Dick Van Allen made up his mind at age seven. A B-24 Liberator roared over his street in Willard, Ohio, low enough that it looked like it might clip the trees,  and that was it. From that moment on, Dick had tunnel vision. He took … Continue readingASK A VET EPISODE 36: What They Don’t Tell You About Combat Search & Rescue in Vietnam

Patrick Dillon grew up in Hell’s Kitchen, the son of Irish immigrants who brought with them a warrior culture forged through generations of resistance, sacrifice, and survival. Raised in a hard-hat world of cops, firemen, and construction workers, and later transplanted to Long Island, Patrick … Continue readingASK A VET EP 34: What They Don’t Tell You About Being a Combat Medic in Vietnam

Paul Colliton was born in 1951 into a military family on Long Island. Named after his mother’s cousin, a B-24 bomber pilot shot down over the English Channel and never recovered, Paul grew up carrying a name that meant something heavy. By eighteen, he was … Continue readingASK A VET EP 33: What They Don’t Tell You About Being a Combat MP in 1971 Vietnam

Butch Underwood was only 17 years old when he left behind a childhood marked by poverty and tragedy to enlist in the U.S. Army. Growing up in Atlanta, he experienced the devastating loss of his father at a young age, an event that shaped his … Continue readingEP 31: What They Don’t Tell You About Being a Tank Driver in Vietnam

Vietnam Veteran Ernest never expected to end up in the war that would shape the rest of his life. In fact, he spent nearly two years trying to avoid the draft with the help of a family doctor who coached him on how to fail his … Continue readingASK A VET EP 30: What They Don’t Tell You About Being a Door Gunner in Vietnam

John Llewellyn’s story is a powerful reminder that history isn’t just made in headlines, it’s lived in the day-to-day experiences of ordinary people placed in extraordinary situations. At just 18 years old, growing up in Utah, John joined the Navy during the Korean War largely … Continue readingASK A VET EP 29: What They Don’t Tell You About Serving on a Navy Destroyer During the Korean War

Mike’s journey to Vietnam didn’t begin on a battlefield— it started in a turbulent childhood in Detroit, shaped by struggle and a deep family history of military service. Determined to carve his own path, he volunteered for the draft during a time when many were … Continue readingASK A VET EP 28: What They Don’t Tell You About Being a Pathfinder in Vietnam

When Diane Thornal volunteered to serve in Vietnam in 1969, she was just 22 years old and fresh out of college. Motivated by years of Red Cross involvement and a desire to support American troops, she joined the American Red Cross Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas … Continue readingEP 27: What It Was Really Like Being a Donut Dollie in Vietnam