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            2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001       |
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November/December 2012 Letters
I just finished reading the series in the September/October issue, “A Few Good Friends,” a great series on members in leadership roles in VVA. It is really amazing reading about all the good things that VVA members do on the national level. But what is truly best about these articles is that there are so many chapter members across the country who do the same types of things locally. This is a great tribute to who we really are and what we do for veterans and our organization. It makes one proud to say, “I am a life member of Vietnam Veterans of America.” Roger McGill
I was startled by the picture on page 40 of the September/October issue. It accompanied the article about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection maintained by Duery Felton. The photo shows various items left at The Wall, including a wooden cross engraved with “Troy, New York,” and beside it several labels containing the brigade shoulder patch of the (Redcatchers) 199th Light Infantry Brigade. This is the second time The Wall has shaken me unexpectedly. My home town is South Troy, New York, and my infantry assignment was the 199th LIB when I stepped off the Liberty Ship General Sultan on December 10, 1966, at Vung Tau. I kept my Vietnam experience to myself for about fifteen years. One day I was in D.C. at a multi-day computer class and afterward found I had a few free hours before I had to be at the airport. The Wall had just been opened to visitors, so I decided to go there and see if I could find two of my buddies who had been killed in action. Pat from Texas died in February and Freddie from St. Louis, my corporal, was ambushed in March. Pat was in our platoon but in a different squad, and Freddie was my squad leader. Lucky for me, I was not present at either action. I found Pat, and grief made its first visit to my heart. His face, his voice, and his smile came back in a rush. I choked at the memory and stood frozen in place for more than a few minutes. We were like brothers, after all. Eventually, I moved on to find Freddie and was thunderstruck seeing his name. Directly below him (and maybe also directly above; I’m not sure right now) were the names of the rest of my squad who died with Freddie in that same ambush. I was completely and instantly overcome with grief and sobbed like a child, trembling with tears washing my cheeks. There were only three of us out of our original ten who walked out of Vietnam alive. Maybe someday I’ll return to The Wall, but not for a while. Frank Fox
The article in the March/April issue on the ARVN under Westmorland was interesting and provided insight on why they failed. Reading the last paragraph brought home the point very well: “We never really paid attention to the ARVN, we didn’t give a damn about them.” I was with the HHC, CBE, 65th Battlion, 25th Infantry Division stationed in III Corps and with the First Logistical Command in December 1967-68. I feel that there was a great deal of snobbery and racism toward the Vietnamese people. What makes a successful organization? An organization begins with people banding together for a common reason, a goal. Leadership, confidence, and trust. Training to work together as a team. Objective: To what end is the organization committed? Equipment, no matter what it is—weapons of war or fire, EMTS tech, construction equipment, or surgical tools. Without properly learned skills, supervision, and training, people are just wasted. Could it be that we failed the Vietnamese people by not allowing them a say in the conduct of their war? Daniel D. Svetlik
Older inmates and terminally ill inmates are two groups with special and expensive needs. Both groups are growing, and the state should move promptly to deal with their special problems in a cost-effective manner: early release to specialized housing. Experts agree that an inmate’s institutional age is usually much greater than his or her chronological age because of the extreme stresses to which inmates are subjected. After the age of fifty-five (given the quality and type of life many of these inmates have had) many will suffer from chronic illnesses. Corrections staff who handle older offenders liken their care to the demands and rigors associated with raising young children. Recidivism is so low it’s not even a factor. It’s cruel and costly to keep them imprisoned. Francis Smith
