Distant War: Recollections of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

Marc Phillip Yablonka (Author)

A PRINTED COPY OF THIS BOOK CAN BE SENT ON REQUEST IF REQUIRED FOR PUBLISHING A REVIEW

A Merriam Press Original Publication: Military Monograph MM27 This is a newly-edited compilation of eighteen years of Yablonka’s reportage on American involvement in Indo-china and the people affected by America’s connection to that part of the world. After all those years and numerous articles about an indelible mark on American history published in the likes of the U.S. Military’s Stars and Stripes, Army Times, American Veteran, the Weider History Group publication Vietnam Magazine and others, these stories needed a wider audience for the world to know what they suffered, how most survived, and how they overcame adversity.

Distant War: Recollections of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, will be the vehicle to the reader’s understanding of a war and its aftermath that may seem distant now, but what is important is that it will make readers realize—if they haven’t already—that in war, whether in the jungles of Vietnam or the sands of Iraq, in a very real sense, while who wins and who loses is obviously important, what is equally necessary is that good somehow must and shall prevail.

Contents:

• Prologue

• Acknowledgments

• Chapter 1: Doctors in a War Zone: The Ultimate Training Ground

• Chapter 2: Wounded Four Times and Still Proud: Major Jim Morris

• Chapter 3: A Gold-Plated Mission

• Chapter 4: Indomitable Spirit at the Hanoi Hilton: Vice-Admiral James Bond Stockdale

• Chapter 5: Everything is Okay Now: Nick Ut

• Chapter 6: From AFVN to Wheel of Fortune: Pat Sajak

• Chapter 7: $100, a Leica, and a One-Way Ticket to Saigon: Catherine Leroy

• Chapter 8: Air America: The Truth

• Chapter 9: If the Walls of the Continental Could Talk…

• Chapter 10: When Art and Life Blur: Kieu Chinh

• Chapter 11: Cambodia Revisited

• Chapter 12: Bringing the War Home: Requiem

• Chapter 13: Standing by Their Men: Donut Dollies

• Chapter 14: Q&A Time with Steve Stibbens

• Chapter 15: Lest We Ever Forget: The POWs

• Chapter 16: Chopper Chums Reunite: Pilot Association Remembers Vietnam’s Good Times

• Chapter 17: Heaven Helped Them: Oliver Stone and Le Hy Haislip

• Chapter 18: Back to the Present

• Chapter 19: Canada Just Lost Track of Something: Vietnam Vets From North of the 49th Parallel

• Chapter 20: Dog Tags Take the Long Road Home: David and Kurt Arnold

• Chapter 21: Unfriendly Skies for Air Vietnam

• Chapter 22: So Long Bob: Obit for Bob Hope

• Chapter 23: Burying the Hatchet: Nguyen Ngoc Hung

• Chapter 24: Shadow of War: Cherie Clark

• Chapter 25: A Shepherd in Laos: Bishop Jean Khamse Vithavong

• Chapter 26: Radio Japan Manager is Tuned in to Vietnam: Masako Yuasa

• Chapter 27: Serving with Distinction…on Four Legs! Dogs in Vietnam

• Chapter 28: The Longest Yards: The Mountain People 2

• Chapter 29: The Long Journey of Bounlieng Philavong

• Chapter 30: Big Trouble in Little Saigon

• Chapter 31: He Hated War but Loved the Work: A Q&A with Allen Cates

• Acknowledgments: Thank You to Magazines and Newspapers Specifications

• First Edition (July 2009)

• Paperback: ISBN 978-0-557-08441-8 — $19.95 o Perfect bound, full-color wrap-around cover

• Hardcover: ISBN 978-0-557-14378-8 — $36.95 o Blue linen cover with title stamped in gold on spine, full-color dust jacket

• PDF file on CD disc — $10.00 o Complete copy of the book including the cover images in a single PDF file.

• 258 6 × 9 inch pages

• 67 photos/illustrations Testimonials It is a truism that everything that can be said about Vietnam, Watergate, and that terrible era in our history has been said or written.

