Vietnam Veteran News

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Country Joe McDonald
1942 – 2026

Country Joe McDonald at Woodstock

Episode 3222 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the life and times of Vietnam icon Country Joe McDonald. The featured story appeared on the OPD website and is titled: Country Joe McDonald, anti-war singer who electrified Woodstock, dies at 84.  It was submitted by Willem Marx

Marx reported that Country Joe McDonald, the singer-songwriter best known for his Vietnam War protest anthem “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag,” has died at the age of 84. He passed away Saturday in Berkeley, California, according to a statement from a publicist. His health had recently declined due to Parkinson’s disease.

McDonald was born in 1942 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in El Monte, California. Before pursuing music, he served in the U.S. Navy. In the early 1960s he turned to writing and performing, eventually becoming part of the politically charged cultural scene in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In 1965 he co-founded the band Country Joe and the Fish in Berkeley. The group emerged as a key part of the San Francisco psychedelic music movement, combining folk influences, electric rock, and outspoken political commentary. Their most famous song, “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag,” used humor and satire to criticize the Vietnam War and the political leaders behind it, quickly becoming an anthem for the growing anti-war movement.

McDonald delivered one of the song’s most memorable performances at the 1969 Woodstock festival. Performing solo before a crowd of roughly half a million people, he led the audience in a call-and-response chant before launching into the song, creating one of the festival’s most iconic moments.

Country Joe and the Fish released several albums and toured widely during the late 1960s, becoming closely associated with the era’s protest culture. McDonald later continued performing and recording as a solo artist for decades. Although known for opposing the Vietnam War, he consistently expressed respect for military service members and remained active in veterans’ causes throughout his life.

Listen to Episode 3222 and discover more about the life and times of Vietnam icon Country Joe McDonald.

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Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago help search for MIA remains.

Episode 3221 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how the University of Illinois – Chicago is helping find Vietnam MIA’s. The featured story appeared on the WTTW website and is titled: Chicago Researchers on a Mission to Bring Home Remains of Fallen American Soldiers.  It was submitted by Joanna Hernandez

Hernandez reported that researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago are helping solve decades-old wartime mysteries by locating and identifying the remains of American service members who never returned home. At the university’s Center for the Recovery and Identification of the Missing (CRIM), scientists partner with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) to recover and identify troops still missing from conflicts such as World War II and the Vietnam War.

Researchers including Rick Elliott and Jessica Bishop conduct historical research, field investigations, and archaeological excavations in remote locations across the world. Their work often takes them to rugged terrain with no cell service, where teams rely on satellite phones and advanced detection technology to search for aircraft crash sites or burial locations. CRIM teams have supported missions in places such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Italy.

A major breakthrough occurred last year when investigators located the remains of five American service members along a remote mountainside in Laos near Vietnam. One of those recovered was Willis R. Hall, whose son Steve Hall described the emotional moment he learned his father had finally been found after nearly sixty years.

Hall was among the 19 men assigned to Lima Site 85, a secret U.S. radar installation used to guide bombing missions during the Vietnam War. In 1968, enemy forces overran the site, killing eleven American personnel. Among them was Melvin Arnold Holland, whose son Rick Holland continues to work with the DPAA to locate the remaining missing men.

Despite harsh weather, steep terrain, and constant danger, recovery teams remain committed to their mission: bringing closure to families who have waited generations for answers. Today, four men from Lima Site 85 are still unaccounted for, and the search continues one mission at a time.

Listen to Episode 3221 and discover more about how the University of Illinois – Chicago is helping find Vietnam MIA’s.

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DPAA Repatriation Ceremony in Laos

Episode 3220 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the repatriation of MIA remains in Laos. The featured story appeared on the DPAA website and is titled: DPAA Conducts Repatriation Ceremony in Laos. It was submitted by Staff Sgt. Dallin Wrye of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Public Affairs office.

Wrye reported that on Feb. 23, 2026, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), its Detachment 3 recovery team, and officials from Laos held a repatriation ceremony marking the conclusion of a joint field mission to recover possible remains of U.S. personnel missing from the Vietnam War. The ceremony represented the formal transfer of the remains to U.S. custody after weeks of challenging recovery operations.

Deputy Foreign Minister Maythong Thammavongsa noted that the excavation work took place under difficult conditions, including steep mountainous terrain and unfavorable weather. Despite these obstacles, he emphasized that strong cooperation between Lao and American teams, along with support from national and local authorities, made the mission successful. Thammavongsa highlighted that the handover symbolized more than four decades of humanitarian collaboration between the two countries and reaffirmed Laos’ ongoing commitment to helping locate and recover American service members missing from the war.

