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Episode 2071of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story shared by Vietnam Veteran Ron Mosbaugh that is titled: Winning the Hearts and Minds in Vietnam. In his story, he tells about two programs that were tried during with the purpose of winning over the hearts and minds of the South Vietnamese.

A little background about Ron Mosbaugh. He served a 31-year career in the U.S. Navy as a corpsman. That means he served in the medical field. During those 31 years of service in the Navy, he spent thirteen months as a field corpsman in Vietnam with Hotel Company, Second Battalion, First Marines in the dangerous I Corps region of northern South Vietnam.

Ron stated that he witnessed things a 19 years old lad should never see. He went out on hundreds of patrols with the Marines and often was confronted with gruesome scenes of death and destruction. He often would be holding the hand of a wounded Marine as they died from their wounds.

All those horrific things he witnessed in combat resulted in a serious case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for Ron. When he sought help for his debilitating condition, one of first recommendations he received to combat his PTSD was to write about his memories of those terrible times.

In this episode, Ron describes two programs used by the Marines that were intended to win over the Vietnamese people from the grips of the Viet Cong and their North Vietnamese Army associates. Ron participated personally in both programs.

One was the Medical Civic Action Project which was better known at MedCap. That program was perfectly suited for Ron’s medical specialty. In that program, a group of Marines along with their field corpsmen would go out to villages and provide medical services to the civilians.

The other program covered in this episode was known as “County Fair.”

Listen to episode 2071 and discover more about Ron Mosbaugh’s observations and conclusions about two programs used in the Vietnam War that were intended to win the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese.

 

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Mark Moyar’s audio in this episode is provided courtesy of the Richard Nixon Foundation.

(Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords, Jan. 26, 2023)

Episode 2444 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a speech by Mark Moyar. He recently published book about the Vietnam War. It is titled: Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War, 1965-1968. The author spent 13 years researching This book. It  is the second in a series by Moyar that examines aspects of the Vietnam War.

The first in the series was titled: Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954-1965. It shows that South Vietnam was a vital interest of the United States by utilizing an analysis of international perceptions and power. Sadly it contends that President Lyndon Johnson had at his disposal several aggressive policy options that could have enabled South Vietnam to continue the war without a massive US troop infusion, but he ruled out these options because of faulty assumptions and inadequate intelligence, making such an infusion the only means of saving the country.

Moyar’s second book in the series, The Vietnam War, 1965-1968, goes counter to accepted ideas about the War. He rejects the standard depiction of U.S. military intervention as a hopeless folly; it shows America’s war to have been a strategic necessity that could have ended victoriously had President Lyndon Johnson heeded the advice of his generals. To come to these conclusions in his book, Moyar utilized a treasure trove of new sources, many of them from the North Vietnamese side.

Mark Moyar has an impressive resume. He holds the William P. Harris Chair in Military History at Hillsdale College. His past academic appointments include the Kim T. Adamson Chair of Insurgency and Terrorism at the U.S. Marine Corps University and fellowships at the Joint Special Operations University and Texas A&M University. During the Trump administration, he served in the U.S. Agency for International Development as the director of the Office of Civilian-Military Cooperation.

Listen to episode 244 and discover more about the powerful new book about the Vietnam War by Mark Moyar titled: Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War, 1965-1968.

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Episode 2443 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the Amazing Vietnam War American POW’s. The featured story comes from the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Press Reader. It is titled: POW’s Came Home 50 Years Ago Today and was submitted by John Wilkens.

On February 12, 1973, fifty years ago, the process of bringing home 600 recently released American POW’s from the North Vietnamese prisons began. The Viet­nam War is not known for its happy end­ings, but this was one.

Many of these brave Americans spent years suffering in those prisons after being shot down over North Vietnam. They had to survive beatings, solitary confinement, leg irons and ropes twisting body parts into unnatural positions to name a few their challenges.

The POW’s survived due to resiliency and teamwork. All those terrible things they faced strangely fueled success in what many came to call their “second lives” — a success so surprising it’s been studied by doctors and written about in books.

Two became U.S. senators, including John McCain, who also ran for president. Another was a vice-presidential candidate. Several were elected to state and national offices.

Others became doctors, lawyers, university professors, airline pilots, psychologists and ministers. Many of them stayed in the military, including two dozen who rose to the rank of general or admiral.

To cope with daunting challenges, they used a system of wall taps, finger and toe signals, and hidden notes to communicate, creating a code of conduct that not only allowed them to survive their torturers, but defy them.

When the POW’s came home, they became a national obsession. Contrary to the treatment issued to most Vietnam Veterans when they came home, the POW’s were lionized.  They were lavished with attention and gifts that included lifetime passes to major league baseball games vacations, cars and more. Those who stayed in the military got their first pick of duty stations.

Listen to episode 2443 and discover more about the Amazing Vietnam War American POW’s.

