I would like to thank VVA President Jack McManus again for joining our group of veterans and friends at the annual Chapter 267 luncheon in Palm Harbor, Florida. Our members and guests are always interested in hearing what is going on at VVA National and how our leaders are working in Washington, D.C.

It was good to hear that President McManus remembered our good friend Steve Adolph. Steve, Dave Sexton, and I all worked together at Ford Motor Company and were delegates to the second National VVA Convention in Detroit. Steve was a supervisor and Dave and I were UAW representatives organized membership drives for VVA and helped veterans at our facility.

In these many years of advocating for veterans and their families, I believe that our organization has done a great job. VVA continues to step up and represent those who have served and those who will serve, and I am proud to be part of it. I'll continue to do my part and keep our members and others informed about VVA and our brotherhood, remembering all those who were part of the struggle for a better way of life for our fellow Vietnam veterans.

Raul Ray Flores
Past President
Chapter 267

A giant shout out and high five for your excellent magazine. I really look forward to all the stories and articles. I enjoyed the story about the new Native American Veterans Memorial. I have had the honor and good fortune to visit The Wall in D.C. on three occasions. Never gets easier, but I never want to forget our fallen men and women. I did some research and found out that there were 226 guys who were born on Indian Reservations and joined the military, and lost their lives in Vietnam.

I did 499 days in country as a grunt and shotgunner on convoys. I have been doing some volunteer work for the past 11 years with the Walls that travel all over this great country. Best regards to you and all of your staff.

John R. Peters, Jr.
Via Email

Fifty years ago, I was in Southeast Asia when two very important historical events occurred.

The first happened on Jan 27, 1973, when the Paris Peace Accords went into effect. I was an Air Force Forward Air Controller in Thailand. Even though the Peace Accords were signed, we had to continue fighting until noon that day. A Navy F-4 was shot down by ground fire north of Da Nang and both crew members punched out. One of our squadrons’ planes was in the area. The crew initiated a Search and Rescue, which was one of our missions. They got shot down also by an SA-7 and both ejected.

I was flying over Laos at the time and heard the transmissions on the emergency channel. Our front seater transmitted, “I’m about to be captured.” And that was the last we ever heard from him. No one knew the fate of those four crewmembers until the first POWs were released from the Hanoi Hilton a couple weeks later. Only the Navy back seater survived. The other three are still MIA.

Of everything else I experienced, the memory of that day haunts me the most. There was no reason to keep fighting. All of us felt used by our government. Five families don’t have a loved one at the dinner table. The same scenario of fighting until noon occurred in Laos and Cambodia, but fortunately no Americans were killed.

The second event was much more enjoyable. The date was March 29,1973.. By coincidence, two squadron mates and I were at the Honolulu airport awaiting our flight back to Thailand after R&R. It was at night when we learned that an Air Force C-141 was taxiing in to deplane the last of the Hanoi Hilton POWs.

It was lit up by TV stations, but was so far away that we could not identify any individual. It was still a very emotional experience to witness their freedom. After watching for about twenty minutes, we boarded our flight. We had five more months of fighting in Cambodia before the war ended.

John Jacobs
Manitowoc, Wisconsin

I read with interest the letters in the March/April issue about being quiet about serving in the Vietnam War.

I was stationed there from October 1966 to November 1967 in the northern part of the country with an air support squadron, MASS-3. Our job was to support ground troops during their search for the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese with air support. Night or day we did our job.

Upon leaving Vietnam, we were told not to wear our uniforms when we got home as the country was in protest. When we came home there were no parades, no thank yous, nothing.

It has been over 56 years since I left Vietnam and finally on March 27, the town I reside in recognized the men and women who took part in the war. The mayor and the lieutenant governor presented 48 veterans with an official statement of thanks for our service. Over 100 members of the veterans’ families joined in for the presentation. Some veterans spoke of what they did there. A “Welcome Home” was said to each veteran.

