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UWF Vietnam Vet Program

Episode 3130 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the University of West Florida program that documents Vietnam Vet’s memories. The featured story appeared on WEAR-TV and was titled: UWF students document Vietnam veterans’ stories for new oral-history project. It was submitted by Hailey Samples.

Samples reported that a powerful new initiative at the University of West Florida is helping the nation uncover and preserve the personal experiences of Vietnam Veterans. Led by the History and Philosophy Department, this oral-history project pairs UWF students with veterans from the Azalea Trace retirement community in Pensacola—home to over 100 Vietnam-era servicemen and women.

Nearly 40 veterans have already come forward to share their stories, offering firsthand accounts of their service during one of the most complex and controversial conflicts in U.S. history. These conversations provide more than just historical insight; for many, they serve as a form of emotional healing.

“Some have said that it’s almost a bit of therapy,” said Dr. Erin Stone, chair of the department. One remarkable moment came when two veterans, previously strangers, discovered they had served in the same platoon. That chance reconnection led them to share a beer and reminisce—an emotional reminder of the deep bonds forged in war.

The students are working to compile these interviews into a documentary, which will be shared with the broader community. Through this effort, the program not only enriches students’ understanding of history, but also honors the sacrifices of those who served.

By recording these personal narratives, the University of West Florida is contributing to a national effort to better understand the Vietnam War through the voices of those who lived it. The project ensures these veterans’ stories are heard, preserved, and valued—helping the country gain deeper insight into its past and the individuals who shaped it.

Listen to Episode 3130 and discover more about the University of West Florida program that documents Vietnam Vet’s memories.

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Wheeling VFW Vice Commander Chuck Ryan addresses the crowd during a military banner dedication on Friday outside of Ritchie Elementary School in South Wheeling in honor of Lance Cpl. Charles Robert “Robbie” Olson, who was killed in action in Vietnam in 1970. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

Episode 3129 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how fallen Vietnam Vet Hero Marine Lance Cpl. Charles Robert “Robbie” Olson was honored in his West Virginia home town. The featured story is titled: City Salutes South Wheeling Serviceman Killed in Action in Vietnam. It was submitted by Eric Ayres.

Ayres reported that the city of Wheeling came together to honor the legacy of Lance Cpl. Charles Robert “Robbie” Olson, a brave U.S. Marine who was killed in action in Vietnam in 1970 at the age of 19. A moving ceremony was held outside Ritchie Elementary School, near Olson’s childhood home, where his military banner was rededicated as part of the city’s exceptional Military Banner Program, which now proudly showcases over 250 banners honoring both veterans and active-duty service members.

Olson served courageously with the Combined Action Program in Vietnam and tragically lost his life during a patrol operation. His heroism earned him multiple medals, including the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. During the ceremony, family members, city officials, veterans, and students reflected on Olson’s sacrifice, remembered his vibrant youth, and celebrated his unwavering love for his country and the Marine Corps.

Dale Olson, his cousin and a decorated Air Force veteran, performed a heartfelt rendition of “Taps,” while a letter Robbie wrote weeks before his death and the poem “Immortality” were read aloud — both powerful reminders of his enduring spirit.

The Military Banner Program in Wheeling, coordinated by dedicated volunteers like John Larch, continues to be a profound tribute to the community’s heroes. It offers a public and permanent way to ensure veterans like Robbie Olson are never forgotten. As Wheeling VFW Vice Commander Chuck Ryan noted, these banners and ceremonies not only honor those who served but also recognize the families who bore the burden of their loss.

Wheeling’s commitment to its veterans through this banner program is nothing short of remarkable. To learn more or to sponsor a banner, visit www.troopbanners.com/wheeling

Listen to Episode 3129 and discover more about how fallen Vietnam Vet Hero Marine Lance Cpl. Charles Robert “Robbie” Olson was honored in his West Virginia home town.

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Vietnam Vet Conrad Joseph Landry, Jr.
November 2, 1950 ~ September 18, 2025 (age 74)

Chaplain John H. Winfrey

Episode 3128 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the memorial service for Vietnam Vet Conrad Joseph Landry, Jr. The featured story was titled: Chat with a Chaplain: Old soldiers never die. It comes from The Stokes News of King, North Carolina.

Chaplain John Winfrey said this about his Vietnam Vet friend Conrad Joseph Landry, Jr. On October 7, 2025, I had the honor of speaking at the Memorial Service of Conrad Joseph Landry, Jr., a proud United States Sea Bee, Vietnam Veteran, and genuine American hero. Conrad represented the very best of those who served during one of the most difficult wars in our nation’s history. Like so many Vietnam Veterans, he carried the scars of battle—both seen and unseen—but he lived his life with dignity, humor, and kindness.

