Music & More

Veterans Day 2021

Thursday, November 11th is Veterans Day. As I have for the past 9 years, I'm making a pitch to the few readers I have to contribute to disabled veterans. 

 

A little before Veterans Day 5 years ago, I attended a small reunion of Vietnam veterans in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. All the veterans who attended served with Mike Platoon of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry (Black Lions) of the 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One). There were just 10 of us plus our wives and the brother of a young man killed a week before Christmas in 1968 and the sister of a young man killed in July of 1969. Some of us brought photos and other memorabilia from Nam. We had a ceremony for twenty men from our platoon who didn't make it home.  

For most of us, thoughts will shortly be turning to family gatherings at Thanksgiving. (Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, some of us may feel the need to forego such gatherings this year.) Still, most of us have a lot to be thankful for. We just turned back the clock as Daylight Savings Time has ended for this year. Some soldiers wish they could turn back the clock and be whole again, mentally and physically. Hopefully, we don't just think of them briefly on occasions like Memorial Day and Veterans Day. There will be parades and ceremonies and some restaurants will be offering free meals to veterans, as well as to those on active duty. These things are all good but by themselves don't solve the problems faced by our veterans. 

Since 1973 when the military draft ended, the youth of America has not had to delay getting on with their future by spending two years in the military. The all volunteer military has met our war related challenges. Largely as a result of multiple tours of duty in combat areas during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, in addition to loss of limbs, etc. which require extensive physical rehab,  we still have many veterans trying to cope with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

 

If you ask anyone if they support the troops, it's highly likely that 99% will say yes.  If you were able to see how many gave more than lip service, the percentage would most likely be a lot lower. Granted there are many who are unable to contribute financially and then there are those who have volunteered their time to help disabled veterans. It's certainly possible that the thought of giving to an organization supporting disabled veterans just hasn't occurred to many of our citizens.

 

The DAV (Disabled American Veterans - www.dav.org) is one of the best organizations to which you can contribute.

 

It's not the only worthy organization. Before giving to any organization claiming to aid veterans (or any other charity), you should check them out on www.give.org (the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance) to make sure they're legitimate. To be accredited by the BBB (Better Business Bureau), a charity has to meet 20 standards for charity accountability. The DAV has met these standards. Don't assume that all well known charities meet the standards of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.

Country Universe Error Message

For almost 2 weeks now i get this error message every time i try to access the Country Universe blog which i have been following for over a dozen years. I am not having a problem with any other website. Hope someone from CU can fix this.

 

It's October 7th and the error message is still there. I guess the CU folks have no intention of removing that error message and the only way to access CU now is thru twitter. I wish them well but i'll pass - at least for now. I do check twitter occasionally to see what cadet bone-spurs and the party of greed, corruption and cruelty are up to.

Error 520

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You

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www.countryuniverse.net

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If you are a visitor of this website:

Please try again in a few minutes.

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There is an issue between Cloudflare's cache and your origin web server. Cloudflare monitors for these errors and automatically investigates the cause. To help support the investigation, you can pull the corresponding error log from your web server and submit it our support team. Please include the Ray ID (which is at the bottom of this error page). Additional troubleshooting resources.

Cloudflare Ray ID: 683d32915eaf180d • Your IP: 2601:195:c200:c90:9482:ca81:1ad8:96c2 • Performance & security by Cloudflare

 

August 21, 2009

Country Music Blogs, Websites, etc.

Since I don't listen to a lot of radio, the internet is the main way I keep up with new country music, news, etc. For quite a few years I've been checking out CMT.com and then GACTV.com. Strangely enough, on the net I prefer CMT but on TV I'm more likely to watch GAC. Why? They play a lot more music videos. A few years ago I found Roughstock.com which has a lot of good reviews and articles and I generally check out ACCTOP40.com each weekend for the weekly top 40. They've gotten a lot better recently at updating the survey. In the past, it would usually appear by Monday afternoon however some weeks it wasn't updated til Tuesday or later. Now it's generally available by Saturday morning. There seems to be a pattern to the top 40. On alternating weeks, there will be a lot of movement with some songs moving up or down a half dozen or more slots or very little movement with no song moving more than 3 in either direction.

