Vietnam Veteran News

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Professor Kenneth R. Olson, leader of the Merry Band of Retirees.

Episode 3059 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Part 1 of a report about the the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War. The report is titled: Review and Analysis: Fate of Agent Orange and Agent Purple, Contaminated with Dioxin TCDD, Used to Defoliate the Jungle During the Second Indochina and Vietnam Wars and was created by the Merry Band of Retirees headed up by Professor Kenneth R. Olson.

Professor Olson is with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, USA, krolson@illinois.edu.

The purpose of sharing this final report by the Merry Band of Retirees is to close the book on this sorry episode of the Vietnam War where decisions were made to use agricultural herbicides as weapons in the War. The hopes engendered by the use of the herbicides went unfilled.

The abstract of the paper begins with this statement: The legacy of the human misery caused by the application of the herbicides including Agent Orange and Agent Purple contaminated with unknown amounts of dioxin TCDD and Agent Blue, the arsenic-based herbicide, sprayed over the jungles, rice fields, and hamlets of Vietnam is still haunting us today. Why did this happen? Could it have been prevented? Was it necessary United States military strategy? Was it an intentional decision to inflict this blight on the enemy soldiers and the Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian civilians, to poison their land and cause generations of harm?

Alternatively, was it an unpreventable accident in the march of military history? What patterns in the U.S. government’s thought process could be identified as the cause which led to the decision to use these agricultural herbicides as tactical chemical weapons?

Listen to Episode 3059 and discover more about the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War and the questions it still raises.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Professor Kenneth R. Olson, leader of the Merry Band of Retirees.

Episode 3056 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Part 1 of a report about the the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War. The report is titled: Review and Analysis: Fate of Agent Orange and Agent Purple, Contaminated with Dioxin TCDD, Used to Defoliate the Jungle During the Second Indochina and Vietnam Wars and was created by the Merry Band of Retirees headed up by Professor Kenneth R. Olson.

Professor Olson is with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, USA, krolson@illinois.edu.

The purpose of sharing this final report by the Merry Band of Retirees is to close the book on this sorry episode of the Vietnam War where decisions were made to use agricultural herbicides as weapons in the War. The hopes engendered by the use of the herbicides went unfilled.

The abstract of the paper begins with this statement: The legacy of the human misery caused by the application of the herbicides including Agent Orange and Agent Purple contaminated with unknown amounts of dioxin TCDD and Agent Blue, the arsenic-based herbicide, sprayed over the jungles, rice fields, and hamlets of Vietnam is still haunting us today. Why did this happen? Could it have been prevented? Was it necessary United States military strategy? Was it an intentional decision to inflict this blight on the enemy soldiers and the Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian civilians, to poison their land and cause generations of harm?

Alternatively, was it an unpreventable accident in the march of military history? What patterns in the U.S. government’s thought process could be identified as the cause which led to the decision to use these agricultural herbicides as tactical chemical weapons?

Listen to Episode 3058 and discover more about the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War and the questions it still raises.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Professor Kenneth R. Olson, leader of the Merry Band of Retirees.

Episode 3056 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Part 1 of a report about the the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War. The report is titled: Review and Analysis: Fate of Agent Orange and Agent Purple, Contaminated with Dioxin TCDD, Used to Defoliate the Jungle During the Second Indochina and Vietnam Wars and was created by the Merry Band of Retirees headed up by Professor Kenneth R. Olson.

Professor Olson is with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, USA, krolson@illinois.edu.

The purpose of sharing this final report by the Merry Band of Retirees is to close the book on this sorry episode of the Vietnam War where decisions were made to use agricultural herbicides as weapons in the War. The hopes engendered by the use of the herbicides went unfilled.

The abstract of the paper begins with this statement: The legacy of the human misery caused by the application of the herbicides including Agent Orange and Agent Purple contaminated with unknown amounts of dioxin TCDD and Agent Blue, the arsenic-based herbicide, sprayed over the jungles, rice fields, and hamlets of Vietnam is still haunting us today. Why did this happen? Could it have been prevented? Was it necessary United States military strategy? Was it an intentional decision to inflict this blight on the enemy soldiers and the Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian civilians, to poison their land and cause generations of harm?

