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Note From the Editor
Greetings. This month's Dispatches features a couple biographies that you think you will find fascinating. The first features the story of Medal of Honor recipient, Wilson Watson, who became a one-man regiment on Iwo Jima in WWII. The second features Special Forces legend Maj. General Sidney Shachnow who rose from being a prisoner in the Knovo Ghetto in WWII to being at the forefront of the formation of what we now know as Special Forces.
We hope you enjoy them.
Please let me know your comments regarding your Dispatches - things you like and things you like less. Also, please contact me with any stories or articles you would like considered for publishing. I can be reached at Mike.Christy@togetherweserved.com.
All information for Bulletin Board Posts and Reunion Announcements please send to Admin@togetherweserved.com
Lt Col Mike Christy U.S. Army (Ret)
CONTENTS
1/ View Your Entry in Our Roll of Honor!
2/ Profiles in Courage: The One-Man Regiment at Iwo Jima
3/ Preserve Your Old Photos: Let Us Help for Free!
4/ Military Myths & Legends: Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow
5/ Do You Still Have Your Boot Camp/Basic Training Photo?
6/ American Flying Ace Louis E. Curdes
7/ Have A Military Reunion Coming Soon?
8/ Battlefield Chronicles: America's War in Afghanistan
9/ New Together We Served Military Store
10/ TWS Bulletin Board
11/ TWS Person Locator Service
12/ Vietnam Veterans: Honor Flight Offers Vets Special Homecoming
13/ Book Reiview: When Can I Stop Running?
View Your Entry in Our Roll of Honor!
As a fitting tribute to our Members of Together We Served, your service to our country is now honored in our Roll of Honor, the most powerful online display of Living, Fallen and Deceased Veterans existing today. Our 1.67 million Veteran Members, who served from WWII to present day, now have a dedicated entry displaying a brief service summary of their service and their photo in uniform if posted.
You can find your Roll of Honor entry easily - click on the graphic below and select your service branch. Then enter your Last Name in the search window at top right and scroll down. Please check your entry for accuracy and Log in to TWS to update any information on your Profile Page, such as your Last Unit, and add your service photo for completeness if you haven't already done so.
If you have any questions regarding your entry in our Roll of Honor, please don't hesitate to contact us at Admin@togetherweserved.com or contact our Live Help Desk at the bottom left of your TWS website.
Profiles in Courage: The One-Man Regiment at Iwo Jima
Within the ranks of the military, there exists a certain rivalry between those who serve on the front lines and those who serve in the rear with the gear. While all jobs contribute to putting Americans in the fight, the Marines have long prized their beloved infantry above all.
In modern terms, it is referred to as the "grunt versus POG debate" with POG referring to "persons other than grunts." In Vietnam, one might have heard the term REMF.
Whatever one might call those in the rear, it would serve students of history well to hold their tongue before calling men like Army mess hall cook Wilson Watson a POG or REMF. Little would they know that they would be speaking of a former Marine who fought the Japanese Army alone for 15 minutes on Iwo Jima before the rest of his platoon caught up.
The cook serving up a healthy dose of S.O.S on a plate had previously served up violence on Iwo Jima that would lead to the deaths of 60 enemy soldiers. Yes, quite literally, the soldier cracking eggs in one war was a Medal of Honor recipient Marine in another.
Wilson Watson was born in 1922 in Tuscumbia, Alabama, to Charles and Ada Watson. While they looked upon their newborn baby with adoration, little did they know he would one day earn the nickname "The One-Man Regiment." In a family with twelve children, it is likely safe to assume that Watson had to do his share of fighting growing up. He spent much of his youth working on his father's farm and was only able to complete 7 years of grade school as a result.
When his nation was thrust into the fray of World War II, Watson didn't hesitate to do his part. August of 1942 saw him at a United States Marine Corps recruiting station in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he began his journey towards a Medal of Honor Marine. He attended basic training at the United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego before eventually deploying overseas with his fellow Marines, ready for the fight.
Although Iwo Jima was where he would earn his unique place in military history, Watson gained experience as a combat veteran elsewhere throughout the Pacific. Serving with G Company, 2nd Battalion 9th Marines, he saw action in Bougainville, Guadalcanal, and Guam. When the Marines finally hit the beaches of Iwo Jima in February of 1945 for their most iconic battle, they had no idea that a one-man regiment existed among them.
Nearly a week after the initial landings, Watson and his fellow Marines had already witnessed what level of savagery it would take to overcome the island. The Japanese were well dug in, with a zealous commitment to fight to the death.
Fortunately for America, the Marines were more than ready to match their aggression. As the 26th of February dawned, Watson's squad became pinned down by enemy fortifications that poured withering fire into the Marines. Upon his own initiative, Watson rushed the first enemy pillbox alone.
After pinning down the Japanese with rifle fire, he approached the opening of the pillbox and tossed in a grenade. Then, for good measure, he ran around to the back of the enclosure in anticipation of those retreating. When they arrived as expected, he cut them down with a lethal burst of fire. Not yet done with his acts of gallantry, Watson charged into action again when his fellow Marines came under fire from some Japanese soldiers on a small hill.
Watson scaled the rocky escarpment, killing every enemy that crossed his path. The Japanese, who were none too pleased with his presence, began to pepper the hill with mortars and grenades. Remarkably, Watson could be seen standing erect, gifting violence right back to the enemy the entire time.
For nearly 15 minutes Watson stood alone on the fire-swept hill, although wounded multiple times by bullets and mortar fragments, holding the position until the rest of his platoon could catch up. On that hill alone, it was estimated that he had killed nearly 60 Japanese. Thus, the legend of "the one-man regiment" was born. In the attack, he was shot seven times and was hit in the shoulder by mortar fragments. He was evacuated from Iwo Jima after he suffered a gunshot wound in the neck on March 2, 1945.
On October 5, 1945, Private Wilson Watson was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman at the White House.
Following his discharge from the Marine Corps, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Force, and then the United States Army as a Private, where for a time he served in the mundane role of mess hall cook. He eventually reached the rank of Staff Sergeant and finally retired from the military in 1966.
He was married to wife Patricia, with whom he had two children: Ricky (b. 1953) and Darlene (b. 1962).
Wilson "Doug" Watson-the man that an entire Japanese garrison on Iwo Jima couldn't seem to kill eventually passed away as a local hero and legend on December 19, 1994, in Russellville, Arkansas.
Preserve Your Old Photos: Let Us Help for Free!
Do you have old photos from your service days stashed away in a drawer or in a shoe box in your attic? Old photos fade with time and if they are not scanned and preserved digitally, they risk eventually being lost forever.
This is where TWS can help. We have just invested in a high quality Fujitsu book and photo scanner that can scan any size of photo or yearbook. As a service to our members, we would like to offer you a free photo scanning service for your most significant photos from your service which we will then return to you, in original condition, along with a CD containing your photo files.
In addition, we can upload your photos for you to your Photo Album on your TWS Service Profile which will also appear in your Shadow box and available to you to access or download at any time.
Military Myths & Legends: Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow
Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow survived three years in a Nazi concentration camp, he deployed twice to the jungles of Vietnam and he was the top U.S. Army officer in Berlin at the end of the Cold War.
Along the way, the general became a legendary Special Forces officer, revered by many in the close-knit community of Green Berets.
Born in Lithuania in 1934, Shachnow faced oppression in his homeland and found his calling in the U.S. Army after immigrating to America in 1950.
He enlisted in the military in 1955 and served for more than 39 years, including 32 in the Special Forces community.
His top posts included leadership of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School and U.S. Army Special Forces Command at Fort Bragg and U.S. Army-Berlin in Germany.
"Maj. Gen. Sidney Shachnow truly lived the American dream," said officials at the Special Warfare Center and School, which the general commanded from 1991 until his retirement in 1994. "He came up through the ranks from private to major general through hard work and selfless service to this nation and the men and women under his command."
"Even in retirement, Maj. Gen. Shachnow remained committed to the Special Forces Regiment, serving in a variety of volunteer roles and serving on a number of boards," officials said. "He continued to provide sage guidance and sound counsel to commanders throughout the enterprise, and specifically here at the Special Warfare Center and School. Maj. Gen. Shachnow cast a long shadow, and we will miss him dearly."
As a 7-year-old boy, he was among thousands of Jews imprisoned in the Kovno concentration camp near Kaunus, Lithuania.
For three years he endured countless brutalities in the camp and was forced to watch helplessly as almost every single one of his extended family were slaughtered.
To increase his prospects of survival, young Shachnow performed heavy manual labor under harsh conditions. He narrowly escaped death only days before Kovno' s gruesome "Children's Action," of March 27�??28, 1944, when Nazi troops rounded up all children in the camp and marched them to The Ninth Fort for execution or to Auschwitz to be gassed.
"Our camp did things the old-fashioned way," he said in a speech at Elon University, in North Carolina, in 2014. "Several bulldozers would dig a ditch; people would be asked to move to the edge of the ditch. In most cases they were naked. Automatic weapons would kill them. They would fall into the ditch, some wounded and not dead, and if you were lying on the ledge, an individual would throw you into the ditch."
