Paul Huber didn’t set out to become a combat veteran. He was a mechanical engineering student at Arizona State who took mandatory ROTC and figured it wouldn’t hurt to see what the Air Force had to offer. What followed was a 23-year career that took … Continue readingASK A VET EP 37: What They Don’t Tell You About Getting Shot Down Over Vietnam
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
In 1967, Tom Hall was just another college student when a letter from his local draft board changed everything. His student deferment had been canceled, and within weeks he was headed into the U.S. Army. Rather than serve on the ground, Tom joined the … Continue readingASK A VET EP 26: What They Didn’t Tell Me About Being a Dustoff Pilot in Vietnam
