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DSC recipient Kenneth David who served with the 101st Avn Div in Vietnam.

Episode 2651 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Veteran Kenneth David of Girard, Ohio. The featured story appeared in The Tribune Chronicle of Warren, Ohio and was titled: Vietnam-era veteran: ‘Soldiers pray for peace’ Shares service with Cortland congregation. The story was submitted by Bob Coupland [bcoupland@tribtoday.com], a reporter for the Tribune Chronicle.

Coupland reported that Kenneth David, of Girard, was the guest speaker Sunday, November 12, 2023, at a special Veterans Day service at Cortland Christian Church. Frank Daugherty, a deacon at the church, said “today is a special day for us to thank and express our gratitude to our veterans. “Soldiers pray for peace because it is the soldier who suffers the deepest wounds of war.”

David was drafted into the Army in 1969 and arrived in South Vietnam in January 1970. He was involved in several battles, including on May 7, 1970, when he was wounded and members of his platoon were killed in North Vietnam. He was 19 at the time.

He served with the 101st Airborne Division and received the Distinguished Service Cross, which is the second highest military award for extraordinary heroism, among other medals. He also has been inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame.

Kenneth said after getting out of the hospital after five months following his injury, he was bitter and angry and asked himself “Why me?” David said he learned the Lord had plans for him, including taking care of his mom who died in 2017 at age 91.

Kenneth David is another tremendous representative of the Vietnam Veteran Generation – one as great as any that ever heeded the call of duty from our country. America is fortunate to have citizens like Kenneth David who are willing to serve their country in difficult situations.

Listen to episode 2651 and discover more about Vietnam Veteran Kenneth David of Girard, Ohio and his service to his country.

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Episode 2650 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature an interview with Suzanne Gordon about her crusade to save the VA health system. Suzanne was brought to this podcast by Andy Pham, a good friend of the podcast.

Suzanne Gordon will be talking about her latest book that exposes the battle going on to destroy the VA health system. She is an author and speaker with special expertise in healthcare systems, teamwork, patient safety, and nursing.

Suzanne Gordon is an award-winning journalist and author. She has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Nation, The American Prospect, The Washington Monthly, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, JAMA, The Annals of Internal Medicine, The BMJ, and others. She is the co-editor of The Culture and Politics of Health Care Work series at Cornell University Press.

Suzanne is an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the UCSF School of Nursing and an Affiliated scholar with the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine’s Wilson Centre. With Lisa Hayes, she has written a play about patient safety and teamwork entitled Bedside Manners.

Her byline for the important work she is doing is: Ideas, Inspiration, and Strategies for Change from the Front Lines of Care.

In the interview she will be discussing her newest book, Winners, Losers, Friends, and Enemies on the New Terrain of Veterans Affairs. A New York Times Book Reviewer wrote this about the book: “This chilling account explores the physical, economic and psychological consequences of military service on veteran health and takes a critical look at the many players involved in shaping veteran life in the United States.” 

Listen to episode 2650 and discover more about Suzanne Gordon’s crusade to save the VA health system and seriously consider getting a copy of her latest book.

Get more information at  Veteran Policy.

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Dr. Mark Moyar

Episode 2649 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature an opinion piece about Vietnam Mark Moyar’s contention that the Vietnam War was a noble cause. The opinion piece appeared on The American Greatness website and was titled: Vietnam Veterans and the Vietnam War. It was submitted by Mark Moyar.

Moyar is the former Director of the Office for Civilian-Military Cooperation at the US Agency for International Development. He currently serves as the William P. Harris Chair of Military History at Hillsdale College. He served previously as the Director of the Project on Military and Diplomatic History at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and has been a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and a member of the Hoover Institution Working Group on the Role of Military History in Contemporary Conflict.

He has appeared on this podcast in three previous episodes. You are encouraged to listen to them and to get his book Triumph Regained.

Episode 2431

Episode 2444

Episode 2453

In this episode, Moyar describes the transition of American thought from disdain to the Vietnam War and the Americans who served in the war to the realization the Vietnam War was a noble cause.

