands stronger for their service, and on Vietnam Veterans Day, we honor their proud legacy with our deepest gratitude.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 29, 2012, as Vietnam Veterans Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the Vietnam War.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
BARACK OBAMA

VIETNAM WAR FACTS

THE FIRST KNOWN CASUALTY

Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth, Mass. is listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having a casualty date of June 8, 1956.

His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who has a casualty date of Sept. 7, 1965.

WHAT ARE THE DATES ON THE WALL?

The first casualty names inscribed were Dale R. Buis and Chester R. Ovnard (this name was a misspelling, it should have read Ovnand) were military advisors, killed on July 8th, 1959 in Bienhoa, while watching a movie in the mess tent. The light had been turned on to change the movie reel and that is when snipers opened fire. The name of the movie was "The Tattered Dress", starring Jeanne Crain.

Although 1959 is marked as the beginning on Panel 1, East wall, a Captain (Army) Harry G. Cramer was killed 21 October 1957 during a training action. He is listed on line 78, panel 1, East wall, which was added approximately a year after the Memorial was dedicated.

1975 was the year that the last 18 casualties (Daniel A. Benedett, Lynn Blessing, Walter Boyd, Gregory S. Copenhaver, Andres Garcia, Bernard Gause, Jr., Gary L. Hall, Joseph N. Hargrove, James J. Jacques, Ashton N. Loney, Ronald J. Manning, Danny G. Marshall, James R. Maxwell, Richard W. Rivenburgh, Elwood E. Rumbaugh, Antonio Ramos Sandovall, Kelton R. Turner, Richard Vande Geer) occurred on May 15th during the recapture of the freighter MAYAGUEZ and its crew.

Veterans train to climb Denali, while blind

Blind veterans train on Quandry Peak and Mt. Lincoln for Denali ascent
Summit Daily
Melanie Wong
March 28, 2014

SUMMIT COUNTY — To Scott Smiley, Colorado mountains are the crunching of snow underneath his shoes, the scent of pine needles, the chirping of birds and the feel of fresh, alpine air on his skin.

Because the military veteran and instructor is blind, what he won’t see is the whiteness of snow or the sight of towering peaks, until guide Eric Alexander paints a mental image of the rugged mountains.

“I still think it’s one of the most beautiful things,” Smiley said. “The air is fresh, pure and clean. I live in Spokane, Wash., and you don’t get those senses hitting you all the time. There’s the beauty of seeing things, but those pictures go to my mind and it puts a smile on my face.”

Smiley and fellow veteran Marty Bailey both fought for the U.S. Army in Iraq, where they lost their sight — Smiley to a car bomb and Bailey to a grenade explosion. But being blind hasn’t dampened their sense of adventure. The two were in Colorado in mid-March to train for a May trip up Alaska’s Denali mountain (Mount McKinley) — North America’s tallest peak. Joined by Vail Valley resident and mountaineer Eric Alexander, the two got some altitude training in Summit and neighboring Park County by climbing Quandary Peak and Mount Lincoln — two of the state’s above 14,000 foot peaks.
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Retired National Guards Iraq Veteran looking for lost soul

Orange veteran looking for lost soul during hike
The Recorder
By ANITA FRITZ
March 28, 2014

ORANGE, Mass. (AP) — It was 1948, three years after the end of World War II, when Earl Shaffer, a U.S. Army veteran from Pennsylvania, hiked the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, something no one else had done to that point.

More than 14,000 people have hiked the entire trail since Shaffer, and U.S. Army National Guard veteran Joe Young of Orange says he hopes to be one of the next.

Many have attempted the 2,180-mile trek — some have finished, some have not. They've done it for many reasons: the challenge, the sheer exhilaration or just to be able to say they did it.

Others, like Young, decide they want to do it to find the piece of their soul they lost somewhere along the way — Young says he lost his in Iraq.

The 61-year-old veteran retired after spending 42 1/ 2 years in the National Guard. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, a type of anxiety disorder that occurs after someone has gone through an extreme emotional trauma that involves the threat of injury or death.