Marc Yablonka proves this wrong, as he explores those days from odd and untouched angles. He creates an unforgettable portrait of something you thought you knew well, and find you did not know at all. —Jim Morris, author of War Story

Marc Yablonka captures the nuances and sidelights of Vietnam and the personalities of the war in South East Asia. I spent two tours flying Army helicopters in this conflict and Marc brought out some views that I was not aware of. Combat is not all war stories and he artfully fills in a lot of blank spaces for veterans like me. His writings will help others understand the war better. Yablonka has a skill and it shows in his recent work. Hope there is more to come ... —LTC (Ret) Tom Lasser, RVN, 1967-68, 1969-70

The Author Marc Yablonka is a graduate of the Professional Writing School of the University of Southern California. He served as a Public Affairs Officer (CWO-2) with the 40th Infantry Division Support Brigade and the Installation Support Group, California State Military Reserve, at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, California, between 2001 and 2008. He also served with the Sar-El unit of the Israeli Defense Forces. He lives with his wife Cammie and their long-haired orange Tabby named Ruffy in Burbank, California. Availability Published July 2009. Available now direct from the publisher by mail, phone or the Merriam Press web site, as well as from Amazon and other online booksellers. Available from most bookstores by special order. Booksellers: This title will be available soon through Ingram.

Today in the Department of Defense, Monday, November 08, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates is traveling.

Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn has no public or media events on his schedule.

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, deputy commander for operations, U.S. Forces-Iraq will brief the media live from Iraq at 10:30 a.m. EST in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973) to provide an update on current operations.  Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the River Entrance only.  Plan to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification.  Please call 703-697-5131 for escort into the building.

1231 Military Servicemembers

With the addition of CW2 Marc Yablonka, CSMR, Military-Writers.com now lists 1231 US Military Servicemembers who have authored over 3900 books

Chief Warrant Officer Marc Yablonka, CSMR, “is a graduate of the Professional Writing School of the University of Southern California. He served as a Public Affairs Officer (CWO-2) with the 40th Infantry Division Support Brigade and the Installation Support Group, California State Military Reserve, at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, California, between 2001 and 2008. He also served with the Sar-El unit of the Israeli Defense Forces. Marc Yablonka is the author of Distant War: Recollections of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.”


According to the book description of Distant War: Recollections of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, “This is a newly-edited compilation of eighteen years of Yablonka’s reportage on American involvement in Indochina and the people affected by America’s connection to that part of the world. After all those years and numerous articles about an indelible mark on American history published in the likes of the U.S. Military’s Stars and Stripes, Army Times, American Veteran, the Weider History Group publication Vietnam Magazine and others, these stories needed a wider audience for the world to know what they suffered, how most survived, and how they overcame adversity. Distant War: Recollections of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, will be the vehicle to the reader’s understanding of a war and its aftermath that may seem distant now, but what is important is that it will make readers realize—if they haven’t already—that in war, whether in the jungles of Vietnam or the sands of Iraq, in a very real sense, while who wins and who loses is obviously important, what is equally necessary is that good somehow must and shall prevail.”

More Information
http://www.military-writers.com/

Coast Guard Heroes: Kathleen Moore

Written by: LTJG Stephanie Young

With contributions from LTJG Ryan White

This Compass series chronicles the first 14 heroes the Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters have been named for. These men and women, who stood the watch before us, lived extraordinary lives as they lit the way for sailors in times past, braved gunfire in times of war and rescued those in peril at sea. As Coast Guard heroes, their stories are a constant reminder of our service’s legacy. As the namesake of the Coast Guard’s newest patrol boats, they will inspire the next generation of Coast Guard heroes.

Kathleen “Kate” Moore devoted her entire life to those at sea as the keeper of the Black Rock Harbor Light on Fayerweather Island, a small seaside community south of Bridgeport, Conn.

Moore first stood the watch at the age of 12, when her father began tending the light in 1817 after a shipboard injury prevented him from going to sea. As Moore grew older, and her father’s health worsened, she took on most of the duties herself, although she was not officially appointed as head keeper until 1871.

