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Irishman John O’Sullivan from Tralee.

Episode 3160 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how Vietnam Vet John O’Sullivan is being honored in Ireland, his home.country. The featured story is titled: A Huey in Kerry: One man’s mission to honour Tralee Vietnam pilot and Ireland’s soldiers. It appeared on the Irish Independent website and was submitted by Fergus Dennehy.

Dennehy reported that a rural community in Co. Kerry has embarked on an ambitious effort to honor one of its own—Major John O’Sullivan, a Tralee-born pilot who became one of the most highly decorated aviators of the Vietnam War and in U.S. Army history. Led by Padraig Nolan, the Dolphin 428 project seeks to ensure Ireland recognizes the extraordinary achievements of O’Sullivan and, by extension, the valor of all Vietnam Veterans, regardless of where they were born.

O’Sullivan emigrated to the United States with his family in the 1950s, joined the U.S. Army after high school, and quickly distinguished himself. First a paratrooper, then a helicopter pilot, he flew Huey slicks and gunships through two demanding tours in Vietnam. His remarkable courage, skill, and loyalty to his fellow soldiers earned him the Distinguished Service Cross—one of America’s highest awards for heroism. After returning to Ireland in the 1980s, he continued to serve others by training new generations of helicopter pilots. He passed away in 2013, leaving a legacy that bridges two nations.

To honor him, Padraig and his team located a retired U.S. Army Huey helicopter in Tulsa, Oklahoma—one once flown by O’Sullivan. With the support of the 174th AHC Veterans Association, they brought the aircraft home to Ireland, where it will be restored and displayed as “Dolphin 428.” The project aims not only to memorialize O’Sullivan’s service but also to highlight the enormous contributions of Irish, Irish-American, and all Vietnam Veterans who served with distinction under the U.S. flag.

By creating a public site and educational hub, the Dolphin 428 project hopes to inspire visitors of all ages and strengthen understanding of the deep, shared history between Ireland and the United States. Funding remains crucial, and supporters can follow the project—and contribute—through its online updates.

Listen to Episode 3160 and discover more about how Vietnam Vet John O’Sullivan is being honored in Ireland, his home.country.

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Vietnam Vet and POW Doug Hegdahl of Clark, SD

Episode 3159 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the unlikely Vietnam War hero Doug Hegdahl. The featured story is titled: The Unlikely War Hero – A Vietnam War POW’s Story of Courage and Resilience in the Hanoi Hilton. It appeared on the Army University Press website and was submitted by Lt. Col. Rick Baillergeon, U.S. Army, Retired.

Baillergeon reported that Marc Leepson’s The Unlikely War Hero highlights the understated greatness of Doug Hegdahl, a U.S. Navy Vietnam War veteran whose heroic actions as a POW have been largely overlooked. Hegdahl’s story is extraordinary yet remarkably uncelebrated. After falling overboard from the USS Canberra in 1967, Hegdahl was captured by the North Vietnamese and sent to the infamous Hanoi Hilton. There, he used an ingenious tactic—pretending to be “incredibly stupid”—to avoid the harsh attention directed at other prisoners. This unassuming strategy allowed him to gather crucial intelligence that would later have a profound impact on the POW community and U.S. war efforts.

Hegdahl sabotaged enemy equipment, memorized the location of the Hanoi Hilton, and committed to memory the names and details of 254 fellow prisoners. This information, shared after his release in 1969, was invaluable. It not only identified previously missing officers as POWs but also dramatically improved the treatment of fellow captives. His actions helped change the fates of countless families who had been told their loved ones were “missing in action.”

Leepson’s biography expertly details Hegdahl’s bravery, combining a deep well of sources to paint a full picture of this quiet hero. Despite his refusal to contribute directly to the book, Leepson captures his legacy through interviews and accounts from those who knew him. The book also explores Hegdahl’s life after the war, where he shunned the spotlight despite his monumental contributions.