There are veterans in prison—lots of them. We’ve served our country in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and during peacetime. During and after every war the prison population in the U.S.A. increases. This is an alarming statistic dating back to the Civil War. I am confined in a maximum security prison with 135 other veterans at the Mark Stiles Unit in Beaumont, Texas. VVA’s Southeast Texas Chapter 292 has sponsored this Veterans Incarcerated Group since 1998. They understand our situation, and they care. One day a month they subject themselves to security procedures that are designed for offenders. In a sense, they become incarcerated. They advocate, educate, and keep our group up to date on veterans affairs. In addition, they bring in a variety of speakers. We also look to National Veterans Incarcerated Committee Chair TP Hubert for his strong support. He understands that many veterans have been incarcerated due to wartime experiences. In here, PTSD is a trauma many live with every day without treatment. Hep C is common, too. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has supported our Veterans Incarcerated Group and is seeking to expand this program to other units in Texas. Due to the services we’re able to offer our men, we see an extremely small recidivism rate. The tools that we offer to return to society are working. We strongly applaud Chapter 292 for stepping in here fourteen years ago, saving hundreds of veterans’ lives, and helping many to return home to their families. Soldiers who have done tours in Iraq and Afghanistan are now increasing the prison population. I ask that you not abandon these men and women who proudly served you. Yes, we all have made mistakes for which we are sorry. But there are times we all need help. Please consider the service that your chapter could offer incarcerated veterans in your state. Paul Schultz I was in one of the hottest places in I Corps and was awarded three Purple Hearts. But now I’m incarcerated. I am a very violent offender. I did what I did and I am what I am, but I don’t know why. I was never violent as a child. The fact that we did it is just being honest with ourselves. The reason we did whatever it is we have done is our gripe. Most of us were just kids when we went to war. I was sprayed with Agent Orange more than once; blown up by a bomb made of chicken crap; and saw apes, elephants, and really big cobras that no one told me were there. I saw death all around me, graves dug by bulldozers, filled with bodies, then burnt. I fought clever VC and hardcore NVA regulars. I watched good friends die. Maybe that’s why I later reacted as I did. Incarcerated veterans are given a lot of lip service by state and federal officials, and even by our military brothers. I can’t get VA medical care or meds, and the local VSOs have no time for incarcerated veterans. Funds for school, medical, and benefits have been slashed for incarcerated vets. In Texas, to receive medical care you have to pay. If you need an aspirin, you pay for it. Incarcerated veterans have to pay to have our service-connected problems looked after. We’re not allowed to use VA hospitals or to receive VA meds. Just because I’m incarcerated doesn’t mean my Vietnam service is erased. It doesn’t change the fact that I was willing to give my life for my country, that I bled for the U.S.A. When does the taking stop and the giving begin? When will we receive the help we need? As an incarcerated veteran, I know “No one left behind” isn’t true, because all incarcerated vets have been left behind. Gary G. Van Zandt
My hands shake. They have for years, but not from old age. I served with C Co. 1/505, 82nd Abn. Div. We spent five months in the A Shau Valley, then moved south to Cu Chi. I spent time in the Iron Triangle, Hobo Woods, Plain of Reeds, and Mekong Delta, just to name a few. Oh, and in the Highlands with the Montagnards, who always had Green Berets with them. I just want you to know that I know what I’m talking about when Agent Orange is involved. We were sprayed repeatedly. Every place my company served, Super Orange was used. I’m sure you know about that. It’s where two Oranges, 245 and 245t, were mixed together, supposedly to kill foliage twice as fast. My company was choppered up to a mountaintop only big enough for two crowded companies. My company and a Montagnard company were separated by barbed wired. We were told not to interact. You couldn’t hump your way up to this mountaintop. Believe me, if you were ever humpin’ the Shau, you’d know how to climb mountains. We were taken one at a time into this 8x8 sandbag shack where a doctor cut sores off our bodies. And if you didn’t like it, there were two huge MPs to hold you down. We didn’t have enough water to drink, let alone wash with. If you ever spent time in the jungle month after month with no break, you know what I’m talking about. I believe every man who wrote every AO letter in The Veteran. Every step of the way, the VA has refused to help me with the sores on my body. The small ones never completely heal, and the big ones, ouch. I’ve never had any help all these years, including from my wife, who really never cared. I think secretly she worked for the VA. I have spells where I’m dizzy, then pass out. The VA did a doppler on my brain. Damage from Agent Orange was found there. I asked for it to be documented, as I have with these sores for forty-six years. The doctor said, “Sorry, we can’t write that.” So it’s not on my record. That’s my story and I don’t care who says it isn’t true. The VA, my ex-wife, my ex-friends, and my ex-family have all turned against me. I’ve been completely alone since 2003. Haven’t been able to see my grandkids grow up. Life sucks, for sure. Howard Young
