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Great Bend Vietnam Memorial

Episode 3228 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how the good people of Great Bend, KS have honored Vietnam Veterans. The featured story appeared on the Great Bend Tribune website and is titled: Vietnam Veterans memorial sees addition. It was submitted by Susan Thacker.

Thacker reported that A powerful new tribute is being added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Veterans Memorial Park in Great Bend, further honoring the courage and sacrifice of the Vietnam Veteran generation—one of the most resilient and underappreciated groups in American history. On March 29, recognized as National Vietnam War Veterans Day, six service flags will be placed at the memorial. Each flag bears the name of a fallen hero from Barton County who gave his life during the Vietnam War.

These six men—Kent L. Amerine, Robert E. Riedel, Edward L. Saenz, John S. Simmons, Conrad F. Straub, and Carl F. Karst—represent the very best of a generation that answered the call of duty without hesitation. Their legacy reflects not only sacrifice, but the quiet strength, loyalty, and perseverance that define Vietnam veterans as a whole.

The memorial itself stands as a testament to that greatness. Inspired by the overwhelming response to “The Wall That Heals” exhibit in 2023, a group of dedicated local veterans came together to ensure that all who served would be remembered. Designed as a 50-foot installation featuring a helicopter, service emblems, and soldiers in the field, it captures the reality of war while offering a place of reflection and healing.

Funded entirely through private donations, the project embodies the enduring spirit of the Vietnam Veteran generation—selfless, determined, and united. These men and women carried the burdens of war long after returning home, and memorials like this ensure their sacrifices, and their greatness, will never be forgotten.

Listen to Episode 3228 and discover more about how the good people of Great Bend, KS have honored Vietnam Veterans.

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Stephen Paul Campos at work

Campos Library

Episode 3227 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about outstanding Vietnam Vet Stephen Paul Campos. The featured story appeared on the FOX10 of Phoenix website and is titled: From combat to ‘Senor Campos Salsa’: How a Vietnam veteran found healing through faith | Care Force. It was submitted by Christina Carilla.

Carilla reported that Stephen Campos, a Vietnam War veteran, spent decades carrying the emotional weight of his combat experience before finally sharing his story and discovering a new mission: helping other veterans heal. Campos served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969, one of the most intense and deadly periods of the war. During that time, he and his fellow soldiers survived a brutal firefight that forged an unbreakable bond among them. In the midst of fear and chaos, they promised each other that if they survived, they would one day reunite after the war.

Like many returning veterans, Campos did not receive a warm welcome when he came home. Instead, he struggled for years with the lingering effects of trauma. Unable to process his experiences, he battled alcohol problems and personal difficulties, including a drunk driving arrest and unstable living conditions. For decades, he avoided speaking about Vietnam and the impact it had on his life.

Everything changed for Campos in 1982 when he experienced what he describes as a spiritual awakening. That moment marked a turning point. He stopped drinking, began attending recovery meetings, and embraced his faith as a foundation for rebuilding his life.

Years later, he also pursued entrepreneurial and creative passions. In 2018, Campos launched Señor Campos Salsa, inspired by the flavors of his father’s homemade recipes. On many weekends he can be found selling his products locally, while also working as an author who shares his life story and message of hope through several books.

Today, Campos believes his survival had a purpose. After finally speaking about his experiences—beginning with a reunion with fellow veterans at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—he now sees his mission clearly: to support and inspire others, especially fellow veterans facing similar struggles.

Listen to Episode 3227 and discover more about outstanding Vietnam Vet Stephen Paul Campos.

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Episode 3226 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the 12 Vietnam Vets who returned to Vietnam. The featured story appeared on the Military website and is titled: Vietnam Vets Return to the Battlefields They Left Behind 50 Years Ago. It was submitted by Allen Frazier.

Frazier reported that twelve Vietnam War veterans returned to Vietnam this week for the first time in more than fifty years as part of an organized delegation called Vietnam Revisited, an eight-day journey designed to honor fallen comrades, confront lingering trauma and preserve the living memory of the war. Organized by the Nashville-based nonprofit Eagle Society, the trip runs from March 1–8 and includes visits to Hanoi, Da Nang, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City.

The veterans, now between 74 and 81 years old, represent a wide cross-section of the American war effort. Among them are former infantrymen, helicopter pilots, a Navy boatswain’s mate, combat medics and reconnaissance soldiers who fought in some of the war’s most dangerous regions. Many received military honors, and several returned home with physical or emotional wounds that never fully healed.

For Marine veteran Skip Funk, who served at Khe Sanh Combat Base from 1967 to 1968, the trip offers a chance to see the battlefields again and remember friends who never made it home. The delegation also includes Robert Kiyosaki, a former Marine helicopter gunship pilot who later became the bestselling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad. Kiyosaki said the return is about confronting the war’s legacy and ensuring future generations understand its human cost.

Eagle Society founder Michael Davidson said Vietnam carries a unique emotional weight compared to other historical tours the organization has organized. Many Vietnam veterans returned to a divided country and received little gratitude for their service.

By bringing veterans and civilian participants together, the trip aims to foster reflection, recognition and civic understanding as part of broader initiatives connected to America’s upcoming 250th anniversary.

Listen to Episode 3226 and discover more about the 12 Vietnam Vets who returned to Vietnam.

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M111 Offensive Hand Grenade (OHG)

M67 Hand Grenade

Episode 3225 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the Army’s first new hand grenade since the Vietnam War. The featured story appeared on the army website and is titled: Army approves M111, first new lethal hand grenade since 1968.  It was submitted by Michael Chambers.

