My name is Jim Smith. I was an Army reporter for Stars and Stripes, the Defense Department’s daily newspaper in Vietnam, from Jan. 1 to Aug. 1, 1972. I had worked part time and full time for four years as a sports reporter during college at Newsday, the Long Island newspaper. Newsday held a job for me and I returned there after I was discharged in 1973. I had enlisted in the Army in 1970 to avoid going to Vietnam…..
My girls love your book, When Daddy Comes Home! It was kind of funny but after me being so careful they found it and asked my friend who was visiting to read it to them. They did have some questions about how he got hurt, etc. But my friend was pretty savvy in how she answered my daughter. Keira said she loved the book because the daddy dances with his little girl just like her daddy dances with her. I…..
Staff Sergeant Leon Oppis flew in 35 bomber missions as a turret gunner during WWII. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Major Jimmie Stewart and rarely spoke of his wartime experiences. All of Leon’s brothers served and one was a POW. They miraculously survived to be reunited with their families. The first pictures shows: Top left is Leon Oppis Bottom left, Ben Oppis Bottom right, Fred Oppis (POW) Top right, Morris Oppis In the other picture their mother,…..
My grandfather was born in Alabama and my grandmother was born in Georgia. They married and moved to Florida around 1935. He bought a farm and lost it in 1962. I was raised in a very small place called 6 Mile Creek in Florida. We lived in a small 3-room house. At one point there were 14 of us living there. My father deserted us when I was very young. My uncle was in the Korean War so my aunt…..
My father’s name was Paul Francis Smith. He was in the Army Air Corp and was a Doolittle Raider. He flew out of Africa. Dad and his brother went in at the same time. His brother went to England and Dad trained in the states. The picture shows me with my father as a little girl. The third picture shows my daughter and son. My daughter’s son was on deployment when this picture was taken. During WWII, Dad flew 51…..
My name is Shaun Duffin. I am from Asheville, North Carolina. I served as a Specialist in the 7th United States Cavalry, Alpha Troop, as an M1 Abrams Tank Driver. My Grandfather William Aders was a Chaplain in the U.S. Air Force and Navy. He is a Korean War Veteran who acquired the rank Lt. Commander. My Great Grandfather, William Russell, was a POW survivor after two years of combat during the Civil War. He served with the 6th Alabama…..
There are so many things we all go through as Soldiers. You really don’t know how good Peace is, that is until you learn about other countries that have no peace, no freedom. In war you learn life is fragile but strong, how hard it is to keep the fighting, killing, saving, being in pain; physically and mentally locked in the steel-safe in the back of your brain. Soldiers become a two-sided person. It gets easy to laugh and tell…..
Dad was in the Navy just after WWII. I chose the Army in defiance of my Dad, plus the last year of the Draft my number was 1. My dad and I didn’t talk about his Navy time until after I got out of the Army in 1983. He worked two jobs and for most of my childhood, I saw him only at dinner and before he went to work in the morning. We did talk about him going to…..
I returned home from Nam with PTSD after serving 607 days in country. I have been told for years now that I resembled the actor, Ryan O’Neil. The resemblance is uncanny but then why did he make all the money and I went to Vietnam? Something ain’t right here. I was with the Marine Corps and was attached to Echo Company, 2nd Bn., 5th Marine Regiment First Marine Division in 1966-68. There was one incident while we were patrolling the…..
Forty Five years ago on the day before Easter, I took my new 8mm camera with me on an Air Mobile Combat Assault into the Song Ve Valley, Vietnam. At that time the Song Ve Valley was a very bad place because of the many VC and NVA in the area. We hated to go there. I started filming before the birds picked us up and didn’t stop until after we landed. I wasn’t able to see the results until…..