Alternatively, was it an unpreventable accident in the march of military history? What patterns in the U.S. government’s thought process could be identified as the cause which led to the decision to use these agricultural herbicides as tactical chemical weapons?

Listen to Episode 3057 and discover more about the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War and the questions it still raises.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Professor Kenneth R. Olson, leader of the Merry Band of Retirees.

Episode 3056 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Part 1 of a report about the the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War. The report is titled: Review and Analysis: Fate of Agent Orange and Agent Purple, Contaminated with Dioxin TCDD, Used to Defoliate the Jungle During the Second Indochina and Vietnam Wars and was created by the Merry Band of Retirees headed up by Professor Kenneth R. Olson.

Professor Olson is with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, USA, krolson@illinois.edu.

The purpose of sharing this final report by the Merry Band of Retirees is to close the book on this sorry episode of the Vietnam War where decisions were made to use agricultural herbicides as weapons in the War. The hopes engendered by the use of the herbicides went unfilled.

The abstract of the paper begins with this statement: The legacy of the human misery caused by the application of the herbicides including Agent Orange and Agent Purple contaminated with unknown amounts of dioxin TCDD and Agent Blue, the arsenic-based herbicide, sprayed over the jungles, rice fields, and hamlets of Vietnam is still haunting us today. Why did this happen? Could it have been prevented? Was it necessary United States military strategy? Was it an intentional decision to inflict this blight on the enemy soldiers and the Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian civilians, to poison their land and cause generations of harm?

Alternatively, was it an unpreventable accident in the march of military history? What patterns in the U.S. government’s thought process could be identified as the cause which led to the decision to use these agricultural herbicides as tactical chemical weapons?

Listen to Episode 3056 and discover more about the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War and the questions it still raises…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Professor Kenneth R. Olson, leader of the Merry Band of Retirees.

Episode 3055 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Part 1 of a report about the the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War. The report is titled: Review and Analysis: Fate of Agent Orange and Agent Purple, Contaminated with Dioxin TCDD, Used to Defoliate the Jungle During the Second Indochina and Vietnam Wars and was created by the Merry Band of Retirees headed up by Professor Kenneth R. Olson.

Professor Olson is with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, USA, krolson@illinois.edu.

The purpose of sharing this final report by the Merry Band of Retirees is to close the book on this sorry episode of the Vietnam War where decisions were made to use agricultural herbicides as weapons in the War. The hopes engendered by the use of the herbicides went unfilled.

The abstract of the paper begins with this statement: The legacy of the human misery caused by the application of the herbicides including Agent Orange and Agent Purple contaminated with unknown amounts of dioxin TCDD and Agent Blue, the arsenic-based herbicide, sprayed over the jungles, rice fields, and hamlets of Vietnam is still haunting us today. Why did this happen? Could it have been prevented? Was it necessary United States military strategy? Was it an intentional decision to inflict this blight on the enemy soldiers and the Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian civilians, to poison their land and cause generations of harm?

Alternatively, was it an unpreventable accident in the march of military history? What patterns in the U.S. government’s thought process could be identified as the cause which led to the decision to use these agricultural herbicides as tactical chemical weapons?

Listen to Episode 3055 and discover more about the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War and the questions it still raises…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Professor Kenneth R. Olson, leader of the Merry Band of Retirees.

Episode 3054 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Part 1 of a report about the the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War. The report is titled: Review and Analysis: Fate of Agent Orange and Agent Purple, Contaminated with Dioxin TCDD, Used to Defoliate the Jungle During the Second Indochina and Vietnam Wars and was created by the Merry Band of Retirees headed up by Professor Kenneth R. Olson.

Professor is with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, USA, krolson@illinois.edu.

The purpose of sharing this final report by the Merry Band of Retirees is to close the book on this sorry episode of the Vietnam War where decisions were made to use agricultural herbicides as weapons in the War. The hopes engendered by the use of the herbicides went unfilled.

