The Scuttlebutt: Understanding Military Culture

WWII Veteran Yoshio Nakamura, 442nd Regimental Combat Team

“We had Japanese faces but American hearts.” 

So says our special guest Yoshio Nakamura, a Japanese-American born in California. Yoshio experienced first-hand the upheaval of World War II when Japanese-Americans were classified as enemy aliens. 

He endured internment at Tulare Racetrack and Gila River Camp, facing humiliation and loss of freedom. Despite the injustice, he demonstrated loyalty to the U.S. by joining the Army, serving in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Nakamura participated in key battles in Europe, contributing to the unit’s status as the most decorated in U.S. military history. 

After the war, he pursued education and became an art teacher. Despite hardships, Nakamura maintains a positive outlook on life.

Also joining us is Dr. Mitchell T. Maki is the President and CEO of the Go For Broke National Education Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy and lessons of the Nisei (a person born in the US whose parents were immigrants from Japan) World War II veterans. 

The mission of GO FOR BROKE is to educate and inspire character and equality through the virtue and valor of our World War II American veterans of Japanese ancestry.
Dr. Maki is also the lead author of the award-winning book, Achieving the Impossible Dream: How Japanese Americans Obtained Redress, a detailed case study of the 1988 Civil Liberties Act. 

Nearly fifty years after being incarcerated by their own government, Japanese American concentration camp survivors succeeded in obtaining redress for the personal humiliation, family dislocation, and economic ruin caused by their ordeal. 

An inspiring story of wrongs made right as well as a practical guide to getting legislation through Congress, Achieving the Impossible Dream documents the redress movement from its earliest roots during World War II, the formal introduction of the idea in the 1970s, the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, the judicial battles during the 1980s, and the lobbying of the legislative and executive branches in the 1980s and 1990s. 

In 2000, the book received the Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Award which is given to books addressing bigotry and human rights in North America.

Dr. Maki has held the positions of acting Provost and Vice president of Academic Affairs, Vice Provost of Student Academic Success, dean of the Colleges of Professional Studies and Health and Human Services (CSUDH), acting dean of the College of Health and Human Services at CSU Los Angeles and assistant professor in the Department of Social Welfare at UCLA. 

As acting Provost, Dr. Maki provided academic and strategic leadership for CSUDH’s five academic colleges which served over fifteen thousand students.

Go For Broke – https://goforbroke.org/

Achieving the Impossible Dream – https://bit.ly/3H36KIm
Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!

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Nurses in Vietnam and Other Subjects a part of Open Conversation on VBC Scuttlebutt

We have another fast-moving, free-for-all Open Conversation with the Veterans Breakfast Club.

This is National Nurses Week, in honor of Florence Nightengale's birthday on May 12, so we discuss military nursing and ask our nurses about their service. We also ask veterans who were treated--and perhaps lives were saved--by nurses in battle zones around the world. 
 
Nancy Smoyer asks what Vietnam War movies are the best and worthy of screening for a course on the war. We'll discuss the relative merits of Hamburger Hilll, Coming Home, We Were Soldiers, and The Ugly American. 

Vietnam Marine veteran Ron Farina wonders what movies and books fed his generation's ideas of war before they headed off to Southeast Asia to liberate the land from Communism.

Marilyn Pignataro from PALS Skyhope non-profit will tell us about her remarkable organization, which uses a network of planes and pilots to provide free medical and compassion flights for patients and veterans.

Nadia Rupniak's father was a hero. But she never knew his story until after he was gone. She'll talk about Marcin Rupniak's service in World War II, which included the Polish  War Order of Virtuti Militari. The award is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war.

U.S. Air Force Vietnam veteran Bob Connor gives us an update to his long work identifying and recovering Vietnamese and American remains from the Vietnam War. He has news about a probably identification and US POW MIA remains, including a witness who saw the burial of a POW who died after a forced march.

Bob works with the Vietnamese government and US Department of Defense Prisoner of War Accounting Agency to search for more than 1,200 US service members who are still missing from the Vietnam War.

Thank you to our sponsors Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life

Vietnam Veteran Chuck Theusch and the Library of Vietnam Project on The Scuttlebutt

Vietnam Veteran Chuck Theusch discusses his transformative journey from the battlegrounds of Vietnam to the peaceful mission of building libraries in Vietnam and Cambodia.

In 1969-70, Chuck served in the 4/3 Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division in Vietnam. Like many others, he experienced the harsh realities of combat, witnessing the devastation of war and its profound impact on both the land and its people. These experiences left an indelible mark on him.

