Veterans Radio

Agent Orange, the gift that keeps on giving!Operation Ranch Hand was the code name of the Air Force Agent Orange spraying missions in Vietnam. Aircrews assigned to spray the defolient used a sardonic motto: “Only you can prevent forests”. But there were four other agents sprayed depending on what foliage or crop was to be destroyed. Host Gary Lillie and former Ranch Hand crew member Jack McManus talk about his job and other things we never knew about the defolients used in Vietnam and the legacy left behind, not only for American G.I.s, but for the Vietnamese people as well.

Tear In The Desert with Father Ron Moses Camarda.Don’t miss this powerful story of Navy Chaplain Father Ron Moses Camarda and his tour of duty at the Surgical Hospital in Fallujah, Iraq, during late 2004. He shares firsthand experiences from the Battle of Fallujah, where he ministered to more than 1,500 casualties and 81 fallen service members, including 12 who died in front of him. His unwavering faith and compassion extended to everyone he encountered—friend or foe alike—making his story a true inspiration.Tune in as Father Ron joins host Dale Throneberry to share the unforgettable people and moments from his time serving in Iraq.

Left For DeadIt was almost 21:00 hours on 29 January 1968, the night before the “Tet Offensive,” when Wendell Skinner’s helicopter crashed in Cambodia attempting to extract a Special Forces Long Range Patrol Team that had come in contact with a large force of Viet Cong and NVA. The LZ was a burned-out area in the jungle that was covered with ashes. As the helicopter made its approach, the ashes flew up around the aircraft, blinding the pilot, and he made a hard landing, resulting in the pilot being thrown through the windshield, still strapped in his seat, almost tearing his arm off. The co-pilot and door gunner were thrown against the dashboard and suffered broken bones.Skinner was thrown under the Huey as it rolled over and started to burn. Thinking Skinner was dead, another Huey picked up the wounded crew and the SF Team and left the area, leaving Skinner. Major Earl Carson, CO of the 195th Assault Helicopter Company, was awakened shortly after midnight and told of the crash and the loss of Skinner. Carlson was outraged.”You don’t leave a soldier, dead or alive, behind.” He had never lost a man under his command. He gathered a crew together and went to find Skinner. “I was just doing what a commanding officer is supposed to do.” Hosted by Dale Throneberry.

Jonathan Myer / Forward Air ControllersJoin host Gary Lillie and guest Jonathon Myer, an O-1E “Bird Dog” pilot who flew low and slow over the jungles, spotting and marking targets, while dodging anti-aircraft fire.One FAC pilot, Captain Hilliard A. Wilbanks, USAF, a friend of our guest, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for what he did to save an ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) company from annihilation by an NVA (North Vietnamese Army) ambush. We will hear that story and others.“Pink Elephant Polka” tells the story of the day our guest spotted two pink elephants on a jungle trail. When he made his report he was warned of the dangers of the bottle. There really is an explanation for what he saw.

A Legacy of Two FathersJerry Yellin is an author and member of the Military Writers Society of America. Born in Newark, New Jersey on February 15, 1924, he graduated from high school in 1941 and enlisted in the Army Air Corps on his 18th birthday. After training at Luke Field, he became a fighter pilot in August 1943 and went on to serve in the Pacific Theater, including combat missions over Iwo Jima with the 78th Fighter Squadron. Yellin flew in the first land-based fighter mission over Japan on April 7, 1945, and also participated in the final mission of the war on August 14, 1945. For his service, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross with an Oak Leaf Cluster and the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and he was discharged as a Captain in December 1945.In Of War & Weddings: A Legacy of Two Fathers, Yellin shares not only his wartime experiences but also a moving story of reconciliation. The book follows two former military pilots—one Japanese and one American—who carry the scars and prejudices of war until the marriage of their children brings their families together. Through that bond, both fathers learn to confront the past, find peace, and let go of long-held hatred.This episode also features the announcement of the 2009 Military Writers Society of America award nominees. Join host Dale Throneberry, along with MWSOA President Joyce Faulkner, Founder Bill McDonald, and Chief Reviewer Rob Ballister, as they reveal this year’s nominees and announce the winners of the 2009 Founder’s Award and 2009 President’s Award, with full award results to be shared on the September 12th program.