It’s obvious that he doesn’t like to talk about the specifics of what he saw in Iraq when he was deployed from 2003 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2006. He served at Abu Ghraib prison and says if someone tries to push him too hard into talking about it and he starts to feel too uncomfortable, he simply leaves the room.

‘‘I hope that sometime during my six-month hike with 13 other veterans I find that piece of my soul I'm looking for,’’ he said just days before he left for Georgia on March 14.

Recognizing the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of long-distance hiking, Warrior Hike has partnered with the conservancy, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition and the Pacific Crest Trail Association to create the ‘‘Walk Off the War’’ program, which takes place all over the United States.
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Florida National Guard trains with The Florida Forest Service

Mar 28, 2014
The Florida National Guard trains with The Florida Forest Service. The goal for the Forest Service was to burn off land as a prescribed burn while the Guard trained on how to put fires out using Bambi Buckets.

Canada: Korean War Veteran Finally Gets Help For PTSD

Nightmare ends: Korean War veteran finds peace after half-century struggle with PTSD
OTTAWA CITIZEN
BY CHRIS COBB
MARCH 28, 2014

After struggling with the effects of PTSD for 50-odd years, 82-year-old Korean War veteran James Purcell began treatment with psychologist Sarah Bertrim, left. ‘If there’s anyone out there thinking the way I was, I want to tell them to get help,’ he says.
Photograph by: Wayne Cuddington , Ottawa Citizen

PEMBROKE, Ont. — It was a nightmare Jim Purcell took to his bed every night for more than 50 years.

It featured his best buddy, Bob Casey.

The two grew up together in a hardscrabble section of Halifax. They played together, went to school together and, when they were 18 years old in 1951, they joined the army and went to fight in Korea together.

Jim is 81 and has lived his adult life in Pembroke. He has a daughter, two sons and grandkids.

Casey didn’t live to grow old.

In the muddy, rat-infested trenches of the Korean hills, they had a bunker to sleep in and, like many 18-year-old boys, Casey loved to sleep.

The Chinese shell scored a direct hit on the bunker while he was napping.

“He got his head blown off,” says Purcell. “Casey come out there like a chicken with its head cut off, except it wasn’t quite off. He come to the door of the bunker and just dropped. That stayed with me for years. I’d wake up screaming, ‘Get out of the bunker, Casey. Get out of the bunker.’”

When the former Royal Canadian Regiment corporal says the image haunted him for years, he means 48 years.

That translated into an adult life of hard drinking, bar fights, trouble with the cops, anger, depression, failed treatment and, in his later years, what the psychologists and psychiatrists call “suicidal ideation.”
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Team Minuteman marching thru Boston to save veterans

26.2-mile march to raise awareness of mental illness among military veterans
Boston Globe
By Jacqueline Tempera
GLOBE CORRESPONDENT
MARCH 28, 2014

Walking 26.2 miles is a physical feat in itself, but imagine trekking the distance while carrying an extra 50 pounds.

That is what a group of 100 people will attempt early Saturday morning, all to raise awareness about mental illness and suicide among military veterans, according to US Army Captain Justin Fitch.

“We do this to represent the burden our brothers and sisters are carrying,” said Fitch, who said he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after his first tour in Iraq in 2006. “We carry the weight that they can no longer carry themselves.”

The group, dubbed Team Minuteman, will walk the route of the Boston Marathon while carrying weighted rucksacks. This journey, called “Carry the Fallen” will raise money for Active Heroes, a charity group working to build a military family retreat in Shepherdsville, Ky.

Teams across the world will complete similar walks, said Fitch.

Fitch has served two tours in the military. The first, a 15-month tour in Iraq in 2006, and the second, a seven-month stint as a support officer in a special operations unit in 2009, he said.

After his first tour, he said, he suffered PTSD and depression and contemplated suicide.

“I was in a very dark place,” said Fitch. “But I got help and came back even stronger. Some aren’t so lucky.”
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CNN No Time Left for You

CNN No Time Left for You
I have very little free time so what I watch on TV matters. I used to watch the national news stations. With FOX and MSNBC taking political sides, I stopped watching them. CNN is no longer interested in covering national news. Pretty bad when you discover Larry King is even complaining about the way they abandoned this country.