After years of escalating brutality (in one instance a guard beat him with a shovel), his family devised an improbable but successful escape plan for him. Leaving behind his weeping parents one morning before dawn, 9-year-old Sidney hid under his Uncle Willie's long coat as the uncle, with Sidney moving in rhythm with him, walked through the gates, passing guards and a work detail that was often sent outside the ghetto. Shortly afterward, children at the camp were liquidated.
When he and his uncle reached the streets beyond the gates of the ghetto, he said, his uncle gave him a prearranged signal to emerge from under the coat and find his contact, a woman wearing a red kerchief. Following the route, he had been given, he found her and followed her to temporary safety - in a storage room of a building with a table, chairs and a toilet.
Afterward, he was taken in by a Roman Catholic family and lived with them for several months. He was then reunited with his mother, who had escaped from the camp, and his younger brother, Mula, who had been smuggled to safety disguised as a girl. For a while they lived in the family's house in Kaunas with Soviet officers; the Red Army had by then taken control of Lithuania.
But fearing that the Communists would seal the country's borders after the war, Sidney left with his mother and brother on a six-month 2,000-mile trek by foot, wagon, and train through Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria before settling in Furth, Germany, near Nuremberg, in the fall of 1945. His father, who had been fighting the Germans with partisans, rejoined them, and they charted a path to the United States.
To make a living in war-torn Nuremberg, Shachnow resorted to pirating black market contraband such as nylon stockings and chocolate. It was during this time that he learned to speak German.
"After I finished that experience, I was very cynical about people," he said. "I didn't trust people. I thought that there is a dark side to people. If you leave things to people, they'll probably screw things up."
In 1950 the family left Germany on a Navy transport ship and arrived in Boston. Sidney, his parents, and brother settled in Salem, Mass., where relatives had preceded them to America.
Sidney attended high school but dropped out in 1955 and joined the Army. He married Arlene Armstrong - a Jewish-Catholic union that his parents opposed.
After moving to the United States, Shachnow began a new life with his family in Massachusetts but dropped out of school to enlist in the Army, despite hardly being able to speak English.
He later attended Officer Candidate School as a Sergeant First Class and was commissioned in 1960 as an Infantry Officer. He served with the 4th Armored Division until 1962, when he volunteered for Special Forces.
He served with the 5th Special Forces Group and commanded the secretive "Detachment A," a small team of Special Forces soldiers who operated in Berlin during the Cold War and prepared for possible war with the Soviet Union. Many of its members later went on to help form Delta Force (B-52).
His status grew as Special Forces grew, rising to the rank of Major General, receiving both a masters and an honorary doctoral degree along the way. He traveled the world, from Vietnam to the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Korea and back to Germany as commander of all-American forces in Berlin when the Berlin Wall was toppled, near the end of the Soviet Union.
"Here it is the very capital of fascism and the Third Reich. The very buildings and streets where they were goose-stepping and heil-Hitler and the very system that put me in the camp and killed many people," he said. "Here we are 40 some-odd years later, and I come back to be Commander of American forces in that city and a Jew on top of that. It sorts of adds insult to injury, doesn't it? �?�
While serving in Infantry, Airborne, Airmobile, and Special Forces units, he also earned degrees from the University of Nebraska and Shippensburg State College in Pennsylvania. And he received an honorary doctorate from the Harvard Executive Management Program.
Shachnow was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment in 2007.
During his military career, his awards and decorations included two Distinguished Service Medals, two Silver Stars, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, three Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, among other honors.
He also was honored with the U.S. Special Operations medal for outstanding contributions to the special operations community and is included on the honor roll in the Infantry Officers' Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Following his retirement, Shachnow authored a best-selling autobiography, "Hope and Honor," which was published in 2004.
The late Col. Aaron Bank, known as the "father of the Green Berets," once called Maj. Gen. Shachnow a "determined, dedicated, dyed-in-the-wool Special Forces officer."
And Bob Charest, a veteran of Detachment A who twice served under Shachnow, said the general would be remembered as one of the greatest leaders in Special Forces history. "He stood out throughout his career," Charest said. "He is quite an icon among Special Forces troops."
Maj. Gen. Shachnow, 83, who lived in Southern Pines, died Sept. 27, 2018, and is survived by his wife Arlene, four daughters and more than a dozen grandchildren.
But his legacy lives on.
Do You Still Have Your Boot Camp/Basic Training Photo?
Together We Served has a growing archive of more than 10,000 Boot Camp/ Basic Training Graduation Photos which we now display on your Military Service Page and Shadow Box. We also have a growing collection of Yearbooks which we will be making available on the site shortly.
We are still searching for Boot Camp/ Basic Training Photos and Yearbooks. So if you have yours available, please contact us at Admin@togetherweserved.com or call us on (888) 398-3262.
Either you can send us a scanned file of your photo or you can send it to us for scanning. We will add this for you to the Recruit/ Officer Training section of your Military Service Page.
All photos and yearbooks will be returned to you in original condition along with a CD containing your scanned photo.
American Flying Ace Louis E. Curdes
During WWII, an American fighter pilot saw combat over all three Axis territories. By war's end, he had destroyed Italian, German, and Japanese planes.
That man was Louis Edward Curdes, who was born on November 2, 1919, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Though an engineering student at Purdue University, he joined the Army Reserves on March 12, 1942. In his third year, he dropped out of college to take up flight school at Luke Field, Arizona, which he graduated on December 3rd. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and sent to Europe in March 1943.
In late April 1943, 2nd Lt. Louis E. Curdes flew his first mission in a Lockheed P-38G Lightning for the 95th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group. Over Cap Bon, Tunisia, his flight ran into a group of Messerschmitt Me-109s. Curdes got behind one. "I could see my tracers curving right into his nose," he said. "I broke off at 100 yards and passed in front of the '109, which nosed over and went straight in. There was a big splash and an oval of white foam."
Separated from his flight, Curdes spotted three Messerschmitts chasing a Lightning just above the water. He attacked the right-hand plane. "My tracers went into him, puffs of black and white smoke came out and he did a wingover straight in," he reported. The remaining Germans were still pursuing the struggling P-38. "I made a 30-degree deflection shot at the leader, closing to 20 degrees and making about 350 mph. The '109 burst into flames, exploded and flopped into the water." With three kills on his first mission, Curdes named his P-38 Good Devil, adorning its nose with an image of Lucifer wearing a halo.
On May 19, after the 82nd escorted B-25 MitchÂell bombers to Sardinia, eight Me-109s engaged the Americans over the Mediterranean. "My leader chased one ME 109 off the tail of the first element and another came in at about a 30-degree angle," Curdes recalled. "I shot him down. We were attacked again and everyone seemed mixed up. These MEs were fast and persistent and three dived at us from the rear." Curdes turned into their attack. "I fired at the first ME and missed, but he took off. The second one I shot into the sea." After just two missions and a little over a month of combat, he had five swastikas painted on his P-38.
Curdes opened his account against a second Axis power on June 24th, shooting down an Italian Macchi C.202 over Sardinia. In August he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, but later that month his luck ran out.
On August 27th, the 95th tangled with 50 enemy fighters over Naples. Curdes claimed two before his Lightning was hit. He crash-landed in enemy territory and was captured. That should have been the end of his fighter pilot career. Days later, however, Italy withdrew from the war and the Italian prison guards simply went home, leaving the prisoners to fend for themselves. Curdes made his way south, and on May 27, 1944-nine months to the day after being shot down-he met up with the advancing British Eighth Army.
Regulations forbade a former POW to risk fighting on the same front, lest he be recaptured and tortured to reveal the details of his escape and evasion. But the war wasn't over, and Curdes had plenty of fight left. He transferred to the Pacific.
On January 6, 1945, U.S. forces landed at Lingayen, in the Philippines. Flying with the 4th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Air Commando Group, Curdes named his P-51D "Bad Angel." On February 7, 30 miles southwest of Formosa, the lieutenant completed his hat trick, downing a Mitsubishi Ki-46 twin-engine reconnaissance plane.
Just three days later Curdes made history during an attack on a Japanese airstrip on Batan Island, in the Formosa Strait. His flight of four Mustangs shot down two enemy fighters and got three others on the ground. After his section leader was hit by flak and bailed out over the water, Curdes messaged home to bring more fighters and ordered his wingman up to 15,000 feet to radio for a flying boat rescue. Then he headed back down to strafe the airfield, to keep any remaining enemy fighters on the ground.
When Curdes came up again, he spotted a twin-engine transport approaching the field at low level from the east. Noting the American stars on what appeared to be a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, he at first thought, "Those damned Japs have patched up one of our buggies and didn't even have the grace to take the markings off."
"The P-51 pilot had to decide whether it was one of our own planes that was lost or a Jap-built DC-3 (Showa/Nakajima L2D), with American insignia," explained General George C. Kenney, commander of Allied air forces in the Southwest Pacific Area. "He flew up alongside and satisfied himself that the pilot was not a Jap."
Curdes also recognized on the Skytrain the markings of the "Jungle Skippers," the 39th Military Airlift Squadron of the 317th Troop Carrier Group. The transport had taken off from Leyte for Manila with eight passengers, including two nurses. Rough weather had carried it far off course, and after almost five hours in the air, the C-47 was low on fuel and couldn't raise any help via radio. According to the after-action report: "We received no bearings or response of any kind. The airplane continued until 1150 hour and was still over water. The pilot then informed his passengers that he was in trouble and would set the airplane down on the first land he saw." Unfortunately, the crew didn't realize the island they headed for was enemy-held Batan.
