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Recommended Reading

Episode 2516 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about a review of the recently published book “The Long Reckoning: A Story of War, Peace, and Redemption in Vietnam” written by George Black. The review submitted by Brian Eyler appeared on the Nikkei Asia website in Tokyo, Japan and was titled: Books: War and redemption in Vietnam, 60 years after Agent Orange written by George Black.

George Black is a writer and journalist living in New York City. His work on politics, culture, and the environment has appeared in the New Yorker and many other publications, and often reflects his lifelong passion for mountains and rivers. On the Ganges is his seventh book.

Brian Eyler is the director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Stimson Center, a Washington-based think tank. He is the chair of Stimson’s War Legacies Working Group.

The book is described as, the moving story of how a small group of people—including two Vietnam veterans—forced the U.S. government to take responsibility for the ongoing horrors—agent orange and unexploded munitions—inflicted on the Vietnamese.

The American war in Vietnam has left many long-lasting scars that have not yet been sufficiently examined. The worst of them were inflicted in a tiny area bounded by the demilitarized zone between North and South Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh Trail in neighboring Laos. That small region saw the most intense aerial bombing campaign in history, the massive use of toxic chemicals, and the heaviest casualties on both sides.

Eyler ended his review with this: Younger readers will inevitably be led to ponder how, when eventually the guns fall silent in Ukraine and other theaters of war — present and future — the suffering will continue. Through the noble efforts of his book’s many characters, Black shows all readers a path toward recovery and peace.

Listen to episode 2516 and discover more about a review of the recently published book “The Long Reckoning: A Story of War, Peace, and Redemption in Vietnam” by George Black.

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Commander J. B. Wells U. S. Navy (Retired), Attorney at Law, Chairman, Military-Veterans Advocacy, Inc.

Episode 2515 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the latest news from John Wells of the Military-Veterans Advocacy, Inc. about a new Congressional Resolution designed to help our veterans.

The story comes from a press release from the Military-Veterans Advocacy, Inc. titled Joint Resolution will establish Veterans Get Outside Day.

The presser announced that the U.S. House of Representatives (H. Res. 387) and Senate (S. Res. 206) have introduced a bi-partisan joint resolution to designate June 10, 2023 as “Veterans Get Outside Day.” The resolution encourages a targeted outreach program to urge Veterans to participate in outdoor activities on that date.

It was reported that the resolution was introduced on May 10 by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Angus King (I-ME), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and U.S. Representatives Garret Graves (R-LA-06) and Seth Moulton (D-MA-06).

According to Senator Cassidy, “We owe it to the men and women who traveled oceans to protect us to address the veteran suicide crisis. Vets Get Outside Day is a positive step towards ensuring veterans know they have the help they need available to them.”

Representative Graves said this about the benefits of the Resolution, “Veterans Get Outside Day encourages Veterans to experience the outdoors and engage in recreational activities such as hiking, biking, fishing, and hunting, and ultimately promote a passion for the outdoors. Studies show that nature-based therapy can work. I’m proud to join Congressman Moulton in introducing this resolution to support our Veterans.”

John Wells said this about the program, “Our hope that if Veterans spend one day outdoors doing activities that help them relax and connect with nature, that they will want to make it part of their regular routine. With this in mind, we encourage everyone to “Take 10” minutes daily to get outside and do something to provide a break from daily stress.”

Listen to episode 2515 and discover more about the latest news from John Wells of the Military-Veterans Advocacy, Inc. about a new Congressional Resolution designed to help our veterans.

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South Carolina Vietnam War Memorial Marker
Photographed By Nick Hansen, November 10, 2008

Vietnam Vet Ron Hagell

Episode 2514 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the South Carolina Vietnam Veteran who stepped forward to help save the State Vietnam War Memorial. The featured story appeared on WIS News, Channel 10 in Columbia, South Carolina and was titled, Man fights to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The story was submitted by Ty Wilson, Channel 10 anchor/reporter. He is an award-winning MMJ/Anchor and has more than 15 years of experience as a reporter, anchor, and producer.

The State of South Carolina has a tremendous Vietnam War Memorial located in the state capitol of Columbia. In was built in 1986 and is located on Gadsden Street in the Columbia City Memorial Park. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=13489

It is an impressive memorial featuring a square granite column for its centerpiece flanked by two polished freestanding granite walls containing the names of the 980 South Carolinians who lost their lives in the Vietnam War.