I first met Conrad when he came by the Legion handing out vegetables from his garden—a small act that perfectly captured his generous spirit. He was instantly likeable, the kind of man both children and adults were drawn to. He loved to laugh and had a natural gift for storytelling, often keeping everyone entertained with his endless jokes and perfect comedic timing. Yet beneath that laughter was the heart of a warrior who had witnessed the unimaginable.

During the Tet Offensive, Conrad faced horrific scenes that haunted him for the rest of his life. Still, he endured with quiet courage, embodying the resilience shared by so many Vietnam Veterans. These men and women carried the weight of war long after returning home, often without the recognition they deserved.

Conrad’s life reminds us of the greatness of all who served in Vietnam—ordinary Americans who performed extraordinary acts of service, sacrifice, and compassion. His memory, like theirs, stands as a testament to courage, brotherhood, and the enduring power of a good man’s heart.

Listen to Episode 3128 and discover more about the memorial service for Vietnam Vet Conrad Joseph Landry, Jr.

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Ron Mosbaugh in Vietnam

Episode 3127 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Part 2 of Vietnam Vet Ron Mosbaugh’s story Vietnam Flashbacks and Sagas. Ron Mosbaugh served in Vietnam with the U.S. Navy as a field corpsman. He spent thirteen months in country with Marine infantry units in continuous heavy combat. He survived the war but to this day suffers from a terrible case of PTSD.

It was suggested by his PTSD counselors that he write about his experiences. At first he was reluctant to write about his experience in the War. He decided to follow the advice as a last resort. Since that decision was made, he has written several books and numerous stories.

In this podcast episode, Part 2 of his recently written story Vietnam Flashbacks and Sagas will be featured.

Mosbaugh begins the part of his story with this: I have always had flashbacks and nightmares from my time in Vietnam. These ghosts of the past are never far from my thoughts, even subconsciously. Most of my flashbacks are repeats or recurrences from prior nightmares. But this recent flashback was from an entirely different trauma. It is strange that I have not thought about it since 1967!

 This flashback was spontaneous and probably only lasted a few seconds. I was involuntarily transported back in time. Even though it only lasted for a short time, however, a lot happened during that period. I was not only remembering the event, but I was also living it!! I was theresurrounded by images, smells, sounds, feelings, and facts. The sad story is, “I don’t live in Vietnam, but Vietnam will always live in me.”

Listen to Episode 3127 and discover more about Part 2 of Vietnam Vet Ron Mosbaugh’s story Vietnam Flashbacks and Saga’s.

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Ron Mosbaugh in Vietnam

Episode 3126 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Part 1 of Vietnam Vet Ron Mosbaugh’s story Vietnam Flashbacks and Sagas. Ron Mosbaugh served in Vietnam with the U.S. Navy as a field corpsman. He spent thirteen months in country with Marine infantry units in continuous heavy combat. He survived the war but to this day suffers from a terrible case of PTSD.

It was suggested by his PTSD counselors that he write about his experiences. At first he was reluctant to write about his experience in the War. He decided to follow the advice as a last resort. Since that decision was made, he has written several books and numerous stories.

In this podcast episode Part 1 of his recently written story Vietnam Flashbacks and Sagas will be featured. Mosbaugh begins his story with this: My first duty station was at the Oakland Naval Hospital, in Oakland, California, which was also called “Oak Knoll”.  This was my first exposure to trauma.  This facility treated veterans who had lost their arms and legs in the Vietnam War. They also fitted prostheses for these veterans.  Many who were my age; their lives were changed forever.  We also treated burns, blindness, loss of hearing, disfigurement, paraplegics and quadriplegics – you get the idea. I saw firsthand how these soldiers experienced the psychological, physical, and emotional trauma of combat.

  After leaving the hospital at Oakland after a year, I attended a five-week field Medical School Training at Camp Pendleton, CA. After graduation, we were bused to LAX in Los Angeles. We boarded a 707 Pan Am, Boeing aircraft. Our first hop was Okinawa, Japan.  We were there for a couple of days, receiving our weapons, jungle fatigues, canteens, medical supplies etc.

Listen to Episode 3126 and discover more about Part 1 of Vietnam Vet Ron Mosbaugh’s story Vietnam Flashbacks and Saga’s.

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Member of the Joint Services Honor Guard reflected on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial prior to a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the Vietnam War, March 2016. (Photo Credit: Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

Episode 3125 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the real Vietnam War start date. Information featured in this episode comes from a story titled: Because of the uncertainty surrounding the Vietnam War’s exact start date, fallen soldiers like Richard Fitzgibbon Jr. weren’t recognized as official war fatalities. The featured story appeared in the War History Online website and was submitted by Jesse Beckett.