In a world often obsessed with combat heroes, Doug Hegdahl’s understated heroism—marked by selfless actions behind enemy lines—deserves far greater recognition. Leepson’s The Unlikely War Hero does justice to this remarkable man whose legacy has often been overshadowed by more conventional forms of valor.

Listen to Episode 3159 and discover more about the unlikely Vietnam War hero Doug Hegdahl.

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Pierre Asselin author of Vietnam’s American War: A New History

Episode 3158 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about new insights about the Vietnam War delivered in the new book by Pierre Asselin that broadens our understanding through his recent book, Vietnam’s American War: A New History. The featured article is titled: A New History of Vietnam’s American War. It appeared on the Real Clear Defense website and was submitted by John West.

West reported that the long and turbulent history leading to the Vietnam War reveals a conflict far more complex than the traditional narrative of heroic national unity against foreign invaders. Pierre Asselin’s Vietnam’s American War: A New History emphasizes that Vietnam’s past was defined less by cohesion than by deep internal divisions. These fractures predated the French and American interventions and shaped nearly every stage of the conflict. After France lost its Indochinese colonies during World War II, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence in 1945—but his proclamation ignited fierce internal violence between communist and anti-communist Vietnamese factions. The ensuing struggle, intensified rather than created by France’s return, became a civil war in which many Vietnamese fought alongside the French not out of loyalty to colonialism but out of fear of communist domination.

The temporary 1954 division along the 17th parallel only hardened these divides. When nationwide elections were never held, the brewing civil conflict escalated into full-scale war between the northern Marxist-Leninists and southern non-communists. U.S. intervention beginning in 1965 did not start the war but rather Americanized an already decades-long Vietnamese struggle. Foreign powers—China, the Soviet Union, and the United States—deepened the conflict, but none created its underlying causes.

Within this difficult and morally tangled history stands the Vietnam Veteran Generation—an American cohort whose service deserves profound respect. Around 2.7 million Americans answered their nation’s call, many serving in impossible conditions, navigating unclear political aims, and carrying burdens far heavier than those acknowledged at the time. Despite domestic turmoil, intense scrutiny, and a homecoming often marked by division rather than gratitude, they upheld duty with courage and resilience. Their service reflects extraordinary character: they fought not for glory but for each other, and they endured hardships that helped shape modern American military professionalism. The greatness of this generation lies not only in its sacrifice but in its continued commitment to country and community long after the war ended.

Listen to Episode 3158 and discover more about the insights about the Vietnam War delivered in the new book by Pierre Asselin that broadens our understanding through his recent book, Vietnam’s American War: A New History.

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Episode 3157 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how Vietnam War hero MG Patrick Brady was honored in Texas. The featured story is titled: San Angelo scholarship founded to honor heroic veteran. It appeared on the GOSANANGELO website.  and was submitted by Rosanna Fraire.

Fraire reported that The San Angelo Area Foundation has launched a powerful new initiative honoring one of America’s most decorated heroes: Major General Patrick Brady, Medal of Honor recipient and legendary Vietnam War air ambulance pilot. Thanks to two anonymous $10,000 gifts, the Major General Patrick Brady Medal of Honor–Fort Chadbourne Scholarship has been established to support Concho Valley students who embody patriotism, citizenship, and service—values that defined Brady’s extraordinary life.

Brady served more than 34 years in the U.S. Army, completing over 2,500 combat missions during the Vietnam War and rescuing more than 5,000 wounded men, women, and children. His pioneering helicopter evacuation techniques set new standards for battlefield rescue and earned him recognition as one of the greatest helicopter pilots in military history. He remains the only living veteran to hold both the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross.

The new scholarship will help students pursuing trade and vocational education—an area Brady passionately champions. As he notes, real success grows from work ethic, character, and responsibility, traits he hopes this scholarship will foster in future generations.

