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Army Sgt. Gary B. Beikirch, Medal of Honor recipient.

Episode 2711 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Army SGT Gary Beikirch and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story comes from The U.S. Department of Defense website and was titled: Medal of Honor Monday: Army SGT Gary Beikirch.  It was submitted by Katie Lange, a writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that according to DoD documents, Army Sgt. Gary Burnell Beikirch made a post-military career out of helping veterans and children — a passion he discovered while healing from wounds he suffered in Vietnam that left him temporarily paralyzed. During the battle where he earned those scars, Beikirch saved several wounded men. For that, he earned the Medal of Honor.

Lange also reported that Beikirch said he, his brother and his mother lived with various aunts and uncles over the next several years, moving so often that he’d attended 11 schools before he reached ninth grade. By that age, he was tired of the constant shuffle, so he moved in permanently with a close aunt and uncle in Greece, New York. He stayed there until he graduated high school.

Beikirch went to college in 1965 but dropped out after about two years. He decided he wanted to become a Green Beret, so he joined the Army in 1967, shortly before his 20th birthday. The young soldier was initially placed in an airborne infantry unit before going to Special Forces school. He eventually earned his Green Beret as a medic, a specialty he chose because he “wanted to help people more than anything else,” he said in a Library of Congress Veterans History Project interview.

By July 1969, Beikirch was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group and was sent to Vietnam. He became the chief medical officer of Detachment B-24, Company B, based at Special Forces Camp Dak Seang near the border of Laos in central South Vietnam.

Listen to episode 2711 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Army SGT Gary Beikirch and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

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Navy Lt. Thomas R. Norris, Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient.

Navy Lt. Thomas Norris poses in Vietnam with Nguyễn Văn Kiệt, the Vietnamese commando who accompanied Norris on the rescues of Air Force 1st Lt. Mark Clark and Lt. Col. Hambleton. Kiệt was one of five Vietnamese commandos to accompany Norris on the mission to find Clark. When the others refused to pursue the mission for Hambleton, Kiet still volunteered. Kiệt was the only South Vietnamese navy member to be awarded the Navy Cross for actions during the Vietnam War.

Episode 2710 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Navy Lt. Thomas R. Norris and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story comes from The U.S. Department of Defense website and was titled: Medal of Honor Monday: Navy Lt. Thomas R. Norris.  It was submitted by Katie Lange, a writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that according to DoD documents, When two American pilots were downed in enemy territory toward the end of the Vietnam War, numerous attempts to rescue them by other aircraft failed. That’s when Navy Lt. Thomas Rolland Norris was called in to lead a ground team to find them. Both missions were a success, and they earned the young Navy SEAL the Medal of Honor.

Lange also reported that Norris was born on Jan. 14, 1944, in Jacksonville, Florida, to Rolland and Irene Norris. He had two brothers, James and Kenneth. Since their dad was in the Navy, the family didn’t stay put for long. They moved to Michigan, Wisconsin and then to the Washington, D.C., area, where Norris graduated high school in 1963.

Norris graduated college in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in criminology and sociology. Not long after that, when his student deferment from the Vietnam War draft wasn’t extended, he enlisted in the Navy and was commissioned as an officer.

On April 2, an Air Force EB-66 aircraft was shot down just below the DMZ. Air Force Lt. Col. Iceal “Gene” Hambleton, 53, was the only survivor, and he was trapped in the thick of the enemy offensive.

It decided that the only way to get to the pilot was by ground troops, so Norris was assigned to lead the rescue effort. Norris said he believed he was chosen because he was one of the few special operators remaining in the country who had worked with the Vietnamese teams involved. He was comfortable running operations with them.

Listen to episode 2710 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Navy Lt. Thomas R. Norris and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

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Marine Corps Capt. James Everett Livingston received the Medal of Honor in 1970 for actions he took during battle in Vietnam in 1968.

Episode 2709 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James Livingston and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story comes from The U.S. Department of Defense website and was titled: Medal of Honor Monday: Navy Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James Livingston.  It was submitted by Katie Lange, a writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that according to DoD documents, Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James Everett Livingston became a trusted commander during his more than three decades in the service. He learned leadership skills early in his career and put them to good use in 1968 when he helped liberate a Vietnamese village and save stranded Marines. For that, he earned the Medal of Honor.