Recently, Vietnam Vet Ron Hagell noticed signs of deterioration in the Memorial when he visited the site. Not being one to sit back and wait for someone else to do something about the situation with the site, he decided to take action.

Hagell took his concerns to Columbia City Hall where he talked to the mayor and Council Members. Mayor Daniel Rickenmann assured Hagell that he will take care of the upkeep of the Memorial.

Hagell stated that his problem with the city of Columbia is that it promised it would take care of the Memorial and it hasn’t. “That’s what our problem is.”

Ron Hagell is another tremendous representative of the great Vietnam Veteran Generation, one as great as any that ever heeded the call of duty from our country.

Listen to episode 2514 and discover more about the South Carolina Vietnam Veteran who stepped forward to help save the State Vietnam War Memorial.

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John Shoemaker

Episode 2165 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Veteran John Shoemaker and his contributions to his country. The featured story comes from the Redstone Rocket in Huntsville, Alabama and is titled: Ex-infantry platoon leader satisfies need for adventure. It was submitted by Skip Vaughn, the Rocket editor [skip.vaughn@theredstonerocket.com].

Vaughn’s story is the 339th in a series of articles about Vietnam veterans in the Rocket as the United States commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.

Vaughn’s story about Vietnam Vet John Shoemaker is an excellent description of a great American. Shoemaker made numerous contributions to the podcast in the past and you are highly encouraged to listen to those episodes where he told his stories.

John Shoemaker is another one of those outstanding representatives of the great Vietnam Veteran Generation. During a time of widespread opposition to the War in Vietnam during the late 1960s, upon graduation from college he volunteered to join the Army with the intent of becoming an Army infantry platoon leader.

He realized his goal in March of 1970 when he was assigned as  a platoon leader with 3rd Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division in I Corps, the northern sector of South Vietnam.

He said: “I thought I can be a small unit commander that can save American Soldier lives. That was my focus. That was my goal.”

Commenting on his time in Vietnam Shoemaker opined this: “I feel the time I spent in combat was the greatest experience in my life. It proved who I am. It changed who I was and it created the person I would be for the rest of my life. And specifically, I would say what I got out of it was that it certainly gave me discipline and maturity. It established firm confidence in my abilities. And it also created a person who was action oriented. I do embrace adventure.”

Listen to episode 2165 and discover more about Vietnam Veteran John Shoemaker and his contributions to our country.

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American Legion in action

Episode 2512 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about what the American Legion is doing to encourage a national attitude of appreciation for our Vietnam Veterans and to help prevent veteran suicides. The featured story appeared on the American Legion website and is titled, Welcome home, Vietnam veterans and was submitted by Henry Howard.

The mission statement of the American Legion is: To enhance the well-being of America’s veterans, their families, our military, and our communities by our devotion to mutual helpfulness. The American Legion’s vision statement is “The American Legion: Veterans Strengthening America.”

In the featured story, Howard describes how the American Legion is living up to its mission statement.  He talked about the Welcome Home event that occurred on May 11 to 13, 2023 near the National Mall in Washington, D.C.  It was officially named Welcome Home! A Nation Honors our Vietnam Veterans and their Families, the event was created to honor Vietnam War veterans and their families 50 years after the war.

The American Legion included its INDYCAR activation display at the event. American Legion representatives thanked Vietnam veterans, answered questions and provided resources. Veterans of war eras from World War II to modern day stopped by The American Legion’s display and received some swag items, learned about the Legion’s “Be the One” initiative to reduce veterans suicide and signed their names on a special “Be the One” sign.

One of the Vietnam Veterans who attended the event was John Piwowar. He served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division from September 1969 to September 1970. He said this about the event and its purpose, “This is nice, especially the way we were generally treated after the war. The public has finally come around to realize that we just did what we were asked.”

Listen to episode 2512 and discover more about what the American Legion is doing to show a national attitude of appreciation for our Vietnam Veterans and to help prevent veteran suicides.

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spraying herbicides

Episode 2511 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a look at the PACT Act and the summation of the report on toxic herbicide use the Thailand by the U.S. during the American Vietnam War. The information shared in this episode comes from the report created by the Merry Band of Retirees titled, Use of Agent Purple, Agent Orange and Agent Blue on Royal Thai Air Force Base Perimeters in Thailand during the Vietnam War.