The abstract of the paper begins with this statement: The legacy of the human misery caused by the application of the herbicides including Agent Orange and Agent Purple contaminated with unknown amounts of dioxin TCDD and Agent Blue, the arsenic-based herbicide, sprayed over the jungles, rice fields, and hamlets of Vietnam is still haunting us today. Why did this happen? Could it have been prevented? Was it necessary United States military strategy? Was it an intentional decision to inflict this blight on the enemy soldiers and the Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian civilians, to poison their land and cause generations of harm?

Alternatively, was it an unpreventable accident in the march of military history? What patterns in the U.S. government’s thought process could be identified as the cause which led to the decision to use these agricultural herbicides as tactical chemical weapons?

Listen to Episode 3054 and discover more about the U.S. Biological warfare used in the Vietnam War and the questions it still raises…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Vietnam Veteran Ken Lyons hopes to go on an Honor Flight after serving his country for many years in different branches of the government. [Photo by W. Turrell]

Episode 3053 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the service of Vietnam Vet Ken Lyons of Richfield, Ohio. The featured story appeared on the Script Type Publishing Website and was titled: Local Veteran models a life of service. The story was submitted by Wendy Turrell.

ScripType Publishing has been bringing community news to people in Northeast Ohio since their first issue of the Richfield Times was published in 1980. It serves the communities by writing about and for the people of the communities. Their best compliment is that often readers refer to a ScripType magazine as “Our Magazine.” They feel comfortable with and trust in what they read.

Writer Wendy Turrell reported that at this time of year, when we have just recognized our veterans at Memorial Day and look forward to celebrating the Fourth of July, Richfield veteran Ken Lyons is thrice deserving of our gratitude.

Lyons served in the U.S. Marine Corps right out of high school, from July 1962-66. He then joined the U.S. Air Force as a staff sergeant during the Vietnam War from April 1968 to 1973, specializing in computer technology. Upon his discharge from the Air Force, Lyons joined the Army Reserves and served until retiring in 2004.

Lyons said his duty in Vietnam was to remotely guide Air Force pilots via radar tracking so that they could accurately and safely drop bombs on battlefield targets. He accomplished this from a base across the border in Thailand.

Lyons comes from a tradition of service to his country. His father died during a battle in World War II, when Lyons was a newborn. Although he never knew him, Lyons was able to travel overseas for an emotional visit to his father’s grave on a trip sponsored by the U.S. Battle Monuments Office to celebrate the 55thanniversary of D-Day in 1999. He was accompanied on the trip by many of the men who had served with his father’s unit.

Listen to Episode 3053 and discover more about the service of Vietnam Vet Ken Lyons of Richfield, Ohio.

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Fallen Vietnam Vet Fred D. Larson

Episode 3052 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the bridge dedication in South Dakota honoring fallen Vietnam Veteran Fred D. Larson. The featured story appeared on KXLG of Pollock, South Dakota. It was submitted by Steve Jurrens.

It was reported that The South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs will host a State Bridge Dedication Ceremony on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. CT, to honor U.S. Army Private First-Class Fred D. Larson, a local hero who was killed in action during the Vietnam War. The ceremony will take place at the Pollock Community Center, located at 916 F. Avenue.

The SD10 bridge over Lake Pocasse, situated just east of Pollock, will be officially dedicated as the PFC Fred D. Larson Bridge. This dedication is part of the Fallen Heroes Bridge Dedication Program, a statewide initiative launched during the Noem-Rhoden Administration and expanded under Governor Rhoden. The program, a cooperative effort between the South Dakota Departments of Military, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs, aims to create lasting tributes that connect communities to their history and remind future generations of the sacrifices made for freedom.

PFC Fred D. Larson was born in Pollock on June 22, 1949. He was drafted into the U.S. Army on August 19, 1969, and deployed to Vietnam on January 15, 1970, serving with the 6th Battalion, 11th Artillery, C Battery. Tragically, on April 24, 1970, which was also his mother’s 55th birthday, PFC Larson was killed in action near Lang Dong Ban in Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam. He bravely volunteered to search a suspected enemy dwelling and triggered a land mine.