"I tried to contact the pilot by radio," Curdes noted. "This failed."
"He then dived in front of the transport to keep it from landing on the Jap-held strip," related Kenney. "The pilot of the transport circled again and again started to glide in for a landing. The P-51 pilot then decided on a desperate measure."
"The gear was put down," the report continued, "and at 150 ft altitude, with the airplane at half flaps and about to be put down, six strings of tracers came up in front of us."
"I shot across the nose of the ship," Curdes said, "but still he came on." In what he later referred to as a "last resort," he then closed to 20 yards, took careful aim and used his machine guns to take out the Skytrain's right engine. Still, the transport held course. The passengers and crew inside must have been horrified to see the Mustang then sideslip over to port and shoot up their left engine.
That did it. "We ditched 300 yards from shore," they reported. "Four rafts were put out. One was perforated by bullets and sank. The 12 of us got into the three rafts. The P-51 circled us for an hour but did not fire again."
Curdes dropped them a message: "For God's sake, keep away from shore. Japs there." By then, however, everybody had figured that out. "We were out about a mile when machine guns and rifles opened up on us from the shore," the crew noted. "We were out of range, but the shooting continued for 30 minutes."
Curdes and his wingman flew back to base but returned to Batan before dawn to find the life rafts, including that of their section leader, still bobbing in the waves west of the island. The P-51s flew cover until a PBY-5A Catalina arrived and picked up everybody.
"They were all quite put out at the action of the P-51 pilot until the situation was explained to them," remembered Kenney, "but from then on the kid was the greatest hero of the war as far as they were concerned."
Back at base, Curdes was shocked to discover on the C-47 passenger manifest the name of a nurse he had dated the night before. "Jeepers," was his comment-or at least that's what the reporter who wrote up Curdes' story for the August 1945 issue of Air Force magazine recalled-"seven 109's and one Macchi in North Africa, one Jap, and one Yank in the Pacific-and to top it, I have to go out and shoot down the girlfriend."
Curdes repeated the maneuver twice more, but the plane was determined to land on the Japanese airstrip. Desperate to stop it, Curdes fired at its right engine, but the thing just kept on going. So, he took out its other engine, forcing the plane to land on the water. Out came a dinghy, not far from La Croix's own. Shortly after, people started climbing on it-they were Americans, not Japanese. Relieved, La Croix paddled over and explained the situation to them.
The plane had gotten lost in bad weather, apparently, and its radio had stopped working. Running out of fuel, the pilot made a beeline toward the landing strip, not knowing it was Japanese. Overhead, Curdes kept watch until more U.S. planes came to the rescue.
"The P-51 lad already had painted on the nose of his airplane seven Nazi swastikas and one Italian insignia�?�as well as a Jap flag for a victory in the Pacific," Kenney recalled. "He added an American flag in memory of his latest exploit." But since the C-47 was not counted as an official victory, Louis Curdes' final score stands at nine.
In recognition of his quick thinking and sharp shooting, he received an Oak Leaf Cluster to his Distinguished Flying Cross. General Kenny said, "I awarded him an Air Medal for the job and told him I hoped he wouldn't feel called on to repeat that performance."
After World War II, he joined an Air National Guard unit at Baer Field and remained there until 1948. In Allen County, Indiana, April 2, 1946, he married Svetlana Valeria, one of the passengers of the C-47 he shot down in the Philippines. Curdes returned to active duty, this time again with the United States Air Force. He participated in the Berlin airlift during the opening stages of the Cold War.
He was promoted to Major on September 1, 1951, and retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel in October 1963. After his retirement from the Air Force, he started a construction company under the name of Curdes Builders Company.
Louis Curdes died on February 5, 1995, at the age of 75, and was buried at Lindenwood Cemetery in Fort Wayne. His widow Valeria died on October 10, 2013, at the age of 87.
Have A Military Reunion Coming Soon?
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Battlefield Chronicles: America's War in Afghanistan
By Richard Sisk
On Oct. 7, 2001, less than a month after the Sept. 11th terror attacks, U.S. warplanes bombed targets in Afghanistan in what would be the opening offensive of Operation Enduring Freedom, the effort to drive the Taliban and al-Qaida from the country and install a democratic government.
CIA operatives and U.S. Special Forces teamed with the mostly-Tajik Northern Alliance to take Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif and other cities under an air umbrella that was provided primarily by the Navy and used Joint Direct Attack Munitions to devastating effect.
Then-Marine Brig. Gen. Jim Mattis, led Task Force 58, consisting of the 15th and 26th Marine Expeditionary Units, on an air assault that eventually resulted in the taking of Kandahar, birthplace of the Taliban movement.
By Dec. 9, 2001, the Taliban had collapsed, and leader Mullah Omar had fled to Pakistan. Then, the U.S. focus turned to the invasion of Iraq.
On Oct. 7, 2018, the military endgame for the U.S. in Afghanistan was still an increasingly difficult and long-term work in progress. That date marked the start of the 18th year of war in Afghanistan-a war that has claimed thousands of American lives and shows no clear indication of ending.
The resurgent Taliban is back and firmly in control of large swaths of territory. Osama Bin Laden is dead, but U.S. and Afghan special forces are still on the hunt for elements of al-Qaida. The new terrorist factor is the ISIS offshoot called Islamic State-Khorasan Province, or "ISIS-K."
The "blood and treasure" costs to the U.S. continue to mount.
Last week, Army National Guard Spec. James A. Slape, 23, of Morehead City, North Carolina, was killed by an improvised explosive device in contested southwestern Helmand province, the center of Afghanistan's thriving poppy trade.
He was the seventh combat fatality and eighth overall for the U.S. this year. Since the war began, at least 2,414 U.S., 455 British and 686 troops from other coalition nations have been killed in Afghanistan for a total of 3,555, according to the website icasualties.org.
Depending on who is doing the counting and how it is done, the estimates for the costs of the war for the U.S. since 2001 have generally exceeded $1 trillion. The Pentagon estimates the U.S. will spend at least $45 billion on the war effort this year.
Since 2001, U.S. policy has changed radically. The main goal is no longer to drive the Taliban out of Afghanistan but rather to drive them into a negotiated peace settlement to end the war, according to Army Gen. John Nicholson, who recently turned over command of U.S.-Forces Afghanistan and the NATO Resolute Support Mission to Army Gen. Scott Miller.
At his Senate confirmation hearing in June, Miller said he would not talk about turning points "unless there is one" and that he could not guarantee "a timeline or an end date" to the war.
The estimated 14,000 to 15,000 U.S. troops in Miller's command are operating under a new strategy for Afghanistan announced in August 2017 by President Donald Trump.
At the time, Trump acknowledged that his first instinct was to withdraw all U.S. forces, but he agreed with the advice of Mattis and others to initiate a "conditions-based" approach with no timelines that would put more focus on counter-terror raids and airpower to back the increasingly stressed Afghan security forces.
On Sunday, the top headline for Afghanistan's TOLO news agency was from a Pew Research Center report: "Study Finds Americans Feel U.S. Involvement Has Failed."
The Pew poll of 1,745 people, conducted Sept. 18-24, showed that 49 percent believed the U.S. effort in Afghanistan to be a failure.
Also, on Sunday, veteran diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Kabul as the new U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation. His remarks echoed what other U.S. envoys have said going back to 2001.
"I will cooperate with Afghan officials and other influential Afghans to reach a peace" to end more than 40 years of conflict in Afghanistan stretching back to before the Soviet invasion in 1979, he said.
"We in cooperation want to make a peaceful Afghanistan," he said, "where all tribes see themselves included, have the right to choose and will try to achieve a result that should deserve the sacrifices made during the years."
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Service Reflections Video of the Month
#TributetoaVeteran AECS Tom Wynn, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret), 1972-1992
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Do you have a passion for making sure that all of our Fallen are not forgotten? This is the team for you. We have Fallen profiles that have either been orphaned or created by someone who has not been online for a very long time and there is nothing in those profiles. TWS is working to make sure that all of our Fallen profiles are as complete as possible.
TWS Brochures Available
Do you have a reunion coming up and would like to spread the word about Together We Served? We now have brochures available that helps explain a little bit about who we are and what we do.
Send your requests to admin@togetherweserved.com. Please include your name and address along with how many brochures you require.
NEW TWS Invite Cards
Did you know we have Together We Served invite cards that you can hand out to any veteran you meet? It even has a place to put your name, service branch and member number so you get credit for the invite.
If you would like some cards, email us your name and address to admin@togetherweserved.com and we will get them in the mail to you.
Do You Have a Reunion Planned for the Norfolk Area?
If you do, please contact Diane Short at admin@togetherweserved.com to discuss doing a presentation for your reunion.
VA and Other News
Every Single Veteran Will Be Made Whole
During a hearing before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, VA Under Secretary for Benefits Paul Lawrence delivered the following statement:
"Before I get into my opening statement about this morning's hearing, I want to address a misleading NBC news story from late yesterday that gives the false impression that some Veterans on the GI Bill will not be made whole with respect to their housing payments based on an announcement VA made yesterday.