Beckett reported that the Vietnam War’s official start date has long been debated, with proposed beginnings ranging from French colonization in 1887 to Ho Chi Minh’s 1946 insurgency, and U.S. military aid starting in 1950. For decades, the U.S. government recognized 1961 as the war’s start, excluding earlier casualties like Air Force Tech. Sgt. Richard Fitzgibbon Jr., who was killed in 1956. After years of advocacy by his family, the Department of Defense revised the official start date to November 1, 1955, acknowledging those early sacrifices.

Born in 1920 in Massachusetts, Fitzgibbon served in both the Navy and Air Force. He was stationed in Vietnam as part of the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG), where he trained South Vietnamese pilots. On June 8, 1956, following a confrontation with fellow serviceman Staff Sgt. Edward C. Clarke, Fitzgibbon was fatally shot by Clarke, who later died while attempting to flee.

Though Fitzgibbon’s death occurred during U.S. involvement in Vietnam, it wasn’t officially recognized as a war casualty at the time. His son, Richard Fitzgibbon III, later died in combat in 1965, making them one of only three father-son pairs killed in the Vietnam War.

In 1988, a family member discovered Fitzgibbon Jr.’s name missing from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The family petitioned for its inclusion, but progress was slow until 1997, when they gained support from Rep. Ed Markey. His advocacy led to the 1999 addition of Fitzgibbon Jr.’s name to the memorial and the revised war start date—bringing long-overdue recognition to the family’s sacrifice.

Listen to Episode 3125 and discover more about the real Vietnam War start date.

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Episode 3124 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about two Vietnam Veteran news items from North Dakota and Kansas. Information featured in this episode comes from the Minot Daily News and the EIN Presswire

It was reported that the 14th annual North Central Veterans Stand Down will take place on Thursday, October 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Armed Forces Reserve Center, 3420 2nd St. NE, north of Minot International Airport. The event is designed to support veterans from north central North Dakota, offering a variety of services such as veterans’ benefits, health care, legal assistance, counseling, housing support, hygiene items, flu shots, and employment help. Veterans should bring their DD214, VA card, or driver’s license with a “V” designation for proof of veteran status. A free lunch will also be provided.

The Stand Down event is inspired by the original concept from the Vietnam War, where troops returning from combat could retreat to a safe base camp for rest, hygiene, meals, medical care, and emotional recovery. This event aims to help veterans regain their health and well-being.

For more information, contact Kelli Weiand, N.D. Military Outreach Program, at 420-5846, 340-2779, or by email at Colleen.y.weiand.nfg@army.mil

Additionally, U.S. Army veteran and retired educator Ken Embers has released his memoir, The Amazing Adventures of Captain Embers & Chief Zogleman: Whop! Whop! Whop! The book chronicles Embers’ journey from flying UH-1 Hueys in Vietnam to his post-war work in education and cross-cultural service. It also covers his efforts to establish the Bong Son Lucky Star Blazer Library Learning Center in Vietnam, a space dedicated to English education and reconciliation. Embers, based in Manhattan, Kansas, is still active in teaching English online and involved in educational projects in Vietnam.

Listen to Episode 3124 and discover more about the two Vietnam Veteran news items from North Dakota and Kansas.

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People ride their motorbikes duing rush hour at Hanoi’s Old Quarter, in Hanoi, Vietnam, August 30, 2025. [REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha Purchase Licensing Rights]

Episode 3123 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Honda’s hold on the Vietnamese motor bike market. The featured story come from Reuters and is titled: Honda’s grip on Vietnam motorbike market looks shaky on EV switch. The story was submitted by Francesco Guarascio and Phuong Nguyen.

It was reported that Vietnam’s motorbike market, long dominated by Honda, is entering a pivotal transition driven by strong government support for electric vehicles (EVs), positioning it as one of the most dynamic mobility markets in the world. With a projected market value rising from $4.6 billion in 2025 to $6 billion by 2030, Vietnam’s two-wheeler sector is not only vast but rapidly evolving.

A key turning point came in July when Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced that fossil-fuel-powered motorbikes will be banned from Hanoi’s city center within 12 months, with a wider ban set for 2028. This aggressive push aims to combat Hanoi’s severe air pollution and accelerate the shift to electric mobility.

While Honda currently holds over 80% of the market—selling 2.6 million petrol-powered motorbikes last year—Vietnamese EV maker VinFast is emerging as a serious contender. VinFast delivered 71,000 electric bikes last year and stands to benefit directly from new regulations and shifting consumer sentiment.