A few weeks ago I was looking to see if anything had been written about a Matraca Berg song, "The Dreaming Fields" and I stumbled upon a country music blog called Country Universe (It can be accessed at www.countryuniverse.net). The blog was started in 2004 by one of the six writers at CU, Kevin Coyne. They have a lot of good reviews on a wide variety of country artists, interviews, most recently on Joey & Rory,  and special articles such as their current series on artists of the 90's. So far they've covered Joe Diffie, Travis Tritt, Mark Chesnutt, Brooks & Dunn, Lorrie Morgan, Pam Tillis, Collin Raye, Diamond Rio, Wade Hayes, Rick Trevino and the Mavericks, among others. They provide a short writeup about the artist and then give you a "starter kit" usually with what the writer feels are their 10 best songs which they call essential tracks plus two "hidden treasures", songs that were not hits. For those with just a few hits, they write up a "6 pack" of songs. You can send in comments easily and it's very interesting to see what others think, what songs they like, etc. and the writers at CU often join the discussion with their comments. So far I'd have to say it's about the best country music blog around. I guess they're not worried about competition since they provide links to other country music blogs. Check out the surprising bios of the writers in the About Us part of the website - not what you'd expect.

What's great about all these sites is that it alerts you to new artists and songs you may have missed by established artists. Then you can go to the artists website or MySpace and listen to some of their music or hear the 30 second snippets on I-Tunes or other source. I no longer buy a cd by a new artist based on their debut single. I try to hear as much as I can online before plunking down any cash. I'll still buy cds by my favorite artists without making such an effort as long as they put out good albums. Some do run out of ideas after a while.

 

 

Since I don't listen to a lot of radio, the internet is the main way I keep up with new country music, news, etc. For quite a few years I've been checking out CMT.com and then GACTV.com. Strangely enough, on the net I prefer CMT but on TV I'm more likely to watch GAC. Why? They play a lot more music videos. A few years ago I found Roughstock.com which has a lot of good reviews and articles and I generally check out ACCTOP40.com each weekend for the weekly top 40. They've gotten a lot better recently at updating the survey. In the past, it would usually appear by Monday afternoon however some weeks it wasn't updated til Tuesday or later. Now it's generally available by Saturday morning. There seems to be a pattern to the top 40. On alternating weeks, there will be a lot of movement with some songs moving up or down a half dozen or more slots or very little movement with no song moving more than 3 in either direction.

A few weeks ago I was looking to see if anything had been written about a Matraca Berg song, "The Dreaming Fields" and I stumbled upon a country music blog called Country Universe (It can be accessed at www.countryuniverse.net). The blog was started in 2004 by one of the six writers at CU, Kevin Coyne. They have a lot of good reviews on a wide variety of country artists, interviews, most recently on Joey & Rory,  and special articles such as their current series on artists of the 90's. So far they've covered Joe Diffie, Travis Tritt, Mark Chesnutt, Brooks & Dunn, Lorrie Morgan, Pam Tillis, Collin Raye, Diamond Rio, Wade Hayes, Rick Trevino and the Mavericks, among others. They provide a short writeup about the artist and then give you a "starter kit" usually with what the writer feels are their 10 best songs which they call essential tracks plus two "hidden treasures", songs that were not hits. For those with just a few hits, they write up a "6 pack" of songs. You can send in comments easily and it's very interesting to see what others think, what songs they like, etc. and the writers at CU often join the discussion with their comments. So far I'd have to say it's about the best country music blog around. I guess they're not worried about competition since they provide links to other country music blogs. Check out the surprising bios of the writers in the About Us part of the website - not what you'd expect.

What's great about all these sites is that it alerts you to new artists and songs you may have missed by established artists. Then you can go to the artists website or MySpace and listen to some of their music or hear the 30 second snippets on I-Tunes or other source. I no longer buy a cd by a new artist based on their debut single. I try to hear as much as I can online before plunking down any cash. I'll still buy cds by my favorite artists without making such an effort as long as they put out good albums. Some do run out of ideas after a while.

Country Music Blogs, Websites, etc.

Since I don't listen to a lot of radio, the internet is the main way I keep up with new country music, news, etc. For quite a few years I've been checking out CMT.com and then GACTV.com. Strangely enough, on the net I prefer CMT but on TV I'm more likely to watch GAC. Why? They play a lot more music videos. A few years ago I found Roughstock.com which has a lot of good reviews and articles and I generally check out ACCTOP40.com each weekend for the weekly top 40. They've gotten a lot better recently at updating the survey. In the past, it would usually appear by Monday afternoon however some weeks it wasn't updated til Tuesday or later. Now it's generally available by Saturday morning. There seems to be a pattern to the top 40. On alternating weeks, there will be a lot of movement with some songs moving up or down a half dozen or more slots or very little movement with no song moving more than 3 in either direction.