"Nothing could be further from the truth. Each and every Veteran on the post-9/11 GI Bill will be made 100 percent whole - retroactively if need be - for their housing benefits for this academic year based on the current uncapped DoD rates, and, beginning in spring 2020, we will be in a position to provide Veterans with the new rates where applicable to meet the law known as the Forever GI Bill.
"Once again - each, and I mean every single Veteran, will be made whole for their housing benefits this year. As we announced yesterday, the rates we are providing are the current academic year uncapped DoD Basic Allowance for Housing rates based on the location of a school's main campus, rather than the physical location of the student.
"For many students, this DoD BAH rate will be equal to or higher than their current payment. If a student was overpaid due to the changes in law or because of VBA's challenges in implementing the law, the student will not be held liable for the debt.
"And, starting in the Spring term of 2020, VA will have solved its current technical difficulties so that the department is able to provide post-9/11 GI Bill Veterans the new rates, where applicable, to comply with the Forever GI Bill."
Hypertension Linked to Agent Orange
Vietnam War veterans who suffer from hypertension may have contracted the condition when they were exposed to the chemical defoliant Agent Orange. A Nov. 14 report by the National Academies or Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found "sufficient evidence" that the malady and Agent Orange exposure are linked. The report also cited another related condition - monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS).
Researchers have long suspected that Agent Orange exposure is a likely cause of hypertension. According to the report, though, new findings show that there is "sufficient" evidence of a connection - an upgrade from the previous "limited or suggestive" category.
The researchers based their conclusion upon studies of veterans conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which indicated high incidences of hypertension among military personnel who served during the Vietnam War era who had "the greatest opportunity for exposure to these chemicals. Additionally, they determined that "sufficient evidence" exists to link exposure to MGUS, a condition that could be a precursor to multiple myeloma, a form of cancer.
The researchers also looked for a link between exposure and Type 2 diabetes, but could not conclude that there is sufficient evidence to support such a conclusion.
U.S. troops used Agent Orange and other herbicides extensively from 1962 to 1971, to eliminate the jungle canopy in Vietnam and expose enemy positions. As a result, anywhere from 2.6 million to 4.3 million troops were exposed to these highly toxic chemicals.
Researchers at the academies have conducted periodic, VA-sponsored studies of epidemiology related to wartime defoliant exposure. They concluded that while progress has been made in linking chemical exposure to illness, more work needs to be done.
"Significant gaps in knowledge remain," they wrote.
Their recommendations include more "toxicologic, mechanism, and epidemiologic research. There are many questions regarding veterans' health that can only be adequately answered by examining veterans themselves, thereby properly accounting for the totality of the military service experience."
US Troops in Gabon Remain Focused on Congo Despite Local Coup Attempt
A failed coup attempt in the central African nation of Gabon hasn't yet changed the mission of U.S. troops deployed there last week in response to potential violence in the nearby Democratic Republic of the Congo, U.S. Africa Command said Monday.
On Friday, the White House said it had ordered about 80 combat-equipped military personnel to Gabon amid concerns that elections in Congo would result in violent clashes and possibly pose a threat to U.S. diplomatic assets. However, on Monday members of Gabon's military launched a coup attempt and seized control of state radio in the country. Later in the day, Gabon's government said four of five mutiny ringleaders had been arrested.
"At this time there is no change in the status of our forces in Gabon," AFRICOM spokesman John Manley said as events were unfolding Monday. The troops are not currently tasked with securing diplomatic assets there, he said.
Gunshots were reported early Monday in Gabon's capital of Libreville. The country's president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, is reportedly out of the country for medical treatment.
The takeover attempt was sparked by "reinforced doubts about the president's ability to continue to carry out the responsibilities of his office," said Lt. Kelly Ondo Obiang, the leader of a breakaway military force, quoted in a Reuters report.
The sudden revolt in Gabon, which has a long history of military relations with the U.S., highlights the region's volatility. The country plays host to one of AFRICOM's cooperative security locations, which function as bare-bones launching pads for quick-reaction troops called upon to secure U.S. diplomatic facilities in the broader region.
President Donald Trump, in his letter of notification Friday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the U.S. deployment to Gabon, said more troops could be dispatched to Gabon, Congo or the separate Republic of Congo as needed.
The troops "will remain in the region until the security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo becomes such that their presence is no longer needed," Trump said.
Navy Ship Sails Near Disputed Islands in the South China Sea
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer on Monday sailed within 12 nautical miles of disputed islands in the South China Sea "to challenge excessive maritime claims," a Pacific Fleet spokeswoman told Reuters.
The USS McCampbell's route near the Parcel Island chain, was part of a "freedom of navigation" operation and not about any one country making a political statement, the spokeswoman insisted.
The move comes amid the first round of trade talks between the U.S. and China since both countries agreed to a 90-day ceasefire in the on-going trade war that saw both sides slapping tariffs on each other's imports.
Tensions have remained high in the South China Sea, with China claiming nearly off the strategic waters, despite competing claims by Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
The US has repeatedly criticized Beijing for building up military bases on artificial islands and reefs, while China, in turn, has derided the US' "freedom of navigation" operations as a provocation, and has justified their militarization of the region as self-defense.
Three Purple Heart Recipients Meet on the First Day of New Congress
Army veteran and Florida Rep. Brian Mast tweeted a photo Thursday marking the swearing-in ceremony of fellow wounded veterans and Republican congressmen Jim Baird and Dan Crenshaw.
The tweet cheekily paid homage to the congressmen's sacrifices during their military service.
Mast lost both legs in 2010 while clearing improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan; Baird, R-Ind., lost an arm while serving in the Vietnam War with the Army; and Crenshaw, R-Texas, lost an eye in a 2012 IED blast while serving in the Navy SEALs in Afghanistan.
Each of the congressmen have received Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars.
Crenshaw gained notoriety last fall when comedian Pete Davidson mocked the veteran's eye patch in a poorly received "Saturday Night Live" sketch saying he looked "like a hitman in a porno movie."
"I'm sorry, I know he lost his eye in war or whatever," Davidson added after the joke.
After facing outrage over the comment, Davidson apologized on the following SNL episode.
"The man is a war hero and he deserves all the respect in the world," he said.
After Davidson joked in the sketch that Republicans and Democrats alike could agree the comedian was a jerk, Crenshaw joined the actor in a cameo appearance.
"There's a lot of lessons to learn here, not just that the left and right can still agree on some things, but also this: Americans can forgive one another," Crenshaw said on the show.
Crack Down on Bogus Veteran Charities
You may have seen them standing outside convenience stores, those guys dressed in camo that vaguely resembles a uniform. They have signs saying claiming they are charities that help veterans. Are they legit?
Well, not all of them are.
The Federal Trade Commission, along with law enforcement officials and regulators from offices in every state, DC, American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico, announced more than 100 actions and a consumer education initiative in "Operation Donate with Honor".
The action was a crackdown on fraudulent charities that con consumers by falsely promising their donations will help veterans and service members.
"Americans are grateful for the sacrifices made by those who serve in the U.S. armed forces," said FTC Chairman Joe Simons. "Sadly, some con artists prey on that gratitude, using lies and deception to line their own pockets. In the process, they harm not only well-meaning donors but also the many legitimate charities that actually do great work on behalf of veterans and service members."
Two Charities Face Federal Charges.
Help the Vets
Neil G. "Paul" Paulson, Sr. and Help the Vets, Inc., (HTV) will be banned from soliciting charitable contributions under settlements with the FTC and the states of Florida, California, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, and Oregon, for falsely promising donors their contributions would help wounded and disabled veterans.
The defendants were charged with violating federal and state laws related to their actions. According to the FTC's complaint, HTV did not help disabled veterans, and 95 percent of every donation was spent on fundraising, administrative expenses, and Paulson's salary and benefits.
Operating under names such as American Disabled Veterans Foundation, Military Families of America, Veterans Emergency Blood Bank, Vets Fighting Breast Cancer, and Veterans Fighting Breast Cancer, HTV falsely claimed to fund medical care, a suicide prevention program, retreats for veterans recuperating from stress, and veterans fighting breast cancer.
In addition to the ban on soliciting charitable contributions, the proposed settlement order bans Paulson from charity management and oversight of charitable assets. To ensure that donors to HTV are not victimized again, HTV and Paulson must destroy all donor lists and notify their fundraisers to do so.
The order imposes a judgment of $20.4 million, which represents consumers' donations from 2014 through 2017 when HTV stopped operating. The judgment will be partially suspended when the defendants have paid a charitable contribution to one or more legitimate veterans charities recommended by the states and approved by the court. Paulson must pay $1.75 million - more than double what he was paid by HTV - and HTV must pay all of its remaining funds, $72,000.
Veterans of America
The FTC charged Travis Deloy Peterson with using fake veterans' charities and illegal robocalls to get people to donate cars, boats and other things of value, which he then sold for his own benefit.
The scheme used various names, including Veterans of America, Vehicles for Veterans LLC, Saving Our Soldiers, Donate Your Car, Donate That Car LLC, Act of Valor, and Medal of Honor. Peterson allegedly made millions of robocalls asking people to donate automobiles, watercraft, real estate, and timeshares, falsely claiming that donations would go to veterans charities and were tax deductible.