The GI Bill, Then and Now.Formally known as the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944, it was far from an obvious, straightforward piece of legislation, but resulted from tense political maneuvering and complex negotiations. Unlikely coalitions emerged to shape and pass the bill, bringing together both New Deal Democrats and conservatives who had vehemently opposed Roosevelt’s social-welfare agenda. For the first time in American history, returning soldiers were not only supported, but enabled to pursue success—a revolution in America’s policy towards its veterans.Once enacted, the G.I. Bill had far-reaching consequences. By providing job training, unemployment compensation, housing loans, and tuition assistance, it allowed millions of Americans to fulfill long-held dreams of social mobility, reshaping the national landscape. The huge influx of veterans and federal money transformed the modern university and the surge in single home ownership vastly expanded America’s suburbs.”Anyone who has doubts about what government ‘can do’ should read this book. It provides a detailed example of the successes that were achieved when government ‘did.’”–The American ChronicleJoin host Dale Throneberry and author Glenn Altschuler as they talk about the history and importance of the original GI Bill and the new Post 9/11 GI Bill.Learn more about the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Medal of Honor Recipient Sammy L. DavisHost Gary Lillie interviews Medal of Honor recipient Sammy L. Davis, who shares the gripping story of his extraordinary heroism during a brutal Viet Cong attack on a remote fire support base in Vietnam. Under intense mortar fire and a ground assault that closed in within yards of friendly positions, Davis fought back with relentless courage—manning a machine gun, firing a burning howitzer repeatedly despite being knocked down and wounded, and refusing to give up as the battle raged around him. Even after sustaining painful injuries, he risked his life again by crossing a deep river to rescue wounded comrades and provide cover as he brought them to safety. Davis’ actions reflect the very highest traditions of military service and stand as a powerful example of bravery, sacrifice, and devotion to fellow soldiers.

Jon Voight—From Vietnam War Protester to Vietnam Veteran PromoterCongress has declared March 29 of each year as National Vietnam Veterans Day. This year it falls on a Monday, so actor Jon Voight is spearheading a national movement to recognize Vietnam Veterans in a nationwide celebration on March 28, 2010.Jon Voight won an Academy Award for portraying a paraplegic Vietnam Veteran in the film Coming Home (1978), a film portraying the best and worst of Vietnam Veterans; the worst being Hollywood’s stereotypical image of the Vietnam Veteran and the War itself. It has been said that Jon Voight believed in that stereotype. In a speech at the Vietnam Veterans of America convention in 2009, Voight expressed his regrets for those days and his admiration of those he now calls warriors.Join host Gary Lillie and guest Jon Voight to hear Voight’s call to action for a national party on March 29, 2010 —along with his reflections on the past and present.

Our guest today is Rick Briggs, Veterans Program DirectorJoin host Dale Throneberry and his guest, Rick Briggs, Veterans Program Director for the Brain Injury Association of Michigan, to learn about some of the challenges faced by individuals who have experienced Traumatic Brain Injuries and what is being done to help our returning veterans recover. We will also be talking with some survivors of TBI and hear their stories about how they are coping with this devastating and mostly “Invisible Wound”.

Bob Feller / Baseball Hall of Famer & WWII Navy VeteranJoin host Gary Lillie and guest Bob Feller, the only retired Navy Chief who is a member of a major sports Hall of Fame. Nicknamed “The Heater from Van Meter,” Bob Feller’s 1936 debut in the major leagues was explosive, when, as a 17-year old rookie he struck out eight St. Louis Cardinals in three innings. He struck out 15 St Louis Brown batters later that year and then 17 Philadelphia Athletics. Before he left his teens his 100-MPH fastball sent 18 Detroit Tigers back to the dugout.Feller lost 3 1/2 years in the prime of his career when, after the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he was the first major leaguer to enlist in the military. Still, by the time he retired in 1956 he had played 18 years, won 266 games, hurled 3 no-hitters, struck out 2,581 batters and earned a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Joseph Galloway (born November 13, 1941), is an American newspaper correspondent and columnist. Galloway is a native of Refugio, Texas.He is the former Military Affairs consultant for the Knight-Ridder chain of newspapers and was a columnist with McClatchy Newspapers. During the Vietnam War, Galloway worked as a reporter for UPI, beginning in early 1965. Thirty-five years later, he was decorated with the Bronze Star for helping to rescue wounded American soldiers under fire during the battle at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley.Joe Galloway retired as a weekly columnist for McClatchy Newspapers in January 2010, writing, “I have loved being a reporter; loved it when we got it right; understood it when we got it wrong…In the end, it all comes down to the people, both those you cover and those you work for, with or alongside during 50 years.Along with Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore, Galloway co-authored a detailed account of those experiences in the best-selling 1992 book, “We Were Soldiers Once… And Young.” A sequel was released in 2008: “We Are Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam.”