She served at the station for an astounding 72 years where she continually braved the harsh storms of Long Island Sound to save those in peril. As keeper, her light was literally the difference between a successful journey or catastrophe for the more than two hundred vessels sailing the sound nightly.

On one particular night, Moore heard cries of distress coming from the harbor. She went out in her rowboat with her brother and cousin searching for the sailor, and after an hour’s search they found two men clinging to a capsized boat.

In her later years, Moore was interviewed by a reporter who asked her about the dangers she encountered at Black Rock Harbor. “You see, I had done all this for so many years, and I knew no other life, so I was sort of fitted for it.,” Moore replied.

Moore’s career was filled with ardent determination and she is officially credited with saving 21 lives. When she retired from service in 1878 at the age of 84 and was asked about her saves, Moore said, “I wish it had been double that number.”

A special place in the Coast Guard’s history

Despite the seclusion of the many locations where keepers served, they were true pillars of their maritime communities. The Black Rock Harbor Lighthouse, originally built in 1808, was built on an island in Long Island Sound at the mouth of Black Rock Harbor. The isolated lighthouse served as an important beacon on the busy seaports along Long Island Sound as it was the only light between Eaton Neck, New York and New Haven, Connecticut.

Daily work at a lighthouse included many repetitive and routine tasks but the men and women who stood the watch for those at sea required dedication and self-sufficiency to ensure their vital labors were accomplished.

“It was a lifetime of service,” remarked Vice Admiral Brice-O’Hara of Lighthouse Keeper Kathleen Moore’s career as Keeper of Black Rock Light. “Though not named the official Keeper until her late seventies, Moore had been assisting her injured father with lighthouse duties since the age of 12. She ran both the lighthouse and the family homestead from an early age, and didn’t retire from her post until 1878 – when she was 84 years old.”

Credited with saving over 21 lives, Keeper Kathleen Moore slept in her work-clothes, facing the window to make sure her light stayed burning. “She proved that women performed with distinction – whether the job at hand was harrowing or dutifully and diligently routine,” admired Vice Admiral Brice-O’Hara, “The crew of the Kathleen Moore will have high standards to uphold in honoring the legacy of this remarkable Keeper.”

Coast Guard Heroes: Charles Sexton

Written by: LTJG Stephanie Young

With contributions from LTJG Ryan White

This Compass series chronicles the first 14 heroes the Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters have been named for. These men and women, who stood the watch before us, lived extraordinary lives as they lit the way for sailors in times past, braved gunfire in times of war and rescued those in peril at sea. As Coast Guard heroes, their stories are a constant reminder of our service’s legacy. As the namesake of the Coast Guard’s newest patrol boats, they will inspire the next generation of Coast Guard heroes.

Many of the Coast Guard’s heroes fought in wars abroad or found themselves under enemy fire in foreign countries. But, Charles W. Sexton found himself faced with danger in the course of his everyday duties at Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment. Sexton, a machinery technician, was rescuing four fishermen in peril when the seas tragically took him.

On January 11, 1991, Sexton and his crew launched motor lifeboat 44381 after they received report that the fishing vessel Sea King, a 75-foot stern trawler, was taking on water four miles northwest of the Columbia River Bar. The Sea King had four men on board and was in danger of sinking with her decks awash and the engine room steadily filling up with water.

Sexton went aboard the foundering fishing vessel with other crewmembers to treat the injuries of a Sea King crewmember who had fallen to the deck.

Once the victim was stabilized, Sexton focused his attention on dewatering the vessel. Because the Sea King was so flooded, it required several dewatering pumps to remove the initial quantity of seawater from the engine room along with hourly dewatering the vessel to ensure the boat did not submerge.

After more than six exhaustive hours of dewatering and maintaining the vessel, with the worst of the treacherous bar crossing behind them, the Sea King rolled over without warning and threw its passengers into the agitated seas. The power of the water trapped Sexton in the enclosed pilothouse and he, along with two fishermen, went down with the vessel.

