Debunking the Myth of the Addicted Army [18:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode of the H21 Southern Chapter of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, we deliver the audio narration of the article from VFW Magazine’s February, 2010, edition titled:  “Debunking the Myth of the ‘Addicted’ Army.’

This is an article written by Jeremy Kuzmarov, in which the truth about the perpetration of a stereotype and myth was created by the Media, journalists, reporters, and even members of the US Congress and government about the Vietnam Combat veteran. This MYTH was so outrageous–but unfortunately, it caused so much damage–that is pictured the combat Vietnam veteran as a ‘baby-killer, psycho, dope-addict, heroin-addict and loser.’

As if a combat veteran needs more stigmas and more depression delivered by the rejection of an ungrateful American public, the Vietnam veteran had to cope with this for over 40 years. Now, the truth about the lies that were spread by TV, media, news and Congress is finally delivered–and even with the statistics and studies that show who the guilty parties were.

Thus, how can you blame a Combat Vietnam Veteran like myself that cannot trust the media at all? or who hates the mere presence of reporters and journalists and equates them to the lowest scum of the earth and slimiest creatures with nothing else on their minds except getting sensationalism to exaggerate the facts and get their story published?

And, most of all, don’t you think it is ironic that perhaps THEY THEMSELVES–the reporters and journalists who went out with the combat troops for only a couple of days (instead of the entire mission) and returned to the safety of the REAR and the security of hot water, clean linen and the comforts of ‘home’ to their typewriters would be the ones creating this sensationalistic exaggeration of the real situation about drugs in Vietnam?

I suggest that these same reporters, journalists and scum of the media were the ones who smoked the heroin, smoked marijuana and took the pills and got high while in the rear–because the could do so while the grunts kept them secure–and then blamed the partaking of drugs on the grunt himself. After all, he who wielded the pen controlled the media.

Little did they know how much damage, pain, loss of job and happiness, and how much misery they would cause in the lives of honest, returning Vietnam combat veterans who only did their duty, but would find the same words when they returned home to this frenzied stereotype:  “Sorry, we don’t want any Vietnam Vets; we don’t want any trouble from psychos, baby-killers or drug-addicts.”

Yes, Media and reporters and journalists. Thank you for the forty years of misery and pain–just so you could get your exaggerated story published, while the combat vets were spilling their blood and guts every day in the bush, the paddies and the mountains, the Central Highlands all the way from the DMZ to the Delta.

The question is: has the media changed since then?

In my opinion, I think not. Very little has changed, and the soldiers are the ones that have to fight the misinformation and exaggeration delivered to the public by the worthless entity called the Mainstream Media (or should we call it “Lame-stream Media”?).

Copyright (c) 2010, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

 38- Veterans' Day 2009 Activities [06:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this episode of the H21 Southern Branch, Austin, Texas, chapter of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, we deliver the summary of the events in Austin, Texas, during the Veterans’ Day 2009 parade and ceremony.

As you will hear in this podcast episode, we had representation from Bobby Briscoe, Tony Martinez, Duane Williams, John Torres, Fred Castaneda and our newest member of the CIB, Don Bailey. They participated in the Veterans’ Day parade in downtown Austin, Texas, from the Congress Street bridge from Riverside Drive to the State Capitol.

Actually, there was an administrative error because the parade cadre did not have the CIB Association application on the list. Thus, the 82nd Airborne Division Association (represented by Fred Castaneda and Don Bailey) invited the group to march with them.

What was interesting was that the Army Band from the 36th Infantry Division at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas, was marching right in front of the team. This gave us the best place to march to the cadence, and definitely, the group was STRAC and looked great and marched perfectly–to represent the rest of the members and to pay honor to those veterans in uniform–past or present.

After the march to the entrance of the State Capitol, we met several folks who were interested in joining the CIB Association (as well as other paratroopers who wanted to move their memberships to the local chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association).

At the State Capitol, at the 11th hour, there was the ceremony which highlighted Rosalinda Babin, the mother of Alan Babin, local hero and Grand Marshall for the Parade. His story is told in the blog of AlansAngels and In their Boots, and he was described as a wounded warrior in the memorial Day activities of 2007.

At the foot of the south steps of the capitol was a mock-up of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In front of this tomb were the wreaths placed to honor those who fell in combat during all military operations since the Civil War.

Of course, the CIB Association joined the 82nd Airborne Division Association to place the wreath appropriately and represent the organizations.

