Geronimo-Vietnam Sit-Rep

Remembering Lt. Holton

2011-07-07T18:06:00.000-05:00

Last year I bought a 101st Airborne Division flag and an official Alpha Company guidon to display at the annual namvets reunion in Kokomo Indiana. Recently I got to thinking about how I could put those items to good use more than once a year. I don't really know how the idea came to me but I decided I would display the flag and guidon for twentyfour hours on the dates that Alpha Company vets gave thier all in Vietnam. In trying to keep with flag etiquette for this sort of thing I attached a black ribbon to the top of the pole. My personal tribute starts today, July 7th 2011 by honoring 1st. Lt. John Thomas Holton Jr. KIA July 7th 1968 in Thua Thien province.
After all these years Lt. Holton has become the focal point of a book written by Jean Neidert that was inspired by the journals, letters and poems of Phil Woodall who was Holton's RTO in the summer of '68. The book is titled "RESURGAM" - Standing On The Ground Of Remembrance. If you would like to learn more about the book please visit http://www.groundofremembrance.com/

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2011-03-15T21:32:00.003-05:00

Recently I got an email reminding me of a memorable event.

Dear Gary,

Your "geronimo-vietnam.com" domain name has been successfully renewed!
The new expiration date for this domain is now 3/17/2012.
As a reminder, you can review the status of your domain name
at any time by logging into DomainCentral.
We wish you continued success. If you have any questions or
concerns about your domain name or your hosting account,
please let us know:

Sincerely,

The BlueDomino Team
http://www.bluedomino.com/

For the record http://www.geronimo-vietnam.com/ was born on March 17th, 2001 and has now been on the internet non-stop for a full decade. As you see in the above email I intend to keep the streak going another year. A sincere thank you to everyone that has visited 'The Online Home Of Alpha Company".

Gary

Welcome to 2011

2011-01-30T17:36:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and wonderful winter weather in the south and east especially. I had the pleasure of being in Atlanta for the first 'white christmas' in 100 years and it made me homesick for Chicago.
To get things rolling for this year here is some info regarding the annual HCVVO Reunion in Kokomo Indiana. First I want to remind all members of HCVVO who are holding the five campsites we occupied last year that after FEB 1st you can send in your reservations to keep those same sites. Please include payment for at least three (3) nights of camping (thurs, fri, sat). Once those sites are secured we can start planning the party. Non members can apply for remaining campsites after June 1st.
I've uploaded a copy of the HCVVO January Newsletter which has current news as well as news on this years upcoming events. It is in windows document format and I assure you it is safe to download. Click Run or Save and when you open it I suggest using the view option of 'Web Layout'. http://geronimo-vietnam.com/1A/Survivor-2011-January.doc See you in September!

Merry Pennsylvania Christmas

2010-12-20T16:40:00.002-06:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

2010-12-17T16:05:00.000-06:00

Ed (Pookey) Dobranich

2010-12-13T11:35:00.002-06:00

Brothers of Co A

Just received this email about Ed (Pookey) Dobranich) from one of his friends (Tim McCullough). Will keep everyone updated on his condition.

Brothers Forever
Barry

Just to let you all know, Ed (Pookey to some of you), was taken to North Cypress Hospital yesterday via ambulance. We are not certain at this time as to what is wrong, but he was admitted into ICU for observation. When I got to his house, he was not lucid and seemed to be hallucinating somewhat. At the hospital he had a temp of 103 and was isolated for fear of some infectious disease. He also had a CT of his brain and it was noted that there was calcium build up in his arteries. So there is thought of possibly a stroke. However, at this point I don't have any more information.

Please keep him and his family in your prayers, but please don't try to visit yet as he is in ICU and his sister (Cheryl) and his mom are with him and visitation is limited to 2 people for 30 minutes. I will reply all with more answers…again the important thing is to pray for him and his family

Tim McCullough

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2010-11-25T15:16:00.000-06:00

Pumkin Pie

TO ALL VETERANS

2010-11-11T08:49:00.000-06:00

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

Today is your day. I hope you have an enjoyable one.

Gary

Co. A 2011 REUNION WEBSITE

2010-09-16T10:36:00.003-05:00

Brothers of Co. A

The Co. A Reunion Website is up and running. To check it out click on the link below and save it to you favorites for future use.
www.reunionproregistration.com/acompany.htm

Brothers Forever
Barry

CO. A 2011 REUNION

2010-09-12T19:51:00.001-05:00

Brothers of Co. A

For information on the 2011 Reunion being held in Branson, Missouri on June 9 -12, 2011
click on the link below.
http://www.geronimo-vietnam.com/2011REUNION.doc

Brothers Forever
Barry

LYNN 'Swede' JACOBSON

2010-08-18T21:02:00.000-05:00

I got an email from Lynn's daughter Julie the other night letting me know that Lynn is in a tough battle with cancer right now. She believes that some cards and letters from his Nam buddies as well as thoughts and prayers from all the brothers will help him win this battle. Lynn did a full tour with the 3rd platoon march 68-69.

His daughter is all he has right now so please let him know we're here for him too. You can be sure it will be appreciated. The mailing address is:

5726 North 34th Dr.

Phoenix, AZ. 85017

You can also email julie here: eplingj@comcast.net

Lynn is the tall blond dude in this pic from early 69.

Thanks, Joynt

The Kokomo Experience

2010-08-16T21:58:00.000-05:00

The 28th Annual HCVVO all services Vietnam Veterans Reunion in Kokomo, IN is the oldest and largest event of its kind in the US. I've been attending since 1992 and looking forward to another good time starting September 16th.
I've put together a photo album of some of those good times over the years and I hope you enjoy it. I also hope to see you in Kokomo sometime.
CLICK HERE

P.S. To learn more about this popular reunion Click Here

It's That Time Again

2010-05-30T00:26:00.007-05:00

When we all take a brief time out to reflect on the sacrifices so many have made to keep this country free and strong. I've never really felt comfortable with saying "Happy" Memorial Day though. I'm gonna be grilling and drinking some beers and enjoying the Indy 500 and stuff but somewhere along the line in the next 48 hours I'm gonna break down and cry. I know it's coming, I just don't know what will trigger it.
Earlier this week I visited the "We Remember" page and I noticed something that I never picked up on in the ten years that page has been on the internet. The bulk of all A 1/501 casualties happened during the months of January through August. In 1968 the last casualty of the year was Alan J. Meisheid on September 10th. Then there was an almost unbelievable stretch of eight months before Lloyd W. Jones was KIA on April 18, 1969. With the NVA, VC, booby traps, accidents and disease all around us that's quite remarkable. Lloyd's death was followed by two more on May 25th, two more on June 7th, another on June 9th and two more in August. Then none until January 1970. David L. Womble was the last KIA of 1970 on July 7th. Once again all was quiet until January 1971. Interesting how that played out.
Check it out here WE REMEMBER

I hope all of you have a safe and enjoyable holiday with family and friends. I'll be thinking about you.

later, Joynt

A Return To Vietnam

2010-04-18T14:19:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I got a CD in the mail from an old A 1/501 buddy Terry Huff. Terry was with the original A co when they arrived in Nam mid december 1967. I finally got around to editing the over 300 pics and have added Terry's album to the "In The AO" page at the website.
There is a bit of a twist here though as Terry took these photos in 2007. Terry is friends with a couple that live in Vietnam and he payed them a visit. They took him under thier wings and showed him a real good time.
I think we all have memories of Vietnam being a beautiful country but we just didn't have time to enjoy it much. A lot of Terry's pics will jog your memory. Here's a direct link to his album

Thanks Terry

HAPPY EASTER

2010-04-03T07:23:00.003-05:00

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL OF MY BROTHERS OF CO. A

BROTHERS FOREVER

BARRY

Sandy (Sandman) Berger

2010-02-12T16:58:00.003-06:00

Just received word that Sandy (Sandman) Berger is in the hospital. He had chest pains and was short of breath. The doctors put two stints in him and he is doing fine. He can't take calls right now but next week he can.