Retired Chief Quartermaster Bill Segelken was on scene as a crewmember aboard Coast Guard Cutter Iris when Sexton was lost to the sea. He was a First Class Quartermaster at the time and remembers vividly the sight of Sea King overturning.

“The Sea King took a long roll to port. While the vessel appeared to be recovering from the roll the port quarter went under and the ship began to roll,” said Segelken. “While in our minds, as we observed this, it seemed to take forever, the reality is that once the ship started to roll she was capsized in seconds.”

A special place in the Coast Guard’s history

There is a certainty of danger that Coast Guardsmen encounter in the line of their every day duties, whether it is the shifting water’s of a river bar or towing an unstable vessel, and it is an unvarying reminder of how fragile life is.

“The Columbia River Bar is always a treacherous place to navigate,” said Segelken. “Even on a nice day the swells could be running at six to eight feet and as quick as the current changes directions they could build to 10-12.”

Despite the perilous complexities in the Sea King’s rescue, Sexton exhibited courage and devotion to save others in the most humbling of ways. Sexton’s courage was recognized as he was posthumously awarded the Coast Guard Medal for extraordinary heroism.

“It has long been understood that the Coast Guard faces danger every day, but that could not be more true than a day on the Columbia River Bar,” said Segelken. “In my career after this incident I have spent nearly 15 years in command centers. I have launched countless aircrews and small boats into harm’s way. This case provides me a firsthand reminder of the potential impact of those dangers.”

At a ceremony on May 17, 1991 Rear Admiral Joseph Vorbach, commander of the 13th District commented on Sexton’s heroism: “Keep bright his memory so that next time someone asks who are your heroes, you wont hesitate to answer Petty Officer Sexton.”

Today in the Department of Defense, Friday, November 05, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates hosts an honor cordon to welcome Slovenian Minister of Defense Ljubica Jelusic to the Pentagon today at 9 a.m. EDT.  The cordon will be held on the steps of the Pentagon River Entrance.  Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the Pentagon River Parking Entrance only.  Plan to arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification.  Please call 703-697-5131 for escort to the cordon.

Secretary Robert Gates is honored at 6:30 p.m. EDT at the American Patriot Award Gala presented by the National Defense University Foundation in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington D.C.  For more information on the American Patriot Award and the Gala, please visit  http://www.americanpatriotaward.org and http://www.NDUFoundation.org/Gates or contact Nancy Miller at 202-685-2527, email: millern@nduf.org.

Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn has no public or media events on his schedule.

Veterans’ Reflections: Service Was ‘Rite of Passage’

By Ian Graham

Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 – Ralph Cupper enlisted in the Army at age 17 in 1944, preferring not to wait until he was drafted to serve his country.

The Brecksville, Ohio, resident recently visited the National World War II Memorial with other veterans and reflected on his time in the war.

“Everybody was patriotic at that time,” he said. “I didn’t even finish high school. I went straight into the service … and I got shipped off to the Pacific.”

The cultural environment back then was very different from today’s, he said. The military wasn’t just a way to pay for school or get a career jumpstart – it was a rite of passage for people who considered themselves patriotic. It was a duty to serve when called, he said, and when Japanese bombs hit Pearl Harbor, that was more than enough of a call.

“At that time, everybody wanted to serve their country,” he said. “We were attacked. It’s different today. I don’t think people realize what we went through, or what our thinking was at that time.”

Cupper called himself a “young buck,” eager to get into the fight and immature about a lot of things when he joined the service. But after a few weeks on a boat to Okinawa with the 7th Infantry Division and the ensuing fight he lived to tell about, he said, he was changed.

The war helped to mature him, Cupper said, noting that he saw a lot of gory things, was wounded, and lost friends during the campaign in the Pacific.

“It matured me. It scared the hell out of me,” he said. “I think you just grow up a little in the service.”

It’s important for young servicemembers to get to know “the older fellas” when in combat, he said. They’ve lived through more, he explained, and can help younger servicemembers stay safe under fire, especially in modern asymmetrical combat.