I hope other Vietnam veterans have had the same wonderful feeling in their state as I did after so many years of silence.

Thomas E. Skarbeck
via email

I was most interested in Dr. Schroeder’s “Speak Out!” in the January/February issue. I wrote this response in February but wanted to give it some time before mailing it to make sure I said everything as I wanted to say it. Please excuse the delay in responding to that fine article.

Although I was not a draftee, as I entered the Army as an officer through ROTC, I have nothing but praise for the many draftees I worked with.

My experience during my 29 years of active duty was that draftees generally were more mature than their regular Army counterparts as they often attended or graduated from college. They approached their service with the attitude of, “this is my job now and I will do it as well as I can.”

One gentleman who worked for me in Germany was amazing. He had a Master’s degree in political science from Stanford and had graduated from basic training as the American Spirit Honor Graduate. A fine soldier and human being.

One other draftee is more widely known, Rocky Bleier who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was an infantryman and was badly wounded in Vietnam. He was told to forget football. He ignored that advice and is in the NFL Hall of Fame.

[Ron Schroeder’s] description of the dilemma he faced with the young Iraq War veteran was most interesting and I can see how he wrestled with how to deal with his obviously uninformed low opinion of draftees. In thinking how I might have responded, I guess I would probably have asked to talk with him alone after class and tried to explain the situation we all faced during that troubled time in our nation’s history.

To say that draftees from all eras in our nation’s history were lesser soldiers than today’s volunteers is an insult to the thousands of men who did their best while wearing a military uniform.

I would like to suggest that Ron Schroeder not beat himself up further about that uninformed veteran. He deserves no more attention Maybe someone will correct him and explain that the valor, patriotism, and reliability of a man whose service number began with “S” was as good as any other person who served honorably during a time when the United States relied on draftees to fill its ranks.

Thanks again for the fine article and to Ron Schroeder for serving our country.

Jeff Cook
Gilbert, Arizona

I would like to add my comments to those who commented in the March/April issue on Professor Ronald Schroeder’s “Speak Out!” about keeping quiet about his Vietnam War service and on draftees versus volunteers.

I was drafted in 1969 and spent 1970-1971 as a combat infantryman with the 1st Air Cavalry stationed along the Cambodian border. When I returned home I had a couple of jobs before spending my last 36 working years in a government office in Chicago. When I retired, less than half of those people knew I had served in Vietnam because it was something I never talked about.

After retirement I began speaking to eighth graders at my local middle school, showing them a PowerPoint presentation of photos I took in Vietnam and explaining about getting drafted and my day-to-day life as infantryman living in the jungle and on a firebase. I have done this for about nine years and these presentations are always very well received by the students.

At the end of each class, when the bell rings, most students file out the door to get to their next class. Some come up to me and thank me for my service, and occasionally some also shake my hand.

Professor Schroeder’s article triggered a memory from about three or four years ago. One of the students came up to me and said he did not know if it was appropriate to thank me for my service since I had been drafted. He then left the room to get to his next class. I mentioned this to my friend, the teacher, and he said that the boy was the smartest and most introspective student in his class.

To this day I wish I had had time to talk to him to find out why he felt that way and to explain to him what it meant to serve my country as a draftee.

GREAT LETTER!!

Alan E. Krause
Oak Park, Illinois

I agree with much of what Ron Schroeder says in his “Speak Out!” I also subscribe to the founding principle of the VVA: “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.

However, like Schroeder, I have found that there is still disdain, if not outright abandonment, of veterans of the same generation still in existence. I live in a small rural town in Alaska where the nearest veterans’ organization is the VFW. Apparently the five years, three months and 10 days (1968-73) I served in the Air Force is not good enough for them. ‘'m not the “right kind” of veteran for their group.

When I graduated from Air Force pilot training I remained in the Training Command where I fully expected to go to Vietnam. But the Air Force decided that my service was needed training others so that they might have a better chance of coming back alive. I guess that makes me less than a real veteran in their eyes.

