If you’ve seen my new slideshow [https://cherrieswriter.com/2018/08/09/my-slide-show/] and you’ve created one of your own using personal photos that represent your tour of duty in Vietnam, and you don’t mind sharing it with readers of this website, then please contact me via email: john.podlaski@gmail.com. I’m creating a special page here to showcase the personal recollections of fellow Nam Warriors.

Should be noted that only YouTube videos will be accepted as WordPress doesn’t accept MP4 format.

All videos will be posted here on this page…newest entry will always be on top.  Enjoy!

Robin Lauer: served with A/3/22nd Inf assigned to the 25th ID as a grunt and then with 25th Aviation (Company B, Diamondheads) as a door gunner. I pushed up my draft in Oct 67, basic at Fort Jackson, SC, then Fort Polk and Tigerland for AIT, arrived in Nam 2/68 and went home (ETS) 4/69, I served in Alpha company, Oliver Stone was in B company, I was a replacement for those lost at FSB Burt, the battle at the end of the movie Platoon. My worst times were up on Nui Ba Dihn, the Bo Loi/Hobo woods and the Michelin. Life has been good since, raised a great family, been married almost 50 years. Sadly Agent Orange got me and I’m bouncing back, 100% disabled now.

Duke Barrett: I just completed a slide video of a somber look at the war in Vietnam The Jimmy Ruffin tune that accompanies this video is hauntingly fitting, which prompted my doing this. I took the liberty of using over 20 “Royalty-Free photos to help fit the narrative and I do apologize for that but I have a limited number of photos at hand that fit the story I’m trying to tell. In other words, this is all I could find.
I used a somber tone because there are an abundant number of rock themed chopper videos for consumption already out there. I enjoy those as well, but went with something different.

The soldiers at the beginning of this slide show were indeed KIA. Now, not everyone in this video was KIA, but many were and they happened to be friends of mine or I had contact with them.

The final few seconds of this have photos of three of my closest friends who have passed since those days.

 

John Schembra, author, was drafted into the Army in 1969, and spent a year in Vietnam as a Military Policeman with the 557th MP Co., 18th MP Brigade. After completing his military service, he joined the Pleasant Hill Police Department, retiring in 2001 as a Sergeant after 30 years of service. He can be reached through his website: http://www.jschembra.com/

Robin Bartlett:  Was an infantry platoon leader with A 1/5 Cav patrolling along the DMZ in 1968.  This is a short film inspired by the short story written by Robin Bartlett, and is based on the writer’s experience of walking “point” on the trail while patrolling during wartime in Vietnam.

Sgt. Dan Callnon joined the Army for two years and was assigned to Co D, 1/27th Wolfhounds, 25th Div (Cu Chi) from Sept ’70 to March ’71, then transferred up north when the 25th returned to Hawaii to Co C, 3/21st Gimlets, 196th Bde, 23rd Div (Da Nang) from March ’71 to Sept ’71 where he was promoted to squad leader.  Dan spent his remaining 4 months in the states with Co A, 1/504th, 82nd Airborne Div.  Dan is originally from Sacramento, California and is retired from the HDD construction industry. He enjoys playing music with the Keep On Truckin’ band, a tribute to the Woodstock Generation.  Dan gives an annual presentation to high school students in Reno once a year called, ‘A Day In The Life Of A Grunt’, for a US History class that his nephew teaches. He included both a video with his personal photos and another of a song he wrote about the Wall.

Thank you all for volunteering personal videos of your service in the Vietnam War. As a reminder, if you have a personal video that you want to have posted here, then contact me at: john.podlaski@gmail.com