Michelle Outlaw, chargé d’affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, underscored the depth of the bilateral partnership. Since 1985, the United States and Laos have conducted 174 joint field activities and recovered 295 of the 576 Americans originally listed as unaccounted for in Laos.

During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Carl Hodgson, commander of the Laos Detachment 3 team, and Bounchanh Xayalath of the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed the official memorandum documenting the transfer.

The remains will be transported to the Daniel K. Inouye DPAA Center of Excellence at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii for forensic analysis and possible identification. DPAA officials reaffirmed their commitment to continuing recovery efforts for the 281 Americans who remain missing.

Listen to Episode 3220 and discover more about the repatriation of MIA remains in Laos.

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Retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Terry P. Richardson, the recipient of the Medal of Honor, poses for his official portrait at Conmy Hall, Joint Base Meyer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, March 3, 2026. (U.S. Army photo by William Pratt)

PHOTO: Staff Sgt. Terry Richardson during operations near Lộc Ninh, South Vietnam, in September 1968. Located just miles from the Cambodian border, Lộc Ninh was a key battleground and a hotbed of activity following the Tet Offensive. Richardson’s experiences in intense combat zones like this shaped the leader he became, culminating in a long and distinguished career as a U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major. Photo courtesy of the Richardson family.

Episode 3219 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipient Terry P. Richardson.

Terry P. Richardson was born on January 7, 1948, in Cass City, Michigan, the oldest of 13 children. Raised on his family’s 80-acre farm, he helped at his father’s gas station while growing up and was active in sports and school activities throughout high school. After graduating from Akron-Fairgrove School in 1966, he worked on the family farm until he was drafted into the U.S. Army in May 1967 at the age of 19.

Richardson completed basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and advanced infantry training at Fort McClellan, Alabama. He later attended Non-Commissioned Officer School at Fort Benning, Georgia, graduating with honors and earning promotion to staff sergeant in January 1968. After a short assignment at Fort Polk, Louisiana, he deployed to Vietnam with Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division.

On September 14, 1968, during a reconnaissance mission near Loc Ninh and the Cambodian border, Richardson’s platoon came under heavy fire from a large North Vietnamese force occupying Hill 222. With several soldiers wounded and his unit surrounded, Richardson repeatedly risked his life to drag three injured soldiers to safety. Recognizing that air support was the only way to prevent his platoon from being overrun, he climbed the hill undetected and began directing air strikes from a shallow irrigation ditch.

Even after being shot in the leg by a sniper, Richardson continued coordinating attacks for seven hours, ultimately guiding about 32 air strikes that forced the enemy to retreat and saved 85 American soldiers.

For his heroism, Richardson received the Medal of Honor along with several other decorations. He later served in the Michigan National Guard and retired from military service in 2008.

Listen to Episode 3219 and discover more about Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipient Terry P. Richardson.

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Ron Mosbaugh

Quan

Episode 3218 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature more of a story about the Marine MEDCAP Program from Ron Mosbaugh. The story is titled: MEDCAP and My Animosity. It was submitted by Ron Mosbaugh

Mosbaugh reflects on repeated visits to a Vietnamese village where he formed an unlikely friendship with Quan, a humble farmer who greeted him enthusiastically with, “Bac si, you number one!” Quan proudly introduced him to his wife and welcomed him into their spotless, one-room grass hut—bare except for mats, a small table, and a cooking fire. Despite lacking electricity or running water, the family lived with dignity and contentment. Quan was fascinated by stories of America, imagining it as paradise, while sharing the painful history of Vietnam’s wars against the Japanese, French, Chinese, Americans, and even one another. War had defined his people’s lives, and many of his relatives had perished.

Quan, a devoted owner of a water buffalo—the “living tractor of the East”—eagerly learned English from the narrator and became a trusted interpreter during MEDCAP missions that provided basic medical care to villagers. Though adults were wary, children gradually warmed to the Marines. Through Quan, the narrator’s prejudice toward the Vietnamese softened.

Everything changed when the unit was airlifted by CH-53 helicopters to Hill 55 after the 9th Marines were overrun. The scene was catastrophic, with mass casualties and relentless combat. The company relocated, and Mosbaugh never saw Quan again, though he later learned Quan had waited tearfully for his return.

Ongoing violence, Vietcong sympathizers, and constant danger hardened Mosbaugh’s feelings, yet he remained committed to his corpsman’s oath. Though bitter about the war’s cost and purpose, he ultimately recognized that MEDCAP—and his friendship with Quan—taught him compassion and humanity.

