The Scuttlebutt: Understanding Military Culture

My Father, Marine

Brian Ahearn is the son of a Vietnam Marine veteran and author of a memoir, His Story, My Story, Our Story, a heartrending tale that illuminates the stark realities of war, from the battlegrounds of Vietnam to the emotional frontlines at home.

Following a Marine veteran, the narrative intricately unravels his grapple with PTSD and the profound ripple effect it has on his family, particularly his son. Crafted from the personal wartime accounts of Brian Ahearn Sr. and juxtaposed with his son’s, Brian Ahearn Jr., candid reflections on growing up under the shadow of trauma, this story bridges two generations marked by war’s enduring scars.

The dual lens through which His Story, My Story, Our Story is told provides a first-hand account of war and its aftershock within a family setting. Through raw storytelling, it seeks to guide Marines in evading service-related pitfalls, fortify understanding between Marine families, and mend the delicate fabric of father-son relationships.

Addressing the often unspoken emotional challenges faced by military families, this profound and insightful work serves as a healing blueprint for those navigating the intricate dance of love, duty, trauma and legacy, standing as a beacon of hope and resilience.

We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!

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Army Helicopter Pilots Randy & Jackie Kluj

We welcome husband and wife duo, Randy and Jackie Kluj, who share their extraordinary journeys from Army helicopter cockpits to their work with  Creek and Timber Legacy nonprofit. The Klujs bring a unique perspective on service, resilience, and the healing power of nature.

Randy Kluj, a native of northern Maine, grew up with a profound love for the outdoors, spending his childhood hunting, fishing, and exploring the wilderness. His passion for aviation led him to Norwich University, and upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Army to pursue flight school. Randy’s military career saw him piloting the AH-64D Apache Longbow. Over a decade of service, Randy distinguished himself as an instructor pilot and completed multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Today, Randy continues to fly as a civilian medevac pilot in Western Pennsylvania, where he lives with Jackie.

Jackie Bechdel Kluj’s roots are firmly planted in western Pennsylvania. She enlisted in the Army Reserves through ROTC in 2001. By 2003, she had earned her commission as a 2LT and was on her way to flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Graduating with honors in 2005, Jackie specialized in flying the UH-60 Black Hawk. Her career highlights include serving as a platoon leader and battle captain during her deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, KFOR8 in Kosovo. Jackie’s leadership and innovative training exercises were recognized in the Army Times, showcasing her dedication and skill. She was honorably discharged in 2011, but her commitment to service never wavered.

In 2019, Randy and Jackie channeled their shared love for the outdoors and their dedication to helping others into founding Creek and Timber Legacy. This nonprofit organization aims to enrich the lives of veterans, first responders, and children with serious illnesses through immersive outdoor experiences. By partnering with various organizations and individuals, Creek and Timber Legacy provides hunting, firearm therapy, and outdoor learning opportunities, promoting emotional well-being and a renewed sense of energy.

We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!

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Veterans Open Conversation

VBC Scuttlebutt is a virtual watering hole where camaraderie and connection flow as freely as laughter and shared stories.

Join us to swap stories, good and bad, at home and overseas, old and new. At the VBC, veterans from every era and branch are drawn together by the warm glow of shared purpose.

The stories bridge the gap and the years with veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, late Cold War, Iraq and Afghanistan, and other eras and deployments. Non-veterans also join the circle, eager to understand, to listen, to learn.

They ask questions with genuine respect and a desire to honor the sacrifices made. This intergenerational dialogue, forged in the crucible of shared experience, builds bridges of empathy and understanding.

These stories aren’t just for veterans; they’re for everyone who wants to understand the lives of those who served. Whether you’re a veteran seeking camaraderie, a civilian wanting to learn, or simply someone who appreciates the value of service, the VBC welcomes you with open arms. Join us online – become part of their mission to honor stories, build bridges, and ensure that every day is Veterans Day.

Special Guests: Jon Molik from the Headlines and History Podcast and Clint Jordan from Mil-Estate Planning.

We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!

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Recovering WWII Normandy MIA Nathan Baskind and Memorial Day Conversation

We mark Memorial Day with the  PFC Lawrence Gordon Foundation's Jed Henry (https://www.pfclawrencegordonfoundati...) who, along with Operation Benjamin (https://www.operationbenjamin.org/nat..., recently recovered the remains of 1st Lt. Nathan Baskind, who was killed in Normandy near Utah Beach in 1944.

In June 1944, Baskind was assigned to Company C, 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion, as a platoon commander of four M-10 tank destroyers. According to historical war records, 1st Lt. Baskind and another man from his company were scouting ahead of their tank destroyers when enemy forces descended upon them in an ambush. The other soldier, heavily wounded, escaped the firefight and made his way back to the main U.S. force, believing Baskind was killed in the attack. Several attempts were made to retrieve Baskind’s body from the ambush point, but they could not locate his remains.