A recent survey revealed that 54% of respondents nationwide—and 60% in Hanoi—would choose an electric motorbike for their next purchase, primarily due to supportive government policies. While Honda still leads in brand loyalty, VinFast is gaining ground, with 32% of respondents naming it as their next potential choice.

Vietnam’s decisive policy framework and strong market fundamentals are driving a profound transformation. As EV adoption accelerates, the Vietnamese motorbike market is not only adapting—it’s setting the pace for electrification in Southeast Asia.

Listen to Episode 3123 and discover more about Honda’s hold on the Vietnamese motor bike market.

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China Lake in Ho Chi Mhn City, Vietnam. [By Lynndon Schooler.]

Episode 3122 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the the Vietnam War secret grenade launcher. The featured story is titled: China Lake: The Secret Grenade Launcher of the Vietnam War.  It comes from the Fire Arm Blog and was submitted by Lynndon Schooler.

Schooler reported that the China Lake grenade launcher, a rare pump-action 40mm multi-shot weapon built for Navy SEALs in Vietnam, was hand‑made at the Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake, California. Conceived in the late 1960s by Alfred Kermode to overcome the single-shot limitation of the ubiquitous M79, it used a tubular magazine holding three rounds plus one in the chamber for four shots. Constructed from aluminum, steel and wood, it weighed about 8.5 lb unloaded and adopted a shotgun‑style pump action that allowed successive grenades to be fired in under a second per cycle.

Issued in very small numbers—roughly two dozen built and mainly distributed to SEALs, MACV‑SOG and Marine Force Recon—the launcher earned praise for reliability, ruggedness and devastating close‑quarters firepower in jungles, swamps and covert cross‑border operations. For small, mobile teams operating behind enemy lines the China Lake’s rapid multi‑shot capability could overwhelm ambushers, neutralize bunkers or stop counterattacks before defenders recovered, offering four times the immediate firepower of an M79.

Despite combat success, the China Lake never entered mass production. Shrinking Vietnam budgets, the winding down of U.S. operations, and development of lighter systems like the under‑barrel M203 limited its prospects. After the war surviving examples were retired or stored; today only a handful exist in museums, making them among the rarest U.S. firearms from that era.

The China Lake remains an example of special‑operations driven innovation: a purpose‑built, compact solution that briefly changed how small units delivered explosive firepower, leaving a lasting, cultlike reputation among those who used it. Collectors and historians continue to study its design, and surviving examples are prized artifacts that illuminate unconventional warfare and improvisational engineering worldwide today.

Listen to Episode 3122 and discover more about the Vietnam War secret grenade launcher.

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XM148 in the Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. By Lynndon Schooler.

XM148 in Vietnam. Photo credit unknown.

Episode 3121 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the XM148 Grenade Launcher and its contributions to the American Military during the Vietnam War. The featured story is titled: The XM148 – America’s Early Under-Barrel Grenade Launchers in Vietnam. It comes from the Fire Arm Blog and was submitted by Lynndon Schooler.

Schooler reported that during the Vietnam War, U.S. troops faced intense close-quarters combat in dense jungles, exposing the limits of traditional small arms. While the M16 rifle was lightweight and modern, soldiers needed more integrated firepower. Enter the XM148 — America’s first serious attempt to combine a rifle with a grenade launcher.

Developed by Colt in the mid-1960s, the XM148 was designed to attach directly beneath the M16, allowing infantry to launch 40mm grenades without carrying a standalone weapon like the M79. Although about 28,000 units were produced, the XM148 was more of a stepping stone than a long-term solution.

The XM148 had promise: it was compact, fired the same rounds as the M79, and featured a basic sighting system. However, its design flaws quickly surfaced. The most dangerous was its exposed trigger linkage — an external bar that could catch on jungle foliage, risking accidental discharge of explosive rounds. Reloading was also clunky compared to the M79, and the mechanism to charge the weapon proved overly complicated.

Despite these issues, it saw combat use among Army units and Special Forces beginning in 1966. Feedback confirmed the concept was viable, but the XM148 itself wasn’t ideal. By 1967, the U.S. shifted to the more refined M203, which resolved many of the XM148’s shortcomings.

Ultimately, the XM148 played a crucial role in advancing infantry weapon design. Though flawed, it proved the feasibility of rifle-mounted grenade launchers and directly influenced future developments. It may not be well-known, but its contribution to modern small arms during a pivotal era earns it a lasting place in military history.

Listen to Episode 3121 and discover more about the XM148 Grenade Launcher and its contributions to the American Military during the Vietnam War.