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Vietnam veteran Gene Hart with Gunner, one of his dogs. Hart came to appreciate dogs who assisted soldiers during the Vietnam War, and now he has made a mission out of caring for strays.

Episode 2654 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Marine Vietnam Veteran Gene Hart and his dog story. The featured story comes from The Moulton Advertiser and is titled: Vietnam vet continues service by protecting stray dogs. It was submitted by Wes Tomlinson.

Tomlinson reported in his story about Marine Vietnam Veteran Gene Hart was born in 1945 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, England, known for being the 16th century birthplace of playwright William Shakespeare. Hart’s father was a soldier in the U.S. Army and was stationed there in World War II during the Blitz, an intense German bombing campaign against Britain in 1940 and 1941.

Hart said, “My father met my mother and here I am.”

After the war, the family relocated to Paris, Tennessee, where Hart grew up. Hart wanted to follow in his father and uncle’s footsteps and enlisted in the U.S. military in 1964. He was dispatched to the Dominican Republic the following year to aid the country in fighting rebel forces in a civil war.

After two tours with the Marines in Vietnam he settled in Town Creek, Alabama and began caring for stray dogs. Hart has fed and paid for veterinarian care for dozens of dogs since then and has given several away to good homes. He now has his sights on giving dogs to veterans through a nonprofit organization called Working Dogs for Vets  in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, which trains them to be support dogs for veterans.

Working Dogs For Vets Mission is to provide service dogs and training to disabled heroes in need, empowering them as they return to civilian life with new-found independence;  reducing suicide and overcrowding in animal shelters.

Listen to episode 2654 and discover more about Marine Vietnam Veteran Gene Hart and his dog story.

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Joe Gelarden

Episode 2653 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Veteran Joe Gelarden  and his poignant story about a fellow Marine who died back home as a result of his service in Vietnam. The featured story comes from Wiscasset, Maine. It appeared in the Wiscasset Newspaper and was titled A lost veteran. The story was submitted by Joe Gelarden.

In his story Joe Gelarden describes how he and another draftee referred to as only Larry ended up in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.  Joe’s story described how Larry rose from the bad side of town and became a proud Marine. He told how Larry thought it was fortunate that he was assigned to a non-combat job at Da Nang.

That job turned out to be an assistant in the graves registration office. During the time Larry was in Vietnam, the Marines were experiencing much combat. This produced many dead bodies that Larry had to help prepare and send back home. Due to the pressures of the job, Larry succumbed to the satanic lure of Heroin to help alleviate the horror of his job. Ten years later Larry passed away as the result of a heroin overdoses.

Joe Gelarden believes Larry died as a result of his service in Vietnam and should be considered for the VVMF’s In Memory Program. That Program was initiated specifically for Vietnam Veterans who died later in life due to a cause that happened in Vietnam.

In Memory was created in 1993 by the group – Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. VVMF began managing the program and hosting the ceremony in 1999. More than 6,000 veterans have been added to the In Memory Honor Roll since the program began.

Listen to episode 2653 and discover more about Vietnam Veteran Joe Gelarden  and his poignant story about a fellow Marine who died back home as a result of his service in Vietnam.

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Episode 2652 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about CMH recipient and Vietnam Veteran Gary Littrell and his important message for us all. The featured story comes from The Palm Beach Post and is titled, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient: Let’s take care of our veterans Gary Littrell was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in 1970 in Vietnam. He relayed his experience Sunday to members of the Valencia Shores Men’s Club. The story was submitted by Mike Diamond to The Palm Beach Post. Mike Diamond [atmdiamond@pbpost.com] is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation.

Gary Littrell is another tremendous representative of the Vietnam Veteran Generation – one as great as any that ever heeded the call of duty from our country.

Mike Diamond reported that  On April 8, 1970, Gary Littrell thought his life was about to end. He was serving as an adviser to a South Vietnamese battalion of 473 U.S. Army Rangers trapped on a hillside in Kon Tum Province near the Cambodian border. Enemy forces surrounded the Rangers, who were being assisted by Littrell and two other American advisers.