The paper was submitted by Kenneth R. Olson and Larry Cihacek. Olson was a professor in the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois [krolson@illinois.edu]. He is a US Army Vietnam Era Veteran and professor emeritus of soil science. Cihacek is a professor at the School of Natural Resource Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota. He is US Army veteran and professor of soil science.

In this episode, the following sections of the paper titled 2.7 PACT Act Established Presumptive Service Connection for Thailand Veterans, 3.0 Summary and Acknowledgments will be featured. According to Olson and Cihacek, with the passage of the PACT Act on August 10, 2022, veterans who served in Thailand are eligible for presumptive service connection, regardless of their MOS or where on the base they were located. The VA now recognizes that any service member with active military naval, air, or space service who served in Thailand, at any U.S. or Thai base, between January 9, 1962 and June 30, 1976 were likely exposed to Agent Orange.

Five bases in Thailand, including Nakhon Phanom (NKP), Ubon, Korat, U-Tapao and Udorn endured sniper fire interdiction, perimeter penetration, and sapper (combat engineer) attacks. Nam Phong an eighth Royal Thai Air Force base was used by the United States Marine Corps air operations starting in 1972. The Rules of Engagement (ROE)  provided authorization and limits for the employment of herbicides throughout the Southeast Asian conflict.

Listen to episode 2511 and discover more about the PACT Act and the summation of the report on toxic herbicide use in Thailand by the U.S. during the American Vietnam War.

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Toxic herbicide storage on Johnston Island

Episode 2510 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a look at the Thailand Veteran Situation. The information shared in this episode is a portion of the report created by the Merry Band of Retirees titled, Use of Agent Purple, Agent Orange and Agent Blue on Royal Thai Air Force Base Perimeters in Thailand during the Vietnam War.

The paper was submitted by Kenneth R. Olson and Larry Cihacek. Olson was a professor in the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois [krolson@illinois.edu]. He is a US Army Vietnam Era Veteran and professor emeritus of soil science. Cihacek is a professor at the School of Natural Resource Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota. He is US Army veteran and professor of soil science.

In this episode, the following portions of the paper that is titled 2.5.2 The Thailand Veteran Situation, 2.5.3. The Thailand Veteran Solution and 2.6 In Thailand Cases, VA Faces the Same Challenges of Determining Exposure Details as with Vietnam veterans will be featured. According to Olson and Cihacek, There are no current statutes or VA regulations to automatically concede veteran exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Thailand during the Vietnam Era. The VA’s adjudication manual (M21-1) does recognize Vietnam-era veterans whose service involved duty on or near perimeters of military bases in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975 may have been exposed to Agent Orange and may qualify for VA benefits.

Five bases in Thailand, including Nakhon Phanom (NKP), Ubon, Korat, U-Tapao and Udorn endured sniper fire interdiction, perimeter penetration, and sapper (combat engineer) attacks. Nam Phong an eighth Royal Thai Air Force base was used by the United States Marine Corps air operations starting in 1972. The Rules of Engagement (ROE)  provided authorization and limits for the employment of herbicides throughout the Southeast Asian conflict.

Listen to episode 2510 and discover more about the Thailand Veteran Situation.

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Udorn Royal Tahhai Air Force Base

Episode 2509 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a look at the VA’s Agent Orange policy toward Vietnam Vets who served in Thailand. The information shared in this episode is a portion of the report created by the Merry Band of Retirees titled, Use of Agent Purple, Agent Orange and Agent Blue on Royal Thai Air Force Base Perimeters in Thailand during the Vietnam War.

The paper was submitted by Kenneth R. Olson and Larry Cihacek. Olson was a professor in the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois [krolson@illinois.edu]. He is a US Army Vietnam Era Veteran and professor emeritus of soil science. Cihacek is a professor at the School of Natural Resource Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota. He is US Army veteran and professor of soil science.