Lange also reported that Livingston was born on Jan. 12, 1940, in rural Towns, Georgia. He and his brother, Donald, were raised on a 3,000-acre farm which they helped their parents, Myret and Ruth Livingston, work as much as possible.

Livingston received his draft notice during his junior year of college. He said he nearly joined the Army before meeting a Marine Corps recruiter who convinced him to join the Marines instead. So, in June 1962, after graduating with a civil engineering degree, Livingston was commissioned as a Marine second lieutenant.

By late April 1968, Livingston was serving as the commanding officer of Company E of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade. The battalion was positioned to the east of Dong Ha Combat Base.

A lot of Marines were lost during the Battle of Dai Do, but Livingston was one of the lucky ones. He was evacuated by helicopter to Hawaii and spent several months in a hospital. When he got back to his battalion in Okinawa, he learned that he had been nominated for the Navy Cross for their actions at Dai Do. Later, however, both nominations were upgraded to Medals of Honor.

Listen to episode 2709 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James Livingston and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

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Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Donald Everett Ballard, Medal of Honor recipient.

Episode 2708 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Vietnam and Navy Hospital Corpsman Donald Ballard and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story comes from The U.S. Department of Defense website and was titled: Medal of Honor Monday: Navy Hospital Corpsman Donald Ballard.  It was submitted by Katie Lange, a writer for DOD News.

Lange, in her story, reported that according to DoD documents, Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Donald Everett Ballard was trained to keep the Marines he was tasked with protecting alive during the Vietnam War — even at the expense of his own life. Thanks to a lucky explosives malfunction, though, Ballard survived his mission. But his actions showed the lengths he was willing to go to perform his duties, and that earned him the Medal of Honor.

Lange also reported that Ballard was born on Dec. 5, 1945, and raised around Kansas City, Missouri. He went to North Kansas City High School, where he was a member of the band and part of a co-operative work education program, according to the Kansas City Star newspaper.

Ballard worked in a dental laboratory after high school and said he wanted to attend college for dentistry, but he couldn’t get financial assistance to make it happen through scholarships or grants; so, he looked toward the military for educational benefits. Before joining, though, he got married and had a son and a daughter.

Ballard enlisted in the Navy on Dec. 27, 1965. Since he was interested in medicine, he became a hospital corpsman. He spent a few months working at a naval hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, before being sent  to join a Marine unit at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in October 1966.

In December 1967, Ballard was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division and sent to Vietnam.

Listen to episode 2708 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Navy Hospital Corpsman Donald Ballard and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

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Army Pfc. Garfield M. Langhorn posthumously earned the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of his fellow soldiers in Vietnam.

Episode 2707 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Army PFC Garfield Langhorn and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story comes from The U.S. Department of Defense website and was titled: Medal of Honor Monday: Army PFC Garfield Langhorn.  It was submitted by Katie Lange, a writer for DOD News.

Lange in her story reported that according to DoD documents, Army Pfc. Garfield McConnell Langhorn was only 20 years old when he lost his life fighting in Vietnam. He sacrificed himself to save his fellow soldiers from harm in an act of valor that earned him the Medal of Honor.

Lange also reported that Langhorn was born to Garfield and Mary Langhorn in Cumberland, Virginia, on Sept. 10, 1948. At some point, the family —his parents, him and his two sisters— moved to Riverhead, a town on Long Island, New York.

As a young man, Langhorn was a devout Christian who served as an usher at his church. He graduated from Riverside High School in 1967 and worked for Suffolk County, New York, before being drafted into the Army in 1968.

Langhorn was assigned to the 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry of the 1st Aviation Brigade. He deployed to Vietnam in November 1968,

On Jan. 15, 1969, Pfc. Langhorn was serving as a radio operator with Troop C, which was inserted into a landing zone near Plei Djereng, Vietnam. The platoon was on a mission to rescue two U.S. AH-1G Cobra helicopter pilots who had been shot down by enemy fire on a heavily wooded slope.

While the platoon’s soldiers hacked their way through dense jungle to get to the wreckage, Langhorn coordinated with command-and-control aircraft overhead. Unfortunately, when they got to the wreckage site, they found both pilots dead.