Chambers reported that The U.S. Army has approved the M111 Offensive Hand Grenade (OHG) for Full Material Release, introducing the first new lethal hand grenade to reach this milestone since the Mk3A2 entered service in 1968. Developed by the Capabilities Program Executive Office for Ammunition and Energetics in collaboration with the DEVCOM Armaments Center at Picatinny Arsenal, the M111 will replace the aging Mk3A2 series. The older grenade’s asbestos body restricts its use, while the M111 features a modern plastic body that is fully consumed during detonation, eliminating hazardous materials.

The M111 is designed to improve both training and operational readiness while providing soldiers with a safer and more effective tool for close-quarters combat. Unlike the M67 fragmentation grenade, which disperses lethal fragments that can ricochet or pose risks to friendly forces in confined spaces, the M111 relies on blast overpressure (BOP) to neutralize enemy personnel. This approach is particularly effective in enclosed environments such as rooms, buildings, and narrow urban terrain, where fragmentation can be unpredictable or dangerous to nearby allies.

Lessons learned from urban combat in Iraq highlighted the need for such a capability. Military officials noted that fragmentation grenades were not always suitable for clearing rooms because fragments could penetrate walls and risk injuring friendly forces. The M111’s blast-based design can quickly incapacitate enemies in confined areas while reducing those risks.

In open terrain, soldiers will continue using the M67 to maximize fragmentation effects. The M111 complements it by providing a specialized option for restricted environments. The grenade also shares the same five-step arming process and fuze systems as the M67 and its training variant, simplifying training, reducing costs, and enabling more efficient production across the Army’s industrial base.

Listen to Episode 3225 and discover more about the Army’s first new hand grenade since the Vietnam War.

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 Vietnam War Veterans Day – March 29

Vietnam War Veterans Dau

Episode 3224 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the 2026 Vietnam War Veterans Day. The featured story appeared on the soldiers angels website and is titled: Honoring Our Heroes: Vietnam War Veterans Day.  It was submitted by Dallas Green.

Green reported that March 29 is recognized as Vietnam War Veterans Day, a time to honor and remember the Americans who served during the Vietnam War. The day commemorates March 29, 1973, when the last U.S. combat troops left Vietnam and the final group of American prisoners of war were released, marking the end of direct U.S. military involvement in the conflict. Approximately 2.7 million Americans served in Vietnam, and more than 58,000 lost their lives. The observance ensures that their sacrifices and service are not forgotten.

The United States became involved in the Vietnam War as part of its post–World War II policy of containment, aimed at preventing the spread of communism. American support for South Vietnam gradually expanded from military aid and advisors to full troop deployment. Service members in Vietnam faced extremely challenging conditions, including dense jungles, intense heat, guerrilla warfare, ambushes, and exposure to chemical agents. These experiences left many veterans with lasting physical and psychological scars.

When many Vietnam veterans returned home, they encountered a deeply divided nation. Unlike veterans of earlier wars, who were often welcomed with celebration and gratitude, many Vietnam veterans faced indifference, criticism, or protest. This difficult reception complicated their transition back to civilian life, contributing to struggles with employment, mental health challenges such as PTSD, and limited access to care. Over time, however, public attitudes shifted and greater recognition of their service emerged.

Today, Vietnam War Veterans Day helps acknowledge past injustices while honoring veterans’ dedication and sacrifice. Communities hold ceremonies and commemorations, and organizations like the Department of Veterans Affairs and Soldiers’ Angels provide support through healthcare, financial assistance, food programs, and morale services. Individuals can show appreciation by attending events, donating to veteran organizations, volunteering, or simply thanking a Vietnam veteran for their service.

Listen to Episode 3224 and discover more about the 2026 Vietnam War Veterans Day.

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Operation Popeye

Episode 3223 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Operation Popeye in Vietnam. The featured story appeared on the soldiers angels website and is titled: Operation Popeye: The Secret Weather War in Vietnam.  It was submitted by Mike Isaac-Jimenez.

Isaac-Jimenez reported that during the Vietnam War, the United States launched an unusual and highly classified program called Operation Popeye, which attempted to use weather as a weapon. Conducted between 1967 and 1972, the operation aimed to disrupt North Vietnamese supply routes by artificially increasing rainfall over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a vast network of paths running through Laos and Cambodia that carried troops and supplies into South Vietnam.

The strategy relied on cloud seeding, a scientific technique developed in the 1940s. U.S. aircraft dispersed chemicals such as silver iodide into storm clouds to stimulate precipitation. Military planners hoped heavier rainfall would extend the monsoon season, turn dirt roads into mud, trigger landslides, and slow enemy movement. Thousands of missions were flown over Southeast Asia with the unofficial motto, “Make mud, not war.” The program was overseen by the United States Department of Defense and coordinated with the Central Intelligence Agency, remaining secret for several years.

Results were mixed. Some reports suggested rainfall increased and sections of the trail became harder to travel, but weather proved unpredictable. Storms shifted, and North Vietnamese forces adapted by rebuilding roads, moving supplies at night, and using alternate routes. As a result, the program created obstacles but did not decisively affect the war.

In 1971, journalist Jack Anderson exposed the operation, prompting congressional hearings. The revelation contributed to global concern about environmental manipulation in warfare and helped lead to the 1977 Environmental Modification Convention, which restricts hostile environmental modification.

Operation Popeye remains a striking example of experimental military strategy and illustrates both the ambition—and limitations—of attempting to control nature in warfare.

Listen to Episode 3223 and discover more about Operation Popeye in Vietnam.

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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.