In this episode, the following portion of the paper that is titled 2.5 VA Should Presume Exposure to Herbicide Agents for all Thailand Veterans? Thailand Veterans Were Exposed to the Same Agents as Vietnam Veterans will be featured. According to Olson and Cihacek, Before the PACT Act was enacted on August 10, 2022, the Veterans Administration’s (VA’s) application of its Thailand perimeter policy only conceded exposure for service members with a security-related military occupational specialty (MOS), such as military police, who conducted foot patrols at the perimeter.  In such a strict application, the VA arbitrarily ignored its own policy of conceding herbicide exposure for veterans who served near the perimeter.

Five bases in Thailand, including Nakhon Phanom (NKP), Ubon, Korat, U-Tapao and Udorn endured sniper fire interdiction, perimeter penetration, and sapper (combat engineer) attacks. Nam Phong an eighth Royal Thai Air Force base was used by the United States Marine Corps air operations starting in 1972. The Rules of Engagement (ROE)  provided authorization and limits for the employment of herbicides throughout the Southeast Asian conflict.

Listen to episode 2509 and discover more about the VA’s Agent Orange policy toward Vietnam Vets who served in Thailand.

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Thai air for base perimeter during the Vietnam War

Episode 2508 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a look at the question of whether the herbicides used in Thailand were “commercial” or “tactical.” The information shared in this episode is a portion of the report created by the Merry Band of Retirees titled, Use of Agent Purple, Agent Orange and Agent Blue on Royal Thai Air Force Base Perimeters in Thailand during the Vietnam War.

The paper was submitted by Kenneth R. Olson and Larry Cihacek. Olson was a professor in the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois [krolson@illinois.edu]. He is a US Army Vietnam Era Veteran and professor emeritus of soil science. Cihacek is a professor at the School of Natural Resource Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota. He is US Army veteran and professor of soil science.

In this episode, the following portion of the paper that is titled 2.4 VA’s Illusory Distinction between “Commercial” and “Tactical” Herbicides is Unlawful and Arbitrary. will be featured. According to Olson and Cihacek, the Veterans Administration (VA), with advice from the Department of Defense, constructed an arbitrary distinction between “commercial” and “tactical” herbicides. They routinely used this “distinction” as justification for denying Thailand exposure claims. 

Historical documentation shows no evidence that the military made any distinction between “tactical” and “commercial” herbicides at the time of the Vietnam War.

Five bases in Thailand, including Nakhon Phanom (NKP), Ubon, Korat, U-Tapao and Udorn endured sniper fire interdiction, perimeter penetration, and sapper (combat engineer) attacks.Nam Phong an eighth Royal Thai Air Force base was used by the United States Marine Corps air operations starting in 1972. The Rules of Engagement (ROE)  provided authorization and limits for the employment of herbicides throughout the Southeast Asian conflict.

Listen to episode 2508 and discover more about the question of whether the herbicides used in Thailand were “commercial” or “tactical”

Cuong Pham started the Red Boat Fish Sauce company 10 years ago after leaving Apple. [RedboatFishSauce.com]

Episode 2507 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Cuong Pham the Vietnamese refugee, who shows how it is done. The featured story comes from Market Watch and is titled: The story of a former Vietnam refugee who went on to become an Apple engineer and a fish sauce entrepreneur.

The story was submitted by Deborah L. Jacobs. She is a lawyer, entrepreneur and award-winning journalist, is a former senior editor at Forbes. She is the author of “Four Seasons in a Day: Travel, Transitions and Letting Go of the Place We Call Home” and “Estate Planning Smarts: A Practical, User-Friendly, Action-Oriented Guide.”

When communist oppression became too much to bear after the take over in May of 1975 Pham made a harrowing escape on a leaky boat out of Vietnam. After three terrifying weeks at sea, with not enough food and the unrelenting threat of attack by pirates, the jam-packed boat reached Malaysia. Pham spent nine months at the United Nations-run Pulau Bidong refugee camp before he was allowed to go to the U.S.

It would be more than 10 years before, bit by bit, his family was reunited. His grandmother and one sister, who escaped in 1984, died at sea. Pham returned to Vietnam five years later to process the paperwork for his mother and another sister to legally immigrate to the U.S. They arrived in 1990.

By then Pham had earned a degree in management information systems at San Jose State. He was also married — to a young woman named Ann who he’d eyed at the refugee camp, and subsequently met in California. They were among the nearly two million people to escape Vietnam after the war.

Listen to episode 2507 and discover more about Cuong Pham the Vietnamese refugee, who shows how it is done.