After his military service concluded, Theusch returned to civilian life in Wisconsin. However, the memories of Vietnam continued to weigh heavily on him. In 1999, after a return trip to Vietnam, he founded the Children’s Library International.

Theusch recognized the power of education in shaping the future of nations recovering from conflict. He understood that libraries could serve as beacons of hope, offering access to knowledge and fostering a love for learning among children and communities. With this vision in mind, he set out to build libraries in Vietnam and Cambodia, countries deeply scarred by war but resilient in their pursuit of progress.

The task was daunting, fraught with logistical challenges and bureaucratic hurdles. Yet, Theusch remained undeterred and gradually turned his vision into reality, one library at a time.

The impact of Theusch’s work extended far beyond the mere construction of physical structures. Each library became a symbol of reconciliation, bridging divides and fostering understanding between former adversaries. By providing access to books and educational resources, these libraries empowered children and communities to break the cycle of poverty and ignorance.

In Vietnam, Theusch’s efforts were met with gratitude and appreciation from local communities. The libraries he built became cherished landmarks, offering a safe haven for children to explore the world of literature and expand their horizons. In Cambodia, a nation still grappling with the legacy of genocide, his work brought hope to marginalized communities, offering a pathway to a brighter future.

Theusch’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of service and compassion.

Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event.

VBC Open Conversation: Manchu Regiment & Drug Use in Vietnam

A large group of Veterans gathered to discuss their military service for a Veterans Breakfast Club Open Conversation. We talked about the 4/9 24th Infantry Division "Manchus," the experience of PTSD, and the use of buttons vs. brass zippers on Army fatigues. But the most robust, disturbing, and important aspect of the conversation was a discussion of drug use among US Servicemembers during the Vietnam War, especially 1970-1973. 

During the Vietnam War, drug use was much more prevalent than in previous wars. Soldiers consumed a variety of substances, including marijuana, psychedelics like LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin mushrooms, as well as hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin. The military also issued stimulants like amphetamines to enhance endurance during missions and sedatives to manage anxiety and prevent mental breakdowns, which were notably successful with a low rate of mental breakdowns compared to previous conflicts.

The ease of access to drugs, breakdown in morale, and influence of counterculture back home contributed to widespread drug use among troops. Marijuana was initially tolerated and easily obtained from local villages. However, media attention following reports like John Steinbeck IV's article led to crackdowns by the military, pushing many soldiers towards heroin, which became more available due to its odorless nature and influx from neighboring countries like Cambodia.

Most soldiers used drugs casually as a means of escape from the harsh realities of war rather than being addicted. Efforts to curb drug use included initiatives like "Operation Golden Flow," which required servicemen to undergo drug testing before returning home. Contrary to fears of widespread addiction post-service, rates of drug use and addiction among veterans returned to pre-war levels.

The role of drugs in the brutality witnessed in Vietnam remains debated. Overall, the Vietnam War reflected broader societal shifts in drug culture during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

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How to do Military Records Research

Beth Reuschel is a professional military records researcher who helps families discover their legacies of service. She conducts research for people and also coaches them to do their own detective work. Through her expertise and guidance, dozens of people have tracked down service records of veteran parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, as well as brothers and sisters.

Beth joins The Scuttlebutt to give us “Military Records Research 101” briefing. She’ll offer tips and tricks to guide family history seekers through their own research journeys. If you’ve ever been curious about your veteran ancestors or family members, you’ll want to join us to talk with Beth and ask questions about how to start or get past the obstacles in your way.

Beth’s own path to archives began with a search for her grandfather, Jack Perz, who died before Beth was born.

An airman in Europe, Jack spoke little of the war. He even threw away his uniform in 1945. It was a black hole in her family history.

By asking questions and digging into archives, she discovered a picture of his crew, his original Certificate of Discharge (DD-214), his ribbon bar, even his Individual Flight Record. She eventually traced him a B-24 tailgun position in the 766th squadron, the 461st Bomb Group, 15th Army Air Force in Italy.

Researching his unit both online and at the National Archives II, she was able to compile a complete list of every single combat mission he flew—all 36 of them– including the target, mission number, accuracy rating, and, for some, the number of the aircraft the crew flew that day.

With a little more work, Beth then discovered the Holy Grail for any military researcher: the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). The OMPF is the official administrative records of a service member’s military career. It tracks where they trained, what they qualified to do, where they went, how they performed, what trouble they got into, and most other highlights and lowlights along the way.

She requested Jack Perz’s OMPF through the National Archives website. She was prepared to be disappointed. Up to 80% of all Army OMPFs were destroyed in the NPRC 1973 fire.