To dive deeper into the astonishing heroics and leadership of MG Patrick Brady—and to better understand why the Vietnam Veteran Generation stands as one of the greatest in American history—listeners are encouraged to visit episode 2798 of the podcast. Brady’s story is not only a testament to courage under fire but also a reminder of the enduring strength, sacrifice, and patriotism that defined an entire generation of Vietnam Veterans. Their legacy continues to inspire, uplift, and guide the nation forward.

Listen to Episode 3157 and discover more about how Vietnam War hero MG Patrick Brady was honored in Texas.

Major General Patrick Brady, Medal of Honor Recipient-Ft Chadbourne Scholarship Fund

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Artist and Vietanm Vet Everett Carter doing his thing at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment in Huntsville.

Episode 3156 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about artist and Vietnam Vet Everett Carter. The featured story is titled: Vietnam veteran finds healing through art at Huntsville’s Lowe Mill. It appeared on FOX54 of Huntsville, Ala.  and was submitted by Jonathan Shelley and Valentina Chelala.

Shelley and Chelala reported that at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment in Huntsville, the energy of Small Business Saturday filled the historic mill, but inside Studio 117, visitors discovered more than colorful canvases — they encountered the remarkable story of Everett Carter, a Vietnam veteran whose art has become both testimony and therapy. Carter, one of the longest-standing studio owners at the mill, represents the greatness of the Vietnam Veteran Generation — a generation as noble, resilient, and selfless as any that has ever answered our nation’s call.

Carter’s artistic path began in childhood, when a neighborhood woman purchased one of his sketches for ten dollars — a moment that affirmed his talent and planted the seeds of a lifelong vocation. But that early promise was interrupted when, at 22, he was drafted into the Vietnam War. Like so many from that extraordinary generation, he set aside his dreams to serve, bearing both the visible and invisible wounds of combat. The mental toll of war lingered long after he returned home, mirroring the struggles faced by countless Vietnam veterans whose sacrifices were too often overlooked.

Art became Carter’s way back. Through vivid acrylics, landscapes, and heartfelt tributes, he channels memories of hardship, camaraderie, and survival. Each brushstroke reflects not only his personal healing but the enduring strength of the men and women who served beside him. Carter’s studio stands as a living reminder that creativity can mend what war fractures, and that the Vietnam Veteran Generation — courageous, steadfast, and profoundly human — remains one of the greatest cohorts ever to serve the United States.

Listen to Episode 3156 and discover more about artist and Vietnam Vet Everett Carter.

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Sandra van Bebber

Episode 3155 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Sandra Van Bebber, a special Vietnam Vet. The featured story is titled: Trading comfort for courage: The story of Sandra van Bebber. It appeared on WHNT of Huntsville, Ala.  and was submitted by Peyton Newman.

Newman reported that Sandra van Bebber’s story is a powerful reminder of the courage and quiet heroism shown by all who served in the Vietnam War—especially the often-overlooked women who stepped forward when their country called. Trading comfort for conviction, van Bebber volunteered without hesitation, launching herself into a life-changing journey that carried her from Denver’s snowy mountains to the war-torn landscapes of Vietnam in 1967.

A graduate of the Army-Baylor program and one of the very few physical therapists sent overseas, van Bebber found herself surrounded by young soldiers who depended on her strength more than she ever expected. Her first moments in Vietnam—walking off the plane ahead of dozens of anxious servicemen because they needed someone to follow—captured the essence of her service: steady, courageous, and selfless.

Stationed at the 85th Evacuation Hospital in Quy Nhon, she treated grievously wounded soldiers, young men whose shattered bodies and uncertain futures weighed heavily on her heart. She remembers them still—the injuries, the faces, and the parents waiting at home—carrying their stories with the reverence of someone who witnessed both the brutality of war and the resilience of the human spirit.

Now 91, van Bebber’s pride in her service remains unwavering, and through her memories shines a deep appreciation for the flag and the nation she served. Her journey honors not only her own sacrifice but the greatness of every Vietnam Veteran. Each one—man or woman—answered a call that demanded extraordinary courage, and their legacy endures in every story like hers.