I read each and every letter about Agent Orange, and I was hoping to see one about cancer of the testicles among sons of Vietnam vets. I served with the 196th LIB, 1965-67. I have two sons by my first wife, the oldest now 45. When he was 28 he had to have one testicle removed because of cancer. I have a third son by my second wife. He is 28 and had one testicle removed because of cancer in June 2011. He had to have the other removed in May for the same reason. I wrote to and sent emails to every veterans organization that I belong to and to the American Cancer Society, Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, and the VA. I asked each the same question: Could my being exposed to AO have caused my two sons to have testicular cancer? The only organization that responded was the VA, which said a claim could be submitted, but the chance of it being denied was 99.8 percent. I’m not trying to get a claim (I’m already 100 percent). I just want to know if my sons’ cancer was caused by my exposure to Agent Orange. I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who served in Vietnam and has a son who has had cancer of the testicles. I need help, guys. Dennis Passwater
The VA has already admitted that Agent Orange and other herbicides were used on every U.S. Air Force base in Thailand during the Vietnam War. On May 29 the VA reaffirmed its new policy concerning the use of Agent Orange in Thailand during the Vietnam War. To wit: “Vietnam-era Veterans whose service involved duty on or near the perimeters of military bases in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975, may have been exposed to herbicides and may qualify for VA benefits. “The following Veterans may have been exposed to herbicides: 1. U.S. Air Force Veterans who served on Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) bases at U-Tapao, Ubon, Nakhon Phanom, Udorn, Takhli, Korat, and Don Muang, near the air base perimeter anytime between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975. 2. U.S. Army Veterans who provided perimeter security on RTAF bases in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975. 3. U.S. Army Veterans who were stationed on some small Army installations in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975. However, the Army Veteran must have been a member of a military police (MP) unit or was assigned an MP military occupational specialty whose duty placed him/her at or near the base perimeter.” Furthermore, on October 27, 2011, the VA approved an Agent Orange compensation claim from a former USAF enlisted man who stated that he worked in base civil engineering as a roads and grounds and pavement specialist at Udorn in Thailand from September 1971-72, and that he “was exposed to herbicides as he personally mixed and sprayed the defoliant used on the flight lines, barracks, and along the perimeter of the Air Force base.” Ken Witkin I would like VVA and its members to champion a military awards cause for which you are uniquely credible and qualified. I am suggesting that, upon individual application, the Bronze Star be awarded to soldiers who received the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge during the Korean War or the Vietnam War, just as it has been authorized since 1947 for those who earned the CIB or CMB in World War II. The basis for this is simple fairness and equity. The Korean War is often called “The Forgotten War,” and I fear the Vietnam War is not far behind. I maintain close contact with many veterans whose honorable and valiant service in Korea and Vietnam was often overlooked by commanders and administrators who should have taken better care of their troops. I believe this simple policy change would go a long way toward redressing this shortcoming in a way that would cost little but have boundless rewards in the gratitude and morale of those affected, as well as to their families and communities. Army Regulations 600-8-22 (Military Awards) pertaining to the Bronze Star medal says in part: “Award may be made to each member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, after 6 December 1941, has been cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat against an armed enemy between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, inclusive. For this purpose, an award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge is considered as a citation in orders.” Upon approval of the proposed policy, the mere addition of the beginning and ending dates of the Korean and Vietnam Wars would implement the new eligibility criteria. Write to: Hon. John M. McHugh, Secretary of the Army, 1400 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1400, as well as to your Senators and Representatives. Andrew H. Anderson