A few weeks ago I was looking to see if anything had been written about a Matraca Berg song, "The Dreaming Fields" and I stumbled upon a country music blog called Country Universe (It can be accessed at www.countryuniverse.net). The blog was started in 2004 by one of the six writers at CU, Kevin Coyne. They have a lot of good reviews on a wide variety of country artists, interviews, most recently on Joey & Rory,  and special articles such as their current series on artists of the 90's. So far they've covered Joe Diffie, Travis Tritt, Mark Chesnutt, Brooks & Dunn, Lorrie Morgan, Pam Tillis, Collin Raye, Diamond Rio, Wade Hayes, Rick Trevino and the Mavericks, among others. They provide a short writeup about the artist and then give you a "starter kit" usually with what the writer feels are their 10 best songs which they call essential tracks plus two "hidden treasures", songs that were not hits. For those with just a few hits, they write up a "6 pack" of songs. You can send in comments easily and it's very interesting to see what others think, what songs they like, etc. and the writers at CU often join the discussion with their comments. So far I'd have to say it's about the best country music blog around. I guess they're not worried about competition since they provide links to other country music blogs. Check out the surprising bios of the writers in the About Us part of the website - not what you'd expect.

What's great about all these sites is that it alerts you to new artists and songs you may have missed by established artists. Then you can go to the artists website or MySpace and listen to some of their music or hear the 30 second snippets on I-Tunes or other source. I no longer buy a cd by a new artist based on their debut single. I try to hear as much as I can online before plunking down any cash. I'll still buy cds by my favorite artists without making such an effort as long as they put out good albums. Some do run out of ideas after a while.

Freedom Bird - 52 years later

52 years ago I got to leave Vietnam. Now our troops are leaving Afghanistan. Good for them. Thank you President Biden.

August 19, 2009

Freedom Bird - 40th Anniversary

I missed Woodstock. If you read the papers, get your news online or watch TV, you know that the most publicized music festival of all time ran for four days forty years ago, from August 15th to the 18th. A Richie Havens song "Freedom" became famous. My favorite song at the time was a 1965 single by Eric Burdon and the Animals, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place". Today is the 40th anniversary of one of the happiest days of my life. August 19, 1969 was the day I got on the World Airways plane, the Freedom Bird, that took me away from Viet Nam. It was the most exhilarating feeling when that plane took off. I had survived my tour as an infantryman (aka a "grunt") with the Big Red One and I was headed home. I wasn't through with the army - I still had to spend 6 months at Fort Carson, Colorado - but I was alive and well. In a war that ultimately took over 58,000 American lives and who knows how many lost limbs or minds, that was a big deal.

I had been scheduled to depart on August 23rd but I wasn't going to argue about getting to leave a few days early. In fact, if I had extended my tour in Nam for about 2 months I could have gotten an early out and avoided the 6 months at Fort Carson. It wasn't worth the risk. August 23rd was my DEROS date. I always thought that the acronym stood for Date Ending Rotation Over Seas but I've seen other variations such as date of expected return from overseas. On the flight to Nam on Flying Tiger airlines the year before, I sat next to a guy from Iowa. The same guy sat next to me on the flight back to the states. Don't know if that's unusual or not. We got assigned to different units so I hadn't seen him for almost a year. If I saw a picture of him as he looked back then I think I'd recognize him although I have no recollection of his name.

I was a draftee. I did not volunteer to go to Nam. But I knew that once my year was up I would not have to go back. If someone told me that I would have to return I think I would seriously have considered heading to Canada. I can't imagine doing 3, 4 or 5 tours like some of our soldiers have in Iraq and Afghanistan. While we're out attending concerts and ballgames, they're enduring many hardships and facing death or dismemberment on a daily basis from IEDs, car bombs, etc. The stress must be unbelievable. To leave a combat zone but know that you have to return obviously takes away a lot of the joy from getting back to the states. Some may say that they enlisted and should have known the risks involved. That doesn't make it any easier on them or their loved ones. I hope to soon see the day when we have no troops in a combat zone.