Moyar began his piece with this: On July 10, 1969, Seattle held a parade for the first U.S. Army brigade to be withdrawn from Vietnam. The city’s residents waved American flags and girls threw red roses while a band piped “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” The scene was indistinguishable from the receptions for American troops returning from World War II and the Korean War, with one crucial exception. A small group of protesters, about 50 in total, were on hand to jeer the troops and the war they had been fighting. Despite their modest numbers, the demonstrators received so much press coverage that Pentagon officials held no more homecoming events for returning troops.

Moyar ended his piece with this statement, They can find solace in histories showing that the Vietnam War was, as Ronald Reagan put it, “a noble cause.”

Listen to episode 2649 and discover more about Vietnam Mark Moyar’s contention that the Vietnam War was a noble cause. inspiring story of service to his new country both on and off the battlefield.

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Joseph Tanzi served in Vietnam on a boat like this one.

Episode 2648 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Vietnam Vet Joseph Tanzi’s inspiring story of service to his new country both on and off the battlefield. The featured story appeared in The Examiner News and was titled, A Radio in the Vietnam War Saved His Life: A Veteran’s Day Story. It was submitted by Michael Gold. Pleasantville-based writer Michael Gold has had articles published in the New York Daily News, the Albany Times Union, the Hartford Courant, The Palm Beach Post and other newspapers, and The Hardy Society Journal, a British literary journal.

Examiner Media was launched in 2007 as part of an effort by a group of local award-winning newspaper journalists to dispel the notion that “print is dead.” With that goal in mind The Examiner was born on Sept. 11 of 2007.

Gold’s story is about Vietnam Veteran Joseph Tanzi who was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967 only eight years after he had moved to America from Italy as a fifteen year old lad.

Gold reported that Tanzi was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967, when the Vietnam War “was in full force,” he said.

Joseph, a first-generation Italian immigrant, arrived in America in 1959, had just gotten married and worked in a supermarket in Brooklyn when he got the call to serve at 23 years old.

His Army unit was based next to the Mekong River, enduring eternally humid air. At Christmas time, “the temperature was in the 100s,” Joe said. The landscape featured rice paddies, rivers, dikes and mud.

Tanzi ended his story with these comments; “My coming home and meeting my daughter was unbelievable.” He said he knew while in Vietnam “I had to come home and meet her and take care of her and that’s why I survived.”

“I mourn people that never came back,” Joe said while reflecting on the war. “I feel deeply for all their families. We sacrificed all those years. We’re proud of being Vietnam veterans.”

Listen to episode 2648 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Joseph Tanzi’s inspiring story of service to his new country both on and off the battlefield.

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Dannie Sonksen relaxes in his spacious Stratford farmhouse. Sonksen is a U.S. Army veteran who served in South Vietnam. -Messenger photo by Lori Berglund

Episode 2647 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Dannie Sonksen’s wonderful story of service to country both on and off the battlefield. The featured story comes from The Messenger of Fort Dodge, IA and was titled, Sonksen never expected to make it out of Vietnam. It was submitted by Lori Berglund.

Dannie Sonksen is another tremendous representative of the Vietnam Veteran Generation – one as great as any that ever heeded the call of duty from our country. He grew up on a farm in Iowa.

Berglund reported in her story that Dannie Sonksen will always know that 1968 was a leap year. For most people that extra day was just another day at the end of February. For Sonksen, that meant one more day in South Vietnam.

“I was there a year and a day,” Sonksen said. “I got an extra day because it was leap year.”

But at least he was getting out just as the war was sinking to its lowest point. Sonksen had arrived in South Vietnam in the spring of 1967. In that year, U.S. casualties would nearly double from 6,350 in 1966 to 11,363 in 1967. The year 1968 would be the deadliest of all, with 16,899 Americans killed.

Sonksen counts himself lucky to have come home at all. He got his ticket out of South Vietnam in April 1968. The following month would be the single worst month of U.S. casualties of the entire war.

After his discharge, Dannie and his family returned to Stratford, where he and his  two sons and build a successful farming operation. Sonksen enjoys being part of the community and today farms with sons Travis and Shane. While many Vietnam veterans were often treated poorly upon their return, Sonksen said that didn’t happen to him.