Listen to episode 2707 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Army PFC Garfield Langhorn and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

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Army Spc. 5 Dwight W. Birdwell, Medal of Honor recipient.

Episode 2706 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Army Spec 5 Dwight W. Birdwell and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story comes from The U.S. Department of Defense website and was titled: Medal of Honor Monday: Army Spec. 5 Dwight W. Birdwell.  It was submitted by Katie Lange, a writer for DOD News.

Lange in her story reported that according to DoD documents, Army Spec. 5 Dwight W. Birdwell was one of the first U.S. soldiers to engage with the enemy during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. He wasn’t in charge of his unit, but when soldiers fell, he stepped forward to fill the leadership gap. The Silver Star he earned for his bravery was recently upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

Lange also reported that Birdwell was born on Jan. 19, 1948, in Amarillo, Texas, but he grew up in the small town of Bell, Oklahoma, a mostly Native American community. Birdwell, who is Cherokee, said he learned to fish and hunt from his father— skills that likely helped him survive in Vietnam.

Birdwell graduated from Stilwell High School in 1966 and joined the Army shortly thereafter. He received training at the Armored School in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and was sent to Korea, according to the Stilwell Democratic Journal. According to the newspaper, after coming home on leave in September 1967, Birdwell was reassigned to the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Division, which was already in Vietnam. Birdwell was eventually reassigned to the 4th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.

The 20-year-old was near Saigon in South Vietnam when the Tet Offensive began in late January 1968. He was assigned to Troop C of the regiment’s 3rd Squadron.

Listen to episode 2706 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Army Spec 5 Dwight W. Birdwell and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

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Army Staff Sgt. Edward Kaneshiro poses for a photo at Yokohama Port, Japan, 1959.

Episode 2705 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Army Staff Sgt. Edward Kaneshiro and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story comes from The U.S. Department of Defense website and was titled: Medal of Honor Monday: Army Staff Sgt. Edward Kaneshiro.  It was submitted by Katie Lange, a writer for DOD News.

Lange in her story reported that according to DoD documents, When Army Staff Sgt. Edward Noboru Kaneshiro learned his fellow soldiers were in trouble in Vietnam, he didn’t hesitate to take on the enemy alone. His fearlessness and courage saved his comrades and led to mission success. More than five decades after that feat, the award Kaneshiro initially earned was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

Lange also reported that Kaneshiro was born July 22, 1928, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Japanese immigrants. He was the 8th of 16 children – nine boys and seven girls – and grew up working on his family’s farm. He graduated from Leilehua High School in June 1946 and worked for several civilian employers before enlisting in the Army on April 2, 1959, four months before Hawaii became a state.

On the morning of Dec. 1, 1966, their platoon came upon a village. Two of the platoon’s squads had deployed to its center, while Kaneshiro’s squad scouted more open terrain to the village’s east. No one in the platoon knew the village was heavily fortified with a bunker and concealed trench system that was harboring a massive force of enemy fighters.

Thanks to Kaneshiro’s incredible bravery, the squads were able to get to safety and reorganize as a platoon, which led to many saved lives and a successful withdrawal from the village.

Listen to episode 2705 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Army Staff Sgt. Edward Kaneshiro and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

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Army Sgt. 1st Class Eugene Ashley Jr. was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for valorous actions near Lang Vei, South Vietnam, Feb. 6-7, 1968. He was assigned to Detachment A-101, Company C, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at the time of his death.

Episode 2704 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Eugene Ashley Jr. and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story comes from The U.S. Department of Defense website and was titled: Medal of Honor Monday: Army Sgt. 1st Class Eugene Ashley Jr. It was submitted by Katie Lange, a writer for DOD News.

Lange in her story reported that according to DoD documents, Army Sgt. 1st Class Eugene Ashley Jr.’s bravery was integral in rescuing Special Forces troops during the Battle of Lang Vei, which marked the first enemy use of tanks in the Vietnam War. Ashley, a Green Beret, never made it home from the war, but his determination earned him unending respect and the Medal of Honor.

Lange also reported that Ashley was born on Oct. 12, 1931, in Wilmington, North Carolina, to Eugene and Cornelia Ashley. He had two sisters, Gertrude and Louise.

Not long after Ashely was born, the family moved to New York City, where he grew up and attended Alexander Hamilton High School. After graduation, Ashley was weary of going into a dead-end job, so on Dec. 7, 1950, he joined the Army.