“It’s a different world. It’s different combat. It’s a different [type of] war altogether,” Cupper said. “Basically, if you’re in the infantry, you need to keep your [rear end] down. You have to listen to the older fellas. When I went in, the older fellas had been in a lot more combat than I had. You learn how to survive.”

Though he was wounded in combat, he said, he counts himself lucky that he wasn’t hurt worse or killed, but he added that’s a small price to serve the greater cause. His reward, he said, is the appreciation he’s shown to this day, some 64 years after he left the Army.

“I didn’t realize [the National World War II Memorial] was as great a thing as it is,” he said. “I think it’s a great tribute to the men and women who served in World War II. “They’re honoring what we’ve done. I didn’t realize that so many people would honor you the way people have today. I’ve been crying almost all day since we left Cleveland.”

(“Veterans’ Reflections” is a collection of stories of men and women who served their country in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and the present-day conflicts. They will be posted throughout November in honor of Veterans Day.)

Guantanamo Task Force Stands Tall in Tough Mission

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba, Nov. 4, 2010 – Duty with Joint Task Force Guantanamo is one of the most demanding assignments in the military, but task force members recognize its importance and strategic implications for the United States and its troops in harm’s way, their commander said.

The 2,000 men and women serving here – a mix of servicemembers, government employees and civilian contractors – recognize the importance of their job providing “safe, humane, legal and transparent” care for 174 detainees at the facility, Navy Rear Adm. Jeffrey Harbeson told the Army Reserve chief, Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, who visited here last week.

Soldiers and sailors of the Joint Detention Group posted as guards at the base’s nine camps make up more than half of the task force. They typically pull 15- to 16-hour work days six days a week, performing a mission that Harbeson said demands extraordinary self-control and discipline in the face of verbal insults, flying body fluids and other assaults from detainees.

“This is the most challenging job in the military today, by virtue of what these individuals have to endure and experience,” he said.

“You have to have iron discipline,” agreed Army Col. Donnie Thomas, the Joint Detection Group commander. “We know we have actors here who are still in the fight, … and they try to incite the guard force. It’s incredible to see the professionalism [the guards] demonstrate, and how they treat these detainees with dignity and respect.”

Thanks to new measures at the facility, assaults on the guards have dropped dramatically during the past year, Harbeson reported.

In January 2009, one-third of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay lived in communal settings, spending 20 hours each day outside their cells with free access to recreation equipment, TV, radio, library books and a food pantry. Today, 89 percent of the detainees live communally, and officials here are considering converting a wing in the maximum-security Camp 5 to allow even more.

Meanwhile, assaults on the guard force plummeted, from 1,100 in 2009 to 110 so far in 2010.

“We attribute that to the communal environment, with less actual guard-detainee interaction” because most detainees no longer need to be escorted to showers and recreational facilities, Harbeson explained. “That has minimized the source of friction between guard and detainees. … So it’s been a win-win all around.”

Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Calkins, a noncommissioned officer at Guantanamo Bay’s Camp 5, said he’s seen huge changes since he left from his previous tour here in April 2008.

“The detainees have calmed down a lot,” he said. “We had people getting ‘splashed’ every day. It happened all the time.”

Now, there’s a big incentive for detainees to resist such behavior, which can get them transferred from the communal “ultra-light” facility at Camp 6 to Camp 5 – the task force’s version of “time out.” Instead of getting 20 hours each day outside their cells at Camp 6, detainees at Camp 5 get just four.

“Typically, when they come to us, they want to get back to Camp 6,” Calkins said. “So they will cause all these problems over [at Camp 6], and when they come to me, they’ll get really, really quiet. They don’t want to stay here.”

While Calkins and his fellow Army guards at Camp 5 are trained correctional specialists, their Navy counterparts at Camp 6 come from a variety of backgrounds -- – aircraft mechanics, logisticians and some masters at arms, explained Navy Ensign Paul Fogel, the camp’s assistant officer in charge. All received four weeks of specialized training at Fort Bliss, Texas, before reporting to Guantanamo.