Listen to Episode 3155 and discover more about Sandra Van Bebber, a special Vietnam Vet.

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Elton John

Daniel   

Episode 3154 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how Elton John honored a Vietnam Veteran with his song. The featured story is titled: Who did Elton John write ‘Daniel’ about?. It appeared in the Far Out Magazine and was submitted by Guy Howie.

Howie reported that Elton John’s brilliance shines powerfully through “Daniel,” a song whose gentle melody and veiled sorrow conceal a profound tribute to a Vietnam War veteran. Released in 1973 on Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player, the track became John’s second consecutive top-two single, further cementing his reputation not just as a pop superstar but as an artist of rare emotional sensitivity. Though the lyrics seem deliberately opaque, that ambiguity is partly due to a final verse that was cut for radio length—a decision John accepted with the grace and professionalism that helped carry the song to massive success.

The removed verse, later found in John’s archives, makes explicit that Daniel is a war hero struggling to recover from trauma. With lines such as “War sure is hell when heroes can’t rest,” the verse frames Daniel as a veteran scarred by conflict—an insight that deepens the song’s poignancy even as its absence preserves the universal feel that John’s music so often achieves. Still, lyricist Bernie Taupin has insisted that the missing lines don’t radically change the meaning; the heart of the song was always intact.

What elevates “Daniel” beyond simple storytelling is the compassion that John brings to Taupin’s inspiration: a real blind Vietnam veteran profiled in Newsweek. This young man, celebrated as a hero, wanted nothing more than to return to the quiet life he had known before the war. Through John’s tender performance and melodic restraint, the song honors not only this individual but the countless veterans who returned home bearing invisible wounds.

By channeling the veteran’s experience through the voice of a loving younger brother—a rare emotional vantage point in rock music—Elton John transforms private struggle into universal resonance. “Daniel” endures as a testament to his greatness: the ability to turn a soldier’s pain into a timeless, compassionate anthem.

Listen to Episode 3154 and discover more about how Elton John honored a Vietnam Veteran with his song.

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Andy Pham

Episode 3153 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature an interview conducted by Andy Pham about the new book McNamara at War with the authors. The book was written by William Taubman and Philip Taubman. It is a revelatory portrait of Robert S. McNamara, informed by newly discovered diaries, letters, and interviews with those closest to him.

Marc Selverstone is the Gerald L. Baliles Professor, Director of Presidential Studies, and co-chair of the Presidential Recordings Program at the University of Virginia Miller Center of Public Affairs. He is the author of The Kennedy Withdrawal: Camelot and the American Commitment to Vietnam (Harvard, 2022), general editor of The Presidential Recordings Digital Edition (Virginia, 2010–), and co-editor of the Miller Center “Studies on the Presidency” series with the University of Virginia Press.

. A historian of the Cold War, he is the author of Constructing the Monolith: The United States, Great Britain, and International Communism, 1945-1950 (Harvard), which won the Stuart L. Bernath Book Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations.

William Taubman is the Bertrand Snell Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Amherst College. His book, Khrushchev: The Man and His Era, won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. He is also the author of McNamara at War: A New History and Gorbachev: His Life and Times. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

His brother Philip Taubman, a former New York Times Washington Bureau Chief, is affiliated with Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation. He is the author of In the Nation’s Service: The Life and Times of George P. Shultz

Robert S. McNamara was widely considered to be one of the most brilliant men of his generation. He was an invaluable ally of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson as U.S. secretary of defense, and he had a deeply moving relationship with Jackie Kennedy. But to the country, McNamara was the leading advocate for American escalation in Vietnam. He strongly advised Johnson to deploy hundreds of thousands of American ground troops, just weeks before concluding that the war was unwinnable, and for the next two and a half years, McNamara failed to urge Johnson to cut his losses and withdraw.

McNamara at War has been added to the recommended reading list of this podcast. You are encouraged to take advantage of the purchase link below where the book can be purchased online or by phone.

Listen to Episode 3153 and discover more about the new book McNamara at War from the authors.