"Update" Tim (Yancy) Derringer

2010-01-10T13:59:00.002-06:00

On the afternoon of December 10, Tim fell in the bathroom and hit his head on the shower door stall (I think) resulting in a huge and deep cut along the line of his biopsy surgery 5 years ago, plus a cut on his lower lip and other small places. By the time I ran to the room, blood was already pooled around him. He was face down and stopped breathing three times before EMS arrived. I could lift his shoulder up, and he began breathing again the first two times. His heart had also stopped when they arrived. We had almost zero hope of survival. We learned in addition to the cuts, he had a mild heart attack, a stroke, and he developed pneumonia--unsure on the sequence of events, except the pneumonia, of course. However, when they removed the ventilator Friday afternoon, December 11, he continued to breathe on his own. On December 12 he was sitting up, talking and making jokes. He was moved out of intensive care December 16. On December 21 he was transferred to Jewish Hospital where he had two stents placed in his front artery and balloon angioplasty in a smaller artery in the back. He was transferred to HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Elizabethtown on December 23, as he was a prime candidate for stroke victim rehabilitation. Medical staff in all three hospitals refer to him as “the miracle man”. Our church calls him “our Christmas miracle”. A cardiologist, Dr. Prince, said he had only seen one other case like his; a nurse said Dr. Prince put in his notes, “Wow!” We returned home on January 5, and he began outpatient rehabilitation on January 8, primarily for continued improvement in memory and balance. After his first trip as an outpatient, he no longer requires occupational therapy. He will continue speech and physical therapy three times a week. So we have had our second miracle (the first almost six years ago following his brain tumor diagnosis)! Tim joked and said, "And that's enough."

We are so thankful and wish all of you a Happy New Year and God’s blessings.

Diana

Robert E. Tavitas (Buddha)

2010-01-03T13:47:00.003-06:00

Just a couple weeks ago (dec. 20th) I posted here that I had gotten contact info for "Buddha" from Harold "Smokey" Smith. I'm sorry to report that Bob Tavitas passed away December 29th 2009 after a long hard battle with cancer.

If you have any pics or stories about Buddha or just want to pass on your condolences you can email his wife Anna here: General60101@hotmail.com
You can also post something here in the blog if you like by clicking on "comments" below.

Once In A Blue Moon Again

2009-12-31T16:39:00.002-06:00

Tonight, New Years Eve will feature what is called a "Blue Moon". Generally known as a second full moon phase in a single month. The moon was full on December 3rd and it will be full again tonight december 31st. This phenomenum happens about every 2.7 years but this year is special as it happens on New Years Eve. By coincidence I posted about the last "blue moon" in may 2007. Click Here To See That Post

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2009-12-24T14:21:00.002-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF MY BROTHRS OF CO. A

BROTHERS FOREVER

BARRY

Wait! One more post and I'm out

2009-12-20T21:25:00.001-06:00

I got a call from Smokey friday letting me know Buddha was stepping up his fight with cancer. I've got contact info on Bob "Buddha" Tavitas if you want to get in touch with him. Thoughts and prayers going out to one of my brothers.

Here we are december 25th,1968 Merry Christmas

Time Out!

2009-12-18T19:31:00.000-06:00

That's what I'm calling starting tonight. I hope everyone enjoys a happy and safe holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Seeya in 2010,

Joynt

BROTHERS OF CO. A

2009-11-25T20:41:00.002-06:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

BROTHERS

FOREVER

BARRY

In The Summer Of 69...

2009-10-28T20:43:00.000-05:00

It seems everyone in the world has heard about the battle for Hamburger Hill during Operation Apache Snow in mid may of 69 but only a select few know of Death Valley and Operation Lamar Plain. One of those "had to be there" things the rest of the world wasn't being told about for some reason.
It was a strange coupling of 2nd bde infantry battalions, 1st/501st and 1st/502nd under opcon of 1st bde Headquarters. Along with aircav, ara, arty and all the pee of the gods the air force could bring we jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Redleg Roger Ables of 321 arty has been researching Op Lamar Plain for years. An example of his effort was in the sept-oct(09) issue of VVA Veteran Magazine. Check it out at this link Operation Lamar Plain

Geronimo-TV

2009-08-01T19:22:00.003-05:00

"The Ten Thousand Day War" is a thirteen part documentary covering three decades of conflict in Vietnam 1945-75. Part 1 is an over view of the series and can be viewed here: The Ten Thousand Day War
I'll try to upload a new part each week so check the <--sidebar for updates.

REUNION 2009

2009-07-18T13:32:00.003-05:00

REUNION 2009
CLAKSVILLE, TN

On June 4, 5, 6 2009 Co A 1/501st 67 to 72 Vietnam Veteran’s held their 2nd annual two year Reunion in Clarksville , Tn . I would like to thank the Reunion Committee (Jack Clarkin and his wife Alice, Larry Miller and his wife Betty, Floyd Abbott and his wife Jan) for a job well done in planning this Reunion and making it a great success. Also special thanks go out to Roger Queen and his wife Janice with help planning the Ft Campbell Tour.

The Reunion started out with registration Thursday morning June 4th with 34 Brothers registering during the day. There were a total of 64 (34 Brothers and 30 guests) that attended the Reunion. Thursday evening was spent in the hospitality room socializing, eating finger food, looking at pictures and watching CD picture slide shows. On Friday June 5th we took a bus to Ft Campbell and toured the Engagement Skills Trainer (shot laser weapons at simulated targets), toured the 101st Museum, and ate at the 101st Mess Hall with the troops. Friday evening was free time Saturday evening June 6th we had our banquet and meeting to plan our next reunion in 2011. The rest of the evening was spent socializing and saying our good byes.

It was decided to have the 2011 Reunion in Washington DC at the Wall. It’s going to take a lot of work and money to have the reunion in DC but with the help of all of you I feel through donations and fund raisers over the next 2 years we can keep the cost down so that everyone can afford to attend. I’ll be doing another Reunion Album to post on the Geronimo Site, so send me your pictures. We also had a “Touching Moment” at the reunion on Thursday and Saturday that you might want to check out, by clicking on the following “url”
http://www.geronimo-vietnam.com/1A/touching_moment.html

“Again” I would like to thank the Reunion Committee for a job well done and thank everyone that attended the reunion for coming. Hope to see you all at the 2011 Reunion.

Brothers Forever
Barry

2009 REUNION PICTURES

2009-07-18T13:18:00.007-05:00

Reunion(s) Update

2009-06-24T19:10:00.006-05:00

June was a busy month for Alpha vets. The first weekend of June my blog partner Barry Gregorich headed up a return trip to Fort Campbell Kentucky for his group of vets that served from late 1970 on up to the end in early 1972. Close to 40 attended and a good time was had by all once again. Congrats to Barry and his cohorts for a job well done. I expect to see some great pics showing up at the website soon so keep an eye out for them.

Just last weekend (June 20-22) Val Zappert's "Rat Pack" had another gathering in Texas. These vets mostly served from late 69 'til well into 70 during which Val was Alpha company's CO. Val is kind of new on the scene but after attending the Branson reunion in 06 he got fired up. He's been locating his fellow soldiers and organizing reunions about twice a year. Val is also behind the creation of a new Alpha company website. Ass Kicking Alpha be sure to check it out. A permanent link to the site has been added to the namvet links page.
It is really cool to see the enthusiasm that Barry and Val and all the vets involved have been displaying in recent years.

Something a bit older (I first attended in 94) is on tap August 14-20 and that's "Week Of The Eagles" at Fort Campbell. General John Cushman (ret) is calling for another 2nd Brigade reunion during the event. As Colonel "Jack" Cushman he commanded the brigade before and after thier arrival in Nam mid december '67. All members of the original brigade and those who joined the unit as replacements in '68 are strongly urged to attend. Since I fall into the replacement category this reunion is on my wish list. I've heard that a Division "Welcome Home" to Namvets is on the agenda and please take note that "Week Of The Eagles" is open to the public with an excellent airshow over the weekend. I will post hotel info separate.

