My dad served in WWII and was stationed in Yakatac, Alaska for 5 years.

He was my hero and best friend. His last words to me were “We did it”, meaning he and I are vets. Glenn McCalman, my uncle and professional historian, lost a brother in WWII. I served in the US Army and was deployed to Vietnam. They initially drafted me, and then I went RA. I was on watch for three months w/220th CATKILLERS 1969 as an aerial observer and was a forward fire controller because of my FT Sill training. I called artillery fire, air strikes including B-52 Arc Strikes from Guam and worked closely with Cobra gunships stationed at Camp Eagle. Most of my flying was at night (mortar Watch) for location of rocket and mortar fire from NVA/VC in the mountains. After the heavy monsoon rains in October 1969, they discontinued the mortar watch, and from that point, I was Intel for S-2 at camp Eagle strong. I traveled all over surveying gun positions to the ground, so that call-for-fire was accurate.

I went to Iraq in the beginning of 2005 and stayed for three years at first as a private contractor and eventually went to Basra, Iraq with the State Department as contractor adviser. This was a good thing as far as the 3 years in Iraq: I saw the differences in the way things had changed and it gave me a whole new perspective. Were it not for war related injuries, I would still be in Basra, Iraq with the State Department. In 2008 in Basra, Iraq I saw more damage in 6 months than I saw in 1 year in Vietnam. Go Fast jets flew 24/7 for 6 months carrier based. Rockets and I mean rockets EVEY day foe 4 months until my Special Forces crew nailed them. I slept no more than 3-4 hrs night for 4 months.

Slowly over the years, I have learned that prayer is the best weapon. From the day I set foot in that country and until this very day: God first in all things. God brought me back from Iraq to pray for this country and The Veterans Administration in 2008. I have had decades to address the issue of Vietnam from heartfelt understanding, and it is with the Fear of God that I do this. As surely as the soldier walks, the men and women know the decision overtaking them in battle, leaving them no choice. That is WAR. That is what it is all about.

I can only pray that God’s anointing will flow to the soldiers and loved ones who suffer the imprisonment of that war.
~Byron McCalman, Vietnam & Iraq Veteran

We are grateful to Byron, for sharing his story with Comes A Soldier’s Whisper, where we remember our history and soldiers, one day at a time.

God Bless all who serve and keep us safe.

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