 

Posted at 06:49 AM in miscellaneous | Permalink

Comments

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I hope we have no troops in a combat zone someday soon too. The longer they are there the more it seems they will always be there, but I hope that's not the case. I am very glad you got to come home on August 19, 1969. Very good choice doing the 6 months at Ft. Carson instead of 2 more months in Vietnam...I think staying 2 more months might have been looking a gift horse in the mouth! Plus, you came home and ten years, 4 months and 2 days later had ME! Very good call:)

Posted by: Kathleen | August 21, 2009 at 05:33 PM

I missed Woodstock. If you read the papers, get your news online or watch TV, you know that the most publicized music festival of all time ran for four days forty years ago, from August 15th to the 18th. A Richie Havens song "Freedom" became famous. My favorite song at the time was a 1965 single by Eric Burdon and the Animals, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place". Today is the 40th anniversary of one of the happiest days of my life. August 19, 1969 was the day I got on the World Airways plane, the Freedom Bird, that took me away from Viet Nam. It was the most exhilarating feeling when that plane took off. I had survived my tour as an infantryman (aka a "grunt") with the Big Red One and I was headed home. I wasn't through with the army - I still had to spend 6 months at Fort Carson, Colorado - but I was alive and well. In a war that ultimately took over 58,000 American lives and who knows how many lost limbs or minds, that was a big deal.

I had been scheduled to depart on August 23rd but I wasn't going to argue about getting to leave a few days early. In fact, if I had extended my tour in Nam for about 2 months I could have gotten an early out and avoided the 6 months at Fort Carson. It wasn't worth the risk. August 23rd was my DEROS date. I always thought that the acronym stood for Date Ending Rotation Over Seas but I've seen other variations such as date of expected return from overseas. On the flight to Nam on Flying Tiger airlines the year before, I sat next to a guy from Iowa. The same guy sat next to me on the flight back to the states. Don't know if that's unusual or not. We got assigned to different units so I hadn't seen him for almost a year. If I saw a picture of him as he looked back then I think I'd recognize him although I have no recollection of his name.

I was a draftee. I did not volunteer to go to Nam. But I knew that once my year was up I would not have to go back. If someone told me that I would have to return I think I would seriously have considered heading to Canada. I can't imagine doing 3, 4 or 5 tours like some of our soldiers have in Iraq and Afghanistan. While we're out attending concerts and ballgames, they're enduring many hardships and facing death or dismemberment on a daily basis from IEDs, car bombs, etc. The stress must be unbelievable. To leave a combat zone but know that you have to return obviously takes away a lot of the joy from getting back to the states. Some may say that they enlisted and should have known the risks involved. That doesn't make it any easier on them or their loved ones. I hope to soon see the day when we have no troops in a combat zone.

 

Freedom Bird - 40th Anniversary

I missed Woodstock. If you read the papers, get your news online or watch TV, you know that the most publicized music festival of all time ran for four days forty years ago, from August 15th to the 18th. A Richie Havens song "Freedom" became famous. My favorite song at the time was a 1965 single by Eric Burdon and the Animals, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place". Today is the 40th anniversary of one of the happiest days of my life. August 19, 1969 was the day I got on the World Airways plane, the Freedom Bird, that took me away from Viet Nam. It was the most exhilarating feeling when that plane took off. I had survived my tour as an infantryman (aka a "grunt") with the Big Red One and I was headed home. I wasn't through with the army - I still had to spend 6 months at Fort Carson, Colorado - but I was alive and well. In a war that ultimately took over 58,000 American lives and who knows how many lost limbs or minds, that was a big deal.

I had been scheduled to depart on August 23rd but I wasn't going to argue about getting to leave a few days early. In fact, if I had extended my tour in Nam for about 2 months I could have gotten an early out and avoided the 6 months at Fort Carson. It wasn't worth the risk. August 23rd was my DEROS date. I always thought that the acronym stood for Date Ending Rotation Over Seas but I've seen other variations such as date of expected return from overseas. On the flight to Nam on Flying Tiger airlines the year before, I sat next to a guy from Iowa. The same guy sat next to me on the flight back to the states. Don't know if that's unusual or not. We got assigned to different units so I hadn't seen him for almost a year. If I saw a picture of him as he looked back then I think I'd recognize him although I have no recollection of his name.

I was a draftee. I did not volunteer to go to Nam. But I knew that once my year was up I would not have to go back. If someone told me that I would have to return I think I would seriously have considered heading to Canada. I can't imagine doing 3, 4 or 5 tours like some of our soldiers have in Iraq and Afghanistan. While we're out attending concerts and ballgames, they're enduring many hardships and facing death or dismemberment on a daily basis from IEDs, car bombs, etc. The stress must be unbelievable. To leave a combat zone but know that you have to return obviously takes away a lot of the joy from getting back to the states. Some may say that they enlisted and should have known the risks involved. That doesn't make it any easier on them or their loved ones. I hope to soon see the day when we have no troops in a combat zone.