I'd also like to mention the "Kokomo" reunion which is always the third weekend of September (this year 18-20). The oldest and largest all services namvet reunion in the country. This is a giant party that over 40,000 will attend. Live entertainment, food, drink and military vendors plus camping, grilling and drinking. Smoke'em if you got'em. Alpha company has five connecting 20'x40' camping lots on site as our basecamp. Come join us for some good times.

For 2nd bde schedule and Hotel info click on "COMMENTS" below vvvv.

Joynt

A New Project

2009-05-16T18:59:00.004-05:00

My blog partner Barry Gregorich has been collecting photos from all the different guys he's been in touch with since being reaquainted with his nam budies a few years ago. His goal is to get pics of Alpha company grunts from the beginning in Dec '67 until the end in Mar 72. He sent me a disk of about 200 pics so let's get this party started. The Grunts Of Alpha Company This photo project will be an open and ongoing affair with frequent updates assuming you people send in your pics. Pick out your best Nam mugshots and send them to Barry at barrygregorich@yahoo.com and be sure to include names of those in the pics or any other relevent info so Barry can add it to your pics. This project will be a permanent addition to the "In The AO" page so get yours in to Barry asap.

A New Book

2009-05-09T21:31:00.007-05:00

I want to inform "all" Alpha Company vets of a recently published book inspired by the letters, journals and poems of A 1/501 namvet Phil Woodall. Phil was a member of the original Alpha company that arrived in Vietnam in December 1967 and he extended his tour to July 16th, 1969. For those that never met Phil he was the easy going son of a preacher man and in Nam his nickname was "Memphis". Well, Phil had a way with words and he left his mark in many places before his untimely death in January 2007.

The book is titled "RESURGAM" which is Latin for "I shall rise again" and is subtitled "Standing on the Ground of Remembrance". This work is an interesting blend of both fact and fiction which has literally been twenty years in the making. In late fall of 1987 author Jean A. Niedert decided to pay a visit to the "Traveling Wall" Vietnam Veterans Memorial which was then in Charlotte North Carolina. Curious about an envelope laying up against the wall she took a closer look at the words written on it expecting to see a name but instead saw the words "Alpha Company".

I'm not going to spoil it for you but will say that Jean happened to stumble onto this blog while searching Alpha company images and wondered if I was the Joyner that Phil wrote about. My mind got blown bigtime at that point. A limited edition printing was done December 30th, 2008 and I was one of the lucky ones to get an advance copy. Jean recently told me she is doing an accounting as to how many from this first printing are left. She also said positive responses she's received have far exceeded her expectations and a second much larger printing is imminent.

One other point I'd like to mention is that "RESURGAM" is actually part one of a trilogy and Jean is hard at work on part two. One thing I think you can count on is Alpha company being prominent throughout the trilogy. Anyone that ever served in Alpha company from WWII to those currently serving in A-Stan are going to want this on thier bookshelf. Here's what you need to do to get yours. Go to this link: Ground Of Remembrance and click the link there to request a copy. If first print books are still available you'll get one asap (ask Jean to sign it for you) if not you'll be added to the waiting list for the second printing. I was one of the first at Jeans blog and she said she has drafts of more posts she intends to make. This will be an ongoing story so I'm suggesting that you A 1/501 vets sign in there and leave your mark to see what develops.

Last but not least: Over in the Geronimo TV link I've added Dear America, Letters Home From Nam This is an HBO special first aired on The History Channel in 1988. One of the letters featured in this film was written by Phil Woodall. About 53 minutes into the video comes a segment about Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination and Phil's letter follows. I apologize for the quality and audio miscues but it was the best copy I could find.

Later, Joynt

Geronimo-Vietnam TV

2009-04-18T20:26:00.007-05:00

Greetings fellow namvets. It looks like spring is finally coming to the Chicago area and in the spirit of renewal I've decided to try something different for the website. Over the past year I've downloaded numerous tv shows and movies relating to the vietnam war era. I recently purchased more webspace and bandwitdh usage from my server and will begin hosting these productions directly on the website.
First point of order is that these shows will be hosted as WMV(Windows Media Video)files. If Windows Media Player is your default player and you have a good hi-speed internet connection these shows will automatically start streaming and playing in just a few seconds of buffer time. This is important to remember because other players such as RealPlayer, Quicktime, etc will likely prompt you to download the file instead of just playing it. You can go into the advanced settings area of these other players and set them to accept .wmv streaming files if you prefer not to download. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with downloading and saving these files to your computer to play at your liesure if you want. If downloading be advised the files will be large (on average over 200mb) and may take a while depending on your internet connection.
One last thing. We all remember the politics of the day back then and my presenting these programs in no way reflects the political views of the geronimo-vietnam website in general or myself personally. This is strictly for entertainment purposes only.
The first presentation is a History Channel special regarding a photojournalist's adventures in nam from the early years until the downfall of Saigon.

The Unseen War

I will leave this first program up for a few weeks and I would appreciate any comments you have. Just click the comments link at the bottom of this post and tell me what you think.

Thanks, Joynt

Co A 1/501 Reunion Information

2009-03-03T18:31:00.001-06:00

Week Of The Eagles

2009-02-28T21:03:00.002-06:00

I'm going out on a limb here but from all reports it looks like this years 'Week Of The Eagles' at Ft. Campbell Kentucky will be held August 14th to the 20th? That's a bit odd because it starts on a friday but apparently there are many good reasons for this change from the norm.
So... the smart money says if you plan to attend get accomodations in Clarksville or Hopkinsville starting thursday the 13th thru sunday the 16th. Rumors have the Division Run on friday 14th and the Big Air Show on saturday the 15th. As yet none of this is written in stone so check back here for updates. Right now it's every man for himself but we will designate a local motel as A 1/501 hdqtrs once this info is more firm.

see ya there, Joynt

Kokomo Update

2009-02-21T19:00:00.003-06:00

I just received the latest newsletter of the HCVVO (Howard County Vietnam Veterans Org) host of the annual all services reunion in Kokomo Indiana. Along with the newsletter was a campsite request form and I'm starting early in pestering those of you that have been holding down a site in our basecamp in Veterans Park.
Go ahead and reserve your lot for 3-4 days regardless of what your current plans are. We lost one lot last year because of being late with a request. Lets just quickly secure our camping area and sort out the details later. September 18th to the 20th are the target dates. A minimum of two nights or more must be reserved.

lets do this, Joynt

December 25th, 1968

2008-12-24T19:20:00.014-06:00

I've decided to move this little Christmas story over to the Sit-Rep posting forum so y'all don't have to do so much scrolling through here.

CLICK HERE

Seasons Greetings

2008-12-22T19:57:00.002-06:00

Custom card created By Barry

Incoming!

2008-11-30T17:35:00.002-06:00

The best thing about having this web site on the net is the surprises that come my way.

Yesterday I got a call from Harold "Smokey" Smith and we had a nice talk. Smokey joined the 3rd platoon as a replacement on Dec 5th, 68 which unfortunately was not a very good day for a baptismal of fire. No one hurt on our side but 6 kia and 1 wia for the bad guys. The visual trauma alone was enough for a freak out but thank god we didn't have many of those days.

Smokey served in the third squad, third platoon until being wounded on June 9th, 69 during operation Lamar Plain. Smokey is new here so if you knew him and have any stories, pics whatever let's get him hooked up.

thnx, Joynt

Another surprise yesterday came in my email. A guy named Michael explained to me that he was named after Michael W. O'Leary, Alpha vet KIA on June 7th '69. His mother was a cousin or something like that.
This guy Michael is an active duty vet and would like to know more about his namesake. If you have any pics, stories etc regarding O'Leary please contact me.

later, Joynt

The Screaming Eagles are back!