Oddly enough, my wife belongs to the VFW Auxiliary because of the eligibility of a family member but I cannot belong to that organization because I don’t have a qualifying relative.

Robert Picard
via email

Ron Schroeder made a courageous stand, I think, by speaking out so clearly now about how he could have spoken out more as a professor years ago. He made a telling statement that one-third of draftees served in ‘Nam and that over 17,000 of their names appear on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. And that 66 percent of World War II troops were drafted. Who knew?

I value his sharing now what he wished he’d said back then. I served in ‘69-‘74 with many NCOs and officers, stateside, and at U-Tapao Thailand. I’m certain that many were drafted. Like Ron wrote, “others depended on me just as I depended on them. We did our jobs, even though we did not want to be there.” Thanks for printing his story.

John JC. Miller
via email

For years, I have enjoyed reading The VVA Veteran. And I always wondered if I would stumble across something related to someone I remembered from my time in the Army.

I checked “Locator” pretty regularly to no avail. But as I was perusing the January/February issue, I came across the article by Ronald Schroeder and immediately recognized him.

We were in the same 30-week Vietnamese language class at the Defense Language Institute Support Command campus at Biggs Field in El Paso in Field in 1969-70. We were a class of thirty individuals, Class 1-30-70, the first class of draftees selected for a program to be trained and deployed as interrogators.

The 96C MOS had previously been reserved only for enlistees, preferably officers. I found his article interesting, and was surprised to find out that he ended up as a clerk. I ended up at the 1st Brigade interrogation team of the 101st at Camp Eagle. I am attaching a group photo of class 1-30-70.

Ken Klose
via email

I concur with Santo Galatioto’s letter “Proud to Serve” in the March/April issue. I also served in the Air Force from 1972-77. I was in one of the last groups that received a draft lottery number in 1972. My number was 32. I did not serve in-country.

I also agree that Vietnam War Era veterans make up a large group and many are not VVA members. All Vietnam War Era veterans have a story to tell. Hopefully, VVA will reach out to those veterans who feel that they were not part of the war effort.

I will continue to support Vietnam veterans in any way that I can. Thanks to who veterans who served then and now.

Gary D. Dietrich
via email

Congratulations to all Native American veterans and all those who fought so hard to get the National Native American Veterans Memorial built.

We in the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam were fortunate to have many Native Americans serve, fight, and die next to us. They were amazing fighters and had such pride you could only admire them.

I was at the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982. I was also in there for the dedication of the Three Servicemen statue and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.

James C. Chieco
via email

I concur with Santo Galatioto’s letter “Proud to Serve” in the March/April issue. I also served in the Air Force from 1972-77. I was in one of the last groups that received a draft lottery number in 1972. My number was 32. I did not serve in-country.

I also agree that Vietnam War Era veterans make up a large group and many are not VVA members. All Vietnam War Era veterans have a story to tell. Hopefully, VVA’ will reach out to those veterans who feel that they were not part of the war effort.

I will continue to support Vietnam veterans in any way that I can. Thanks to who veterans who served then and now.

Gary D. Dietrich
via email

Congratulations to all Native American veterans and all those who fought so hard to get the National Native American Veterans Memorial built.

We in the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam were fortunate to have many Native Americans serve, fight, and die next to us. They were amazing fighters and had such pride you could only admire them.

I was at the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982. I was also in there for the dedication of the Three Servicemen statue and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.

James C. Chieco
via email

I concur with Santo Galatioto’s letter “Proud to Serve” in the March/April issue. I also served in the Air Force from 1972-77. I was in one of the last groups that received a draft lottery number in 1972. My number was 32. I did not serve in-country.

I also agree that Vietnam War Era veterans make up a large group and many are not VVA members. All Vietnam War Era veterans have a story to tell. Hopefully, VVA’ will reach out to those veterans who feel that they were not part of the war effort.

I will continue to support Vietnam veterans in any way that I can. Thanks to who veterans who served then and now.