The Austin-American Statesman newspaper had a series of photos in their gallery which depicted pictures from the events (the URL is at

http://www.statesman.com/news/mediahub/media/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=200410).

And, yes, our own team was shown marching (however, the newspaper incorrectly stated that the group was the TAVV organization and not the CIB/82d Airborne combination).

The next meeting of the CIB Association Austin, Texas, chapter will be in the joint meeting with the 82nd Airborne Division Alamo Chapter in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, 12 December 2009, for the Christmas meeting and installation of the new officers for 2010. More will be delivered in the newsletters and email.

Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

 30- Replica of Vietnam Veterans Wall memorial- interview with Joe Galloway [8:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Over 58,260 names are engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. However, they are NOT just in Washington, D.C. or in the Moving and travelling WALLS that go from location-to-location in the US. Those names rest PERMANENTLY in an exact replica of the original Vietnam Veterans Memorial WALL found in Washington, D.C.

This replica is located in Mineral Wells, Texas, at the National Vietnam War Musuem gardens. And on Saturday, 30 May 2009, the dedication ceremony and the unveiling of the Memorial Wall took place.

The highlights of the event saw the following:

- A real, live UH-1 Huey Vietnam-era (“slick”) helicopter arrived, landed, and then took off with several passengers from the audience. It made several take-offs and landings after the ceremony–one of which you will hear during the interview in this audio episode.

- Dana Bowman, parachute onto the grounds after skydiving from his jump from a helicopter. What is amazing is that Dana–a prior Special Forces Soldier and a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, as well as member of the U.S. Army’s elite GOLDEN KNIGHTS parachute team–lost both of his legs in a mid-air collision in 1994. However, with the artificial limbs, he still hit the target drop zone near the audience to begin the ceremony.

- The guest speaker was Joe Galloway, the author of the book, We Were Soldiers Once…and Young. Ia Drang–the Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam. This book later became a motion picture of the same title, starring Mel Gibson in 2002:

As you will hear in this audio podcast, we did get a chance to interview Joe Galloway after the ceremony.

- The ringing of the travelling and mobile Liberty Bell replica–a fitting mobile memorial dedicated to all those soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that have fallen in the line of duty.

- And finally, the unveiling of the replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, with all 58,260 names engraved.  This Wall is in the location of what is called the “Museum Gardens,” as the landscaping will add to the honor and respect for this solemn memorial.

After the ceremony, we had a chance to speak with Joe Galloway and get his perspectives of the dedication of this monument. Amidst the background sounds of the “chop-chop” turning of the Huey’s rotor blades (a sound you will NEVER forget), Joe explains to us in this audio interview how much he honors the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and what an honor it is to have earned it.

Now, although Joe was a civilian and correspondent during the Vietnam War, he is the ONLY civilian to have been awarded the Bronze Star, with “V” for VALOR, for what he did during the battle of Ia Drang in saving a soldier’s life. But you will hear him, as he states that the medal he most wishes that he could have is the CIB.

Joe is a noted author, now with the follow-on book, We Were Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam. He is also a public speaker at major events, as well as a supporter of the troops. His support and fervor agrees with the motto portrayed by the association of the Vietnam Veterans of America: “Never again shall one generation of Veterans abandon another.”

Our tribute to Mr. Galloway is to proclaim Joe’s mantra: “Hate War…but love the warrior.”

Thank you, Joe, for your service and for your support of the combat infantrymen–especially to those who have fallen.

Copyright (c) 2009, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

 22- Combat and Camaraderie [24:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In this audio podcast episode of the Southern Chapter in Austin, Texas- H21, of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, we deliver some thoughts on the theme of Combat Camaraderie.

We also try to address these common questions that are being asked now by some of the combat infantrymen who are returning from their tours of duty in the Middle East:

- what is this type of enduring and internal bond between comrades who are combat infantrymen?

- how is this bond created, and how does it last during combat–and even afterwards–for the combat infantryman?

- why is this something that the school-trained counselors at the VA cannot totally comprehend nor understand?

- what are some of the examples of this type of camaraderie that has existed in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm and the current conflicts in the Middle East?

Take it from one individual’s experiences in how this type of camaraderie saved his life and kept him going–solely to go above self and put the lives of his men before his own during the combat. Also, you will see in this audio podcast how this type of bond still endures to help those Vietnam Veterans that are being treated for mental health issues (like PTSD) because their trust, understanding and non-judgmental empathy is the real treatment that provides the healing and possible closure.

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

 

 17- CIB Austin meets 82nd Airborne Paratroopers [17:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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.