2008-11-30T17:02:00.004-06:00

If you haven't already seen it on the news two brigades of the 101st Abn Div are now back home at Fort Campbell Kentucky. This is good news of course and maybe we will have a for real "Week Of The Eagles" celebration sometime this spring. I'm asking all of you to prepare for that possibility most likely in early june. Once we have the actual dates we will be pushing for a major A 1/501 namvets reunion at Fort Campbell with "WOTE" as the main attraction.

Check out parts 1 & 2 of President Bush's welcome home speech recently at Fort Campbell.

part 1, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqI-kljNsWg

part 2, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7edKruwhFXM&feature=related

Bush cracks me up sometimes LOL!!!

I got my fingers crossed as this could be the biggest gathering of Alpha 1/501 vets since Nam.

Stay tuned, Joynt

HAPPY THANKGIVING!!!

2008-11-27T13:00:00.003-06:00

Wishing everyone a great holiday weekend. Have fun and be safe.

from Sit-Rep bloggers Gary Joyner and Barry Gregorich

Reunion Reminder

2008-11-11T16:48:00.003-06:00

Reunion graphic provided by Barry Gregorich

Kokomo Update

2008-09-24T21:02:00.004-05:00

I've just about recouperated from a weekend of goodtimes so I'll share a few pics with you. I have been playing around with the Flashbacks Forums again and decided to host them there.
Just CLICK HERE

Joynt

Sarah Palin

2008-09-06T18:17:00.003-05:00

Forget about politics for the time being and just tell me how you can not like this gal.
Click to enlarge photo

Alpha vet Johnny Conroy in Alaska

2008-08-24T15:06:00.005-05:00

John recently had a chance to visit Alaska and took that opportunity to visit todays active duty A 1/501 Geronimo's at Ft. Richardson Alaska. Here is his short account of what took place along with a photo.

I arrived at Fort Richardson on 30 July and made it to the battalion at about 1000 hours. No one home. The whole battalion was out for a run "up the mountain" according to the exec for HHC. I looked at the surrounding mountains and was quite awed. I agreed to come back in an hour and went to the PX to browse.
I arrived at the Company A barracks at 1105 hours. I entered and asked the SP4 on Charge of Quarters to see the first sergeant. Not there. I asked for the CO, XO, or any officer. Not there. All Officers and senior NCO's in the battalion were off training or seminaring or something. So I asked the CQ to get me the senior NCO present. He did. Staff Sergeant Schenk arrived and took me into the CO's office. I told him I was there to present a flag, signed by 31 combat veterans of Company A in Nam, to the current company as a show of respect and support for all of their efforts. SSG Schenk asked me to write contact data on the Captain's eraser board. I wrote my email address, and Cpt Zapert's email address and his message to the C O. I did, while SGT Schenk went out in the hall and gave a few orders. He returned and I told him that Val Zapert wished to be the liason between the company and us old-timers in order to coordinate equipping the troops with anything they need and can't get through channels for their next deployment.
He then took me back outside the barracks where he stated, sounding disappointed, that he could only get about a platoon of men together. All 20 men available were formed into ranks, wondering what was up.
I was plannning on addressing the troops and telling them how much we honor them and their service, but SSG Schenk began by introducing me to the men and going into detail about how I was one of the guys who went before them and made the battalion what it was, etc, etc. I was very humbled.
When I addressed the formation I did tell them that we appreciate their service and sacrifices, and pointed out that, although the flag was a 101st flag and they belonged to the 25th Infantry Division now, only Company A combat vets of the Viet Nam War signed the flag, it was their martial heritage, and I was proud to present it to them. It was quite an emotional moment for me. SSG Schenk and I opened the flag up and held it up for them, and he addressed them again, telling them more of the same about guys from our era.
I spoke a few final words and the formation was dissolved. Every man who left formation spontaneously got into a line and shook my hand, thanking me for what I had done in Nam. I was shocked and unable to speak. When SP4 Velez (I hope the name is right) reached out to shake my hand he gave me the subdued plastic CIB he had removed from his uniform, and thanked me. What an honor! I am not going to part with that.
Anyway, a few of the guys had asked questions as we shook hands, or afterward. At least half a dozen asked me if I was in the A Shau. I couldn't believe they even knew of the place. I learned that when they arrive for duty in the battalion they are given a pretty thorough history lesson on the battalion's past. It is to instill pride in them, I suppose.
I went to the Colonel's office, inspected the gladius there, had my photo taken with the regimental flag of our day, and received a command challenge coin from the colonel's clerk.
Those guys just all treated me like gold. I tried constantly to turn the tables and thank them, but I think they knew that we appreciate them and they were more interested in me as a Geronimo soldier of old.
I decided to hit the road since I have been known to say the wrong thing and screw up a perfect time. In doing so, I left in good standing.
I could not make it back to watch the battalion parachute jump later in the week as invited, but will never forget the time I spent there.
I was really inpressed with these guys. They are always positive, professional, courteous, and respectful. Twenty of America's finest paratroopers, how could I not be overawed? The brigade will deploy (probably to Afghanistan) before year's end. Most of the men in the formation have at least one prior combat deployment because they are wearing (besides jump wings and CIB's) 25th ID patches and AIRBORNE tabs on their right shoulder (One guy wore a USMC patch on his right, but he had seen the light). SSG Schenk has been in the company for 9 years, and has no desire to transfer. That's what these guys think of their unit.
It wasn't such a short report after all, nor was the visit that will last a lifetime for me.
Click photo to enlarge.

Thanks John, a really classy move on your part.

Where's Barry?

2008-08-19T19:07:00.008-05:00

If there is anything going on related to Namvets anywhere near Barry Gregorich's home turf in Pennsylvania you can be sure to find him there. Last weekend "The Moving Wall" was nearby. Here's a few pics. (click to enlarge)

Barry and his lovely wife Jill strike a pose. That's a great T-shirt Barry!

Joynt

What's Going On Here?

2008-08-15T18:45:00.005-05:00

Well... for starters I decided to try a new color scheme. I was getting tired of the light blue/dark blue look and these old eyes of mine were finding it harder to read the text. So now we have a light tan background with a clean red, blue and black for text and links. I've already got some positive feedback (mainly about better readability) and have begun changing over pages at the website. It will take a while for the change-over to be completed but I hope you will all think it a change for the better.

***************************

About a year ago I thought it would be cool to put jukeboxes on the Flashbacks pages. I've been watching the stats for those pages and it seems I was wrong. While the Flashbacks pages are still popular they are getting nowhere near the hits that the database with the individual clickable/downloadable music links were stored. I think a big reason for this is that you can't download the songs from the jukebox to save on your own PC.

Ok, I learned my lesson and the database links are going back up and the jukeboxes are coming down. The database links were visited by over 60 counties around the world with hundreds of clicks per day so I'm gonna go with the majority on this call.

A little about the music: All music files at Flashbacks will be in Windows Media Audio format (.wma - streaming audio). When a link is clicked your default media player should open and begin streaming the file. Depending on your settings you may be prompted to download the file first. Make sure your default player is set to accept and play streaming audio files. If you would rather save the file to your PC for play later just "right click/save target as" and it's yours. All Flashbacks music files have been optimized for play on your personal computer and in thier current form will not play on standard home or auto CD players. However you can save and burn them to a disk that will play on any PC.

I going to start by loading up 25 songs in each year from 1965 to 1975 which will be quite a bit more songs than are currently in the Jukes. So that you can all get an idea how this will turn out I have already made the changes to the 1968 page at the website. http://geronimo-vietnam.com/1A/1968.html The rest will follow as soon as I can get them coded.

*****************************

Have you ever asked yourself "what's with the google ads here at the blog and around the website?" Well the answer is "I put them there." A little over a year ago I applied to be a member of the Google AdSense program. They checked the site out for about a week and it was accepted. The idea was to see if I could earn enough money to offset my web hosting fee which is about $10.25 a month. This is not a high volume website. It's primarily a site aimed at Vietnam veterans of a specific military unit and there ain't a whole lot of us out there. A nice thing about the AdSense program is that it creates ads based on the content of the pages they are on and that's why you see a lot of military oriented stuff advertised here.

