In this episode of the H21-Southern Branch of the Combat Infantrymen's Association, we report on the activities surrounding the 2008 Veterans' Day events. In particular, we focus on both the Veterans' Day Parade and ceremonies in downtown Austin, Texas; and we also focus on the History Channel's Nationwide program of "Take A Veteran to School Day."

1. Veterans' Day Parade and ceremony

The Southern Branch H21 chapter of the Combat Infantrymen's Association was well represented in the Veterans' Day Parade in downtown Austin. Starting at 9:00 a.m., the team lead by Bobby Briscoe, the Chapter Commander, marched in uniform from the 1st Street Congress Bridge to the Southern steps of the State Capital in Austin, Texas (right in front of the replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier).

2. Take A Veteran To School Day

Many elementary schools nationwide are participating in the program sponsored by the History Channel called "Take A Veteran to School Day."

In downtown Austin, Texas, Metz Elementary School signed up for, and participated in, their event. With the sponsorship of Valerie Galbraith, the principal, and Jennifer Atkinson, the 1st-grade teacher and coordinator of this program, the entire student body assembled in the auditorium and gave a "heroes' welcome" to the more than 25 veterans that entered the site and were the guests of honor.

Yes, the Combat Infantrymen's Association was represented by Fred Castaneda, who appeared in authentic combat uniform and equipment from the Vietnam War. Fred was also one of the two guest speakers who addressed the student body, teachers, administrators, parents and the local News and Media teams that were present.

After the assembly, Fred and other veterans went to individual classrooms to speak to the children. Of Fred's 4 classrooms, 2 of them were bilingual, and so Fred answered their questions and discussed in Spanish with them what it means to be a Veteran — that is, to give service, to sacrifice and to serve the Nation and this youngest of generations, so that they may remain free.

Fred was also interviewed by Paul Brown of the local media team of News8Austin (whose parent company is Time Warner Cable). There are several videos of the interviews on the News8Austin web site, as the local news firm ran 4 days of covering a salute and tribute to the veterans.

Was this a worthwhile event?

You bet.

If you get a chance to participate and be honored by a school that will be participating in this great History Channel Program and Initiative, it is very much recommended. The students prepare prior to the event by creating lists of questions to ask the veterans–such as:

- where did you serve? what were your travels?

- what type of job did you do? what did you learn?

- what type of hardships did you go through? what was your training like?

- what did you get most out of your service in the military?

and so on.

In this episode, we describe how one dissenter (who did NOT even attend the event) felt compelled to force her agenda and opinion by writing and commenting to the local newspaper. There were 4 responses that IMMEDIATELY came back to her:

(1) from Don Dorsey, the leader of the Texas Association of Vietnam Veterans;

(2) from the Metz Elementary School coordinator of the program and teacher, Ms. Jennifer Atksinon;

(3) from the other guest speaker at the assembly who participated in the program, Mr. James Crabtree; and

(4) from a citizen thankful for his freedom and grateful to the military that ensures it for him.

They were ALL supportive of the program and they each corrected the opinions and naivite of the lone dissenter with her own agenda. You can listen to the exact text and words in the audio podcast.

We thank the History Channel for their initiative in sponsoring this program, and we thank Metz Elementary School in Austin for participating in it, for supporting the veterans, and for defending the event from the non-attending complainers. Thank you, Mrs. Galbraith and Ms. Atkinson!

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Note: photos were purchased by Fred Castaneda from the Austin American Statesman.

In this short episode of the Austin, Texas, chapter - H21 Southern Branch- of the Combat Infantrymen's Association, we review several important events from the meeting held on 4 October 2008:

1.  Veterans' Day Parade details- in which the CIB Association chapter will meet between 7 and 7:30 am at the Congress Ave. Bridge between 1st street and Riverside for muster call. The parade begins at 9 am and ends at the South steps of the Texas Capitol building at 10 a.m. Then, at 11 a.m., Olie Pope, master of ceremonies, will start the presentations and ceremonies (on the 11th month, on the 11th day, and at the 11th hour–commemorating the armistice that ended World War I).

At the end of the formal ceremonies, and close to the noon hour, we will be placing the wreath of the CIB Association at the foot of the mock-up of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which will be at the bottom of the Southern Steps of the State Capitol building.

2. It was discovered that, due to previous commitments and changing schedules (along with the state of the high gas prices and transportation costs during this economic crisis), neither Bobby Briscoe nor John Torres nor Fred Castaneda will be able to attend the CIB Reunion in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Thus, we will not have planned representation of our chapter there. We will rely on the communication from the newsletter of the Blue Badge to give us an update.