In fact, none of the names used in the robocalls is a real charity with tax-exempt status. Peterson is charged with violating the FTC Act and the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule.
At the FTC's request, a federal court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Peterson from making unlawful robocalls or engaging in misrepresentations about charitable donations while the FTC's enforcement action is proceeding.
State Enforcement Actions
States also identified and charged several charities and fundraisers who sought donations online and via telemarketing, direct mail, door-to-door contacts, and at retail stores. These groups falsely promised to help homeless and disabled veterans, to provide veterans with employment counseling, mental health counseling or other assistance, and to send care packages to deployed servicemembers.
Some actions charged veterans charities with using deceptive prize promotion solicitations. Others targeted non-charities that falsely claimed that donations would be tax deductible. Some cases focused on veterans' charities engaged in flagrant self-dealing to benefit individuals running the charity, and some alleged that fundraisers made misrepresentations on behalf of veterans charities or stole money solicited for a veterans charity.
Nationwide Education Campaign
As a result of these actions, the FTC and its state partners are launching an education campaign to help consumers avoid charity scams and donate wisely.
The FTC has new educational materials, including a video on how to research charities, and two new infographics. Donors and business owners can find information to help them donate wisely and make their donations count at FTC.gov/Charity
Member Submissions Conex Box Op
Our river assault boats were in Dong Tam for a routine overhaul. It meant rearming, repairs, painting and other assorted duties. Our boat had a wobble in her starboard shaft so the enginemen had lifted her out of the water onto a pontoon and were replacing it. It was nice to be off the rivers for a while. A little stand down from the combat.
The sun was lingering over the palm fronds as we headed to the Navy enlisted club after a long days work. The thought of a few cool beers was inviting. Maybe the Viet Cong would give us a break by not sending in their rockets and mortars.
The Navy club was unique. You could arrive pretty early, like 9 AM, for a few breakfast beers. Just when you got a good buzz going they would close down around 12 noon so everyone would have to go eat lunch or take a nap. Then you could return after they reopened in the afternoon and drink to your hearts content providing you didn't get too rowdy.
The club was not a very big place. I would guess maybe 40' x 30'. As you walked in the bar was on your right. The toilet was on the left. We only needed one since there were no round-eyed women in that area. Then the far end of the bar opened up into a larger area that housed a couple of pool tables and a jukebox. Our Commander in Chief, President LBJ, was there hanging behind the bar along with some River Assault Squadron patches and a Naval Support Activity, Det. Dong Tam logo painted on a piece of plywood.
A few weeks earlier Bob and I had been in the club for a few beers when a group of River Assault Squadron 9 sailors showed up. You'd think that we had our hands full fighting the enemy right? Evidently not. Toss in a couple of different squadrons, some alcohol and you have a volatile situation. On that night an argument broke out around the pool table between some RAS 9 and RAS 15 sailors. One thing led to another and all of a sudden pool sticks were swinging, cue balls were flying and people were jumping around everywhere. Bob and I grabbed our cold ones and backed up to the nearest wall to watch the action. It afforded an excellent opportunity to grab a couple of deserted beers from a nearby table as well. After about 20 minutes the Shore Patrol arrived and stopped the melee just when it was going good. Adrenaline and hormones were spewing everywhere. The next morning several sailors had some explaining to do.
When we arrived the after lunch crowd had things hopping. The jukebox was cranked and we got right into the mood. The bartender made it clear that he didn't want to see any "crap" and we all agreed. I walked away thinking, "How the heck does an enlisted person get a job like this?"
As the night wore on we loosened up nicely. Our choice of beer was Carling Black Label, Falstaff, Budweiser and Schlitz. I think. This was around the time the pop tops came out, but none of the beer in Vietnam had them. We used Church Keys, Kabars, P-38's or anything that would get them open without causing a big fizz. After a few months in the constant humidity our consumption rate increased immensely. The more you drank the more you sweated so you had to drink to not dehydrate. At least that one of our excuses.
Earlier in the day I had passed by a man as he unlocked a Conex Box. These were metal boxes about 8' wide by 8' deep and 7' high. One side had double doors that latched in the middle with a big iron rod and hasp. They were used to ship equipment and other goods into Vietnam. Also to stop smaller pieces of shrapnel. I glanced over his shoulder and noted that the entire box was full of BEER! There must have been a hundred cases in there. I sauntered on like I hadn't noticed anything. A plan began to develop right away. Emergency resources were always good to have whether they were yours or someone else's.
By the time the club closed we were all very sloshed. I had been telling Bob and Pete about my plan. They liked it. What could they do to us if caught? Send us to Vietnam? It couldn't get any worse than it was.
When outside we huddled around a bunker refining tactics. There was a huge well lit warehouse with a sentry. He was packin heat to the tune of an M-16. Small weaponry for we river sailors. I knew where a forklift was. Being the perpetrator, I took charge. Bob was to distract the sentry on the other side of the warehouse so he could not witness our clandestine operation being pulled off. Joe became the replacement sentry so that he could keep an eye on everything and sound the alarm if any one wandered into our area of operation. I was the forklift driver. What we hadn't thought of was where we were going to take the Conex Box.
Joe and I watched Bob's lanky figure disappear behind the warehouse. Being a jovial guy, Bob would have no problem with the sentry. Soon the sentry rode around the other direction on his bicycle. We waited a few minutes and then Joe ran over to the opposite corner of the warehouse to his position. I jumped on the forklift.
Now I'd driven farm machinery while bucking hay so I figured I knew what I was doing. I didn't take into account how inebriated I was. After climbing up onto the seat of the forklift I located the key and starter button. She cranked over nicely as I pumped on the pedal. No ignition. I checked a couple more things and then began cranking once again. The noise was awesome as she fired up. Varoom, varoom!!! I had a grin on my face as I began grinding gears. I'm sure that no one in the adjacent barracks even knew what was happening.
While continuing to grind gears I heard a faint sound to my left. The vibration of the machine had me bouncing around. Finally I looked in that direction and couldn't believe it. There stood a Shore Patrol yelling at me! I hollered, "What??". He began giving me the slicing hand across his throat. I shut the girl down. She lurched and coughed before becoming silent. The SP was still screaming. Then he lowered his voice a notch or two and said, "Get the hell down here!" I stumbled to the ground with great confidence. I was sure that he would understand.
Much to my surprise, he didn't understand me at all. I tried to tell him that a tablet wasn't necessary, but he kept writing anyway. He was asking questions like, "What your name?" "What unit are you with?" etc. As he was writing I'll be darned if Bob didn't ride by behind him on the sentry's bicycle. It had a piece of metal welded on it with a number cut into it. I did my best to keep from laughing, but failed. Bob made a second pass waving both hands in the air and I busted a gut. This made the SP madder than hell. He kept asking me what I was laughing about as he didn't even know that Bob was behind him. I saw Joe standing at the corner of a barracks doubled over.
Falling off to sleep was not much of a problem that night. Uh, morning. Waking up later that morning with a vague memory of the night before was a little more difficult. As I swung me feet to the floor I noticed a "chit" lying on top of my jungle fatigues. A closer look alerted me to the fact that I had to be at Chief so and so's office at 8:30 AM. The sun was already baking the tin roof and it was 8:15. My first mission was "water". Cotton mouth had taken over my entire oral cavity.
As I walked into the Chief's office wearing my best tattered greens I was met by a young clerk who told me to be seated. I made sure that I wore my beret with my unit patch hoping that the man would understand. It could go either way as he was not a river assault boat sailor.
Finally I heard him bark, "Get in here Petty Officer Harris!" I staggered in trying not to appear hung over. He looked as gruff as his voice. "What the hell did you think you were doing last night sailor?" I said, "Truth?" He answered with, "You're damned right." I proceeded to tell him about the plan. The need for more beer after the club closed. Of course he did not understand my side or have any compassion. After giving me a few choice words he said, "Did you just come off the rivers?" I said, "Yes". He then said, "Get the hell out of my office and if I ever see your face in here again your ass will be in big trouble!" My legs almost buckled as I turned and walked for the screen door.
A smile crossed my face as I passed the surprised clerk. After the screen door slammed behind me I pumped my fist in the air and headed for my 9 AM breakfast at the club.
It was going to be another fine day in the Mekong Delta.
Michael A. Harris
RAS 15 - RAD 152 - T-152-1 - 7/68 - 7/69
Veterans Resources
I'm Mike at themilitaryguide.org. My crew and I are a group of veterans and family members trying to help those who've served. I noticed you are also providing valuable information to the community. I wanted to take a quick moment to thank you.
Oddly enough, the hardest part of military life was my transition away from it. And I'm not alone. Depression, addiction, joblessness and the worst problems that affect the community can all be combatted through adequate help and resources as a servicemember begins to transition to civilian life.
Please consider doing what you can by sharing these resources on your page:
Worthy Causes Cycle4Vets
Although I'm no longer in that Navy uniform, I still want to express my support for my fellow veterans. I feel that once you have served in uniform, you are always in uniform. You take that oath for life. I would do it all over again if I had to, with no hesitation, just like many of my fellow sisters and brothers.