The first day ads were displayed here was April 1st, 2007 almost exactly 16.5 months ago. Here are the actual stats for that time period as of today. Page impressions (how many times a page with ads was viewed) 31,082, how many times an ad was clicked 838, Total earnings $102.61 (about 20 cents a day - $6.22 a month) This is not a get rich quick scheme but it's putting a nice dent in my webhosting fees.

Please don't get me wrong on this. I'm in no way suggesting visitors here start randomly clicking on ads. Google is not stupid and will notice any radical changes. I do not want to be kicked out of this program so please be cool. My intent is just to make you aware of the fact that when an ad is clicked the Geronimo website will benefit. If an ad does catch your eye keep that in mind.

Now you know!

later, Joynt

2008-07-27T20:29:00.004-05:00

Co A Reunion "2009"

Brothers of Co A "Mark your Calendar" Just received word from the Co A 1/501 Vietnam 70 to 72 Reunion Committee that the date for the 2009 Reunion for all Brothers of Co A will be June 4, 5, 6, 2009 at the Quality Inn (former Holiday Inn) in Clarksville, Tn. More information about the 2009 Reunion will be forth coming in the near future.

submitted by Barry Gregorich

FYI

2008-07-19T11:35:00.003-05:00

I got this in an email yesterday.

House Honors "Screaming Eagles"

WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) ushered through
Congress today a resolution recognizing the 101st Airborne Division,
known as the Screaming Eagles, as one of the great divisions in American
military history.

"As our nation continues to face a dangerous and relentless enemy on the
ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is the service men and women of the
U.S. military who carry the heavy burden of war on their backs,"
Whitfield said. "The brave soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division are
among these service members who have never hesitated to answer their
nation's call to duty and it is my great privilege to honor them."

The House of Representatives passed H.R.1080, a resolution authored by
Whitfield to honor the extraordinary service and exceptional sacrifice
of the 101st Airborne Division and their families. Whitfield took to the
floor of the House today to praise the Screaming Eagles and seek passage
of his resolution.

The 101st Airborne Division, based out of Fort Campbell, is the only air
assault division in the world. Since activation on August 15, 1942, the
Screaming Eagles have been serving on the front lines of battle during
many of the nation's darkest hours. They have served the United States
in five wars, with 19 of its members being awarded the highest military
decoration offered by the United States government - the Medal of Honor.

Since Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom began, tens
of thousands of members of the 101st Airborne Division have been
deployed no less than three times, performing dangerous
counter-insurgency operations and working to secure liberty in nations
that once served as safe-havens for terrorists. Despite the strains
these tours have on soldiers and their loved ones, 65% of those who
reenlist request to remain at Fort Campbell with full knowledge of
pending deployments. The Congressman believes this is both a testament
to the deep sense of duty these soldiers have and their true love for
Fort Campbell.

Tragically, over 6,000 Screaming Eagles have made the ultimate sacrifice
and countless others have been injured in service to the nation. Nearly
200 members of the 101st Division have lost their lives fighting the
Global War on Terrorism.

"Far too many soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division have made the
ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom," Whitfield said.
"While we owe these soldiers a debt we can never fully repay, it is our duty to honor them."

Whitfield's resolution garnered 56 co-sponsors, including the entire
Kentucky and Tennessee Congressional Delegations.

***********************

While double checking the correct spelling for Thua Thien Province in Vietnam I found this nugget of info at wikipedia - Prior to 1975, the province was known simply as Thua Thien.
The province is known as an area of heavy fighting during the Vietnam War. More U.S. soldiers died in this province than in any other province in Vietnam (2,893). It can be compared to Baghdad Province or Anbar Province in the Iraq War.

I must admit that blew my mind. Over 6,000 Screaming Eagles have died in five different conflicts starting with WWII and obviously a large percentage of them died in Thua Thien province. We all know it was a tough AO but I personally had no clue that historically speaking it was that bad.

***********************

Today July 19th, 2008 marks another milestone for me. On this date in 1968 I landed at Bien Hoa airport in South Vietnam. Exactly one year later I x'd out my short timer calendar and landed at SEA-TAC airport in Washington state. Hmmm... certainly doesn't seem that long ago.

Joynt

Heads Up!

2008-07-17T17:39:00.002-05:00

Those of you planning on camping at the annual vets reunion in Kokomo, IN this september 18-21 need to pay for your campsite by August 1st to confirm your reservation. If you haven't paid yet this coming week would be a good time to do so. We have a pretty nice basecamp at Kokomo and I'd hate to see us lose any of that ground.

I'm trying something new on the left side under my profile. It's a "Poll" feature where members of the fire team here will be asking questions. Stuff like "what time of year is best for a reunion?"
a] winter
b] spring
c] summer
d] fall

You don't have to register or anything just cast your vote.

The Poll will always be at the upper left of the page so give a look once in a while - thnx

2008-07-12T14:44:00.003-05:00

Co A Veteran "In The News"
Geronimo "Webmaster"
Gary Joyner (Joynt)

All Brothers Of Co A

Want to

Wish You

Happy Birthday

submitted by Barry Gregorich

Co A Veteran "In The News"

2008-07-05T09:43:00.006-05:00

Ernest Mathews (Tex)
Texas City, Texas

Co A Veteran "Ernest Mathews" was asked by Texas City, Texas mayor Matt Doyle to be Parade Marshall for this years Fourth of July parade. Ernest served with Co A in 70 and 71 with the 3rd and 4th plts. If you would like to congratulate Ernest for this honor you can email him here

submitted by Barry Gregorich

The Wall That Heals

2008-07-01T21:57:00.006-05:00

The Wall That Heals
Altoona, Pennsylvania

The Wall That Heals is an exact replica of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, DC, only smaller. A few years ago, the traveling version of the wall came to central Pennsylvania. So many people came to visit the wall that local organizations decided to raise enough money so that it could become a permanent attraction in the Altoona area.

On June 30, 2008 my wife and I visited "The Wall That Heals" in Altoona and we would like to share a few pictures with all of you.

Brothers Forever
Barry & Jill

Where's Joynt?

2008-06-29T17:52:00.003-05:00

Happy to say I'm alive and kicking but occassionally the demands of my job make it seem like all I do is work, eat and sleep and it can go on for months at a time. When you add in the daily demands of owning a home, family and friends there just isn't much time left over for the computer.
A couple of those friends have offered to give me a hand when times are tough. Barry Gregorich and Ted Koepke now have the keys to this blog so don't be surprised if you see a post here by either of them in the future. They are both hard working guys as well but I think between the three of us the blog will be more up to date and interesting. For example those "of the week" links I have on the left side of the page may actually change every week. :)

Summer is here and people are out doing thier thing so website-wise there is not alot to report on right now. The 2nd Brigade's 40th Anniversary party at Ft Campbell, KY June 12-14 went off without a hitch but I don't have any details as I wasn't able to make it there. Jon Quick sent me a few photos so I do know that at least a half-dozen Vets of the original A 1/501 to arrive in Nam Dec.67 were on hand.
The 14th annual reunion/convention of the 101st Airborne Division Vietnam Veterans Org took place at Ft Campbell this weekend June 26-28. Too early to get any news on this yet but I'm assuming all went well.
Thanks to Barry and Ted for volunteering to pull slack for me and I wish you all a happy and safe 4th of July weekend.

God bless our troops in harms way right now.

Later, Joynt

I Was There Last Night

2008-04-08T22:33:00.002-05:00

I got this in my email from my buddy Dave Reinheimer B 2/501 the other night. It's been around before so maybe you've seen it but it's worth another read. If you haven't read it before this guy is right on the mark.