Littrell detailed his harrowing experience Sunday to more than 300 residents of the Valencia Shores retirement community west of Lake Worth Beach, as part of a Veterans Day tribute arranged by the community’s Men’s Club.

Littrell received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1973 for keeping the battalion inspired while he directed artillery and air support, distributed ammunition, strengthened faltering defenses, cared for wounded, and shouted encouragement to the Vietnamese soldiers in their own language.

Littrell implored his audience with this: “If you see a veteran in trouble, help them get the help they need before it is too late.” Twenty-two veterans a day commit suicide.

Listen to episode 2652 and discover more about CMH recipient and Vietnam Veteran Kenneth Gary Littrell and his important message for us all.

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DSC recipient Kenneth David who served with the 101st Avn Div in Vietnam.

Episode 2651 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Veteran Kenneth David of Girard, Ohio. The featured story appeared in The Tribune Chronicle of Warren, Ohio and was titled: Vietnam-era veteran: ‘Soldiers pray for peace’ Shares service with Cortland congregation. The story was submitted by Bob Coupland [bcoupland@tribtoday.com], a reporter for the Tribune Chronicle.

Coupland reported that Kenneth David, of Girard, was the guest speaker Sunday, November 12, 2023, at a special Veterans Day service at Cortland Christian Church. Frank Daugherty, a deacon at the church, said “today is a special day for us to thank and express our gratitude to our veterans. “Soldiers pray for peace because it is the soldier who suffers the deepest wounds of war.”

David was drafted into the Army in 1969 and arrived in South Vietnam in January 1970. He was involved in several battles, including on May 7, 1970, when he was wounded and members of his platoon were killed in North Vietnam. He was 19 at the time.

He served with the 101st Airborne Division and received the Distinguished Service Cross, which is the second highest military award for extraordinary heroism, among other medals. He also has been inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame.

Kenneth said after getting out of the hospital after five months following his injury, he was bitter and angry and asked himself “Why me?” David said he learned the Lord had plans for him, including taking care of his mom who died in 2017 at age 91.

Kenneth David is another tremendous representative of the Vietnam Veteran Generation – one as great as any that ever heeded the call of duty from our country. America is fortunate to have citizens like Kenneth David who are willing to serve their country in difficult situations.

Listen to episode 2651 and discover more about Vietnam Veteran Kenneth David of Girard, Ohio and his service to his country.

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Episode 2650 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature an interview with Suzanne Gordon about her crusade to save the VA health system. Suzanne was brought to this podcast by Andy Pham, a good friend of the podcast.

Suzanne Gordon will be talking about her latest book that exposes the battle going on to destroy the VA health system. She is an author and speaker with special expertise in healthcare systems, teamwork, patient safety, and nursing.

Suzanne Gordon is an award-winning journalist and author. She has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Nation, The American Prospect, The Washington Monthly, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, JAMA, The Annals of Internal Medicine, The BMJ, and others. She is the co-editor of The Culture and Politics of Health Care Work series at Cornell University Press.

Suzanne is an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the UCSF School of Nursing and an Affiliated scholar with the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine’s Wilson Centre. With Lisa Hayes, she has written a play about patient safety and teamwork entitled Bedside Manners.

Her byline for the important work she is doing is: Ideas, Inspiration, and Strategies for Change from the Front Lines of Care.

In the interview she will be discussing her newest book, Winners, Losers, Friends, and Enemies on the New Terrain of Veterans Affairs. A New York Times Book Reviewer wrote this about the book: “This chilling account explores the physical, economic and psychological consequences of military service on veteran health and takes a critical look at the many players involved in shaping veteran life in the United States.” 

Listen to episode 2650 and discover more about Suzanne Gordon’s crusade to save the VA health system and seriously consider getting a copy of her latest book.

Get more information at  Veteran Policy.

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Dr. Mark Moyar

Episode 2649 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature an opinion piece about Vietnam Mark Moyar’s contention that the Vietnam War was a noble cause. The opinion piece appeared on The American Greatness website and was titled: Vietnam Veterans and the Vietnam War. It was submitted by Mark Moyar.