I grew up in New Lenox, IL, went to Providence HS and after school, I joined the U.S. Navy and served for 4 years than a Navy spouse for 15 years. After boot camp in Orlando, FL my first duty station was Yokosuka, Japan aboard the USS Kittanning. I also served at Coronado, CA. I come from a very long line of military members. To mention a few, a 4th Great-Grandfather in the Revolutionary War, a 2nd Great-Grandfather in the Civil War fought in the Battle of Shiloh, an Uncle in WWII at Iwo Jima, my Uncle Adam Tymowicz was shot down over Ruille France during WWII only to be MIA in the Korean War in Naha Japan, and my father Thomas being in the Navy on the USS Courtney and me following in his footsteps. Later in life, it took me to Northeastern Illinois Univ where I graduated with a 4.0 GPA. After I graduated, I needed to do something and started cycling and formed what would become Cross Country Cycle 4 Vets.
Cross Country Cycle 4 Vets started as a just a single cycling journey that took me 3042 miles as a solo cyclist over this great country, from San Diego, CA to St Augustine, FL for the Gary Sinise Foundation in which I was able to raise $30,680. You can read my blog about my journey on my website and see other media events. Once I returned home, I felt lost, I felt I had no meaning in my life. For 61 days I had a meaning it was "wake up, cycle east, eat, talk about our veterans in need, sleep and repeat' my mission was to raise money for our fellow veterans and 1st responders, now as I sit at home looking for a job as normal people have to do, I felt I had no meaning for my ride was over, I meet my goal and went over it, however, I had to do something. I was on Facebook one day and Oscar Mike just popped up and I said, who is Oscar Mike, I looked into this foundation, called Noah on the phone and told myself this was going to be my next big bike ride. I loved what Noah was doing and his commitment to our fellow brothers and sisters. His dedication to our family and my dedication is the same. As Long as I Can Cycle, I will Cycle for my Sisters and Brothers through various foundations! For this is my calling in life.
This next ride will take me through 10 states, 2 countries and 2547 miles across our country and will again be a self-funded tour. I will be leaving from Lake Forest, IL, heading north to the Upper Peninsula, then east through Canada, then into New York down to New York City at the Freedom Tower Memorial on 9/11/2021 for the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 then heading west through the rolling hills of Pennsylvania and finally finish in Chicago. This day holds many memories for me and our military members and this ride is dedicated to all that have served in our Military and for those that have given the ultimate sacrifice. I have to get everyone involved in getting our men and women "On the Move" again. I will have a tab on my website dedication to memories of 9/11.
We wanted to find any way to help my brothers and sisters with the challenges that some undoubtedly face today. This is our way of shining a light and letting them know that they are appreciated for all they do for us, for their sacrifices and unwavering commitment to our great nation! We would like to thank all our sponsors, endorsements, and everyone that has donated to Cross Country Cycle 4 Vets in support of the Oscar Mike Foundation. We need to get these donations coming so we can make our goal of $50,000 for our injured veterans and keep them on the move though adoptive sports and the programs at the Oscar Mike Compound.
He served on board the USS AMERICA around 76-78, would be between the age of 57-60. Went by the nickname of POP OR POPS. Any information on him would be appreciated. This is all the information that I have except that I know that he was from New Jersey.
Wiesbaden Airmen
I am an air traffic controller at Wiesbaden Airfield the former Wiesbaden Airbase / Y-80. I myself was stationed at Ramstein 86Oss/4ATAF ATC for 9 years (1988-1995) and since 20 years working as an civilian for the Army. I am researching for a historical book the history of Wiesbaden AB. WABwas the home of the US Air Force since 1945 until its move to Ramstein AB in the 70s. Also the famous Berlin Airlift was conducted here. I really seek individuals who served here, who can tell stories or even have pictures. Not much has been preserved over here in Germany, so I would love it if you could assist.
My name is Gary Farris I served in the United States Army from Nov. 65 to Nov.68. I served in Vietnam 67-68 with the 19th Combat Engineer Battalion. The reason I'm writing this is I wanted to share my story with you. About two months ago a friend of my son's came to me with a pocket-sized box containing several military ribbons and medals and wanted me to find the owner of the medals and return them, I told him to give me some time and I will see what I can find out. In July I went to work on the computer to see what I could find out, and find out is what I did, the medals belonged to a Vietnam Veteran that had been killed in Vietnam on Feb. 09, 1968 from friendly fire, from a Artillery round that fell short of it' s target and landed on 21 American Soldiers killing two and wounding 19, They belonged to "A" Company 1st BN 35th Infantry 4th Infantry Division US ARMY.
One of the medals, that was in the box was the Army Commendation Medal, On the back of the Army Commendation medal inscribed was the name, James J. Brennan. I immediately went to the Vietnam Virtual Wall of Faces website, typed in his name and found a lot of information about Brennan. On one of the entries were the name Dennis Callahan and his email address. He is the nephew of James J. Brennan I then emailed him, the next day he answered my email and told me a lot of what had happened, Dennis was six years old when his Uncle James was killed. As you can see the little boy on the far right is holding his Uncle James' Commendation Certificate and James' s Mother in back of Dennis is holding the Commendation Medal, The ceremony was held at Fort Hamilton, New York on Oct. 14, 1968 Brennan had one week left of his Tour of Duty when he was killed, February 14, 1968 "Valentine's Day". The Army notified the family that their son had been killed.
Earlier in this article, I forgot to mention, that my son's friend Chris, had bought a large box filled with different items at a yard sale in San Bernardino, California and later discovered the pocket-sized box of Military Medals, on further research I found that James J. Brennan's home of record at the time of death was New York City, New York. I' m also sending three attachments one is a picture of the Family at a Ceremony at Fort Hamilton, in New York, and the other two pictures are newspaper clippings from the Brooklyn Spectator, the newspaper that covered the death of James J. Brennan. I have contacted Helen Klein, editor of the Brooklyn Newspaper, and they are very excited and honored about doing a follow-up story of the death of Brennan.
In September of 1966, James was drafted into the United States Army.
In February of 1968 James was killed in Vietnam.
In July of 2018 a little over 50 years later I was the chosen one to retrace the footsteps of James J. Brennan from the past to the present.
In closing, I also forgot to mention that James J. Brennan's Service medals were in New York City, New York and somehow mysteriously 50 years later they showed up at a yard sale in San Bernardino, California and no one knows how they got here. I've spoken with Chris about which yard sale did he buy the box but he has been to so many yard sales he can't remember.
I was hoping thru the power of the media that if someone read this article it may jog a memory as to how the Medals traveled to California.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my article.
I am researching my Ph.D. at Stirling University, Scotland, UK. My topic is 'United States intelligence gathering from Scottish bases during the Cold War.' I am particularly interested in RAF Kirknewton, RAF Evanton (Project Genetrix) and ferret flights which involved Scottish airfields (e.g. Prestwick and Machrihanish). I would like to interview any of your members who could assist me with this project.
I have two good contacts in the USA; these are Doug Wise, former Deputy Director DIA, and ex-colleague when he was US exchange officer with my regiment 1974-75; the other is Joe Mazzafro, former US Navy intelligence liaison officer in London early-1980s. I Skype both on a regular basis.
I am a retired British Army Officer (Lieutenant Colonel Parachute Regiment); I completed a Masters' research degree on 'US Strategic presence in Scotland during the Cold War' at Glasgow University and am now developing the intelligence gathering aspect in my Ph.D. I am also a member of NIP (Naval Intelligence Professionals) group.
Book For Sale
I have written and published a book on Amazon titled "Operation Top Cover, A Year On The DEW Line". one in Black and white for 5.50 and the other in color for 9.50.
Available for Together We Served members only! Together We Served has two hard working marines that devote their time and energy to help our members find long lost friends that are not yet members of our site.
If you have someone you are looking for, please send name, age they would be now and where they were from to us at admin@togetherweserved.com and we'll get them on the case for you.
Vietnam Veterans: Honor Flight Offers Vets Special Homecoming
In 1961, President Kennedy described the counterinsurgency in Vietnam as "another type of war, new in its intensity, ancient in its origin, requiring a wholly different kind of military training."
At that time, traveling from the Philippines to the Bay of Siam (now the Bay of Thailand), 20-year-old Marine Cpl. David Crandal, like most Americans, had never heard of Vietnam.
Crandal enlisted in the Marines in 1959. After boot camp in San Diego, he was sent to Camp Pendleton for infantry training and then back to San Diego for communications school.
He was then shipped off to Okinawa and, shortly thereafter, to Japan's Mt. Fuji for cold weather training.
"I'm not sure how long I was there," he chuckled, "but it was long enough to know that I didn't like it."
After returning to Okinawa, Crandal spent much of his time on daily military maneuvers as a member of the Artillery Battalion of the 3rd Marine Division, 12th Marines. At night, the Marines enjoyed "Cinderella Liberty," so named because troops had to be back on base by midnight.
"One day, we returned from maneuvers at 3 p.m. and were told there would be no liberty that night. We were instructed to pack our field transport packs and put everything else into our sea bags, which we might never see again. There was an enormous amount of ammunition and artillery in numerous bunkers," he said. "We spent 24 hours a day for four days carrying heavy ammunition cases from the bunkers to ships."