I Was There Last Night
By Robert Clark

A couple of years ago someone asked me if I still thought about
Vietnam. I nearly laughed in their face. How do you stop thinking
about it? Every day for the last (now nearly 40) years, I wake up with
it, and go to bed with it. But this is what I said. "Yea, I think
about it. I can't quit thinking about it. I never will. But, I've also
learned to live with it. I'm comfortable with the memories. I've
learned to stop trying to forget and learned instead to embrace it. It
just doesn't scare me anymore." A psychologist once told me that NOT
being affected by the experience over there would be abnormal. When he
told me that, it was like he'd just given me a pardon. It was as if he
said, "Go ahead and feel something about the place, Bob. It ain't
going nowhere. You're gonna wear it for the rest of your life. Might
as well get to know it."

A lot of my "brothers" haven't been so lucky. For them the memories
are too painful, their sense of loss too great. My sister told me of a
friend she has whose husband was in the Nam. She asks this guy when he
was there. Here's what he said, "Just last night." It took my sister a
while to figure out what he was talking about. JUST LAST NIGHT. Yeah I
was in the Nam. When? JUST LAST NIGHT. During sex with my wife. And on
my way to work this morning. Over my lunch hour. Yeah, I was there.

My sister says I'm not the same brother that went to Vietnam. My wife
says I won't let people get close to me, not even her. They are
probably both right.

Ask a vet about making friends in Nam. It was risky. Why? Because we
were in the business of death, and death was with us all the time. It
wasn't the death of, "If I die before I wake." This was the real
thing. The kind where boys scream for their mothers. The kind that
lingers in your mind and becomes more real each time you cheat it. You
don't want to make a lot of friends when the possibility of dying is
that real, that close. When you do,they're a liability.

A guy named Bob Flanigan was my friend. Bob Flanigan is dead. I put
him in a body bag one sunny day, April 29, 1969. We'd been talking,
only a few minutes before he was shot, about what we were going to do
when we got back in the world. Now, this was a guy who had come in
country the same time as myself. A guy who was loveable and generous.
He had blue eyes and sandy blond hair. When he talked, it was with a
soft drawl. Flanigan was a hick and he knew it. That was part of his
charm. He didn't care. Man, I loved this guy like the brother I never
had. But, I screwed up. I got too close to him. Maybe I didn't know
any better. But I broke one of the unwritten rules of war.

DON'T GET CLOSE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO DIE. Sometimes you can't
help it. You hear vets use the term "buddy" when they refer to a guy
they spent the war with. "Me and this buddy a mine . "

In war you learn to keep people at that distance my wife talks about.
You become so good at it, that twenty years after the war, you still
do it without thinking. You won't allow yourself to be vulnerable
again. My wife knows two people who can get into the soft spots inside
me. My daughters. I know it probably bothers her that they can do
this. It's not that I don't love my wife, I do. She's put up with a
lot from me. She'll tell you that when she signed on for better or
worse she had no idea there was going to be so much of the latter. But
with my daughters it's different.

My girls are mine. They'll always be my kids. Not marriage, not
distance, not even death can change that. They are something on this
earth that can never be taken away from me. I belong to them. Nothing
can change that. I can have an ex-wife; but my girls can never have an
ex-father. There's the difference.

I can still see the faces, though they all seem to have the same eyes.
When I think of us I always see a line of "dirty grunts" sitting on a
paddy dike. We're caught in the first gray silver between darkness and
light. That first moment when we know we've survived another night,
and the business of staying alive for one more day is about to begin.
There was so much hope in that brief space of time. It's what we used
to pray for. "One more day, God. One more day."And I can hear our
conversations as if they'd only just been spoken. I still hear the way
we sounded, the hard cynical jokes, our morbid senses of humor. We
were scared to death of dying, and trying our best not to show it. I
recall the smells, too. Like the way cordite hangs on the air after a
fire-fight. Or the pungent odor of rice paddy mud. So different from
the black dirt of Iowa. The mud of Nam smells ancient, somehow. Like
it's always been there. And I'll never forget the way blood smells,
stick and drying on my hands. I spent a long night that way once. That
memory isn't going anywhere.

I remember how the night jungle appears almost dream like as the pilot
of a Cessna buzzes overhead, dropping parachute flares until morning.
That artificial sun would flicker and make shadows run through the
jungle. It was worse than not being able to see what was out there
sometimes. I remember once looking at the man next to me as a flare
floated overhead. The shadows around his eyes were so deep that it
looked like his eyes were gone. I reached over and touched him on the
arm; without looking at me he touched my hand. "I know man. I know."
That's what he said. It was a human moment. Two guys a long way from
home and scared sh"tless. "I know man." And at that moment he did.

God I loved those guys. I hurt every time one of them died. We all
did. Despite our posturing. Despite our desire to stay disconnected,
we couldn't help ourselves. I know why Tim O'Brien writes his stories.
I know what gives Bruce Weigle the words to create poems so honest I
cry at their horrible beauty. It's love. Love for those guys we shared
the experience with.

We did our jobs like good soldiers, and we tried our best not to
become as hard as our surroundings. We touched each other and said, "I
know." Like a mother holding a child in the middle of a nightmare,
"It's going to be all right." We tried not to lose touch with our
humanity. We tried to walk that line. To be the good boys our parents
had raised and not to give into that unnamed thing we knew was inside
us all.

You want to know what frightening is? It's a nineteen-year-old-boy
who's had a sip of that power over life and death that war gives you.
It's a boy who, despite all the things he's been taught, knows that he
likes it. It's a nineteen-year-old who's just lost a friend, and is
angry and scared and, determined that, "Some *@#*s gonna pay." To this
day, the thought of that boy can wake me from a sound sleep and leave
me staring at the ceiling. As I write this, I have a picture in from
of me. It's of two young men. On their laps are tablets. One is
smoking a cigarette. Both stare without expression at the camera.
They're writing letters. Staying in touch with places they would
rather be. Places and people they hope to see again. The picture
shares space in a frame with one of my wife. She doesn't mind. She
knows she's been included in special company. She knows I'll always
love those guys who shared that part of my life, a part she never can.
And she understands how I feel about the ones I know are out there
yet. The ones who still answer the question, "When were you in
Vietnam?"

"Hey, man. I was there just last night."

Catching Up

2008-04-08T20:13:00.008-05:00

CAMPING AT KOKOMO

Just a heads up for those planning to camp during the 26th annual all services Vietnam Veterans reunion in Kokomo Indiana this September 18-21. Members of HCVVO (Howard County Vietnam Veterans Org) should have already received camping reservation forms and can mail them in prior to August 1st along with your payment of $10 per night with a 2 night minimum. Lots not paid for by August 1st will be released to the general public. As usual I will be pestering the other six members holding our seven lot basecamp to "gitter done" ASAP. We have a good location so lets not lose it.
As of June 1st non-members/general public can make camping resevations and those must also be paid for by August 1st. HCVVO has purchased 10 acres of adjoining land the past few years so there is no waiting list for camping lots. Anyone wanting to camp can be accomodated so bring some friends. To make reservations go to the HCVVO website "Events" page by clicking the camping link. CAMPING
This HCVVO reunion in September is the oldest and largest event of this kind in the country. Join 40,000 plus people for a weekend of good times September 18-21.

Seeya there, Joynt

________________________________________________

2nd BRIGADE REUNION

I apologize for being slow in getting this info out but in the early going there was some confusion about the actual dates of this event. In February I got an email from Al Golden stating the correct info for the 40th anniversary remembrance of the 2nd Brigades first full year in Vietnam. I would like to stress that while this focuses on 1968 ALL 2nd Brigade Namvets are welcome and encouraged to come as there are many more anniversaries yet to come. Alpha company will have a good turnout as usual and hope to see you there. Here's a basic itinerary and all the contact info you'll need.

40th ANNIVERSARY - 2d Brigade Reunion, June 12-15, 2008!!