Moyar is the former Director of the Office for Civilian-Military Cooperation at the US Agency for International Development. He currently serves as the William P. Harris Chair of Military History at Hillsdale College. He served previously as the Director of the Project on Military and Diplomatic History at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and has been a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and a member of the Hoover Institution Working Group on the Role of Military History in Contemporary Conflict.

He has appeared on this podcast in three previous episodes. You are encouraged to listen to them and to get his book Triumph Regained.

Episode 2431

Episode 2444

Episode 2453

In this episode, Moyar describes the transition of American thought from disdain to the Vietnam War and the Americans who served in the war to the realization the Vietnam War was a noble cause.

Moyar began his piece with this: On July 10, 1969, Seattle held a parade for the first U.S. Army brigade to be withdrawn from Vietnam. The city’s residents waved American flags and girls threw red roses while a band piped “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” The scene was indistinguishable from the receptions for American troops returning from World War II and the Korean War, with one crucial exception. A small group of protesters, about 50 in total, were on hand to jeer the troops and the war they had been fighting. Despite their modest numbers, the demonstrators received so much press coverage that Pentagon officials held no more homecoming events for returning troops.

Moyar ended his piece with this statement, They can find solace in histories showing that the Vietnam War was, as Ronald Reagan put it, “a noble cause.”

Listen to episode 2649 and discover more about Vietnam Mark Moyar’s contention that the Vietnam War was a noble cause. inspiring story of service to his new country both on and off the battlefield.

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Joseph Tanzi served in Vietnam on a boat like this one.

Episode 2648 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Vietnam Vet Joseph Tanzi’s inspiring story of service to his new country both on and off the battlefield. The featured story appeared in The Examiner News and was titled, A Radio in the Vietnam War Saved His Life: A Veteran’s Day Story. It was submitted by Michael Gold. Pleasantville-based writer Michael Gold has had articles published in the New York Daily News, the Albany Times Union, the Hartford Courant, The Palm Beach Post and other newspapers, and The Hardy Society Journal, a British literary journal.

Examiner Media was launched in 2007 as part of an effort by a group of local award-winning newspaper journalists to dispel the notion that “print is dead.” With that goal in mind The Examiner was born on Sept. 11 of 2007.

Gold’s story is about Vietnam Veteran Joseph Tanzi who was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967 only eight years after he had moved to America from Italy as a fifteen year old lad.

Gold reported that Tanzi was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967, when the Vietnam War “was in full force,” he said.

Joseph, a first-generation Italian immigrant, arrived in America in 1959, had just gotten married and worked in a supermarket in Brooklyn when he got the call to serve at 23 years old.

His Army unit was based next to the Mekong River, enduring eternally humid air. At Christmas time, “the temperature was in the 100s,” Joe said. The landscape featured rice paddies, rivers, dikes and mud.

Tanzi ended his story with these comments; “My coming home and meeting my daughter was unbelievable.” He said he knew while in Vietnam “I had to come home and meet her and take care of her and that’s why I survived.”

“I mourn people that never came back,” Joe said while reflecting on the war. “I feel deeply for all their families. We sacrificed all those years. We’re proud of being Vietnam veterans.”

Listen to episode 2648 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Joseph Tanzi’s inspiring story of service to his new country both on and off the battlefield.

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Dannie Sonksen relaxes in his spacious Stratford farmhouse. Sonksen is a U.S. Army veteran who served in South Vietnam. -Messenger photo by Lori Berglund

Episode 2647 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Dannie Sonksen’s wonderful story of service to country both on and off the battlefield. The featured story comes from The Messenger of Fort Dodge, IA and was titled, Sonksen never expected to make it out of Vietnam. It was submitted by Lori Berglund.

Dannie Sonksen is another tremendous representative of the Vietnam Veteran Generation – one as great as any that ever heeded the call of duty from our country. He grew up on a farm in Iowa.

Berglund reported in her story that Dannie Sonksen will always know that 1968 was a leap year. For most people that extra day was just another day at the end of February. For Sonksen, that meant one more day in South Vietnam.

“I was there a year and a day,” Sonksen said. “I got an extra day because it was leap year.”