Larry King laments CNN coverage of missing plane.

CNN has no time for wounded veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (maybe they thought the war was over)

Top three states with most wounded are California with 886, Texas with 791 and Florida with 544. Check your state on ICasualties.org Last update on page was September 2012.

From Iraq there are 3,086 California, 2,810 Texas and 1,433 Florida. The total wounded in Iraq for US Forces was 22,516.

There is so much happening all over this country but CNN has become a joke. No longer interested in reporting news that matters to the nation.

Soldiers Respond to Dangerous Truck Accident

Soldiers Respond to Dangerous Truck Accident
Blackanthem Military News
By Capt. Jimmy Kow, 3rd Battalion, 348th Regiment, 158th Infantry Brigade
Mar 27, 2014

CAMP SHELBY, Miss. – Three Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 348th Regiment were among the first to respond to an overturned 18-wheeled tractor-trailer carrying flammable material on Interstate-59 in Hattiesburg, Miss. March 11.

The truck, carrying liquid acrylonitrile, an explosive compound, skidded off the road and crashed into the embankment.

“I was just doing my job as a Soldier,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Christy, a combat medic was the first Soldier to arrive at the scene.

Christy explained he parked his vehicle in the distance and ran up to the truck within a minute after the crash. When he arrived, a civilian was trying to kick in the windshield to free the driver. Christy said he immediately took control of the situation and directed the driver to free himself and climb out from the door.

As the driver was climbing out of the vehicle Capt. Amanda McDonald, a chemical officer and a nurse by trade, arrived to provide assistance.

The truck was leaking diesel and hazardous fumes from its cargo. McDonald and Christy escorted the driver away from the fumes before McDonald further evaluated the driver.
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Vietnam War POW Jeremiah Denton Jr. passed away at 89

Jeremiah A. Denton Jr., Vietnam POW and U.S. senator, dies
Washington Post
By Emily Langer
Updated: Friday, March 28, 2014

Jeremiah A. Denton Jr., a retired Navy rear admiral and former U.S. senator who survived nearly eight years of captivity in North Vietnamese prisons, and whose public acts of defiance and patriotism came to embody the sacrifices of American POWs in Vietnam, died March 28 at a hospice in Virginia Beach. He was 89.

The cause was complications from a heart ailment, said his son Jim Denton. Adm. Denton was a native of Alabama, where in 1980 he became the state’s first Republican to win election to the Senate since Reconstruction.
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Denton is featured in Two Men, Two Fates about Vietnam POWs on Stars and Stripes.

More than 700 servicemembers became prisoners of war in Vietnam.

None endured longer than Floyd James Thompson and Everett Alvarez Jr.

The two men represent the extremes of the POW experience -- in captivity and in life. By Chris Carroll

Denton Jr. Blinking Morse Code 'T-O-R-T-U-R-E'

US WW II veterans receive Legion of Honour in France

France bestows Legion of Honor on 14 U.S. vets for WWII efforts
Stars and Stripes
By Chris Carroll
Published: March 28, 2014

WASHINGTON — They were willing to fight and risk death in France’s time of need, and this week in Washington, a grateful ally gave thanks.

Thirteen U.S. veterans of the Second World War pinned on the Legion of Honor, France’s highest decoration, in a ceremony at the French Embassy. Relatives of a 14th veteran who died days before the ceremony received the award in his name.

“In the darkest hours of our history, if you had not been by our side, France would not have been liberated,” Olivier Sérot-Alméras, French consul general in Washington, told the men. “We know, and we will always remember what the price was — 60,000 American soldiers were laid to rest on French soil.”

France has long given the Legion of Honor to U.S. veterans who made particular contributions to freeing the country from German occupation, but there is a special resonance to the ceremonies this year.

With the 70th anniversary of D-Day fast approaching, the number of living U.S. veterans who fought in France is in sharp decline, and many fewer are likely to see the next major anniversary of the invasion. Of those honored Wednesday, the youngest was 88, while most were in their 90s.

Despite the intervening years, their memories of war — of both horrors and triumphs — remain incredibly vivid for several of the veterans who spoke to Stars and Stripes at the ceremony.
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