I am continually amazed by the courage and spirit of members of our armed forces, past and present. On occasion, I will be featuring those who have earned our highest military award, the Medal of Honor, and their extraordinary acts of bravery. Danny Mitchell served in Vietnam with Delta Battery, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division [...]
Hump day, and time for Letters From War Wednesdays. This October 1965 note comes from trooper, Dennis Black, who served with 1st Platoon, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Air Cav Division in Vietnam. Black had just returned to the field at the time of this writing, having healed from shrapnel wounds. The letter [...]
Through my research in writing the story of Scotty Greiling, I’ve come across much convincing evidence that American POWs were left behind in Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War. Perhaps the most disturbing case is that of Major Henry Serex. Serex’s aircraft, “Bat 21,” was downed on April 2, 1972. Some twenty [...]
During the Greiling Dedication Ceremony, Scotty’s brother, Paul shared a few words on the “Scotty” many in the audience may not have known. “My sister, Gail, my niece, Karen, and I want to thank all of you for this wonderful tribute to Cmdr David Scott Greiling. To me, this tribute is really to all of [...]
Last month, members from Attack Squadron VA-82, gathered at the Hickory Aviation Museum in Hickory, North Carolina for a reunion. The event also served as a dedication ceremony in which the museum’s A-7 Corsair, Streetcar 313, actually flown on missions by the group in the Vietnam War, was inscribed with the name of a fallen [...]
On July 24, 1968, with over 30 strike missions and three Air Medals to his credit, Scotty Greiling once again soared into the night skies. He launched his A-7A as the flight leader of a two-plane team. Potential targets included activity along Route 22, a well-traveled feeder into the Ho Chi Minh Trail, North Vietnam’s [...]
Last month, Attack Squadron VA-82, the Marauders, held a reunion at the Hickory Aviation Museum in Hickory, North Carolina. The museum had recently acquired an A-7A Corsair II, the aircraft the group had flown in the Vietnam War. But after further review, it was determined that this particular A-7, Streetcar 313, was part of VA-82′s [...]
As the History Junkie readies to settle in for another Thanksgiving Day of overeating and a Lions loss, the combination brought to mind the relationship between sports stars, holidays and our troops. Over the years, our nation’s professional athletes have been very good about visiting our servicemen and women overseas, often in war zones, typically [...]
In this week of anniversaries, the History Junkie takes one more look back. A year to the day after the Battle at LZ X-ray, November 13, 1966, found Company A of the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, departing Hill 283 in the Central Highland jungle at 8:00 a.m. Some three hours later, they [...]
The History Junkie noticed that We Were Soldiers (Widescreen Edition) is again making a run through the movie channels. It reminded HJ that it’s that time of year again–the battle’s anniversary. The movie portrays the three-day engagement at LZ X-ray. But what it leaves out is the subsequent battle at LZ Albany. Forty-five years ago [...]