The Marines were flown to the Philippines and eventually Crandal found himself on a Marine helicopter carrier bound for the Bay of Siam.
During his service off the coast of Thailand, Crandal had two occupational specialties (MOS). Aboard the Marine Corps' only helicopter carrier, he trained Marines in radio communications, maps and coordinates. The primary task of the carrier was to take on damaged helicopters, replacing them with reconditioned choppers.
"One day I was on deck when an approaching helicopter dropped straight down into the water just as it reached the ship," Crandal said. "Immediately, lots of little sampans rowed out from every direction to rescue the pilots. It looked like a wagon wheel with spokes. The pilots were saved, but they were really shaken up. Many of the helicopters we got had been patched up in the field with duct tape. At this time, we were supposedly just 'advisors' in Vietnam; but people were being killed and these helicopters all had holes in them."
Crandal's second MOS was as an artillery forward observer for communications with naval gunfire. To respond quickly to a situation, the military devised battalion landing teams. The teams were comprised of specialists from different companies who were versed in radio communications, Morse code, artillery observation, and spotting. These versatile teams were called in as reinforcement when the Navy needed to get things done quickly. As a forward observer, Crandal went ashore and directed the ship's gunners to specific targets, giving them the coordinates and then correcting fire after observing where the artillery hit. During his two years overseas, he served on 11 different ships.
Crandal returned to San Francisco from Southeast Asia by ship in 1962. He did not encounter demonstrators since most of the country was still unaware of any U.S. military action in Vietnam. However, his was not a joyous return.
"We got off the ship and there was nobody there, except for a few parents," he recalled. "My parents were 3,000 miles away. It was not much of a homecoming."
On Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, Americans had a second chance to welcome home their patriots. Early that morning, 92 Vietnam War, seven Korean War, and three World War II veterans gathered at Asheville Regional Airport, excited about the day's adventure made possible by Blue Ridge Honor Flight - a trip to visit the memorials of Washington, D.C.
Blue Ridge Honor Flight was founded in 2006 by Jeff Miller of Hendersonville. Miller co-founded the national organization, Honor Flight Network, which has escorted almost 300,000 veterans to Washington, D.C.
Saturday's excursion held special significance for Miller.
"This was our first official flight of Vietnam War veterans," he said. "For all of us at Blue Ridge Honor Flight, it was special knowing the appalling treatment these veterans received when they returned from Vietnam."
The veterans were accompanied by volunteer guardians, Honor Flight staff members and a support team of medical personnel.
Unfortunately, the departure was delayed for more than three hours due to fog, and several stops in D.C. had to be omitted; however, every cloud has its silver lining. Clark Murray, of Brevard, viewed the delay as a blessing.
"It enabled me to talk to the other veterans," Murray said. "It was very interesting to hear their experiences. We didn't get into the politics of the war. It was where you were, what you did, your rank, observations as you were serving there, the weather �?? hot, cold, humid �?? the mosquitos and the rats. I hadn't really talked to anyone much about my experience in Vietnam for more than 40 years. The time with my fellow veterans was a healing experience."
When the American Airlines flight finally landed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the veterans encountered enthusiastic, cheering crowds as they filed off the plane into the terminal.
"I said to myself, 'Wow, what's going on here?'" said Crandal. "It was so unexpected!"
Murray added, "It was a serendipity moment. What a great way to start the day!"
Other highlights included a "water salute" by fire trucks at both Reagan and Asheville airports; a police escort with sirens by officers who had volunteered their time (the four buses did not stop for a red light throughout the day); a unique ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial where an Army general and an honor guard thanked the veterans; and a visit from WWII veteran, 95-year-old U.S. Sen. Robert Dole, who personally greets as many honor flights as possible.
But the top of the list of memorable moments was the visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, or "the Wall." The experience moved many veterans and guardians to tears as the group slowly walked along the black granite wall bearing the names of the 58,000 American men and women who died in the Vietnam war.
"I had never been there," said Crandal. "What strikes you the first time you see it is that it's huge, with so many names. I was surprised that the first casualties listed were in 1959."
Murray had visited the wall twice before the Honor Flight excursion.
"The first time I just bawled," he said. "This time was a very meaningful experience �?? knowing that everyone around me had served in Vietnam. I thought about all those families devastated by the death of their loved ones."
As Vietnam War veteran Larry Moore gazed somberly at the Wall, he commented to his guardian, "They left as idealistic young men and women, and they returned as cargo."
It was, indeed, a sober and emotional experience for veterans, guardians and Honor Flight support staff. While nobody greeted David Crandal when he returned to San Francisco in 1962, seven years later Murray's experience in Seattle was the opposite.
"We noticed a large, noisy crowd as we came down the exit," he said. "We thought they were cheering, welcoming us home. Instead, they were screaming and jeering. We had no idea of the intensity and magnitude of the protests going on at that time. It was a confined area, so close that I was spit on several times. We were in shock. We thought, why are they angry? We're home, this is a time of rejoicing."
Fifty years later, on the evening of Oct. 6, 2018, Crandal, Murray and 90 other Vietnam veterans finally had their moment of rejoicing as they returned to the Asheville Regional Airport.
Miller described this long-awaited homecoming: "Bands, bagpipes and drums, Honor Guard, and throngs of thankful family, friends, and admirers waving flags, holding up signs, shaking hands and yelling 'thank you for your service' greeted them as they made their way through.
"This time there were tears of joy and smiles on the faces of those who never had the welcome home they so deserved."
Book Review: When Can I Stop Running?
A Vietnam War Story By John Podlaski
'When Can I Stop Running' is the author's second book, and like his first best-selling, award-winning book 'Cherries,' it is largely a work of fiction, but the many events described in the book come from Podlaski's actual experiences during his tour of duty while serving in Vietnam in 1970-71.
In this book, Podlaski brings back John 'Polack' Kowalski, the central character in 'Cherries,' and introduces Louis ('LG') Gladwell, his irrepressible black friend. Polack and LG are a 'Salt and Pepper' team and best buddies and brothers in a way that only those who have fought side-by-side in a war can ever truly understand.
The vast majority of the book itself takes place as the two buddies spend a very long night in a Listening Post ('LP'), some 500 meters beyond the bunker line of the new fire base.
Their assignment as a "human early warning system," is to listen for enemy activity and forewarn the base of any potential dangers. As they were new to the "Iron Triangle" and its reputation, little did they know that units before them lost dozens of soldiers in this nightly high-risk task and referred to those assigned as "bait for the enemy" and "sacrificial lambs."
Sitting in the pitch-black tropical jungle, with visibility at less than two feet, John's imagination takes hold throughout the agonizing night, and at times, transports him back to some of his most vivid childhood memories - innocent, but equally terrifying at the time.
To avoid complications of interlacing events and places in the same chapter, the author first writes a chapter about the night on the LP, followed by a chapter of his most heart-pounding childhood escapades.
Of the many books I have reviewed about the Vietnam War and war in general, I can honestly write this is among the best. I highly recommend it and its companion piece 'Cherries' to those who want to gain a new perspective on the Vietnam War and war itself.
To be sure, readers will relate to the humorous childish antics with amusement; military veterans will find themselves relating to both the entertaining and compelling recollections.
Reader Reviews
In a brilliant follow-up to his novel 'Cherries,' John Podlaski weaves frightening events of his youth into a vivid depiction of a terrifying night as an infantryman on a Listening Post during the Vietnam War." ~Joe Campolo, Jr., Author of "The Kansas NCO" and "Back To the World."
This tome draws the reader into the experiences that only combat personnel can usually hold witness to; broadening our understanding of the true sacrifices our military makes for us and our freedoms every day. 'When Can I Stop Running' should be on all of our 'must read' lists. ~Jerry Kunnath, Writer
What makes 'When Can I Stop Running?' a different read from 'Cherries' are the interludes where Polack, his memories brought to the surface as warily he watches for any movement near the LP, recalls his many adventures with school friends, some terrifying, some funny while growing up in Detroit during the1960's. It is in these stories, so familiar to those of us of the Boomer generation, that the author treats us to some of his finest writing. His childhood comes to life in his rich, poetic descriptions. It is a lost world which haunts all of our generation's memories, just as we are haunted by our memories of the central and defining event of our generation, the Vietnam War. Highly recommended! ~Christopher Gaynor, author of 'A Soldier Boy Hears the Distant Guns' and countless newspaper articles including a feature story and photos in Time Magazine
Warrior and Vietnam author John Podlaski pulls out the stops in a very personal story interweaving some of his childhood experiences with his unnerving telling of his night spent in a listening post. A vividly written yet tasteful account of a nightmare experience; hair-raising and touching at the same time. It's a night he'll never forget. ~William E. Peterson, International Best Selling and Award Winning Author: Missions of Fire and Mercy
Chopper Warriors
The Hornet's Nest
John does a magical job in his second book of weaving the terrors of boyhood adventure with the terrors of war. His words had me laughing and crying while recalling and reliving some of my childhood adventures and the terror of pitch black nights alone on the floor of jungles in Vietnam. Thank you, John, for another great adventure! ~Stephen Perry
Author of Bright Light: Untold Stories of the Top Secret War in Vietnam
As I read 'When can I stop Running?' and got deeper into the story, it brought all the images forward of those things I feared most - total darkness, rotting jungle, insects, and strange noises. I cringed at every turn, often asking myself if I had the bravado to do what they were doing. Today, Soldiers use Night Vision Devices to see in the dark, quite a contrast from the Vietnam Era when soldiers only had their hearing, sense of smell, and a vivid imagination to guide them in the pitch black jungle. I also appreciate the author's stories of his youth; the adventures are both frightening and funny, yet, I could relate to similar experiences while growing up. This book is the real deal! Great job, Mr. Podlaski! ~R. Scott Ormond
(Sgt-5 ReCon Scout and Tank Section 3d/33d Armor, Germany 1971-73)
About the Author
John Podlaski served in Vietnam during 1970 and 1971 as an Infantryman with both the Wolfhounds of the 25th Division and the 501st Infantry Brigade of the 101st Airborne Brigade. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, two Air Medals, and a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
He has spent the years since Vietnam working in various management positions within the automotive industry and has recently received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
John retired in 2013 after working 10 years for a Global Belgium company that supplies gears and shafts for transmissions and diesel engines. John is a member of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 154 and lives with his wife, Janice, in Sterling Heights, Michigan. They own a 1997 Harley Davidson Heritage and are both members of the Great Lakes Chapter of South East Michigan Harley Owners Group.