War is hell…that’s why we have the “DOC”.The grunts will tell you the “Docs” were the bravest men they ever knew, and this Saturday you will learn why. Join host Gary Lillie as he interviews Army Medic Ray Essenmacher and Navy Corpsman Rick Whitson; both of them combat ‘docs’ of the Vietnam War. Their stories will be graphic; and may wring out raw emotion. One thing is for sure; once you hear the stories they tell, you will thank every military person and veteran you meet for your freedom.Learn more about Army Medic Ray Essenmacher.

Why did warriors leave “home” to serve in the Vietnam War, but “came back” when their tour was over? Why didn’t they go “home?” Perhaps the main reason was the treatment they received from citizens who reviled our warriors, while praising those of other countries. What brought about that attitude? Did the protestors and our country hear the truth about our warriors? Join Gary Lillie as he hosts lively interviews on a very controversial subject. Did John Kerry receive funding from Jane Fonda to gather lies about our troops in Vietnam? The notarized statements he presented were entered into the Congressional Record. If they are lies, does that constitute perjury to congress? And just what is Jimmy Carter up to these days? Is he connected with Winter Soldier II? Why is his picture posted on one of their web sites?

These Scars Are Sacred, Part II. These Scars are Sacred was written to heal, and inform to give the American public some idea of what it was like to come home to a place where one was not wanted nor welcome. This story will take you from an extreme place of combat and fear, so realistic you will feel yourself there, to an ending that never finishes.Elliott Storm is a 100% combat-disabled veteran and a decorated Vietnam combat veteran who served with the 1st Marine Division. Since we last talked with Elliott, These Scars Are Sacred has been picked up by Borders and is being marketed around the World. Storm has lectured at Yale University, the Navy War College, and just about every Veterans organization in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Colonel Bud Day / American PatriotColonel Bud Day holds every combat medal available to military personnel, including the Medal of Honor. Shot down over North Vietnam, Col Day spent five and a half years as a POW of the North Vietnamese. During his incarceration, he was tortured daily for nearly the entire time. He carries the scars of that torture to this day.Learn more about the book detailing his military service, American Patriot.

Marine Lieutenant Colonel Jeffery Chessani has been charged with “Dereliction of Duty” and “Orders” violations in connection with the much politicized and often misreported tragic events surrounding a fierce battle between U. S. Marines and Iraqi terrorists on 19 November, 2005 in the town of Haditha, Al Anbar, Iraq—a place described as an “insurgent citadel.” The gist of the charges against Chessani is that he failed to properly investigate and brief higher commanders on the November 19 incident. The evidence, according to some, indicates otherwise. Our guest is Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.Learn more about President Richard Thompson.

According to the POW Network, “In a resurgence of patriotism following September 11, 2001, coupled with a heightened awareness and appreciation for our military, the wannabee heroes began to proliferate like never before.” Join Veterans Radio as we talk with the authors of the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 and learn about some of the most outrageous impostors. You won’t believe these stories!

Join Veterans Radio and author John Wukovits and Dan Holt, of the Eisenhower Museum, as we talk about one of the 20th century’s great heroes, Dwight D. Eisenhower, American general and 34th president of the United States.

Hosts Gary Lillie and Bob Gould welcome Vietnam Veterans of America’s PTSD National Committee chairman, Dr. Tom Berger and Marsha Four, who served as a nurse in Vietnam. They define and discuss PTSD, how it relates to substance abuse and what can be done about it. If you know a member of the military, a veteran or member of their families, let them know about this program. Most active duty military personnel and veterans try to “tough it out,” or even deny their stress trauma. This is a safe, first step to recognizing and hopefully discussing what they have experienced.