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Vietnam War veteran Mahlon Wood lives with his family in Lamoine

Episode 3152 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how Navy Vietnam Vet Mahlon Wood preserved his memories of the Vietnam War. The featured story is titled Vietnam veteran in Lamoine restores news story nearly five decades later. It appeared on WABI of Bangor, Maine. It was submitted by Colin Gallagher.

Galagher reported that Vietnam War veteran Mahlon Wood of Lamoine has uncovered a remarkable piece of personal and national history—footage of himself filmed during a 1970 CBS News report in Saigon. For decades, the silent 16-millimeter reel sat tucked away in drawers and boxes as Wood, like so many Vietnam veterans, tried to move past a painful homecoming marked by misunderstanding and mistreatment. His daughter, Shannon Byers, explains that although the family had the film digitized years ago, they never had the accompanying audio, which had been recorded separately. What they could see but never hear remained an emotional reminder of an era overshadowed by silence.

That changed last spring, when an old tape surfaced in Wood’s office closet. After careful remastering, the long-lost audio was reunited with the footage. At last, the complete broadcast emerged—an exchange ceremony in which U.S. Navy river patrol boats were handed over to Vietnamese forces, with Wood himself answering questions on camera for reporter Ed Rabel.

For Wood and his family, the restored broadcast brings long-awaited clarity, pride, and healing. More importantly, it shines a light on the courage, dignity, and enduring strength of all Vietnam veterans. These men and women served with honor in a war that divided a nation, and too often returned home without the welcome or respect they deserved. Wood hopes that sharing this rediscovered history will not only provide closure for his family but also help other veterans feel seen, valued, and understood. His story stands as a powerful reminder of the greatness of every Vietnam veteran and the importance of finally giving them the recognition they earned.

Listen to Episode 3152 and discover more about how Navy Vietnam Vet Mahlon Wood preserved his memories of the Vietnam War.

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Lois Gay [Courtesy Photo]

Episode 3151 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Lois Gay who served in the Air Force as both a nurse and a pilot. The featured story is titled A flight nurse remembers the Vietnam War. It appeared in the Fairfax County Times website. It was submitted by Kristin Johnson / Farifax County Times.

Johnson reported that Lois Gay’s story offers a powerful window into the courage, skill, and unwavering commitment of Air Force Vietnam Veterans—men and women whose service often unfolded far from the spotlight but was indispensable to saving lives. Gay entered the Air Force in 1966 hoping to work in pediatrics, and her first assignment at Maxwell Air Force Base allowed her to fulfill that wish while forming friendships that lasted a lifetime. After flight school, she deployed to Clark Air Base in the Philippines, beginning a remarkable two-year mission that highlighted the extraordinary professionalism of Air Force medical evacuation teams.

As a flight nurse with the 6485th, Gay logged more than 1,000 flight hours while shuttling wounded service members—including U.S. Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Korean troops, and even Vietnamese POWs—through a network of bases spanning Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Okinawa, Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Operating from rugged four-engine propeller aircraft, Gay’s team could reach locations off-limits to larger planes, demonstrating the adaptability and resolve that defined Air Force crews in the Vietnam era. Despite clearly marked Red Cross symbols, their aircraft still came under occasional fire, a reminder that medical personnel faced real danger while carrying out their lifesaving missions.

Gay’s stories show the ingenuity and compassion that Air Force veterans brought to the war. Whether improvising feeding tools from tongue blades or comforting devastated patients, she and her fellow Air Force personnel embodied resourcefulness under pressure. After returning to the United States, Gay served two more years, began a family, and remained deeply connected to her Air Force roots through the Society of Air Force Nurses. Her participation in memorial tributes and the Women’s Memorial dedication speaks to her enduring pride—pride shared by all who recognize the greatness of Air Force Vietnam Veterans, whose service, sacrifice, and humanity continue to inspire.

Listen to Episode 3151 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Lois Gay who served in the Air Force as both a nurse and a pilot.