 

Thoughts on Memorial Day

Memorial Day (previously but now seldom called Decoration Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who had died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The holiday is now observed on the last Monday of May, having been observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970. (thank you wiki.)

May 28, 2012

A Thought on Memorial Day

They never got the chance to grow old like me,

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, D.C.

(I was 66 when this thought first occurred to me. I'm 75 now.)

5 years later:

May 27, 2017

Vietnam Virtual Wall - send your photos

With Memorial Day fast approaching, it seems like an appropriate time to mention www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 48 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall about 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

 

 

 

They never got the chance to grow old like me,

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, D.C.

(I was 66 when this thought first occurred to me. I'm 75 now.)

5 years later:

May 27, 2017

Vietnam Virtual Wall - send your photos

With Memorial Day fast approaching, it seems like an appropriate time to mention www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 48 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall about 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

 

 

 

With Memorial Day fast approaching, it seems like an appropriate time to mention www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 48 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall about 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

 

 

 

With Memorial Day fast approaching, it seems like an appropriate time to mention www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 48 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall about 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Thought on Memorial Day

They never got the chance to grow old like me,

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, D.C.

(I was 66 when this thought first occurred to me. I'm 75 now.)

5 years later:

May 27, 2017

Vietnam Virtual Wall - send your photos

With Memorial Day fast approaching, it seems like an appropriate time to mention www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 48 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall about 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

 

 

 

With Memorial Day fast approaching, it seems like an appropriate time to mention www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 48 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall about 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

 

 

 

With Memorial Day fast approaching, it seems like an appropriate time to mention www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 48 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall about 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vietnam Virtual Wall - send your photos

With Memorial Day fast approaching, it seems like an appropriate time to mention www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 48 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall about 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

 

 

 

With Memorial Day fast approaching, it seems like an appropriate time to mention www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 48 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall about 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Memorial Day fast approaching, it seems like an appropriate time to mention www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 48 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall about 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Truce - 1968 Vietnam

old post - 12/12/11 - from an old guy.

Merry Christmas. Stay safe - wear your mask, social distance, etc.

 

I was looking into the music of lyricist Joe Henry recently in conjunction with writing a post on the Gary Burr cd, "Lime Creek". Best known for his song writing collaborations with John Denver, Joe co-wrote all the songs  with Gary on Lime Creek. He also wrote a song with Garth Brooks about a Christmas Day truce during World War I. The song was "Belleau Wood", the last track on Garth's "Sevens" album. During the night of the truce with the snow falling over the men in their trenches, a German soldier began singing a song the Americans recognized as "Silent Night". They stood up and joined in the singing. But once the clock struck midnight, all hell broke loose again.

 

Did this touching story in "Belleau Wood" actually happen? I can believe that it did. Soldiers stressed out and weary of all the death and destruction could certainly be looking for consolation in a Christmas hymn and even enemies could be brought together in song by their common human needs. I know of an event that actually did occur during a Christmas truce and it also led to a soldier breaking out in song.

 

On Christmas Day of 1968 in Viet Nam there was a truce. My unit, Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division (the Big Red One) was somewhere out in the boonies north of Saigon. Since we were away from our temporary base with its bunkers and concertina wire as well as artillery and mortar support, we had set up a defensive perimeter for the day. A week earlier our company lost a few very good men killed in an ambush so this truce was especially welcome. Our leaders wisely decided not to count on a silent night. The men at each position took turns at guard duty and LP's - Listening Posts - were sent out just before dark.

 

Each Listening Post consisted of 3 men who alternated on guard. There were generally four LP positions, roughly equidistant outside the perimeter and 100 meters beyond it. Each position was equipped with a PRC-25 radio, fondly known as the "prick 25". The purpose was to provide early warning of a possible attack. When we first joined the company, we were warned about the dangers of falling asleep on guard. A story was told of an LP who fell asleep and woke up to find his two guard buddies with their throats slit.

