Night terrors…emotional distancing…the trauma of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is profound. But there is help…and hope. No combat veteran who suffers from PTSD need feel alone in the suffering. For Vietnam veterans only, there are 1.7 million who suffer or have suffered from PTSD.
Combat post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can affect anyone. Just ask Dan R. Vaughn, Jr., a Vietnam veteran and combat survivor.
It’s November 13, 2011 in the United States. In the Ia Drang Valley of the Central Highlands in South Vietnam, it is November 14, 2011. What makes this date so significant? The year 1965: 450 US troops against 2,000 enemy troops…that’s what.
To Harold Fritz, Vietnam veteran, Medal of Honor recipient, and the President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the Medal of Honor does not distinguish him from others, but connects him.
In R 2 Productions’s “Some Called Them Baby Killers…We Call Them Heroes,” it is not the awesome talent of the filmmakers that grabs your attention, but the faces of the veterans. This combination of true heroes and spectacular filmmakers, create a riveting, must-see documentary made to honor our Vietnam veterans.
“Imagine the craziest roller coaster you can come up with, then hang it three miles up in the sky!” So states Lt. Colonel “Shock” Yarborough, Viper Squadron Commander, referring to flying the F-16. Viper Force, 56th Fighter Wing – To Fly and Fight the F-16, by John M. Dibbs, is a beautiful book of the most extraordinary photos of F-16s, their pilots and maintenance crew. But do not be deceived…these machines are killers. And our troops are lucky — and alive — to have them on our side.
Dick Camp’s Battle for the City of the Dead, in the Shadow of the Golden Dome, Najaf, August 2004, is highly detailed and documented. It is a moving testimony to the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines who were after Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army and fell into battle in one of the most complicated areas: the 12 square mile cemetery that is said to be burials grounds for an estimated 5 million Shiites. Read this remarkable and historic account of the August 2004 battle.
Women veterans are getting a much needed break! The Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) Foundation has recently launched a new, national campaign, Joining Forces for Women Veterans, to support women veterans in their transition from military to civilian life. In addition to career development workshops and other tools, $46,000 in scholarships have been offered to help women veterans receive the specialized training or certification they need to obtain meaningful civilian jobs.
Chuck Bailey had no second thoughts about a career as a pilot. When he was little and asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he already knew: a be-goggled pilot of a sleek aircraft. If You Fly…Don’t Crash! is the ultimate story of the career of one man who loved the sky and the planes that took him there. Read the story of pilot Chuck Bailey, who served tours of duty in Vietnam, Desert Shield, Desert Storm and during the Cold War, AND…became the recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and Air Medal.
Most books about WW II are about the “grunts” – the troops on the ground who face the enemy and fight for all of us, and Lt. Richard D. Harvey would be the first to say that’s the way it should be. But when Lt. Harvey noticed that no books were about the WW II troop carrier pilots, he saw an opportunity in the void. Harvey sat down and wrote his story for the pilots of the Air Force’s 60th Troop Carrier Group, 12th Squadron; of transporting the grunts…air lifting out the wounded….parachuting in the ammunition, supplies and food…and sometimes, flying out refugees and partisans. Read the review on the book that pays tribute to this quiet band of WW II heroes.
Faced with a budget out of control, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker decided to make a sucker’s choice of either/or, and has gotten himself into a huge mess. Is he able to be a true leader of all the citizens in his state, and sit down at the table and come to an agreement with those he has alienated? Or, will his ego rule the day and define his government’s policies?
The Battle of the Bulge began on December 16, 1944, and lasted until January 25, 1945. There were over 80,000 American casualties. It was astounding to learn that our soldiers were at a disadvantage from the start. Read the riveting accounts of soldiers who were there and lived to talk about it in War Stories of the battle of the Bulge by authors Michael Green and James D. Brown.
In a highly personalized account in his book, Virtual Autopsy, Clyde Stagner documents his decades of medical visits and treatments with his own medical records and correspondence to and from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
This year, my honoring veterans on Veterans Day includes honoring the families and descendants of Vietnam Veterans, especially those who fought in the Ia Drang Valley in November 1965. And, telling their secrets. Sp5/Medic Daniel Torrez had his own that he kept from his family. Sergeant Freddie Owens knew what it was. This year, Sp5/Medic Daniel Torrez’s son would learn just exactly what secrets his dad had kept hidden all these years.
One of the first destroyers to escape from the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was the USS Dale. It evaded machine gun fire, bombs and torpedoes without suffering one casualty. In Michael Keith Olson’s book Tales From a Tin Can: The USS Dale from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay, stories of the Pearl Harbor attack and WW II are told as seen from the eyes of the USS Dale crew. Reading their personal accounts is like sitting next to them on their front porch on a summer evening. Just as simple and just as wonderful. But war is un-wonderful, and one wonders in listening to their stories how these men survived such horrors and still came out gentle and kind.
From Chu Lai in August of 1967, Cigar Island in October, Que Son Mountains and the Pineapple Forest in November, to the fight for Hill 34 in the Tet counteroffensive, on to the battles of Tam Ky and Tien Phuoc in 1968, Keith W. Nolan’s Search and Destroy narrative is well researched and explicit. The words “whitewashing” and “vivid reminder” in the introduction trigger a keen curiosity about the 1/1Cav in Vietnam from 1967-1968, and the book does not disappoint.
“Flag of My Father” cleverly entwines a consistent theme of respect and appreciation for the U. S. flag by those who served, while mirroring the detached, uninterested disregard of its patriotic meaning by those who did not. The theme is framed within dysfunctional familial relationships that created long-standing problems among the siblings. “Flag of My Father” is a gift from the heart to those who are currently in the military, know someone in the military, or have served in the military. Which is just about everybody.
Much of WW II was fought in the air between our planes and the dreaded German air force, the Luftwaffe. Yet the fighter pilots in the P-47 Thunderbolts had not one, but three missions to serve: 1) air superiority and “kills,” 2) escorting bombers safely to and from their targets, and 3) cover for our soldiers and allies on the ground. The enemy, grouped together and known as Hitler’s Wehrnacht, barely knew what hit them when the pilots of the Thunderbolts, the Hell Hawks, roared onto the scene. As one German soldier stated in a letter to his parents, “The American fliers are chasing us like hares.” In the end, it was the superiority of our fighter pilots and their well-designed planes that overtook the enemy by air and served as crucial guards of our troops on the ground, especially the P-47 Thunderbolts and their pilots. Hell Hawks! is their story.
Monday, May 31, is Memorial Day. Some people misthink that Memorial Day is to honor all who have died, but it is not. It is a day set aside for another specific group: all the men and women who have died while in service to our country. But will people even bother to remember? At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day.
An intimate account of how one’s faith and beliefs can not only ground your spirit in the strong values of integrity, family and hard work, they can even help you survive as a WW II Jewish -American POW in a German prison labor camp.
When the proud men of the historically significant 1st Division Marines (F/2/1) under Captain Gene Deegan left Vietnam’s Nui Loc Son in April 1967 and moved into the Que Son Valley, they were locked and loaded. They were young – mostly in their teens – and they were walking into a nightmare. The massive 1968 Tet Offensive would shrink the significant 1967 battles into the background until September 1999, when a veteran Marine just happened to be passing through the Que Son Valley on his way to somewhere else and noticed something unusual.
Established in 1992, the Community Health Plan of Washington has become the fifth largest health program (commercial or non-profit) in the state of Washington. The company is actively inviting veterans to look into its job openings and become part of its successful team.
Western Peterbilt is committed to the highest standards of performance and takes pride in being the industry leading experts. The company is actively seeking veterans to become a part of its work force.
Offering a full range of fire, security and sound systems services, Fire Safe Protection Services, Ltd. readily meets the security and fire protection needs of its customer markets.
For nearly 75 years, Jeppesen has helped aviation professionals worldwide reach their destinations safely and successfully. Today Jeppesen, the successful subsidiary of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services, is wanting to hire veterans as part of its successful team.
Multiple recipient of Fortune Magazine’s 100’s Award-winning, Best-in-Class Global Company CH2M Hill is Seeking to Hire Veterans for Their Problem-Solving Skills, Integrity and Team Spirit
Accredited Surety and Casualty Company partners with HireVeterans.com Veterans Get Boost From Insurance Company to Start to their own Business Accredited Surety and Casualty Company, Inc. is one of the nation’s most respected niche insurance companies. Licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Accredited specializes in underwriting bail and non-contract commercial surety [...]
Lee Solomon was an eighteen-year-old high school drop out when he joined the Marine Corps. He served in Viet Nam during the late 1960s and is a Khe Sanh veteran.
During his tour in Vietnam, the young recruit spent a few days in Hong Kong and developed a soft heart for the women of China. So it was not surprising that years after his service, the former Marine allowed himself to be introduced to a young Chinese woman, via mutual friends. Eventually, Solomon traveled to Hong Kong to introduce himself to his friend, who had become the love of his life.
When questions starting arriving from fellow veterans in similar situations to his, Solomon recognized a real need to document the process of coming together as a couple and establishing a family in America. “No Price Too Great” mirrors the troubling thoughts and raw emotions of a man facing the trials and tribulations entailed in bringing his Chinese love, Ping, and her daughter, to the United States.
When questions starting arriving from fellow veterans in similar situations to his, Solomon recognized a real need to document the process of coming together as a couple and establishing a family in America. No Price Too Great mirrors the troubling thoughts and raw emotions of a man facing the trials and tribulations entailed in bringing his Chinese love, Ping, and her daughter, to the United States.
DUNBAR: The Most Trusted Name in Security is Reaching Out to Hire Veterans Industry Leader Looking to Employ America’s Best Since their inception over 80 years ago, Dunbar, one of America’s leading security firms, has been driven to understand their customers and their industries needs and provide them with the best solution that remains affordable [...]
In his book, “Never Fly Solo,” Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman, pilot of the sound-breaking dogfighter the F-16, makes a surprising confession: “You see, I was a claustrophobic fighter pilot with a fear of heights…” In “Never Fly Solo,” the successful pilot talks about the challenges and opportunities that faced him in his chosen career. But “Never Fly Solo” is not about being a pilot. Waldman wrote a book full of tips for being successful in business. The way he figures it, the lifesaving career-making tools he picked up as a claustrophobic fighter pilot could be applied to just about anything and to anyone. And “Never Fly Solo” proves that he is right.
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