Listen to Episode 3218 and discover more about the Marine MEDCAP Program from Ron Mosbaugh.

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Ron Mosbaugh

Episode 3217 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the Marine MEDCAP Program from Ron Mosbaugh. The story is titled: MEDCAP and My Animosity. It was submitted by Ron Mosbaugh

Mosbaugh related how he reflects on his early prejudice toward Black Americans and Vietnamese people, and how his experiences in the Vietnam War transformed his perspective. Growing up in Joplin during the 1950s, he witnessed school integration and formed mixed feelings about race, liking individuals while still holding underlying biases. His deeper prejudice developed later during his deployment to Vietnam, where cultural shock, poverty, and unfamiliar customs initially fueled his animosity.

Serving as a Navy corpsman with the Second Battalion, First Marines near Da Nang, he faced relentless responsibility. With limited staff and supplies, he provided round-the-clock medical care to Marines while also supporting civic programs like MEDCAP under General Walt’s “velvet glove” initiative. Though skeptical of the program’s broader success, he faithfully treated villagers’ ailments—malnutrition, infections, malaria, and injuries—often with minimal resources.

His outlook began to change through his friendship with Quan, a Vietnamese villager eager to learn first aid. After treating Quan’s children, the narrator recognized both the severe lack of medical care in the region and Quan’s genuine desire to help his community. When Vietcong forces threatened Quan’s village, the trust between them deepened. The narrator trained Quan as his assistant and interpreter during MEDCAP missions. Quan proved capable and compassionate, assisting with treatments and even helping midwives deliver babies.

Through this partnership, the narrator saw the humanity, resilience, and dignity of the Vietnamese people. Personal connection replaced suspicion and hatred. By the end of his service, prejudice had given way to respect, empathy, and friendship.

Listen to Episode 3217 and discover more about the Marine MEDCAP Program from Ron Mosbaugh.

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Episode 3216 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the role of Germans in the French Foreign Legion. The story is titled: The .Forgotten German Veterans of Việt Nam. It appeared on the Vietnamese website and was submitted by Jacopo Romanelli

Romanelli reported that few postwar European myths have proven as persistent as the claim that the French Foreign Legion served as a refuge for former Nazi war criminals during the First Indochina War, culminating in the so-called “last battle of the SS” at Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Yet archival research by historians such as Eckard Michels and Pierre Thoumelin challenges this narrative, revealing a far more nuanced reality.

Germans had long formed a core component of the Legion, and after 1945 Europe’s chaos—millions displaced, imprisoned, or stateless—made enlistment an attractive option. France, holding hundreds of thousands of German POWs and seeking troops to fight the Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh, recruited heavily in its occupation zones. Between 40% and 60% of legionnaires in Indochina were of Germanic origin, amounting to perhaps 50,000 men over the war’s duration.

However, the claim of massive Waffen-SS infiltration does not withstand scrutiny. Although screening was imperfect, German records suggest only 3,000–4,000 former Waffen-SS members served—less than 10% of German recruits. By the early 1950s, most legionnaires were young men with no significant Nazi involvement. The myth largely stemmed from Viet Minh propaganda after Điện Biên Phủ, reinforced by sensational journalism and works like George Robert Elford’s 1974 novel.

While more than 10,000 legionnaires died in Indochina—many of them German—their presence reflected postwar dislocation and French military necessity rather than a coordinated “Nazification.” Modern scholarship reframes the story as one shaped by structural upheaval and memory politics, not ideological conspiracy.

Listen to Episode 3216 and discover more about the role of Germans in the French Foreign Legion.

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Lao SGU/RLA soldiers in the field. Lao Special Guerrilla Unit/Royal Lao Army Interviews collection. Southeast Asian Rare Book Collection. Library of Congress Asian Division.

Episode 3215 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the secret war in Laos. The story is titled: Unveiling Secret War Laos: Tales from U.S. Allied Lao Veterans and CIA and U.S. Army Special Forces during the Vietnam War (Second Indochina War) and appeared on the Library of Congress Blog website. The story was submitted by Jonathan Loar. He is a South Asian reference specialist in the Asian Division of the Library of Congress. He received a doctorate in West and South Asian Religions from Emory University in 2016 and joined the Library later that year.