It turned out, Beth’s grandfather’s records were scorched, to be sure, but not totally destroyed. She received 60 pages of his file. And the stories she learned about her grandfather’s service provided her relatives, including her grandmother, a source of pride and love for a long lost family member.

This first experience taught Beth her biggest lesson in military records research:

Don’t give up.

There will be obstacles and seeming dead-ends. They can seem insurmountable. But the paths to discovery are many, and there’s almost always a workaround.

Even brick walls can be climbed.

Join us to share your questions and our research story! And learn more about Beth’s work at reuschelresearch.com.

Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!

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What Traveling in Vietnam is Like Today

In November and December last year, 21 of us—including five veterans who had served in-country during the war—traveled to Vietnam, from Hanoi and Halong Bay in the North to Saigon and the Mekong Delta in the South. Vietnam is a beautiful and often bewildering place, ancient in history and now yoked to American culture and memory. The country presents to the traveler more than can be absorbed. Tonight, we’ll talk with those who traveled with us and gather their impressions of the country, the people, and what they’ve learned from the trip.

One of our travelers was Vietnam veteran Jerry Augustine who remembers almost every aspect of his harrowing service. Jerry captured his story in his memoir, Vietnam Beyond. Jerry served in 1966-1967 with B Company, 3rd Battalion,  21st Infantry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam. We’ll hear from Jerry what he thought of Vietnam and how it may have changed his view and understanding of his service.

Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus

Ray Mabus served as the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy, the longest to serve as leader of the Navy and Marine Corps since World War I. Secretary Mabus is a Navy veteran himself, having served two years in the Navy as a surface warfare officer from 1970 to 1972 aboard the cruiser USS Little Rock (CLG-4), achieving the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.

Ray Mabus has been Secretary of the US Navy, Governor, Ambassador and CEO.

As Secretary during President Obama’s Administration, he revolutionized the Navy and Marine Corps, opening all jobs to women, aggressively moving to alternative energy as a warfighting measure, building more than twice as many ships during his term than in the preceding eight years and developing the Gulf Coast Restoration Plan after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It was during his watch that Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden. Among many awards, he received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Social Responsibility Award and was chosen as one of the top fifty CEOs in America by GlassDoor, the only government person picked.

From 1988 to 1992, Mabus served as Governor of Mississippi, the youngest elected to that office in more than 150 years. Mississippi experienced record growth in jobs, education, tourism and exports.

Mabus was United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1994-1996. He was CEO of a public company from 2006-2007 leading it out of bankruptcy in less than a year while paying all creditors in full and saving equity.

Today, Mabus is on the board of two public companies, Hilton and Virgin Galactic, where he is Chair. In addition, he is a board member of InStride, a public benefit education company, the founder of Mabus Group, a consulting organization, and a board member or advisor to several other companies. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Explorers Club, and the Screen Actors Guild. He serves on the boards of the Environmental Defense Fund and Jose Andreas’ World Central Kitchen and the advisory board for the National Medal of Honor Museum.  He has thrown out the first pitch at all 30 major league ballparks. He has stood on both poles and, during his life, has traveled to more than 190 countries and territories.

Secretary Mabus is a native of Ackerman, Mississippi, and received a Bachelor’s Degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Mississippi, a Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University, and a Law Degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Mabus served in the Navy as an officer aboard the cruiser USS Little Rock.

Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!

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The Tragic Failure of the M-16 in Vietnam

Author and Vietnam veteran Bob Orkand discusses what he calls the “tragic failure” of the M16 rifle in Vietnam, a story captured in his book, Misfire.

The M16 rifle in the Vietnam War was marred by a series of critical problems that severely undermined its effectiveness and tarnished its reputation among soldiers. Initially introduced as a replacement for the M14, the M16 faced immediate challenges in the harsh and demanding conditions of the Vietnamese jungles.

One of the primary issues stemmed from insufficient training and maintenance procedures. Soldiers were often ill-prepared to properly care for the M16, with some even being misled into believing that the rifle was “self-cleaning.” Lack of cleaning supplies and instructions further compounded this problem, leading to increased vulnerability in combat situations.

The intricate components of the rifle required meticulous maintenance, a task many soldiers found themselves untrained for.

Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!

War Movie – The American Battle in Cinema

War Movie is a five-part documentary series that examines not only the history of war in American cinema but how this medium has shaped our country's perspective on conflict, foreign policy, race, masculinity, and national identity.