Following the end of the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) was tasked with investigating and recovering missing American personnel in Europe. Investigators discovered a death and burial report for 1st Lt. Baskind among the foreign records recovered from the Germans, evidently filed after the war on May 29, 1945, in Meiningen, Germany. The record revealed 1st Lt. Baskind was captured and later died at a hospital for German air force personnel near Cherbourg on June 23, 1944. German forces then buried him in the military cemetery in the city. In early 1948, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) sent the U.S. Army one of 1st Lt. Baskind’s identification tags. It is believed the German government likely submitted the tag to the ICRC, along with a death and burial report, following the war.

In November 1957, the Volksbund, the German War Grave Commission, contacted the U.S. Army regarding 1st Lt. Baskind. While disinterring a mass grave of what were believed to be 24 Germans buried in the Cherbourg cemetery, a Volksbund team discovered one of 1st Lt. Baskind’s identification tags and remnants of an American-type shirt with a first lieutenant rank and tank destroyer insignia. The remains in the mass grave were commingled, and the German team was unable to separate them into individual sets. The German investigators therefore placed the remains in seven burial pouches and then re-interred them in the Marigny German War Cemetery, 40 miles south of Cherbourg. Subsequent attempts to identify the remains of 1st Lt. Baskind by U.S. and German investigators were not successful.

In 2023, the Volksbund and other interested private research organizations exhumed the commingled remains from Marigny War Cemetery for analysis. By February 2024, these researchers contacted DPAA to inform the agency that 1st Lt. Baskind’s remains had been analyzed by a private U.S. laboratory and sought DPAA’s concurrence. To verify Baskind’s remains, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System reviewed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y chromosome DNA (Y-STR), and autosomal DNA (auSTR) analysis previously performed.

1st Lt. Baskind’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, along with the others still missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

We also talk with veterans about whom they remember on Memorial Day.

We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!

#memorialday #missinginaction #wwii #greatestgeneration  #happyhour #history #interview #veteran #veterans #veteransbreakfastclub #virtualevents #virtual #zoomevents #liveevents #webinar #militaryhistory #military #army #navy #marinecorps #marines  #coastguard #vbc #nonprofit #501c3  #vet #militaryhistory #usarmy #vietnam #usnavy #pilot #airforce #veteranowned #coastguard #aviators #militaryveterans #Iraq #vietnamveterans #veteransstories #veteranshistory #veteranshistoryproject #veteranstravel #veteranstrips #veteranshistoricaltours #veteransoralhistory #militaryretirees #armyretirees #navyretirees #warstories #airforce #vietnamwar #veteraninterview #greatestgeneration #wwii #ww2 #worldwarii #worldwar2 #war #americanhistory #oralhistory #veteraninterview

Infantry Culture in the Global War on Terror

Marine Stew Blackwell joins us to talk about his new book, Savages: Infantry Culture in the Global War on Terror. In his debut book, Blackwell explores the complex culture, complete with its own value system, of the American warrior serving during the Global War on Terror, known as “GWOT.” The GWOT began after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and includes the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that followed.

“My hope is to immerse the reader in a vastly different society that values hardship, suffering, and deep, life-altering personal development over comfort and self-preservation,” said Blackwell, who served in the Marine Corps for 9 years and deployed 6 times to Afghanistan, Yemen, Guantanamo Bay, and with multiple Marine Expeditionary Units. “Understanding infantry culture, and its values, is the key to establishing our legacy during the War on Terror as men who dared for more out of life. We sought challenge and adventure to gain critical knowledge of ourselves and became better because of it.”

“In his book, Savages: Infantry Culture in the Global War on Terror, ST pulls the curtain back to give readers an uncensored, no-holds-barred depiction of the life of a GWOT infantryman,” said Chris Schafer, CEO at Tactical 16 Publishing. “His story is one that is sure to change your way of thinking and understanding of true American warriors and why this unique culture is critical to our country’s survival.”

We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!

#militaryhistory #veteran #interview #veterans #vet #veteransbreakfastclub #vbc #virtualevents #virtual #zoom #zoomevents #liveevent #webinar #military #army #usarmy #navy #usnavy #marinecorps #marines #airforce #pilot #aviators #coastguard #nonprofit #501c3 #history  #militaryveterans #veteransstories #veteranshistory #veteraninterview #veteranshistoryproject #veteransoralhistory #veteranowned #militaryretirees #armyretirees #navyretirees #warstories #vietnam #vietnamwar #vietnamveterans #koreanwar #coldwar #greatestgeneration #wwii #ww2 #worldwarii #worldwar2 #war #americanhistory #oralhistory #podcast  #scuttlebutt #thescuttlebutt #humor #storytelling #headlines #news #roundtable #breakfast #generation911 #happyhour

 

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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