 

That Christmas night, one of the LP's fell asleep. The company RTO - radio operator - kept trying to contact the position, repeating "LP1, LP1, if you have a negative sitrep (situation report), break squelch twice". (The LP was supposed to hit the squelch button on the radio rather than talk so as not to give away his position.) The sergeant in the command post was not happy. If there was no response, someone would have to go out and check on the status of the position. The entire perimeter would have to be alerted that one of our own was going out so that he wouldn't be mistaken for an enemy.

 

At my squad's position, I'm monitoring my radio and thinking please God, I hope it's just that someone fell asleep, when over the radio I heard one of the guys from another position start to sing. To the tune of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", he sang "In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle, the LP Sleeps Tonight". Since the sarge in the CP immediately expressed his displeasure in no uncertain terms, I didn't get to hear any more of the song. Luckily, there were no violations of the truce that day, at least in our area of operations.

 

The most famous version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is by the Tokens.  According to Songfacts.com, the song hit the top of the charts 50 years ago, during the 1961 Christmas holidays. The Lion song has an interesting history going back to the 1930's so if you want to learn more, get googling.

Veterans Day 2020

Wednesday, November 11th is Veterans Day. As I have for the past 8 years, I'm making a pitch to the few readers I have to contribute to disabled veterans. 

A little before Veterans Day 4 years ago, I attended a small reunion of Vietnam veterans who served with Mike Platoon of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry (Black Lions) of the 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One). There were just 10 of us plus our wives and the brother of a young man killed a week before Christmas in 1968 and the sister of a young man killed in July of 1969. Some of us brought photos and other memorabilia from Nam. We had a ceremony for twenty men from our platoon who didn't make it home.    

For most of us, thoughts will shortly be turning to family gatherings at Thanksgiving. (Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we probably will need to forego such gatherings this year.) Still, most of us have a lot to be thankful for. We just turned back the clock a few days ago as Daylight Savings Time has ended for this year. Some soldiers wish they could turn back the clock and be whole again, mentally and physically. Hopefully, we don't just think of them briefly on occasions like Memorial Day and Veterans Day. There will be parades and ceremonies and some restaurants will be offering free meals to veterans, as well as to those on active duty. These things are all good but by themselves don't solve the problems faced by our veterans.

Since 1973 when the military draft ended, the youth of America has not had to delay getting on with their future by spending two years in the military. The all volunteer military has met our war related challenges. Largely as a result of multiple tours of duty in combat areas during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, in addition to loss of limbs, etc. which require extensive physical rehab,  we still have many veterans trying to cope with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

If you ask anyone if they support the troops, it's highly likely that 99% will say yes.  If you were able to see how many gave more than lip service, the percentage would most likely be a lot lower. Granted there are many who are unable to contribute financially and then there are those who have volunteered their time to help disabled veterans. It's certainly possible that the thought of giving to an organization supporting disabled veterans just hasn't occurred to many of our citizens.

The DAV (Disabled American Veterans - www.dav.org) is one of the best organizations to which you can contribute.

It's not the only worthy organization. Before giving to any organization claiming to aid veterans (or any other charity), you should check them out on www.give.org (the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance) to make sure they're legitimate. To be accredited by the BBB (Better Business Bureau), a charity has to meet 20 standards for charity accountability. The DAV has met these standards. Don't assume that all well known charities meet the standards of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.

Related Posts:

11/8/12 - Soldier Songs (updated with more recent songs)

11/13/10 - Soldier's Joy and Civil War Surgery

Vote - Oust the Traitor

Congrats to Joe & Kamala. No second term for cadet bone spurs!

 

My wife, sister-in-law and I dropped off our ballots for Biden & Harris yesterday at the Plymouth, MA Town Hall. If Putin's Puppet wins it's not our fault. We need a big win cause we know he'll cheat. His repuke enablers have already been at work trying to suppress the vote.

 

If you're on twitter, you should follow VoteVets, American Veteran and Senator Tammy Duckworth to keep track of Traitor trump's assault on our democracy and total lack of respect for those who served in the military. Trump, Cadet Bone-Spurs, calls those of us who served, including those who died serving, "suckers" and "losers" - for more info, google "suckers and losers".

VoteVets (Text VOTEVETS to 88424)

@votevets

110 days since reports of Russian bounties on our troops. 110 days where Trump has proven his loyalty to Putin over American lives. 21 days until the election. 

 

@SenDuckworth

 

If a foreign adversary paid Taliban operatives to kill American troops, it's ridiculous that Donald Trump would wait over 100 days to say something. This Coward in Chief doesn't have the best interests of our troops at heart and that makes him a national security risk.