Troopers of the 2d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, 1967-68

(1/501 Inf, 2/501 Inf, 1/502 Inf, and Bde HHC)

Although the 101st Abn Div (Air Assault) will be in Afghanistan and Iraq,

we are organizing a (40 years later) reunion of our Vietnam 2d Brigade,

on 12-15 June, 2008.

Contact Jim Hallums; 931-572-9527; hallumsfarm@charter.net. Let him

know you are coming, and if you will be at the bar-b-q or the bde dinner.

Schedule

Thursday, 12 June

1100-1600 Registration at the hotel; 1500-2300 Hospitality room open

Friday, 13 June

0900-1500 Visit Ft Campbell; lunch, barracks, activities as the Post can provide.

1500-1800 Hospitality room open;1800-2100 Bar-be-que.

Saturday, 14 June

0900-1600 Activities as desired (golfing, tour of Nashville, local trips as desired)

1200-1600 Hospitality room open;1800-2100 Reunion dinner.

2100-0100 Hospitality room reopen.

Sunday, 15 June

0900-1200 Reunion guests depart.

Register at Reunion Hqs, Holiday Inn Express, 4 mi N of Fort Campbell on

Hwy 41A. Phone 270-439-0022; ask for special 2d Bde rate. Best wishes,

Or REPLY TO: JOHN H. CUSHMAN, Cdr 2d Bde/101st, '67-‘68

6200 Oregon Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20015; 202-541-0435; JackCushSr@aol.com

___________________________________________________

ALPHA COMPANY VIETNAM SERVICE LIST

If you haven't been to that page of the website lately check it out.

Thanks to contributions from John Burris, Val Zappert and Barry Gregorich that page has jumped from a little over 500 names to 661. A few new names have been added to the "We Remember" page as well. Special thanks to those three guys and all of you that contribute to our A 1/501 website.
That was a lot of typing for me so I probably made a boo-boo somewhere. If you see a mistake of any kind anywhere on the website or have a suggestion please let me know. Every little bit helps to keep our website worth a visit.

TIA, Joynt

Rooster

2008-02-15T23:00:00.007-06:00

Listening to the radio on my way to work today I heard the DJ say something about Vietnam and the 101st when introducing the next cut he was playing. The song was "Rooster" by Alice in Chains. I'm sure many of you have heard it before but maybe you haven't heard the story behind it. The title comes from guitarist/songwriter Jerry Cantrell's father. "Rooster" was his nickname in Vietnam, where he fought in the war. The song is about some of his feelings and experiences, told from his perspective. Jerry's father was in the 101st and toted an M-60 and he appears in the songs video which I found on good ol' YouTube and it's worth a looksee. Rooster
Here's a website that has some interesting comments about the song Comments and just for the hell of it here are the lyrics.

Rooster - Alice in Chains

Ain't found a way to kill me yet,
Eyes burn with stinging sweat,
Seems every path leads me to nowhere.
Wife and kids, household pet,
Army green was no safe bet.
The bullets scream to me from somewhere.
Here they come to snuff the rooster, oh yeah.
Yeah, here comes the rooster,
You know he ain't gonna die.
No, no, no, you know he ain't gonna die.
Walking tall, machine gun man,
They spit on me in my homeland,
Gloria sent me pictures of my boy.
Got my pills 'gainst mosquito death,
My buddy's breathing his dying breath,
Oh god please, won't you help me make it through?
Here they come to snuff the rooster, oh yeah.
Yeah, here comes the rooster,
You know he ain't gonna die.
No, no, no, you know he ain't gonna die.

If you look real close at the video you'll see a 1st Cav patch show up. The producers weren't paying attention. Should have been some screaming eagle patches in there :)

alpha 3-6 kilo out

What's Up For 2008?

2008-01-08T20:39:00.000-06:00

Michael "Mad Monk" Bradshaw sent me a heads up on the 1st annual West Coast 101st Airborne Namvets reunion in February. If you want to party with fellow namvets out there in lalaland it's time to saddle up. Here's a link West Coast Reunion

In April it's the all services namvet reunion in Melbourne Florida. This is a big one second only to Kokomo Indiana. If you want to take a spring break do it in Melbourne

and in June a special gathering of 2nd Brigade namvets will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the brigades first full year in nam, 1968 at Ft. Campbell Kentucky.
I'll post the details on that later.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2007-12-25T18:58:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays to all and I hope to see you in 2008 at either the 2nd Brigade reunion in June or the Kokomo Reunion in September.

Joynt

P.S. I forgot to mention that I had uploaded the pics of the 70's reunion held last June at Clarksville, TN/Ft. Campbell. I still have some finishing touches I want to add but you can check out the pics at this link The 70's Reunion

Congrats to all involved in this excellently planned reunion especially Barry Gregorich and Bob Hess who were the main movers and shakers of this effort.
Nicely done guys!

Ronnie LeBlanc

2007-08-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

There was a comment posted in the Meatball thread below concerning the passing of Ronnie LeBlanc on thursday Aug 23rd. He was with a bunch of you guys at the Clarksville reunion in June and I wanted to make sure as many of you as possible were aware of the sad news.

Here's the comment from a friend.

Bobby said...
Desperately need to hear from ANY of the guys at the reunion in Clarksville, TN on June 15, 2007. Our brother in arms, Ronnie LeBlanc, died on Thursday moring, August 23rd, 2007.
contact: electric.deacon@gmail.com

August 25, 2007

Equal time for B co. 2nd Bn. 501st Inf.

2007-08-12T21:01:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe it's been fifteen years since my first contact with a fellow namvet I served with. In the summer of '92 I got a phone call from 3rd platoon buddy Mark Orr and a few weeks later a letter in my mailbox from Dave Reiheimer. Those two guys finding me literally changed my life but I won't bore you with all that now.

Dave and I went thru basic and AIT together and flew to Vietnam together. He was assigned to B 2/501 and I of course went to A 1/501. We met face to face again at the annual Kokomo reunion in sept 92. Dave was armed with all kinds of valuable info on tracking down old Nam buddies. He has been a major player in locating members of his own unit and B 2/501 has had many successful reunions. Dave recently sent me a couple links concerning thier most recent gathering in Oregon.

Check them out. B 2/501 Reunion News Artical and
The B 2/501 website's 2007 reunion page

There is no way to put a value on good friends like Mark and Dave. I wish all of you the best of luck in finding your old buddies.

Drive on, Joynt

2nd Platoon, B 1/501

2007-08-11T20:35:00.000-05:00

Some grunts from B company gathered together this past July for the first time since serving in Vietnam during 1971. By all accounts it was a very successful reunion and they even got some coverage from the local news station.

Click this link to see the B 1/501 Reunion News Clips

A big "thumbs up" for a job well done to the 2nd plt B 1/501 and thanks to thier former medic Guy Lamunyon for giving me the heads up on this reunion. Doc also sent me this link to thier reunion photo album. Check it out.

(fyi-shameless plug) I've been getting those Geronimo T's being worn by the 2nd plt vets printed since 1997. They are still being offered at the Geronimo-Vietnam website's 501st PX.

Buddies

2007-08-06T18:48:00.000-05:00

Old friends Barry Gregorich and Bob Hess got together again recently in Pennsylvania to visit the Westmoreland County Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Barry and Bob were ringleaders of the big A 1/501 reunion in Clarksville TN this past June.
Getting buddies back in touch is the primary goal of this website and we've been having a lot of success lately. Click on the pics for a larger view.

Gootch Sighting

2007-07-21T21:21:00.000-05:00

Lt. Larry Gottschalk joined A co in December '68 as 3rd platoon leader. I was the primary RTO of the third herd then and had the pleasure of showing "Gootch" the ropes LOL! In the fall of '69 Gootch became CO of Alpha co.
I had a hell of a time tracking him down in the 90's but finally struck paydirt. Larry has been to reunions at both Ft. Campbell and Kokomo. A few years ago he decided to leave Michigan and set up camp in Florida. I haven't seen him in person since then but we've stayed in touch on the phone. Well I just found out Gootch got kind of homesick, pulled up his Florida stakes and is now back here in the midwest. He told me he definately plans to attend the Kokomo Reunion in September so if you want to touch base with ol' Gootch then get your ass to Kokomo.