Listen to episode 2647 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Dannie Sonksen’s wonderful story of service to country both on and off the battlefield.

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Vietnam combat nurse Marj Graves today and back in the day.

Episode 2646 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the service of Vietnam combat nurse Marj Graves during and after the War. The featured story comes from the Spectrum News 1 of Louisville and was titled Vietnam combat nurse shares stories of struggle and triumph. It was submitted by Jonathan Gregg. [Jonathon.gregg@charter.com | Twitter:  @JohnnyGregg | Facebook: jonathongregg.tv]

Jonathon Gregg

Jonathon Gregg is a self-proclaimed, “farm kid.”  Jonathon grew up in eastern Iowa, milking cows, de-tasseling corn and bailing hay. Jonathon says these experiences taught him the value of hard work but it’s also why Jonathon relates so well to people he meets on assignment. Jonathon has received honors from the National Press Photographers Association. In 2018, Jonathon was honored at the Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmys with an award for “Best Reporter.”

In his story Gregg reported that Louisville native Marj Graves did a brave thing in 1972, volunteering to be a combat nurse during the Vietnam War. “I was 24 when this picture was taken and I think my mother wanted me to have a professional photograph done because she had a fear that I might not make it back home again,” Graves said while showing a portrait taken over 50 years ago.

In many ways, this photo commemorates a new and harrowing chapter in Marj’s life. “I never took care of anything but male soldiers,” she explained.

Graves was traumatized by what she saw in Vietnam. Nearly 20 years since attempting to take her own life, she is now a sought after public speaker, telling her story to veterans’ groups, high school classrooms and corporate outings.

She said, “Having problems with dealing with trauma is not a weakness, and it’s so important to deal with it because number one, you may help somebody else but there are lots of people out there who want to help you get through it, instead of still experiencing 22 veterans a day that chose to commit suicide.”

Listen to episode 2646 and discover more about the service of Vietnam combat nurse Marj Graves during and after the War.

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Carl Zipperer reading “Lam Son 719”

Episode 2645 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the writing program in North Carolina that helps all vets. The featured story appeared in the Transylvania Times of Brevard, NC and was titled: Veterans learn to heal through creative writing. It was submitted by Michel Robertson for the Transylvania Times.

According to Robertson, On Saturday, Oct. 21 military veterans of different eras gathered at Brevard College to read their stories, essays and poetry. The venue is part of a project called “Brothers and Sisters Like These,” a series of writing workshops designed to help heal veterans with PTSD and mild TBI (traumatic brain injury).

Ten men and women from the Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts courageously opened their hearts to an attentive audience who left with a new understanding and respect for all who have served in combat zones. The event was sponsored by the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.

The mission of The NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation and Brothers and Sisters Like These is to provide healing through the arts and creative writing to veterans of all conflicts in our community.

Reading to a respectful and somber audience in an intimate classroom at Brevard College, the 10 men and women who spoke addressed the many “demons” of combat: illness from Agent Orange, thoughts of suicide, the loss of comrades, returning to “the world,” and the sights, sounds and smells of war.

These stories of war and its consequences are offered at a great emotional cost by men and women who trust an audience enough to stand before them and bare their souls. They draw us together and offer a lesson in history. We return their extraordinary gift of faith with one of our own: open hearts and the gift of listening.

For more information about Brothers and Sisters Like These, CLICK HERE.

Listen to episode 2645 and discover more about the writing program in North Carolina that helps all vets.

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Marine Vietnam Vet Gary Hall with his tank crew.

Marine Vietnam Vet Gary Hall today.

Episode 2644 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Marine Vietnam Vet Gary Hall and his gripping war story about a tank incident. The featured story appeared on the My Wabash Valley website and was titled: Incredible story of surviving a battle in Vietnam. The story was submitted by Michael Tank for WTWO-WAWV.

Tank reported in his story that The experiences of military combat stays with those who served. U.S. Marine Gary Hall of Vincennes lived through a situation in Vietnam that almost seems like a movie. But it was real and today, you’ll see that he paints a vivid picture of life and death in the midst of battle.