The cook serving up a healthy dose of S.O.S on a plate had previously served up violence on Iwo Jima that would lead to the deaths of 60 enemy soldiers. Yes, quite literally, the soldier cracking eggs in one war was a Medal of Honor recipient Marine in another.
Nearly a week after the initial landings, Watson and his fellow Marines had already witnessed what level of savagery it would take to overcome the island. The Japanese were well dug in, with a zealous commitment to fight to the death.
For nearly 15 minutes Watson stood alone on the fire-swept hill, although wounded multiple times by bullets and mortar fragments, holding the position until the rest of his platoon could catch up. On that hill alone, it was estimated that he had killed nearly 60 Japanese. Thus, the legend of "the one-man regiment" was born. In the attack, he was shot seven times and was hit in the shoulder by mortar fragments. He was evacuated from Iwo Jima after he suffered a gunshot wound in the neck on March 2, 1945.
This is where TWS can help. We have just invested in a high quality Fujitsu book and photo scanner that can scan any size of photo or yearbook. As a service to our members, we would like to offer you a free photo scanning service for your most significant photos from your service which we will then return to you, in original condition, along with a CD containing your photo files.
His top posts included leadership of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School and U.S. Army Special Forces Command at Fort Bragg and U.S. Army-Berlin in Germany.
"Our camp did things the old-fashioned way," he said in a speech at Elon University, in North Carolina, in 2014. "Several bulldozers would dig a ditch; people would be asked to move to the edge of the ditch. In most cases they were naked. Automatic weapons would kill them. They would fall into the ditch, some wounded and not dead, and if you were lying on the ledge, an individual would throw you into the ditch."
But fearing that the Communists would seal the country's borders after the war, Sidney left with his mother and brother on a six-month 2,000-mile trek by foot, wagon, and train through Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria before settling in Furth, Germany, near Nuremberg, in the fall of 1945. His father, who had been fighting the Germans with partisans, rejoined them, and they charted a path to the United States.
He served with the 5th Special Forces Group and commanded the secretive "Detachment A," a small team of Special Forces soldiers who operated in Berlin during the Cold War and prepared for possible war with the Soviet Union. Many of its members later went on to help form Delta Force (B-52). 
Shachnow was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment in 2007. 
We are still searching for Boot Camp/ Basic Training Photos and Yearbooks. So if you have yours available, please contact us at 
Separated from his flight, Curdes spotted three Messerschmitts chasing a Lightning just above the water. He attacked the right-hand plane. "My tracers went into him, puffs of black and white smoke came out and he did a wingover straight in," he reported. The remaining Germans were still pursuing the struggling P-38. "I made a 30-degree deflection shot at the leader, closing to 20 degrees and making about 350 mph. The '109 burst into flames, exploded and flopped into the water." With three kills on his first mission, Curdes named his P-38 Good Devil, adorning its nose with an image of Lucifer wearing a halo.
Curdes opened his account against a second Axis power on June 24th, shooting down an Italian Macchi C.202 over Sardinia. In August he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, but later that month his luck ran out.
When Curdes came up again, he spotted a twin-engine transport approaching the field at low level from the east. Noting the American stars on what appeared to be a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, he at first thought, "Those damned Japs have patched up one of our buggies and didn't even have the grace to take the markings off."
"He then dived in front of the transport to keep it from landing on the Jap-held strip," related Kenney. "The pilot of the transport circled again and again started to glide in for a landing. The P-51 pilot then decided on a desperate measure."
In recognition of his quick thinking and sharp shooting, he received an Oak Leaf Cluster to his Distinguished Flying Cross. General Kenny said, "I awarded him an Air Medal for the job and told him I hoped he wouldn't feel called on to repeat that performance."
Then-Marine Brig. Gen. Jim Mattis, led Task Force 58, consisting of the 15th and 26th Marine Expeditionary Units, on an air assault that eventually resulted in the taking of Kandahar, birthplace of the Taliban movement.
Depending on who is doing the counting and how it is done, the estimates for the costs of the war for the U.S. since 2001 have generally exceeded $1 trillion. The Pentagon estimates the U.S. will spend at least $45 billion on the war effort this year.
The Pew poll of 1,745 people, conducted Sept. 18-24, showed that 49 percent believed the U.S. effort in Afghanistan to be a failure.
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area that housed a couple of pool tables and a jukebox. Our Commander in Chief, President LBJ, was there hanging behind the bar along with some River Assault Squadron patches and a Naval Support Activity, Det. Dong Tam logo painted on a piece of plywood.
P-38's or anything that would get them open without causing a big fizz. After a few months in the constant humidity our consumption rate increased immensely. The more you drank the more you sweated so you had to drink to not dehydrate. At least that one of our excuses.
Now I'd driven farm machinery while bucking hay so I figured I knew what I was doing. I didn't take into account how inebriated I was. After climbing up onto the seat of the forklift I located the key and starter button. She cranked over nicely as I pumped on the pedal. No ignition. I checked a couple more things and then began cranking once again. The noise was awesome as she fired up. Varoom, varoom!!! I had a grin on my face as I began grinding gears. I'm sure that no one in the adjacent barracks even knew what was happening. 
Falling off to sleep was not much of a problem that night. Uh, morning. Waking up later that morning with a vague memory of the night before was a little more difficult. As I swung me feet to the floor I noticed a "chit" lying on top of my jungle fatigues. A closer look alerted me to the fact that I had to be at Chief so and so's office at 8:30 AM. The sun was already baking the tin roof and it was 8:15. My first mission was "water". Cotton mouth had taken over my entire oral cavity. 
Finally I heard him bark, "Get in here Petty Officer Harris!" I staggered in trying not to appear hung over. He looked as gruff as his voice. "What the hell did you think you were doing last night sailor?" I said, "Truth?" He answered with, "You're damned right." I proceeded to tell him about the plan. The need for more beer after the club closed. Of course he did not understand my side or have any compassion. After giving me a few choice words he said, "Did you just come off the rivers?" I said, "Yes". He then said, "Get the hell out of my office and if I ever see your face in here again your ass will be in big trouble!" My legs almost buckled as I turned and walked for the screen door. 
Cycle4Vets
This next ride will take me through 10 states, 2 countries and 2547 miles across our country and will again be a self-funded tour. I will be leaving from Lake Forest, IL, heading north to the Upper Peninsula, then east through Canada, then into New York down to New York City at the Freedom Tower Memorial on 9/11/2021 for the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 then heading west through the rolling hills of Pennsylvania and finally finish in Chicago. This day holds many memories for me and our military members and this ride is dedicated to all that have served in our Military and for those that have given the ultimate sacrifice. I have to get everyone involved in getting our men and women "On the Move" again. I will have a tab on my website dedication to memories of 9/11.
Brennan Medals
Crandal enlisted in the Marines in 1959. After boot camp in San Diego, he was sent to Camp Pendleton for infantry training and then back to San Diego for communications school. 
The pilots were saved, but they were really shaken up. Many of the helicopters we got had been patched up in the field with duct tape. At this time, we were supposedly just 'advisors' in Vietnam; but people were being killed and these helicopters all had holes in them."
veterans gathered at Asheville Regional Airport, excited about the day's adventure made possible by Blue Ridge Honor Flight - a trip to visit the memorials of Washington, D.C.
"I said to myself, 'Wow, what's going on here?'" said Crandal. "It was so unexpected!"
"We noticed a large, noisy crowd as we came down the exit," he said. "We thought they were cheering, welcoming us home. Instead, they were screaming and jeering. We had no idea of the intensity and magnitude of the protests going on at that time. It was a confined area, so close that I was spit on several times. We were in shock. We thought, why are they angry? We're home, this is a time of rejoicing."
The vast majority of the book itself takes place as the two buddies spend a very long night in a Listening Post ('LP'), some 500 meters beyond the bunker line of the new fire base. 
About the Author