“It is an honor to recognize the brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom,” stated Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jeremiah Schneider. “The Fallen Hero Bridge Dedication program ensures their sacrifice is remembered every day. These dedications serve as lasting symbols of gratitude and respect, connecting our communities to the legacy of those who served.”

Listen to Episode 3052 and discover more about the bridge dedication in South Dakota honoring fallen Vietnam Veteran Fred D. Larson.

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Vietnam Vets visiting the Traveling Wall at Caro, MI.

Episode 3051 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the appearance of the Traveling Vietnam War memorial that brings healing, memories for Michigan veterans. The featured story comes from Central Michigan University’s WCMU and is titled Traveling Vietnam War memorial brings healing, memories for Michigan veterans.

The story was submitted by Masha Smahliuk. She is a newsroom intern for WCMU. She is going into her senior year at Central Michigan University, majoring in journalism with minors in creative writing, political science and advertising.

She reported in her story that “The Moving Wall” is a copy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that’s in the Washington D.C. with 58,318 names of American soldiers killed in Vietnam.

It was brought to Caro by the local American Legion for the second time. First, it was here 21 years ago. It travelled to Michigan from California, and after its stay here, it will go to Texas.

Hank Kuhne, who led the initiative to bring the memorial to Caro, said it took a year of organization and lots of support from the community. He said several hundred people visited the memorial.

For Kuhne, who served in Vietnam war for two years in the Marine Corps, having this memorial in the community and receiving such support is special.

 Zach Howey who visited the memorial stated that “The Vietnam War may be history for some people, but for these veterans, they live it every day still,” Howey said. “I’m gonna make sure that these guys get the respect and honor they deserve, even though it’s been years ago.

“We live with our freedom today because of these people, so we should be able to respect them … and bring their memories back for them so they can cope with it and heal.”

Listen to Episode 3051 and discover more about the appearance of the Traveling Vietnam War memorial that brings healing, memories for Michigan veterans.

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Worth Mayor Mary Werner places a wreath at the Eternal Flame Monument during the Memorial Day Observance Sunday. She is joined by Worth Trustees (from left) Kevin Ryan, Rich Dziedzic and Brad Urban. (Photo by Joe Boyle)

Michaela Weaver puts her hand on her heart as she performs the National Anthem at the beginning of the Memorial Day Observance Sunday morning at 111th and Harlem in Worth. (Photo by Joe Boyle)

Episode 3050 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how the good people of Worth, Illinois honored the service of all American veterans with emphasis on Corporal Charles McMahon and Lance Corporal Darwin Lee Judge, the last two American service members who died in Vietnam. The featured story appeared on SRP Local News and was titled: Worth service honors final victims of Vietnam War and was submitted by Joe Boyle.

Worth Mayor Mary Werner wanted to share some details about two U.S. servicemen who were the last victims of the Vietnam War.

“April 29 of this year marked the 50th anniversary of the death of the last two American soldiers to die on Vietnam soil,” Werner said during the annual Memorial Day Remembrance at the Eternal Flame Memorial at 111th and Harlem on Sunday morning. “In the final stage of the offensive against Saigon, a North Vietnamese rocket attack on Tan Son Nhut Air Base resulted in the death of two U.S. Marines, Corporal Charles McMahon and Lance Corporal Darwin Lee Judge.”

McMahon was just 11 days short of his 22nd birthday, Werner said. He was a resident of Woburn, Mass. Judge, 19, was an Eagle Scout from Marshaltown, Iowa.

Worth Mayor Mary Werner places a wreath at the Eternal Flame Monument during the Memorial Day Observance Sunday. She is joined by Worth Trustees (from left) Kevin Ryan, Rich Dziedzic and Brad Urban. (Photo by Joe Boyle)

The mayor also mentioned that McMahon and Judge were members of the Marine Security Guard Battalion at the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. They were providing security. McMahon had arrived in Saigon on April 18, just 11 days before the attack, Werner said.

Listen to Episode 3050 and discover more about how the good people of Worth, Illinois honored the service of all American veterans with emphasis on Charles McMahon and Lance Corporal Darwin Lee Judge, the last two American service members who died in Vietnam.