Here's a shot of me and Gootch at Kokomo '03.

Meatball

2007-06-30T22:04:00.000-05:00

I haven't gotten much feedback on the recent A co reunion in Clarksville TN a couple weeks ago but one thing that did come my way was this pic of Lt Ron "Meatball" Pilozzi posing with the A company guide-on back in the day.

The pic came from the collection of Jerry "Thumper" Linker and was forwarded to me by Bob "Sugar Bear" Hess.

A 1/501 REUNION

2007-06-07T17:10:00.001-05:00

This won't be the first A 1/501 reunion in recent years but it's a first for those " crazy 70's guys" as I like to call them. It will also be the largest A co reunion so far as the organizers have done an excellent job putting this together. About 40 vets and 70+ guests are expected at the Holiday Inn at Clarksville, TN (exit 4, I-24)
on June 14th for a weekend they'll never forget. The registration deadline for the dinner and tour has past but you procrastinators can still try to get a room at the Holiday Inn or one of the many other nearby motels.
I just received a final update from Barry Gregorich head honcho on this project. Click on the images for a larger view and hit your BACK BUTTON to return to the blog.

A co vets have stayed at this Holiday Inn before and the hospitality and service was excellent. Congratulations to all involved and have a great weekend. I'm creating a page at the website for this reunion so be sure to send me some pics.

Thanks, Joynt

details provided by reunion organizer Barry Gregorich

Blue Moon

2007-05-31T20:33:00.001-05:00

Once in a Blue Moon
Fact and Fiction Behind May’s Second Full Moon

Thursday, May 31, 2007
By Ethan Stewart

Fog permitting, get yourself outside tonight and check out the full moon rising over Santa Babylon. Though it won’t necessarily appear different in color, the moon, for the first time since the summer of 2004, will be casting the age-old mystical glow of an ever rare blue moon along the shores of the Pacific. No doubt parties will rage to celebrate the occasion and countless others will have “weird” nights as the combined powers of two full moons in one calendar month work upon their brains, but before you go off the pagan ritual deep end, a little history is required—especially in this instance as our May moon experience is a phenomenon of hugely odd and certainly confusing circumstances.

The phrase “blue moon” has been with us for well over 400 years thanks to an arcane piece of poetry found in a 1528 pamphlet titled Rede Me and Be Not Wrothe. But it wasn’t until the Maine Farmers’ Almanac started, in the 1800s, using the phrase to describe the rare occasion when four full moons would occur within a quarter of the year. Specifically, the term was used to describe the third moon of the four moon string and it was special because quarters of the year typically see only three moons. And while the standard three moons would have mythological names associated with them — like the Harvest Moon and the Hunter’s Moon — the random extra moon had no such name and thus “Blue Moon” was adopted to describe this seldom experienced sight.

Furthermore, it was also during this time that all sorts of cool legends — like the blue moon’s ability to talk to you and tell you your future or infect you with love — started popping up. Unfortunately, as time marched on and the Almanac writers passed away, the meaning of a Blue Moon was lost and a newer, much more widely understood definition began to emerge. For some reason, a Blue Moon became the second full moon in any given Gregorian calendar month — an occurrence that is far from commonplace but, thanks to the various lengths of said months, is guaranteed to happen 41 times over the course of a century. That being said, when our moon goes blue tonight, you better enjoy it because it isn’t happening again until December 2009. (That is, unless of course you consider yourself an old school type of person and go by the Farmer’s original definition, in which case the next Blue Moon will occur coincidentally in May of next year.)

Confused yet? Well, it gets worse.

Because of our wonderfully mind-blowing construct of time-zones, much of the world is walking around right now thinking that June is the actual month for the Blue Moon. For most of them, they are right. Because they live life varying amounts of hours ahead of us here in the Pacific time zone, they get the actual full moon on June 1 and then another later in June, thus making June their Blue Moon event. Alas, for us living under the tick and tock of Pacific Standard Time, the moon reaches its ripest point before the clock strikers midnight, giving us the dubious distinction of having a blue moon before the rest of the world.

**Just scroll down a little and look to your left to see a real time display of the moon. - Joynt

Memorial Day

2007-05-25T21:22:00.000-05:00

This isn't my favorite holiday of the year but I do want to wish all of you an enjoyable and safe 3 day weekend.
Just a little while ago it dawned on me that it was May 25th. On that day in 1969 I lost a couple of good friends, Ralph Vitch and Mario Lamelza, during Operation Lamar Plain. Just a few weeks before I had been thier squad leader in the third platoon but in early May I was given the job of company commo chief.
At the time it was easy for me to beat myself down with thoughts of "if only I was still there with them they might not have died". Well that's a crock of shit of course and if I had been with them maybe I'd be dead too. Memorial day will always remind me of that point in time though and I will hoist a few cool ones this evening in memory of Ralph and Cool Breeze.

I'm ready to get into grilling this weekend with some salmon fillets, some Johnsonville brats as well as some chicken breasts and a couple pounds of ground beef. We got NASCAR on saturday night and the Indy 500 on sunday and I got plenty of Miller Lite in the fridge. On monday evening I'll finish things off with what has become a tradition of mine. I mix a stiff Tangueray martini, go out on the patio and while thinking about it all I get a little too drunk and have a good cry.

God bless all the vets!

Week Of The Eagles

2007-05-13T00:16:00.000-05:00

Screaming Eagle namvets have been gathering at Ft Campbell's Week Of The Eagles a couple decades now. Traditionally held every two years on the even numbers this event is now being held every year. The Division is back from Iraq and WOTE will commence next week.

Here's the schedule from Jim Hallums forwarded to me by Dave Reinheimer:

Tuesday, May 15

Welcome Center Operations

Division Run

Brigade Open House Activities

Wednesday, May 16

0630 – 0900 Division Review Rehearsal

0800 – 1830 Welcome Center Operations

0900 – 1600 Brigade Open House Activities

Thursday, May 17

0330 – 1800 Toughest Air Assault Soldier Competition

0600 – 1830 Welcome Center Operations

0700 – 0900 10K Fun Run Race

0900 – 1600 Brigade Open House Activities

0900 – 1600 Combatives

0900 – 1600 Power lifting

Friday, May 18

0800 – 1700 Welcome Center Operations

1000 – 1200 Division Review

1330 – 1530 Combatives Finals

Saturday, May 19

0700 – 2100 Welcome Center Operations

0800 – 0900 Memorial Ceremony

1100 – 1700 Air Show

1900 – 2200 MWR & VFW Present the WOE Concert on the Budweiser Stage

Sunday, May 20

0700 – 2000 Welcome Center Operations

0800 – 1700 Legacy Golf Tournament

Although this does not provide exact details, it is the public information we have received. You might also try the link www.campbell.army.mil to see if there are any more details.

edit by joynt: The 101st Vietnam Veterans Org and our 101st 2nd Brigade Namvets Org have been attending WOTE on the even number years in the past. While it may be a little slim on Namvets this year the Week Of The Eagles is definately worth checking out. The Airshow on Super Saturday with Airborne, Air Assault and static displays alone is worth the trip. Check it out if you have the chance and circle your calendar same time next year for probable Namvet participation commemorating the 40th anniversary highwater mark of the 101st in Nam, 1968.

Joynt

Testing...1 2 3

2007-05-03T19:09:00.000-05:00

Greeetings fellow Namvets and friends.

I've decided to give the blog another run as the sit-rep page. A lot has changed since I last used it and I had to switch to the "new" blogger version. It has a lot of nice features but I'm bound to screw this up for awhile until I get the hang of it again.
I will attempt to post timely messages of interest to A 1/501 namvets specifically as well as to the Vietnam Veteran community in general. Please note that there is a "comments" function should any of you care to add more info or just want to put your two cents in.

Thanks, Joynt