Loar reported that The Lao Special Guerrilla Unit/Royal Lao Army Veteran Interviews digital collection, launched in April 2025, offers rare oral histories from Lao veterans who served during the Secret War in Laos (1959-1975), a crucial part of the Vietnam War. These interviews, available in video, audio, and photographs, preserve personal accounts in both Lao and English, providing valuable resources for researchers, policymakers, and Lao American communities. To promote this collection, the Library of Congress hosted an event on May 9, 2025, titled “Unveiling Secret War Laos,” coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War’s end and the fall of the Royal Lao Government. The event featured veterans from Laos alongside U.S. military personnel, shedding light on their collaboration in the CIA-backed Special Guerrilla Units, or “Secret Army.” The event attracted a significant audience, with 40 in-person attendees and nearly 200 online viewers, fostering an important dialogue about this often-overlooked chapter of history. The digital collection allows users to hear firsthand from participants, including military commanders, nurses, intelligence officers, and translators who fought on key battlefields like the Plain of Jars and along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. This initiative ensures that their stories are remembered, making an important contribution to understanding the broader Vietnam War.

Listen to Episode 3215 and discover more about the secret war in Laos.

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Filmmaker Jeremy Glazier explains the documentary to the audience.

From left to right: Kalona Historical Village managing director, Nancy Roth, John Roetlin, Ron Romine, Jim Miller, Jerry Combs and filmmaker, Jeremy Glazier. From left to right: Kalona Historical Village managing director, Nancy Roth, John Roetlin, Ron Romine, Jim Miller, Jerry Combs and filmmaker, Jeremy Glazier.

Episode 3214 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how Iowa Vietnam Vets were honored at Kalona. The story is titled: “From Iowa & Back” connects Kalona audience with Iowa’s Vietnam veterans and appeared on The News website. The story was submitted by J.J. Peters.

Peters reported that The Kalona Historical Village Society hosted a Feb. 22 screening of From Iowa & Back, a documentary honoring Iowa veterans who served during the Vietnam War. Created by Jeremy Glazier and presented by Brucemore Artisan Studio, the film stands as a powerful tribute to a generation defined by courage, endurance and quiet resilience.

Before the film, Glazier explained his mission: to ensure these veterans’ voices are heard and their sacrifices remembered. Many were drafted through the lottery system, while others volunteered out of a sense of duty. Whether by choice or obligation, they answered their country’s call without hesitation. They left Iowa farms and small towns for the dense jungles of Vietnam, where they faced constant danger, grueling conditions and the daily reality of death. They endured weeks without basic comforts, counted down the days of 12-month tours and carried the emotional weight of losing brothers-in-arms.

Yet their greatness was perhaps most evident after they returned home. Unlike veterans of previous wars, they came back to a divided nation and, at times, open hostility. Many were warned to arrive quietly and not respond to insults. Even so, they built families, careers and communities. They persevered through post-traumatic stress, limited job prospects and years without proper recognition. One veteran did not hear the words “Welcome Home” until 2012.

The documentary closes by affirming that the Vietnam Veteran generation embodies humility, sacrifice and steadfast patriotism. More than 50 years later, their legacy remains one of strength under pressure — a testament to service carried out with honor despite extraordinary challenges.

Listen to Episode 3214 and discover more about how Iowa Vietnam Vets were honored at Kalona.

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U.S. Army COL John Islin funeral service at Arlington National Cemetery

Episode 3213 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the life and service of Army COL John Islin. The story is titled: A Legacy of Courage: U.S. Army Helicopter Pilot Survived Two Tours in Vietnam and appeared on the Arlington National Cemetery website. The story was submitted by Kevin M. Hymel.

Hymel reported that Family and friends gathered in Section 37 of Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 22, 2026, to honor U.S. Army Col. John “Jack” Islin, a decorated Vietnam War helicopter pilot remembered as both a hero and devoted family man. During two combat tours in Vietnam, Islin repeatedly flew into intense enemy fire, keeping himself and his crews alive in harrowing conditions.

Pastor Guillermo Figueredo noted that members of his congregation had long described Islin as a hero, adding that he likely faced more danger than he ever shared. During the Battle of Binh Gia in December 1964, Islin flew Vietnamese marines into combat with the 118th Assault Helicopter Company. When Viet Cong forces ambushed the first wave and disguised themselves to lure in more helicopters, Islin came under heavy fire. As enemy troops rushed his aircraft, he defended his crew with his pistol—an act he did not reveal to his son Frank until decades later.

On his second tour in 1970, Islin commanded the 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion during the Cambodia campaign. After a transmission failure over dense jungle, he narrowly avoided crashing, landing safely in a shell crater clearing despite believing he might hit the treetops.

Following a 20-year Army career, Islin held aviation leadership roles, including with the American Helicopter Society and Sikorsky’s Development Flight Test Center. At his funeral, marked by full military honors and a list of prestigious medals, loved ones remembered his quiet strength, dedication to family, and steady leadership in war and peace.

Listen to Episode 3213 and discover more about the life and service of Army COL John Islin.