 

VoteVets

 

90 days since reports of Russian bounties on our troops. 90 days where Trump has proven his loyalty to Putin over American lives. 40 days until the election. #TraitorTrump #vote

 

American Veteran

 

@amvetsupport

 

This is obvious retribution by both trump and his stooge Barr No matter, it does not change the facts. trump said and did everything in the book. He may punish Bolton, but Bolton still told the truth.

 

Glad to see veterans who are wise to our coward in chief who calls us, those who did serve, suckers and losers.

 

My first vote was for Hubert Humphrey in 1968 by absentee ballot from a hilltop in Vietnam.

 

John McCain's widow, Cindy McCain, supports Biden.

 

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day 2020

Memorial Day (previously but now seldom called Decoration Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who had died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The holiday is now observed on the last Monday of May, having been observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970. (thank you wiki.)

 

While Memorial Day honors all military personnel who died serving in the USAF, I don't believe that it would be inappropriate to provide information for the veterans of a particular war that one served in. Hence here's some information regarding  www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 51 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall over 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

While Memorial Day honors all military personnel who died serving in the USAF, I don't believe that it would be inappropriate to provide information for the veterans of a particular war that one served in. Hence here's some information regarding  www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 51 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall over 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

While Memorial Day honors all military personnel who died serving in the USAF, I don't believe that it would be inappropriate to provide information for the veterans of a particular war that one served in. Hence here's some information regarding  www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 51 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall over 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

While Memorial Day honors all military personnel who died serving in the USAF, I don't believe that it would be inappropriate to provide information for the veterans of a particular war that one served in. Hence here's some information regarding  www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 51 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall over 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

 

While Memorial Day honors all military personnel who died serving in the USAF, I don't believe that it would be inappropriate to provide information for the veterans of a particular war that one served in. Hence here's some information regarding  www.virtualwall.org. When you open the site, you are greeted with this message: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC honors those who died in the Vietnam War. Their relatives and friends leave letters, poems and photographs at the Veterans Memorial Wall and on this website. We bring the Vietnam Memorial Wall to your home to remember the sacrifices of the fallen and their families.

The options for the Memorial Pages are directly below the greeting. The easiest way to find information on friends or relatives who died in the war is to click on the first option, "By Last Name". Click on full profile and you'll be presented with a screen containing personal, military and casualty data. - date of birth, home of record, rank, MOS, unit, information about how the casualty occurred, small arms fire, etc. and the date. (for most Army casualties, the MOS is 11B - infantry) Some pages also include photos and or text remembrances. (Due to a software problem, the site is not taking any new text remembrances at this time.)

One of the other options is "Send Us a Photo". My daughter had recently taught me how to scan photos, so I emailed a few pictures of guys from my unit whose names are on The Wall. The photos had been taken 51 years ago with a Kodak Instamatic, a point-and- shoot  camera. I shortly received an email response from a volunteer. In a few weeks, the photos were posted on the Virtual Wall. It wasn't a difficult process. If you're a Vietnam veteran or a friend or relative of one, maybe you'll consider sending in any photos you may have. The site indicates that the photos may be of the person named on The Wall at any age and may include family or friends. They discourage sending original photos by mail due to the risk of loss or damage.

If you are interested in learning about the history of the wall, click on "About the Wall". I would recommend visiting The Wall if you're planning a trip to Washington, DC. I visited The Wall over 30 years ago. It was a very moving experience, especially finding the names of the guys I served with.

They never got the chance to grow old like me

Their names are on The Wall in Washington, DC.

Lost My Soles in Church

I went to the 11:30 Mass this past Sunday with my wife and sister-in-law. It was the second Sunday of Advent. I wore an old pair of black Clarks dress shoes. I bought a black pair and a brown pair about 10 to 12 years ago. Both pairs were made in China, uppers of leather and soles of "man made materials". The uppers hardly look worn at all. My favorite belt is brown so I wore the brown pair more than the black. Since I have been retired - almost 14 years - I rarely wear dress shoes at all other than to Saturday or Sunday Mass. My attire has primarily been jeans and sweat shirts in cold weather and shorts and t-shirts in warm weather and sneakers with both combos most of the time.