Cinematic depictions of military conflict have been common since the first crank of a shutter. From early films like The Birth of a Nation to recent entries The Hurt Locker and Dunkirk, the atrocities of war have never strayed far from the silver screen. Whether praised by critics or criticized by veterans who were there, war films play an integral part of our cultural understanding. War Movie looks at the history of these films and attempts to understand why we're compelled to experience and re-imagine our own violence on screen. Rather than a simple survey, War Movie examines our complex psychological relationship with the genre. By interviewing cinema studies scholars, creatives that bring these films to life and veteran perspectives, War Movie unpacks the over one-hundred-year history of military conflict on screen.

Join Shaun Hall, Documentarian Evan Mulgrave, and WAR MOVIE Director, Producer, Editor, Cinematographer, and Writer Steve Summers as we discuss his incredible series.

 

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28633748/

 

War Movie on Amazon Prime – https://bit.ly/3P59DNi

 

Purchase on Blu-ray - https://www.amazon.com/War-Movie-American-Battle-Blu-Ray/dp/B0CNKT9CVC

 

Thank you to our sponsors:

 

UPMC for Life: http://upmchealthplan.com/medicare

 

Tobacco Free Adagio Health: https://tobaccofree.adagiohealth.org/

 

To find out more information about the Veterans Breakfast Club and view our upcoming schedule of online and in-person events, visit our website at: http://www.veteransbreakfastclub.org/

 

#podcast #zoom #scuttlebutt #thescuttlebutt #humor #storytelling #headlines #news #oralhistory #militaryhistory #roundtable #navy #army #airforce #marinecorps #marines #military #coastguard #veteran #veterans #veteransbreakfastclub #vbc #nonprofit #501c3 #veterans #veteran #vet #militaryhistory #usarmy #army #vietnam #usnavy #navy #pilot #airforce #veteranowned #coastguard #aviators #militaryveterans #Iraq #vietnamveterans

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Dogs For Our Brave

Dogs for Our Brave’s mission is to provide professionally trained service dogs at no cost to veterans who have suffered debilitating injury or illness while in service to our country. Their goal is to use rescue dogs at every opportunity, thus saving two lives at once. In order to fully realize their mission without adding financial burden, they also provide a continuum of free support that covers all food, veterinary care, and pharmaceuticals for the life of the dog.

 

Bryan Pieschel has joined the DFOB Team as the first Director of Veteran Services. Bryan served as an active-duty US Army medic from 2004-2009. During his time in service, Bryan served as both a lead company medic and lead battalion medic attached to a mechanized engineer unit. His unit deployed to Iraq in October 2005 with the purpose of conducting and training Route Clearance missions (IED hunters). The battalion saw significant action in combat which led to multiple KIA’s and numerous significantly injured soldiers. Bryan was one of the injured, during a night mission in Sept 2006 his vehicle was struck by an EFP (explosively formed projectile) that threw him into the back of the vehicle rendering him unconscious for several minutes, which resulted in him being awarded a Purple Heart. Upon returning to the states in Nov 2006, Bryan began to experience significant symptoms of PTSD and despite receiving great care, the symptoms would ultimately lead to him being medically retired in 2009. Despite his Retirement from active duty, the mission to serve his brothers and sisters in arms remains.

 

After being medically retired from the Army, Bryan returned to St. Louis and began working with his other passion in life, coaching kids, and teenagers in the sport of volleyball.

 

Listen to the Scuttlebutt this week to hear Bryan’s story firsthand and how Dogs for Our Brave is serving veterans in need.

 

 

Dogs for Our Brave - https://www.dfob.org/about/our-story/

 

Bryan Pieschel - https://www.dfob.org/team/bryan-pieschel/

 

Thank you to our sponsors:

 

UPMC for Life: http://upmchealthplan.com/medicare

 

Tobacco Free Adagio Health: https://tobaccofree.adagiohealth.org/

 

To find out more information about the Veterans Breakfast Club and view our upcoming schedule of online and in-person events, visit our website at: http://www.veteransbreakfastclub.org/

 

#podcast #zoom #scuttlebutt #thescuttlebutt #humor #storytelling #headlines #news #oralhistory #militaryhistory #roundtable #navy #army #airforce #marinecorps #marines #military #coastguard #veteran #veterans #veteransbreakfastclub #vbc #nonprofit #501c3 #veterans #veteran #vet #militaryhistory #usarmy #army #vietnam #usnavy #navy #pilot #airforce #veteranowned #coastguard #aviators #militaryveterans #Iraq #vietnamveterans

#veteransstories #veteranshistory #veteranshistoryproject #veteranstravel #veteranstrips #veteranshistoricaltours #veteransoralhistory #militaryretirees #armyretirees #navyretirees #warstories #airforce #vietnamwar #veteraninterview