But at least he was getting out just as the war was sinking to its lowest point. Sonksen had arrived in South Vietnam in the spring of 1967. In that year, U.S. casualties would nearly double from 6,350 in 1966 to 11,363 in 1967. The year 1968 would be the deadliest of all, with 16,899 Americans killed.

Sonksen counts himself lucky to have come home at all. He got his ticket out of South Vietnam in April 1968. The following month would be the single worst month of U.S. casualties of the entire war.

After his discharge, Dannie and his family returned to Stratford, where he and his  two sons and build a successful farming operation. Sonksen enjoys being part of the community and today farms with sons Travis and Shane. While many Vietnam veterans were often treated poorly upon their return, Sonksen said that didn’t happen to him.

Listen to episode 2647 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Dannie Sonksen’s wonderful story of service to country both on and off the battlefield.

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Vietnam combat nurse Marj Graves today and back in the day.

Episode 2646 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the service of Vietnam combat nurse Marj Graves during and after the War. The featured story comes from the Spectrum News 1 of Louisville and was titled Vietnam combat nurse shares stories of struggle and triumph. It was submitted by Jonathan Gregg. [Jonathon.gregg@charter.com | Twitter:  @JohnnyGregg | Facebook: jonathongregg.tv]

Jonathon Gregg

Jonathon Gregg is a self-proclaimed, “farm kid.”  Jonathon grew up in eastern Iowa, milking cows, de-tasseling corn and bailing hay. Jonathon says these experiences taught him the value of hard work but it’s also why Jonathon relates so well to people he meets on assignment. Jonathon has received honors from the National Press Photographers Association. In 2018, Jonathon was honored at the Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmys with an award for “Best Reporter.”

In his story Gregg reported that Louisville native Marj Graves did a brave thing in 1972, volunteering to be a combat nurse during the Vietnam War. “I was 24 when this picture was taken and I think my mother wanted me to have a professional photograph done because she had a fear that I might not make it back home again,” Graves said while showing a portrait taken over 50 years ago.

In many ways, this photo commemorates a new and harrowing chapter in Marj’s life. “I never took care of anything but male soldiers,” she explained.

Graves was traumatized by what she saw in Vietnam. Nearly 20 years since attempting to take her own life, she is now a sought after public speaker, telling her story to veterans’ groups, high school classrooms and corporate outings.

She said, “Having problems with dealing with trauma is not a weakness, and it’s so important to deal with it because number one, you may help somebody else but there are lots of people out there who want to help you get through it, instead of still experiencing 22 veterans a day that chose to commit suicide.”

Listen to episode 2646 and discover more about the service of Vietnam combat nurse Marj Graves during and after the War.

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Carl Zipperer reading “Lam Son 719”

Episode 2645 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the writing program in North Carolina that helps all vets. The featured story appeared in the Transylvania Times of Brevard, NC and was titled: Veterans learn to heal through creative writing. It was submitted by Michel Robertson for the Transylvania Times.

According to Robertson, On Saturday, Oct. 21 military veterans of different eras gathered at Brevard College to read their stories, essays and poetry. The venue is part of a project called “Brothers and Sisters Like These,” a series of writing workshops designed to help heal veterans with PTSD and mild TBI (traumatic brain injury).

Ten men and women from the Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts courageously opened their hearts to an attentive audience who left with a new understanding and respect for all who have served in combat zones. The event was sponsored by the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.

The mission of The NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation and Brothers and Sisters Like These is to provide healing through the arts and creative writing to veterans of all conflicts in our community.

Reading to a respectful and somber audience in an intimate classroom at Brevard College, the 10 men and women who spoke addressed the many “demons” of combat: illness from Agent Orange, thoughts of suicide, the loss of comrades, returning to “the world,” and the sights, sounds and smells of war.

These stories of war and its consequences are offered at a great emotional cost by men and women who trust an audience enough to stand before them and bare their souls. They draw us together and offer a lesson in history. We return their extraordinary gift of faith with one of our own: open hearts and the gift of listening.

For more information about Brothers and Sisters Like These, CLICK HERE.

Listen to episode 2645 and discover more about the writing program in North Carolina that helps all vets.