 

I was sitting in the first row of pews and as I looked down I saw a few black fragments on the floor. I looked again a few minutes later and noticed that the front half of the sole of my right shoe appeared to be separated from the upper. When I lifted my foot i saw that the sole was flapping a little bit. That explained why I had stumbled on the way to my seat from the church door. Next I decided to take a look at my left shoe. The sole there was also separated so when the Mass ended, I waited til most of the other parishioners had exited the church before getting up to leave. The exit was a ramp. As I walked down, my wife was laughing as my soles were flapping like clown shoes. I had to be careful walking back to our car and driving home with those flapping shoes.

 

The shoes were beyond repair. So when I pulled into the garage and got out of the car, I pulled off the sole of the right shoe and examined the damage.  Then I went to my closet and checked out the brown pair of Clarks shoes. I pulled them on, laced them up and took a short walk - maybe 2 blocks each way - to our mailbox. I wore them for the rest of the day and, so far, no problem - but I'm not ready to wear them any distance from home. I guess the soles of these shoes are glued to the uppers. Did the glue on the black pair dry out? If so, why weren't the brown shoes affected? Were the man made materials compromised in some way? I don't know. But I never thought I'd lose my soles in Church.

 

Veterans Day 2019

Monday, November 11th is Veterans Day. As I have for the past 7 years, I'm making a pitch to the few readers I have to contribute to disabled veterans. 

A little before Veterans Day 3 years ago, I attended a small reunion of Vietnam veterans who served with Mike Platoon of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry (Black Lions) of the 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One). There were just 10 of us plus our wives and the brother of a young man killed a week before Christmas in 1968 and the sister of a young man killed in July of 1969. Some of us brought photos and other memorabilia from Nam. We had a ceremony for twenty men from our platoon who didn't make it home.    

For most of us, thoughts will shortly be turning to family gatherings at Thanksgiving. Most of us have a lot to be thankful for. We just turned back the clock a few days ago as Daylight Savings Time has ended for this year. Some soldiers wish they could turn back the clock and be whole again, mentally and physically. Hopefully, we don't just think of them briefly on occasions like Memorial Day and Veterans Day. There will be parades and ceremonies and some restaurants will be offering free meals to veterans, as well as to those on active duty. These things are all good but by themselves don't solve the problems faced by our veterans.

Since 1973 when the military draft ended, the youth of America has not had to delay getting on with their future by spending two years in the military. The all volunteer military has met our war related challenges. Largely as a result of multiple tours of duty in combat areas during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, in addition to loss of limbs, etc. which require extensive physical rehab,  we still have many veterans trying to cope with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

If you ask anyone if they support the troops, it's highly likely that 99% will say yes.  If you were able to see how many gave more than lip service, the percentage would most likely be a lot lower. Granted there are many who are unable to contribute financially and then there are those who have volunteered their time to help disabled veterans. It's certainly possible that the thought of giving to an organization supporting disabled veterans just hasn't occurred to many of our citizens.

The DAV (Disabled American Veterans - www.dav.org) is one of the best organizations to which you can contribute.

It's not the only worthy organization. Before giving to any organization claiming to aid veterans (or any other charity), you should check them out on www.give.org (the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance) to make sure they're legitimate. To be accredited by the BBB (Better Business Bureau), a charity has to meet 20 standards for charity accountability. The DAV has met these standards. Don't assume that all well known charities meet the standards of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.

Since we have a president who can't be trusted, we should not be surprised to hear of a supposed charitable organization using your donations for their own enrichment. Note that:

The New York Supreme Court has ordered President Donald Trump to pay $2 million for using charitable funds to bolster his 2016 campaign.

Back in March of 2016, the two top executives of the Wounded Warrior Project — among the largest veterans charities in the country — were fired after an investigation into accusations of lavish spending on parties, hotel and travel, according to a statement released on behalf of the embattled organization. More information is on-line. Hopefully, WWP will get their act together soon. Their current status with the BBB is described as "Under Review".

As of January 2017, the Wounded Warrior Project is back in the good graces of the BBB. They now meet standards. Trump still has not demonstrated that he can be trusted.

Related Posts:

11/8/12 - Soldier Songs (updated with more recent songs)

11/13/10 - Soldier's Joy and Civil War Surgery

Comments

[Kathleen]

I hope we have no troops in a combat zone someday soon too. The longer they are there the more it seems they will always be there, but I hope that's not the case. I am very glad you got to come home on August 19, 1969. Very good choice doing the 6 months at Ft. Carson instead of 2 more months in Vietnam...I think staying 2 more months might have been looking a gift horse in the mouth! Plus, you came home and ten years, 4 months and 2 days later had ME! Very good call:)