Since the Korean War was in progress, Ashley was initially sent to serve there with the 187th Regimental Combat Team. In the years after he returned, he served in many capacities, including as an infantryman, ambulance driver, anti-aircraft ammunition handler and as a specialist in heavy weapons and parachute repair. He also served as a cavalry and armored battle group squad leader, as well as a company sergeant.

According to Lange’s story, Ashley was sent to Vietnam in January 1968, in February, 1968 Ashley was serving as a senior advisor in the 5th SFG’s Detachment A-101 at Special Forces Camp Lang Vei in the northwest corner of South Vietnam. Located about a mile from the Laos border and 8 kilometers west of the U.S. Marine base at Khe Sanh, the camp was established in December 1966 as an outpost where Ashley’s detachment could train and equip locally recruited Vietnamese soldiers.

Listen to episode 2704 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Eugene Ashley Jr. and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

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Marine Corps Pfc. James Anderson Jr. earned the Medal of Honor when he saved his comrades from a grenade during a battle in Vietnam on Feb. 28, 1967.

Episode 2703 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Marine PFC James Anderson Jr. and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story comes from The U.S. Department of Defense website and was titled: Medal of Honor Monday: Army Marine Corps Pfc. James Anderson Jr. It was submitted by Katie Lange, a writer for DOD News.

Lange in her story reported that according to DoD documents, Marine Corps Pfc. James Anderson Jr. had a plan for his future, but when the Vietnam War began, he felt compelled to serve. The 20-year-old never returned home to fulfill the plans he had for himself, but the valor he showed during his short time in service earned him the Medal of Honor.

Lange also reported that Anderson was born in Compton, California, on Jan. 2, 1947, to Aggiethine and James Anderson Sr. He was the first boy born to the couple, who already had five daughters.  He also had a younger brother, Jack.

Growing up, Anderson liked to sing in the choir; he was also a fabulous dancer and took part in service organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, according to his niece, Denise Johnson-Cross. Anderson played clarinet in the band at Centennial High School and graduated 10th in his class in 1964. Johnson-Cross said her uncle, who was 14 when she was born, wanted to be minister.

After high school, Anderson went to L.A. Harbor College to study pre-law for a year and a half. When the Vietnam War started, he didn’t want to be drafted into the Army, so he enlisted in the Marine Corps in February 1966 and was sent to Vietnam in December.

On Feb. 28, 1967, Anderson had just celebrated his 20th birthday and his one-year anniversary in the Marines when he was put to the ultimate test.

Listen to episode 2703 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Marine PFC James Anderson Jr. and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.

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Army SGT James W. Robinson Jr., Medal of Honor recipient.

Episode 2702 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Army SGT James W. Robinson Jr. and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. The featured story comes from The U.S. Department of Defense website and was titled: Medal of Honor Monday: Army SGT James W. Robinson Jr. It was submitted by Katie Lange, a writer for DOD News.

Lange in her story reported that according to Army documents, Army Sgt. James William Robinson Jr. was surrounded by the enemy deep in the Vietnam jungle when he gave his last full measure of devotion to save his fellow soldiers. His bravery and selflessness were never forgotten, and they earned him the Medal of Honor.

Lange also reported that Robinson was born Aug. 30, 1940, in Hinsdale, Illinois, to parents James Sr. and Ethel Robinson, but he was raised in nearby Lyons, Illinois, with his younger brother, Tom, and sister Joan.

Robinson was known to be a bright, pleasant boy who loved animals and became interested in health and fitness at a young age. As he grew up, he started to appreciate literature and wanted to become a writer, according to a letter from his father that was published online.

Robinson went to Morton West High School and played football before leaving to join the Marines in 1958. Much of his time in the service was spent in Okinawa, where he earned a black belt in karate.

As U.S. involvement in Vietnam expanded, Robinson really wanted to do his part. He decided to enlist again in December 1963, but this time, he joined the Army.

For his extraordinary valor in action during Operation Abilene, the young soldier earned the Medal of Honor. His family received it from Army Secretary Stanley R. Resor during a ceremony at the Pentagon on July 16, 1967.

Listen to episode 2702 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Army SGT James W. Robinson Jr. and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.