Gary Hall’s office shows his pride of being a United States Marine. He enlisted because his buddies were going to serve, even though his mother wasn’t happy with the idea.

After boot camp and training, the 19 year old arrived in Vietnam in September 1967. He was trained as the tank commander of a M-48 A3 with a lot of firepower and ammunition. First impression, tanks are impregnable, but there is a problem, here were so many ways that tanks could be destroyed.

Gary described how he let his mother know he had joined the Marines. He described how he did it: “Mom, guess what? She said what? I joined the Marines, she said oh, Gary you didn’t,”

Gary begins his gripping war story with this: “There was a huge explosion in front of the tank, then a lot of chaos and small arms fire taking place.”  He was seated , on top, and he dropped down into tank and tried to close the hatch. “There was another hand trying to pull it open. I’m convinced to this day, I’m glad I didn’t have to find out for sure, but I sensed there was an NVA with a satchel charge going to drop that inside the tank.”

Listen to episode 2644 and discover more about Marine Vietnam Vet Gary Hall and his gripping war story about a tank incident.

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Episode 2643 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet who recovered his Vietnam mementos 52 years later. The featured story comes from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and is titled: 52 years after he sent it home from Vietnam, this veteran was reunited with his box of medals and mementos. The story was submitted by Grace Cady. She is a reporting intern from Marquette University working on stories within the entertainment and features department.

It was reported in Cady’s story that when John Nordgaard returned home from Vietnam in 1971, he was reunited with his family and his college sweetheart, Eleanor. But he wasn’t reunited with a box of mementos and medals he had sent home — until May of this year, more than 52 years later.

Nordgaard served as a medic in Vietnam in the 1970s. When he finished his service in April 1971, he mailed a box of letters, videotapes, medals and awards — including a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and a Medal of Valor — back home. But the box never made it.

Nearly 50 years later, a man in Michigan noticed a cardboard box in his dad’s basement that had only a name, but no address. He did some internet searching and found an email address for someone he thought might be a relative — Chari Nordgaard Knueppel, John’s daughter.

Nordgaard was a star football player at the University of Minnesota-Morris, but after he was cut from the Atlanta Falcons after college, he knew he would be drafted to serve in Vietnam.

Nordgaard said his post-Vietnam life is as “beautiful” as he could have ever wanted. He worked as a high school teacher, then principal, and a coach for football, track and baseball teams.

Listen to episode 2643 and discover more about Vietnam Vet John Nordgaard who recovered his Vietnam mementos 52 years later.

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The 2022 White Table Ceremony display at Palm Coast, Florida. Courtesy photo

Episode 2642 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the ‘White Table Ceremony’ ceremony to be held at the Flagler County, Florida Public Library on Nov. 4, 2023. The featured story appeared in the Palm Coast Observer of Ormond Beach and was titled: Flagler County Public Library to host ‘White Table Ceremony’ on Nov. 4. The story was submitted by Julie Murphy, Flagler County Communications Coordinator.

According to Murphy’s story, the Flagler County Public Library Palm Coast Main Branch will hold a “White Table Ceremony” on Nov. 4 to honor service men and women who are Prisoners of War or Missing in Action.

“The POW/MIA Honor Guard Detachment of 157 Air Force ROTC at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will perform the ceremony,” said Library Director Holly Albanese. “Refreshments will follow, provided by the Friends of the Library.”

The ceremony, rich in military tradition, will be presented at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4. It represents the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Air Force, the United States Coast Guard, and the United States Marine Corps held prisoner or missing in action from all wars, but the tradition began at the end of the Vietnam War.

County Administrator Heidi Petito said this about the upcoming event, “I appreciate the library hosting this ceremony annually,”. “We should never forget the brave men and women who answered our nations call to serve and fought for our freedom with honor.”

All in the Flagler County area are encouraged to attend the event.

The library is located at 2500 Palm Coast Parkway Northwest. For more information, call 386-446-6763 and select option 1, or go to the Library’s Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/FlaglerCountyPublicLibrary.

Listen to episode 2642 and discover more about the ‘White Table Ceremony’ ceremony to be held at the Flagler County, Florida Public Library on Nov. 4, 2023.