Gary D. Dietrich
via email

Congratulations to all Native American veterans and all those who fought so hard to get the National Native American Veterans Memorial built.

We in the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam were fortunate to have many Native Americans serve, fight, and die next to us. They were amazing fighters and had such pride you could only admire them.

I was at the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982. I was also in there for the dedication of the Three Servicemen statue and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.

James C. Chieco
via email

Marc Leepson’s article on article on the Native American Veterans Memorial and its designer, Harvey Pratt, was a wonderful artistic piece, including the photos of the memorial. I attend Powwows when I can, even to the point of attending the Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque a few years ago. Truly a colorful and moving gathering one should never miss.

This is the first time in reading The Veteran that I’ve read through a the whole issue. I appreciate the hard work you folks do.

Ron Raymond
via email

Seeing the book review of An Honorable Exit, I remembered years ago talking to a Korean War veteran who said he was in a medical unit and was asked to volunteer for a secret mission. All of the men volunteered and then found themselves in Vietnam helping the French. The unit lost all of their ambulances and had men killed. The survivors returned to Korea with instructions not to speak of the mission.

Those who died were “officially” killed in Korea.

Bob Borgheiinck
Grand Island, Nebraska

A word of caution concerning VVA Chapter 67’s admirable placement of Christmas wreaths with red ribbons on chapter members’ graves in private cemeteries, as chronicled in Paul Rogers’ article in the March/April issue, and to those chapters who would follow Chapter 67’s fine example.

Unless specifically requested to the contrary by the family, please do not lay the wreaths on non-Christian graves, because a Christmas wreath is clearly a religious symbol to non-Christians. Volunteers should be so instructed and these instructions should be enforced.

There is an additional reason with Jewish graves. Wreaths Across America, which apparently inspired the chapter to perform these respectful tasks, instructs volunteers not to “place a wreath on the headstones of those graves marked with the Star of David, out of respect for the Jewish custom” of not permitting plants and flowers on a grave. A stone placed in the headstone of a Jewish grave is the appropriate gesture of respect.

One of the fundamental American constitutional principles that American Jewish Vietnam War veterans fought for was the right for all to freely practice the religion of their choice. Their religious preference should not be minimized after their death by an unintentional act of supersessionism.

Harvey Weiner

I was very pleased to read Dick Southern’s comment about an untapped resource as we expand our chapter membership and help more veterans from all eras. Vietnam War Era veterans myself included, have found a wonderful opportunity to join our in-country sisters and brothers. The brotherhood is strengthened as we gather to support each other and reach out to deserving veterans and their families. We are proud members of VVA and its founding principle that “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.”

Bill Wetter
via email

I thought the photos might interest you as a follow-up to the Parting Shot about Raquel Welch in the March/April issue.

I had just turned 19 and was serving with the 18th Engineer Brigade. I was at the Bob Hope Christmas show in 1967 at Cam Ram Bay. That’s Barbara McNair with Bob Hope and Hope with Raquel Welch in the pictures. When they started filming the show for the folks back home, they made Barbara McNair put her jacket back on to cover her cleavage. Boy how times have changed.

Vince Grimaldi
via email

Not everyone in the military served in Vietnam during the war. Many of us supported the effort and took care of those that returned injured.

Many volunteered after college. Those I served with at the Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital from 1968-72 served where they were needed. Some trained went with the Marines while others took care of wounded Marines as they returned. Some of the Corpsmen ended up on hospital ships off the coast of Vietnam, caring for the wounded off the battlefield.

I, Allen Bengston, and Gerry Lubeski oversaw the Hospital Blood Bank. Every Thursday we collected pints of blood from Marines in training. That blood was then processed and shipped to Vietnam.

Many men I served with went on to continue their military service and many continued to serve in the medical field as civilians. Our training in the Navy was second to none. Our training was often better than what was offered on the outside.

Darwin Ludi
Chula Vista, California

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