Navy Lt. Sean McMichael, the Camp 6 commander, said he’s impressed by how well his sailors have made the transformation after volunteering for duty at Guantanamo Bay, or in some cases, he said, being “volun-told.”

“It’s dynamic,” McMichael said. “The guards have to remember what we’re here for and maintain their vigilance at all times. … They have to maintain their cool, even when you’re spit in the face.”

Pulling duty in this environment requires a unique way of thinking about the detainees, he said. “You have to have a mindset that these are residents,” he explained. “If you think of them as terrorists and go with that mindset, you can’t be fair and firm and impartial. And that’s the stand we take as we conduct all our operations here.”

Calkins, who has experienced the insult of being “splashed” himself, marvels at his young soldiers’ self-restraint. “These soldiers are amazing,” he said. “They get splashed. They get called every name in the book, … and they go wash themselves off and come back for more.”

Armed with nothing but pepper spray and strict rules about when they can use it, the guards learn to use other tools to get detainees to cooperate.

“It’s not like in [the combat] theater, where you have a weapon,” said Calkins. “Here, your weapon is your ability to talk to people. If you can talk to the detainees, you can make them realize that, ‘Hey, I am here to do a job and that is all. This is nothing personal.’”

Guards say their biggest frustration here isn’t the occasion mistreatment they get from detainees; it’s what they view as widely held misconceptions about how they treat the detainees.

Detainees select their three meals each day from six different menus, have access to 24/7 medical care and are issued prayer rugs, Qurans and other religious articles to practice their faith. They also get access to newspapers in a variety of languages, as well as 18 satellite channels, 11 radio channels, a full library of materials, and classes in subjects including the popular new keyboard computer class.

“When people ask me why we’re offering computer classes to detainees, I tell them, ‘We want the detainees to focus on this, not on how to ‘splash’ the next guard,” Harbeson said.

But no matter how well they do their jobs, Navy Capt. Sharon Campbell, the task force’s chief of staff, acknowledged the reality of serving in what many here consider a highly underappreciated mission.

“We are doing an important job, detaining enemy belligerents brought here from the battlefield, and providing safe, humane and transparent care for them as the legal process is worked,” she said. “But there are no accolades here, so we have to concentrate on keeping people pumped up. We really have to work to keep each other motivated.”

Meanwhile, the task force members recognize that their every action here is eyed through what sometimes feels like a microscope, and counts in how the world sees them personally, the U.S. military and the United States.

“It’s a very politically charged mission in the sense that if we don’t do it right it negatively reflects on the government and the country,” Fogel said. “Every reaction you make or every action you don’t take could potentially be something that could really be a not-so-good thing.

“That’s a lot to put on the shoulders of 19- to 25-year-olds,” he said. “But their actions really do project what and how we are looked upon by the world.”

Another motivating force, Calkins said, is the recognition that how the mission is conducted here has a direct impact on troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. He still grimaces when he thinks about the repercussions from detainee mistreatment at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison.

“What we do definitely can have an impact,” he said. “Soldiers are still getting hurt [as a result of what happened at Abu Ghraib.]”

Calkins said he regularly reminds his soldiers that they stand squarely on a front line in the war on violent extremism.

“I tell my soldiers that everybody has their piece, whatever that piece may be – whether you are in the States, whether you are in Afghanistan, whether you are in Iraq, or whether you are here at Gitmo,” he said. “And I feel that our piece is vital.

“Anything that these soldiers do or don’t do can have an effect on what happens to our soldiers” serving in the combat theater,” he added.

Sailors Visit Guam School for Red Ribbon Week

By Jesse Leon Guerrero Joint Region Marianas Public Affairs

CHALAN PAGO, Guam (NNS) -- Sailors from U.S. Naval Hospital Guam (USNH) helped educate students about the dangers of substance abuse at Ordot-Chalan Pago Elementary School on Guam Oct. 29.

The command sent the personnel to assist Department of Education teachers and staff in celebrating Red Ribbon Week, a national campaign that educates and encourages youth to live a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle.