3. The next meeting of the chapter will be at the VFW Post # 8787 which is off the northbound access road of IH-35 on VFW Road, just north of Braker Lane. Meeting will start at 18:00 hrs on Saturday, 8 November 2008 (so that members will not have conflicts with election-based activities).

The final part of the meeting digressed into a conversation of politically-based content about the candidates.  However, this organization is not commenting on those personal opinions, and we will proceed to focus on the support for the disadvantaged veterans.

Also, there were 2 special guests from out-of-town that attended the meeting– one from California, and the other from Denton, Texas.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode of the H21 Southern Branch- Austin, Texas, chapter of the Combat Infantrymen's Association, we summarize in the audio podcast the meeting held at the VFW post 8787 in North Austin on Saturday, 6 September 2008, at 18:00 hrs.

- The upcoming events:

1.  The 19 September 2008 ceremony at the Texas cemetery at 11:00 hrs (see Tony Martinez for details);

2. The Veterans' Day Parade on 11 November 2008 at 07:00 hrs., with muster at the South Congress Bridge (between Cesar Chavez and Riverside);

3.  The planned fact-finding trip to Fort Hood, tentatively planned for 24 Oct 2008;

4.  The upcoming Reunion and Conference for the Combat Infantrymen's Association from 7-10 October in Colorado Springs, Colorado (see Blue Badge, pages 17-20 of the July-August-September 2008 edition) ;

5.  The next meeting of the Austin Chapter on Saturday, 4 October 2008, at the 7707 IH-35 location at the Waters Bluffs Springs apartment complex gathering center.

We also had a new member meet us during the meeting. Let's give a salute to Howard, a WWII veteran who earned his CIB during the campaign for the re-conquest of the Philippines with the 25th Infantry Division.

Remember that our next meeting will be at the Waters Bluffs Springs apartment complex at 7707 IH-35 South on 4 October 2008 at 18:00 hrs.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation and the Combat Infantrymen's Association, Austin Texas Chapter - H21 Southern Branch. All Rights reserved.

In this episode of the H21 Southern Branch, Austin Chapter, of the Combat Infantrymen's Association, we take an interview with John Lovett, the "hmaguy"–a retired Army veteran and military historian who is now a Screenwriter, military advisor and consultant to the Media industry, especially motion pictures.

He has worked on several feature films, including Saving Private Ryan and Pearl Harbor–as well as some documentaries in the History Channel.

In this episode, hear how he tries to ensure that the Media portrays the plight and role of the combat infantryman and other services in the motion pictures or other media presented to audiences worldwide.

He currently has a podcast called The Military and the Media, which is available for free subscription at the iTunes store.

John also tries to assist veterans who are interested in pursuing careers in the entertainment industry with advice and counsel in training or by helping them to make the necessary contacts to become performers as talent, or to work on productions in all sorts of roles (as you will hear in the audio podcast).

We thank John for his time in helping to show us how he is fighting for the accuracy and authenticity of the portrayal of the Armed Forces–especially the combat infantryman.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode of the Southern Branch H21, Austin Chapter, of the Combat Infantrymen's Association podcast series, we focus on several events for the CIB Austin chapter.

(1) The chapter meeting on 2 August 2008:

In this meeting, we had a full Agenda. You can get to view what it was by clicking here:

(and how the items discussed are described in the audio mp3 file of this episode).

(2) During the meeting, it was approved by a vote of the members to schedule a trip to San Antonio to attend a meeting of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, Alamo Chapter:

We wanted to present both a certificate of appreciation, but also a complementary membership, to Darrell G Harris, author of the book Casablanca to VE-Day: A Paratrooper's Memoirs.

[Note: you can get a full interview of this paratrooper's history in episode 12 of this podcast series]

(3) The 82nd Airborne Division Association Meeting on 27 August 2008:

- We presented the Certificate of Appreciation to Darell G. Harris - click here to view the certificate: ;

- Bobby Briscoe presented a free membership to D. G. Harris to the Combat Infantrymen's Association;

- Bobby Briscoe then presented a signed copy of his book, Jungle Warriors, to D. G. Harris (my apologies for not having a steady hand while taking the photo);

- D. G. Harris also presented signed copies of his own book, Casablanca to VE-Day, to the members of the CIB Association, Austin Chapter.

- Attending the meeting were: Bobby Briscoe, Tony Martinez, John Torres and Fred Castaneda;

- The members talked to those paratroopers with CIBs and encouraged them to join our association. Below, Fred Castaneda and DG Harris (note- Fred is a member of BOTH the CIB Austin and 82nd Airborne Association, since Fred served 2 tours with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) and the 505th PIR, and like Darrell, has both jump wings and a CIB badge);

- We met Don W. Bailey, a future interviewee, as he received his CIB for the combat that he saw in Grenada in 1983; and

- We agreed to have a joint meeting for both the 82nd Airborne Division Association, Alamo Chapter, and the CIB Association in Austin in the first half of 2009 at the VFW 8787 location, so that the camaraderie between these 2 groups can continue and grow.

(4) If you are interested in acquiring the audio version of the books described in this podcast, here are the links for the audio version (note: the hardcopy versions are almost depleted):

- Casablanca to VE-Day: A Paratrooper's Memoirs by Darell G. Harris;

- Jungle Warriors by Bobby Briscoe.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Combat Infantrymen's Association. All Rights Reserved.

This book is now available as an audio version, downloadable via the PremiumCast system directly to your mp3 player via iTunes.

The cost is $7.00 US Dollars and can be purchased via PayPal at the URL of:

http://www.premiumcast.com/A-Paratroopers-Memoirs.

The book is composed of 3 audio mp3 files that are downloaded to you via iTunes. The first module is the mp3 file of the interview with D.G. Harris, which is actually episode 12 of this series.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode of the Austin, Texas, Chapter - H21 Southern Branch of the Combat Infantryment's Association podcast series, we continue the interviews with CIB veterans from all the wars and campaigns since World War II. Here, we interview a combat infantryman during the Vietnam War who served as a member of a six-man SRRP (Short-Range Reconnaissance Patrol)  team with the 11th Light Infantry Brigade of  23rd Infantry Division-Americal.

Tony Martinez was only 19 years old when he was in Vietnam. In a candid moment, he was captured in a photo by his buddy as Tony was ready to guide in the resupply helicopter during a mission, and he was ready to "pop-smoke."

As you will hear in this podcast audio episode, Tony returned to an ungrateful American public that rejected the Vietnam Combat Infantryman.

After withdrawing from everyone and everything and being what he called a "vagabond," Tony was saved from near tragedy by the patience, understanding and dedication of his beloved wife (to whom he is still married after 35 years). It is important to note that she did not harass Tony with the same expressions as most wives did to returning Vietnam vets suffering from PTSD and other disorders:  "Get over it" or "the war's over" or "what's wrong with you?" or "you're crazy," etc. Instead, she helped him through his adversities and helped to guide Tony to set his foot on a road to success — after 38 years of struggling with the post-Vietnam "demons."

Tony reached a milestone recently by attending a reunion of his combat outfit and seeing his company after all these years at this event.

What is interesting is Tony's perspective of the wonderful help offered to him by the Mental Health clinic of the VA today–but also, the overburdened system that does not offer the right treatment in other departments.

Tony now sees his direction as a "giving back" to the returning CIB veterans from their Middle East tours-of-duty, so he can (in his own way) ensure that they do not suffer for 35 years the plight of the "Vietnam Veteran Syndrome" of anguish, suffering and misery due to the neglect and rejection of the American public.

As Tony says in his departing words, "Welcome Home, guys. . .We love you, and we're here for you."

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode of the H21 Austin, Texas, Chapter of the Combat Infantrymen's Association, we share with you the complete and unabridged article about the current problems of the resurrection of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) symptoms for the Vietnam Veterans– especially for the combat infantrymen. Thanks to the VFW Magazine for their article in the November, 2007, issue.

As you will see when you investigate this article, even some of the officers of the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) organization are still haunted by the symptoms of PTSD, especially with the triggers caused by today's environment, as well as the time they have on their hands as they retire.

However, as you will see, the VA does have recognition of the problem and treatment available for Vietnam Veterans. And for the Combat Infantrymen who earned their CIB (Combat Infantryman's Badge) during this conflict, that badge is recognized as a "stressor" in the qualification and administrative requirements section for getting into the VA system for assistance.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. Copyright (c) 2007, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and VFW Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode, we deliver 2 items of news to the local chapter:

(1) Notice of the chapter meeting scheduled for Saturday, 2 August 2008, at 18:00 hrs. at the meeting room of the complex located at 7707 IH-35 South, Austin, Texas 78744.

The topics to be discussed are given in the audio file of the podcast episode.

Please confirm your attendance with the Commander or XO. And, if you have any questions or need directions, please contact either:

Commander: Bobby Briscoe –

Telephone:
(512) 804-0789

or

Executive Officer: John Torres –Telephone: (210) 849-5732

(2) The second item discusses a reminder of the upcoming event, the Combat Infantrymen's Association National Convention at the Academy Best Western Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado from October 9-12, 2008.

A brief synopsis of the agenda items for the days of the event–as well as registration details–are mentioned. We hope to have a good presence at this annual event of the organization. We also plan to propose some suggestions for this event, as well as the local chapter. Please plan on attending the meeting, as we will vote on these issues.

For more details and registration forms for the upcoming Combat Infantrymen's Association National Conventionk please refer to pages 15 to 18 in the newsletter of The Blue Badge. If you wish to view the pdf document of the May, 2008, edition, then please click here:

Or you may go to the web site of the CIB Association and get all the issues availabale of the newsletter, including back issues, and especially the May, 2008, issue of the Blue Badge.

We will be posting another espisode during the week of August 4-8, with a summary of the meeting scheduled for 2 August 2008.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation and the Combat Infantrymen's Association. All Rights Reserved.

In this espisode of the Austin, Texas, Chapter - H21, Southern Branch — of the Combat Infantrymen's Association, we are fortunate to deliver an interview with Darrell G. Harris, who was one of the first troopers to earn the CIB (Combat Infantryman's Badge) in World War II.

Darrell was part of the 504th PIR (Parachute Infantry Regiment) of the 82nd Airborne Division for most of his tour in the European campaign. He was an COMBAT AIRBORNE INFANTRYMAN, a demolition specialist Infantryman who was a parachutist who made 3 combat parachute jumps in Europe. He is also one of the charter members of the 82nd Airborne Division Association–as he joined it in France in 1945, before he had come back home to the USA after the War.

The picture, below, shows Darrell G. Harris today, wearing his 82nd Airborne Division Association vest and hat. Notice the medallion around his neck–this was given to him when he attended the dedication of the World War II monument in Washington, D.C. in 2004. Also, notice that his parachutist wings (that is, his "jump wings") are worn above the CIB. This shows the common way that the CIB was worn in World War II by the Combat Infantrymen:

Darrell mentioned that it was common practice in those days to always wear the paratrooper airborne wings above the ribbons, and the CIB (which was first initiated in 1943) was usually worn beneath the ribbons–totally the opposite of today. For the current regulations specify that the CIB is always above the ribbons–even the ribbon of the Congressional Medal of Honor. In fact, Darrell described Colonel Tucker, his commander, wearing the CIB and the jump wings in his dress uniform, as shown below:

For most of his European tour of duty (3 years), Darrell was part of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which has the nickname of "Devils in Baggy Pants." This is the Regiment insignia:

In the podcast episode, Darrell describes his friends and comrades-in-arms during the Market Garden Operation. In the image, below, Darrell is the soldier on the far left. Sadly, the other two troopers were killed in action in Europe and during the Battle of the Bulge.

In the podcast episode, Darrell describes how he captured his memoirs in a short book that he wrote called Casablanca to VE Day - A Paratrooper's Memoirs:

To read the back cover of the book, click here to see the pdf document .

If you wish to order copies of the book, here are the 2 ways to do so:

(1) For the AUDIO version of the book (now on PremiumCast.com) where you can have the audio narration downloaded directly to your mp3 player via ITunes:

go to:  http://www.premiumcast.com/A-Paratroopers-Memoirs

and the price is just $7. USDollars payable via Paypal.

(2) For the paperback version of the book,

please contact D. G. Harris at telephone (210) 342-2591.

The three "firsts" of which Darrell G. Harris was involved make him truly a man of history:

- He was one of the first paratroopers in the U.S. Airborne (the Airborne units were first created in 1940, and Darrell was in the first all-paratrooper unit, the 82nd Airborne Division since 1942:

- He was one of the first Infantrymen in World War II to earn the CIB (Combat Infantryman's Badge):

- He was one of the very first members of the 82nd Airborne Division Association (a charter member who joined while still in France in 1945).

Darrell is currently the Secretary of the San Antonio Alamo Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association. Darrell, we salute you!

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation and the 82nd Airborne All-American Chorus. All Rights Reserved.