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Vietnam War

Pvt Harvey Keitel, U.S. Marine Corps (1956-1959)

Pvt Harvey Keitel, U.S. Marine Corps (1956-1959)

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Harvey Keitel is widely recognized as one of Hollywood’s most intense and versatile actors, known for his unforgettable performances in films like Taxi Driver, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. But before his rise to cinematic fame, Keitel served in the United States Marine Corps, an experience that would shape discipline throughout his life and career. Beyond his military service and acting, Keitel has dedicated himself to philanthropy, supporting veterans and aspiring artists alike. Harvey Keitel’s Early Life and Education Harvey Keitel was born on May 13, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish immigrant parents from Poland and Romania. Raised in a working-class family, Keitel grew up in Brighton Beach, where his parents owned and operated a small luncheonette. As a child, he was known for his rebellious streak, often getting into trouble at school. Despite this, he possessed a deep curiosity and an independent spirit. His teenage years were marked by a search for direction. Keitel...

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Service Reflections of MST2 David Brennan, U.S. Coast Guard (1971-2003)

Service Reflections of MST2 David Brennan, U.S. Coast Guard (1971-2003)

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My dad served for 27 years and retired from Jack C. Brennan RMC in 1974. Through his influence growing up and seeing him put on his uniform every Monday afternoon, I wanted to do that someday, too. When I was a senior in high school in 1971, I heard through my dad that the Coast Guard reserves had just opened up for enlistment. My brother, who had graduated in 1970, had a low draft number and was looking for the correct service to join. He went to the recruiter, took the test, and qualified to go to basic training in April. I went as well, still being a senior in high school, and took the exam as well. I failed the first time, but I later retook it and passed. I was to go to Alameda, CA, in May 1971.

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The Base Flagpole Truck

The Base Flagpole Truck

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There are a lot of military myths and urban legends out there, but few are more widespread or ridiculous than the legend of the base flagpole truck. No one knows who started it or why. It's just a legend that has been passed down from generation to generation of veterans. It transcends military branches and eras of wars, and it is as common to hear the myths of saltpeter in the Gatorade or "etherbunny."  The Base Flagpole Truck: What's Supposedly Inside The legend goes that the truck above every military installation's flagpole is actually hollow and contains three to five very specific items for very specific uses. The most common legend is that it has three items: a razor blade, a match, and a bullet. The razor blade, it's said, is used to strip the flag, the match is to burn the flag properly, and the bullet is to use in defense of yourself (or, in some versions, to use on yourself). In another version of the myth, the truck also contains grains of rice and a penny (or some...

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Fire in the Hole by Bob Parsons

Fire in the Hole by Bob Parsons

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Bob Parsons was a 0311, a Marine Corps Rifleman, with 1st Battalion 26th Marines in South Vietnam’s Quang Nam province. When he first arrived on Hill 190, where his company operated, it was all rice paddy as far as his eyes could see. He was told that his time in-country would change him. He may not have realized just how much he would change.

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Unlikely Warriors by Lonnie M. Long and Gary B. Blackburn

Unlikely Warriors by Lonnie M. Long and Gary B. Blackburn

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At the peak of the war, over 6,000 Army Security Agency (ASA) soldiers were assigned to every major U.S. Army unit operating in Vietnam. They were sworn to secrecy and, for the most part, never receiving any recognition for the magnificent job they did. That, however, changed over the last few years, allowing two ASA veteran authors, Lonnie Long and Gary Blackburn, to chart the years that ASA operated in Vietnam – occurring from 1961 to 1973.

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Service Reflections of HM2 Bill Sheehan, U.S. Marine Corps (1966-1970)

Service Reflections of HM2 Bill Sheehan, U.S. Marine Corps (1966-1970)

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Just a few days after graduating from high school, I left for college for the Summer Quarter at Ohio State. I wasn’t ready for college. I was only ranked 51 out of 99 in my high school class. I was in Pre-Med and took Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. I lasted three quarters and then flunked out. They called it Academic Dismissal. I knew I would be drafted since it was in 1966, and all healthy, able, non-students without wives and families were feeding the war machine in Vietnam.