Why not open commissaries and PXs to all veterans? This would cost the branches of the military virtually nothing. It would also place them in a better bargaining position due to increased sales volume. I personally would be willing to pay for an ID card or any registration fee involved with proving my status as a Vietnam veteran. Of course, this would include spouses. What better way to truly show appreciation to those who served? Many veterans are economically disadvantaged, and this would certainly help them. I encourage my fellow veterans to reach out to their local politicians. Maybe someone will write and sponsor a bill. Who could possibly not want to help veterans? Chris Langley
The VVA Veteran does its Vietnam veteran readership a real disservice by not including all presidential candidates and where they stand on the real issues of interest to Vietnam veterans. There are many thousands of independent and decline-to-state veteran voters who are not happy with the two corrupt, monopoly political parties. Many veterans are affiliated with alternative political parties, such as the Constitution Party. Many veterans supported Congressman Ron Paul (Air Force, Vietnam-era veteran), who is not a Republican company man. Many veterans can identify with Ron Paul for the simple fact that American troops should never be sent into war without a legal-per-the-Constitution declaration of war. In fact, Ron Paul received more donations from veterans and the military than all the other GOP candidates combined. It would have been appropriate and informative for The Veteran to have mentioned that the only military veteran in the 2012 presidential race was former Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode, running on the Constitution Party ticket. On August 12, Goode received the America First award from the National Veterans Coalition for his fight against waste, fraud, and abuse in government, his fight against illegal immigration, and always putting America first. Remember, a third party can win. U.S. Navy SEAL Vietnam veteran Jesse Ventura became governor of Minnesota on the Independence Party. Even the Republican Party was once a third party. After several tries, it finally elected Lincoln. We don’t hear of the Whig Party any more, do we? George Washington never joined a political party. He believed in voting for a candidate on merit only, not because of a party label. George Washington said: “Just do your duty. Do not compromise your convictions. Leave the results up to God.” Larry Breazeale
I was stationed at Da Nang and Bien Hoa, March 1970-71. When I came back I had trouble with boils, most of which appeared on my backside. Twenty years after returning, and after several attempts to treat the problem with antibiotics, a chiropractor diagnosed it as a problem with my gut. I wasn’t clearing toxins correctly, he said, and they were coming out through my skin. Agent Blue was used around Da Nang, and it was an arsenic-based defoliant. I was high in arsenic. After a detox program and supplements to rebuild my gut flora, the problem went away. As part of the detox I was given a course of IV chelation with EDTA. To date, I have had no further AO/AB-related problems and at 69 I’m healthy and take no meds. The VA refuses to consider detoxing people with EDTA because it isn’t used downtown, it would help a lot of people, and there is no money to be made by surgeons and drug companies. I’m glad I didn’t wait for the VA to help me. Zot Barazzotto
In about a ten-day span, we lost two of our brothers, Roy Carey and John McGowan. So I thought perhaps that we should pray to God and ask Him to rethink His theory about us so we could live a bit longer. After all, He was with us when we went to Vietnam. He looked out for us during our tour of duty. He brought us home safely, where we tried to ease our way back into society and become good citizens, got married, had children, and He blessed us with children and grandchildren. I believe God has a greater plan for us. And in the end, when all the tears stop flowing, we will all be reunited with our brothers in a greater place. When we were in Vietnam, we created strong bonds with new friends. Then we would read the weekly casualty list and recognize some of their names. It hurt deeply. But we kept our faith and marched forward. Now, forty or so years later, we have made new friends and created even stronger bonds with other Vietnam veterans. We now call them brothers. We became so close because we went to Hell and back together. Now, we read their names in the obituaries, and the pain is much greater. So if we could pray a little more and ask God to rethink His taking of us, it just might help. In my nightly prayer, I ask God to slow down the taking of my VVA brothers. Allow us more time to finish what we started and, best of all, to see our grandchildren grow up to be healthy, productive citizens. Last but not least, I ask God to keep our young men and women out of future wars. Tony Ponzo
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 The VVA Veteran® is a publication of Vietnam Veterans of America. ©All rights reserved.8719 Colesville Road, Suite 100, Silver Spring. MD 20910 | www.vva.org | contact us |
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