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 podcast episode for this post of the Austin, Texas, Chapter of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, we deliver the second part an interview with the Chapter Commander (Bobby Briscoe) and the Executive Officer or XO (John Torres). This interview took place on 25 April 2008 and was conducted by Fred Castaneda, the Public Affairs Officer for the chapter, which is one of many and belongs to the National organization of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association.

(Below: John Torres discusses the value of a “Welcome Home” to the Combat Infantryman with Fred C.)

As we continue this discussion, we examine the motivation and dedication of the individuals who earned the CIB to start the Combat Infantrymen’s Association Chapter in Austin, Texas. We finish our discussion of the problems that plague the Combat Infantryman upon returning from the overseas campaign. From PTSD to anxiety and panic disorders to the broken marriages and the lack of understanding and communication with the spouses and the family — these are real issues that are burning into the heart and spirit of all combat infantrymen.

The final part of this interview describes the book written by Bobby Briscoe of his experience in Vietnam. This book is called The Jungle Warriors- A True Story. As said by John Torres during this interview, this book has provided closure to some of the infantrymen, while at the same time providing understanding to the spouses.

However, Bobby Briscoe ends the interview by explaining how a great deal of the funds obtained from the sale of the book (either via audio podcast or the paperback version) will be used for programs by the CIB Association chapter for outreach to disadvantaged veterans, as well as different types of assistance to the families and children of the veterans. The idea is certainly to “give back to the community.”

The final part of this episode gives you an excerpt from the audio version of the book, The Jungle Warriors (the beginning of Chapter Six- Big Bloody, Big Red).

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Bobby Briscoe. All Rights Reserved (Podcast music licensed from www.MichaelandMike.com)

This is the first episode of the Austin Chapter of the national organization known as the Combat Infantrymen’s Association.

In memory of the Combat Infantrymen who fought, died or were injured or MIA during the Vietnam war, Bobby Briscoe (who is commander of the Austin chapter – Southern Branch) has written a book that was completed in 1996 called Vietnam- The Jungle Warriors, a True Story.

This book by Bobby Briscoe, will soon be available in audio form. It will be available in an audio podcast format, with individual 1-to-1 RSS feeds to each individual who would want to subscribe to it.

This mp3 audio episode gives you the special Foreward to the audio version of the book by Fred Castaneda, a former combat infantryman (who was the “pig-man” or the m.60 machine-gunner) during the Vietnam War who was also in the Americal Division (with the 4/31st Infantry of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade) and who also served in the Quang Ngai province of I Corps in South Vietnam. The beginning of this Foreward contains a 60-second audio clip from the recorded video prologue of a dramatic work called Tracers, which was performed at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, in 2002–and this play was a story of a combat infantry line unit and the Vietnam experience.

Fred delivered both the prologue and epilogue to the dramatic stage play; his photo is shown, below, while he was in Chu Lai inbetween missions in “the bush.”

As you will hear, this foreward and the book are both dedicated to those brothers-in-arms of all the campaigns since World War II who have earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB), especially those during the Vietnam War.

You can hear a brief summary of the book, which also serves as a podcast promo:

Click here for: Promo of Jungle Warriors – from the book

To learn more about the book or how to get it via audio download on the Internet or in paperback hardcopy, please click here for the web page of The Jungle Warriors- A True Story or visit

http://www.junglewarriors.org

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