"You guys have dreams, you want to do something," said Lt. Martin Casarez, a physical therapist from the hospital, to a fourth-grade class. "If you're getting in trouble because you're on drugs, that's going to affect your ability to reach your dreams. It doesn't matter whether it's alcohol, whether it's marijuana, whether it's cocaine, or any of those drugs. They're going to affect your process in getting to where your dreams are at."

Hospitalman Apprentice Jordan Ramsdell, also of USNH Guam, shared stories about how marijuana negatively affected students at his high school in his hometown of Portland, Ore. Ramsdell said he wanted to help Ordot-Chalan Pago students avoid that experience.

"We had people making wrong decisions and a couple people paid the ultimate price for it," Ramsdell said. "It's important that [the students] are educated, and I'm just glad we had the opportunity to come out because I feel very strongly about it."

School officials appreciated the Sailors taking time to educate students.

"With the Navy coming in, the military coming in, it's a different aspect," said Rebecca Perez, the school's principal. "We're hoping the kids get different views, but we're all here for the same reason, which is to say 'no' to drugs."

Perez added that hospital personnel and other Sailors have partnered with the school for years through cleanup projects, tutoring sessions and other volunteer activities. She thanked the Navy for offering students a healthy insight into healthy lifestyle choices and for encouraging them to stay in school.

Red Ribbon Week takes its name from the red campaign ribbons that honor Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent who was kidnapped and killed in Mexico City, while investigating drug traffickers in 1985.

Today in the Department of Defense, Thursday, November 04, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn have no public or media events on their schedules.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen speaks at 11:15 a.m. EDT at the U.S. Institute of Peace Women and War Conference at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Foggy Bottom, 1150,

22nd Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

   Media interested in attending should contact Lauren E. Sucher, lsucher@usip.org, 202-429-3822 or JCS Public Affairs, 703-697-4272.

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy will speak to the World Affairs Council at 10 a.m. EDT at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel,

1127 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.

  Contact Tara Rigler at 571-232-0621 or tara.rigler@osd.mil.

Col. Donald Galli, commander of Task Force Falcon and 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade will brief the media live from Afghanistan at 10:30 a.m. EDT, Nov. 4, in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973) to provide an update on current operations.  Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the River Entrance only.  Plan to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification.  Please call 703-697-5131 for escort into the building.

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell will conduct a press briefing at 1 p.m. EDT in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973).  Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the River Entrance only.  Plan to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification.  Please call 703-697-5131 for escort into the building.

Sailors and Marines Train-Up for Amphibious Operations

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ron Kuzlik, Expeditionary Strike Group 2 Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- More than 200 active and Reserve component Sailors and Marines stormed Anzio Beach aboard Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEBLCFS), Va., Oct. 29, as part of Exercise Sandcrab 2010.

After initial delays caused by high seas, heavy winds and some computer problems, the landing was successfully accomplished.

"We had some small logistical problems, but we were able to turn it around as a result of the training that we go through," Chief Boatswain's Mate (SCW) Stephen Helmer said. "The successful integration of Active and Reserve component assets, combined with our experience and training is what enabled the exercise to proceed. The want to, the need to, learn and be involved is the mitigating factor."

The simulated ship-to-shore movement and amphibious landing was the highlight of the three-day training exercise between U.S. Navy Beach Group TWO (NBG2) and the Marine Corps 4th Landing Support Battalion.

This was all part of an increased emphasis on training in amphibious operations to provide fully-trained and ready personnel and prepare Navy and U.S. Marine Corps Reserve assets for mission readiness and world-wide deployment.

Among the objectives of the exercise was to conduct individual, team and craft training exercises to train Reserve component personnel to handle actual and simulated personnel and equipment casualties.

The operation featured Landing Craft Air Cushioned, high-speed over-beach-landing class hovercraft capable of carrying 75 tons of weapons, cargo, equipment and personnel.

Seabees from Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2 utilized improved Navy lighterage system causeways ferries to transport Humvees, