Funny True Story from Vietnam SOG teams

I was reading a book on SOG teams in Vietnam and came across a real jewel of a funny story. It stood out for me because there really are only a few of these light hearted moments in a sea of sorrow for the men of SOG, whose casualty rates were exceedingly high.

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The story begins upon insertion into Cambodia to seek out and pinpoint a major supply base known (which means “thought”) to be in the area. The one-zero (team leader) inserts and leads men in a five day search of the area but finds absolutely nothing. Extremely frustrated at the waste of time they come across a single hooch with a brand new bicycle next to it. Now in Vietnam, the bicycle was and still is as common as the car in modern day US but to find a brand new one with a nice red paintjob was rare indeed! Continue reading →

Hagel Orders Review of Drone Medal Ranking

Mar 12, 2013

Stars and Stripes| by Leo Shane III

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered a review of the new Distinguished Warfare Medal following complaints from veterans groups and lawmakers about its ranking above the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, a senior defense official said Tuesday.

The review, to be led by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, will look at whether the order of precedence for the new medal should be changed, but will not consider eliminating it. A report is due back to Hagel in early April.

The new medal, announced last month, is designed to honor “extraordinary actions” of drone pilots and other off-site troops performing noteworthy deeds on far-away battlefields. Continue reading →

REMEMBERING THOSE WHO FOUGHT

Ground was officially broken for the Education Center at the Wall, to be located across Henry Bacon Drive from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, on Nov. 28.

Northeast of the Lincoln Memorial, the 35,000-square-foot underground museum will display photos (“Wall of Faces”) of the 58,282 Americans killed in the war and otherwise honor their sacrifices.  Showcased, too, will be samples of the hundreds of thousands of mementos left at the memorial.

The memorial, dedicated in 1982, cost a mere (by today’s standards) $8.2 million to build.  The center, scheduled for completion in 2014, will cost about $85 million – $48 million of which has already been raised.

SOURCE: VFW Magazine, February 2013

The first picture and the last picture are taken at the beach in Santa Barbara right next to the Pier. There is a veterans group that started putting a cross and candle for every death in Iraq and Afghanistan. The amazing thing is that they only do it on the weekends.

They put up this graveyard and take it down every weekend. Guys sleep in the sand next to it and keep watch over it at night so nobody messes with it. Every cross has the name, rank and D.O.B. and D.O.D. on it.  Very moving, very powerful. So many young volunteers. So many 30 to 40 year olds as well.

Amazing!

A big Hoo-Rah and thanks to Bill French for sending this information.