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Episode 2442 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how South Korea’s resolve toward alleged atrocities committed by South Korean armed forces during the American Vietnam War is softening. The featured story comes from an article that appeared on Radio Free Asia and was titled: South Korean bishop apologizes for Vietnam War atrocities. It was written by Joshua Lipes and edited by Malcolm Foster.

In episode 2440 of this podcast it was revealed that a court in South Korea awarded $24,000 (US) to Nguyen Thi Thanh. She survived a massacre at the village of Phong Nhi. This was the first admission of the South Koreans to such atrocities committed by its troops in Vietnam.

More than likely, that court ruling motivated a visiting South Korean Catholic bishop to publicly apologize to the people of Vietnam for atrocities committed by his country’s soldiers during the Vietnam War.

According to a report by the Union of Catholic Asian News, Bishop Peter Lee Ki-Heon, who is leading a group of a dozen priests on a friendship visit to the Lang Son Cao Bang Diocese in northern Vietnam, issued an apology for the atrocities “on behalf of the Catholic Church in South Korea.”

This could be an omen for other unnamed governments who could be sued for alleged atrocities committed it troops in the American Vietnam War.

Radio Free Asia is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It’s mission statement reads: Radio Free Asia operates under a Congressional mandate to deliver uncensored, domestic news and information to China, Tibet, North Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Burma, among other places in Asia with poor media environments and few, if any, free speech protections. All broadcasts are solely in local languages and dialects, which include Mandarin, Tibetan, Cantonese, Uyghur, Vietnamese, Lao, Khmer, Burmese, and Korean.

Listen to episode 2442 and discover more about how South Korea’s resolve toward alleged atrocities committed by South Korean armed forces during the American Vietnam War is softening.

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Episode 2441 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature stories about the four photo-journalists who died in Laos during Operation Lam Son 719 and the repulse of Mongol invaders of Vietnam.

The featured stories come from the UPI website titled: On This Day: 4 photojournalists die in Vietnam War helicopter crash by UPI Staff and the We are the Mighty Website titled: How the Vietnamese fought off a series of Mongol invasions by Team Mighty.

Fifty three years ago today photo-journalists Keisaburo Shimamoto, Newsweek Henri Huet, AP Larry Burrows LIFE Magazine and Kent Potter, UPI, died in the Kingdom of Laos when the ARVN helicopter they were riding to the killing fields of battle was shot down by North Vietnamese gunners. We honor their memories and say RIP.

Upon this declaration the episode pivots to a history lesson that verifies Vietnam has always prevailed against invaders.  He We are the Mighty story describes the four occasions when the Mongol trouble-makers thought they could take over the nation of Vietnam and make it a part of their empire. Much to their surprise the Vietnamese proved too tough for them to handle.

Fighting off the United States wasn’t Vietnam’s only against big invaders. The Vietnam War wasn’t even the country’s most recent win against a bigger, more powerful country. While Afghanistan gets a lot of credit for being the “Graveyard of Empires,” little Vietnam should be considered as a close second.

The Vietnamese had to deal with what many European and Asiatic empires had to deal with at some point: Mongol Invasions. The Mongols launched four invasions of what is today Vietnam, first in 1258, then between 1283–1284, in 1285 and finally 1287–88. But even the great Kubali Khan couldn’t fully subdue the Vietnamese.

Listen to episode 2441 and discover more about the four photo-journalists who died in Laos during Operation Lam Son 719 and the repulse of Mongol invaders of Vietnam.

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Episode 2440 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the court ruling in Seoul, South Korea that favored the victim of a massacre in the Vietnam War. The featured story appeared in the Japan Times and was titled: In first, South Korea ordered to compensate Vietnam war victim. It was submitted by Choe Sang-Hun.

South Korea was one of the U.S.’s staunchest allies in the American Vietnam War. That country sent 320,000 troops to Vietnam, making it the largest foreign contingent fighting alongside U.S. forces in the war. But rumors have long persisted that South Korean troops committed mass killings of Vietnamese civilians.

On February 7, 2023, a court in Seoul has ruled that South Korean marines were guilty of committing a massacre of unarmed villagers during the Vietnam War and ordered the South Korean government to compensate one of the Vietnamese victims.

The ruling Tuesday was the first of its kind and expected to set a precedent in the country, where the government has long refused to address allegations of civilian massacres by South Korean troops in Vietnam.

During the trial, the government’s lawyers said that there was not enough evidence to prove South Korean marines had committed a massacre. Even if it had occurred, they said, it should be considered an unfortunate but not illegal part of guerrilla warfare between the Viet Cong and South Korean marines.

Not helping the government’s contentions was the testimony of South Korean Vietnam Vet Ryu Jin-seong, 76, a former member of the South Korean marine unit accused of killing the civilians in Nguyen’s village, endorsed her account.

Ryu said this about his willingness to testify in the trial: “I stepped forward to testify in court because nobody else would tell the truth. South Korea must come clean on its past.”