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The Gunner and the Grunt: by Michael Kelley and Peter Burbank

The Gunner and the Grunt: by Michael Kelley and Peter Burbank

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“The Gunner and the Grunt” is a unique Vietnam War memoir because it’s actually two memoirs. Two men from Massachusetts join the Army to do very different jobs, train for those jobs, and both go to Vietnam to serve their country. The book is written in two distinct voices, both members of the same reconnaissance unit, the 1st Cavalry Division, providing two very different perspectives of the war. One flies an armed helicopter above, while the other pounds the ground through the jungles below.

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To Hear Silence by Ronald W. Hoffman

To Hear Silence by Ronald W. Hoffman

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Five years ago, the author returned to Vietnam on a battlefield tour with his wife, Nancy. In a conversation with the guide, Bill Stilwagen, he mentioned how his unit had accomplished a lot in its first 13 months in-country, yet when he looked on the internet, he couldn’t find anything. Stilwagen challenged him by saying, “Why don’t you write a book about it?” Hoffman took the challenge seriously.

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Bullets in My Bottom Drawer: The Lighter Side of Combat by John Montalbano

Bullets in My Bottom Drawer: The Lighter Side of Combat by John Montalbano

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For some, finding humor in war and combat might seem to make light of a very heavy situation. Some might even find it offensive. But those of us who have served in combat know that humor, even dark humor, is sometimes the only way to break the tension, ease the pain, and build the camaraderie that comes with fighting in a war.  John Montalbano, a retired Vietnam veteran who was drafted into the Army in 1967, would not only agree that humor is important, even in war, but he literally wrote a book about it. Montalbano would spend some thirty years after the war writing and rewriting the manuscript for his book, "Bullets in My Bottom Drawer: The Lighter Side of Combat," which he finally published to great fanfare in 2024.  Montalbano served in Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division and later during an extended tour of duty as a courier for the 93rd Military Police Battalion Headquarters. Today, he writes about his unit’s experiences in-country and has been featured in Vietnam...

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Service Reflections of EM3 Don R. Marino, U.S. Navy (1955-1959)

Service Reflections of EM3 Don R. Marino, U.S. Navy (1955-1959)

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I wanted to get the GI Bill before it was no longer available. I was sworn in on Jan 31, 1955, at 6 pm. GI Bill ended on Jan 31, 1955, at midnight. Went aboard the USS Piedmont AD17, a Destroyer Tender right out of Boot Camp. I had a choice of working in the Ice Machine Shop (too cold, I thought), Engine Room (too noisy and hot, I thought), Boiler Room (way too hot, I thought), or the Ships Company Electric Shop, perfect, I thought, and I was right. I loved the electric shop in junior high and High School. This put me on a path that helped me find and keep jobs all my life. I went through Boot Camp in San Diego. My Company 092 graduated with Brigade Honors. I spent 1 1/2 years aboard the USS Piedmont and did a 6months tour overseas. I spent 2 days in Hawaii on our way to Sasebo, Japan. After 2 months there, we sailed to Hong Kong for 2 weeks R&R. After Hong Kong, we returned to Sasebo for another month, then off to Subic Bay for a few months.

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Blind Descent: Surviving Alone and Blind on Mount Everest by Brian Dickinson

Blind Descent: Surviving Alone and Blind on Mount Everest by Brian Dickinson

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Brian Dickinson is a former U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer who specialized in combat search and rescue. His military experience is not the most difficult situation he's ever faced. For six years, he served as a rescue swimmer, but in his post-military career, he has climbed some of the most challenging mountains in the world, including Denali, Kilimanjaro, and even the Sentinel Range in Antarctica. In 2011, Dickinson climbed Mount Everest by himself, which was a difficult challenge in itself, but on his way down, he became snowblind and had to make his way down the world's highest and most dangerous peak solo and without eyesight. In a sojourn that should have taken three hours, he climbed hand-over-hand for seven hours. In that time he fell and lost his oxygen too. With what he calls a "determined faith and focus," he arrived safely back to the campsite and survived.  "Blind Descent: Surviving Alone and Blind on Mount Everest" is the story of his powerful and bold decision...

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