Listen to episode 2440 and discover more about the court ruling in Seoul, South Korea that favored the victim of a massacre in the Vietnam War.

 

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Episode 2439 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Mark King and his experiences as a gunship pilot in country. The featured story appeared in The Andalusia Star News and was titled, Mark A. King, WO1, U.S. Army, Helicopter Pilot, Vietnam War Part II . It was submitted by John Vick.

Mark Anthony King was born December 12, 1942 in Andalusia, Alabama. His parents were Gaston and Oletta Donaldson King. Mark had two older brothers, Joel and Wayne and would have a younger brother, Harry. Mark graduated from Andalusia High School in 1961 where he was a star football player on the bulldog football team. After graduation, he signed a football scholarship to play for Auburn University.

At the end of his freshman year, he was playing second team guard for the Tiger freshman team coached by Vince Dooley.  During the summer of 1962, Mark worked for the City of Andalusia as a meter reader. He decided to give up football and enlist in the Army.

Mark was one of the first five civilians selected to go directly into helicopter training. Prior to that time, helicopter trainees came from the regular Army. He was sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, and completed basic training in 1963. King was then sent to Warrant Officer Candidate School and basic helicopter training at Fort Wolters, Texas.

Mark finished pre-flight training in late December 1963. From there, he was sent to Fort Rucker, Alabama, for advanced helicopter training where he flew the UH-1A Huey. King Received his wings and was commissioned as a Warrant Officer on May 12, 1964. He was sent to Vietnam on June 11, 1964.

In Vietnam Mark flew with the first American gunship company in the War.

Listen to episode 2439 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Mark King and his experiences as a gunship pilot in country and his life after his military service.

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Episode 2438 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Mark King and his experiences as a gunship pilot in country. The featured story appeared in The Andalusia Star News and was titled, Mark A. King, WO1, U.S. Army, Helicopter Pilot, Vietnam War Part 1. It was submitted by John Vick.

Mark Anthony King was born December 12, 1942 in Andalusia, Alabama. His parents were Gaston and Oletta Donaldson King. Mark had two older brothers, Joel and Wayne and would have a younger brother, Harry. Mark graduated from Andalusia High School in 1961 where he was a star football player on the bulldog football team. After graduation, he signed a football scholarship to play for Auburn University.

At the end of his freshman year, he was playing second team guard for the Tiger freshman team coached by Vince Dooley.  During the summer of 1962, Mark worked for the City of Andalusia as a meter reader. He decided to give up football and enlist in the Army.

Mark was one of the first five civilians selected to go directly into helicopter training. Prior to that time, helicopter trainees came from the regular Army. He was sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, and completed basic training in 1963. King was then sent to Warrant Officer Candidate School and basic helicopter training at Fort Wolters, Texas.

Mark finished pre-flight training in late December 1963. From there, he was sent to Fort Rucker, Alabama, for advanced helicopter training where he flew the UH-1A Huey. King Received his wings and was commissioned as a Warrant Officer on May 12, 1964. He was sent to Vietnam on June 11, 1964.

In Vietnam Mark flew with the first American gunship company in the War.

Listen to episode 2438 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Mark King and his experiences as a gunship pilot in country.

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Episode 2437 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about Vietnam Vet Dave Ziemke and his service as a field wire-man in the jungles of Vietnam. The featured story appeared in the Independent of Marshall, Minnesota. It was titled, The Vietnam War – Dave Ziemke — serving in a field artillery battalion and was submitted by Bill Palmer who writes for Prairie Lives.

This story was written to contribute to The Lyon County Museum’s upcoming exhibit about the impact of the Vietnam War on Lyon County. If you would like to share Vietnam experiences or help with the exhibit, please contact the museum at prairieviewpressllc@gmail.com or call them at 507-537-6580.

Dave Ziemke is another tremendous representative of the great Vietnam Veteran Generation, one as great as any that ever heeded the call of duty from its country. He joined the U.S. Army in June of 1967. He completed Basic Training and AIT (Advanced Individual Training) with an MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) of field wireman

He was sent to Vietnam and arrived in December 1967 where the Army assigned him to the 1st Battalion of the 5th Artillery Regiment, a unit of the 1st Infantry Division. The battalion’s base camp was at Quon Loi, north of Saigon and not far from the Cambodian border.

Dave said this about his assessment of duty in country: “My first experience of Vietnam — you’re there and you’re going to do whatever needs to be done.”  He added this commentary: “I probably went in the field two weeks of each month because they gave you breaks, they knew you couldn’t take all of it because it’s stress. After the others got shot or whatever, I ended up being the top dog in less than six months. Being top dog isn’t so nice because you’re needed here, there and everywhere.”

Listen to episode 2437 and discover more about Vietnam Vet Dave Ziemke and his service as a field wireman in the jungles of Vietnam.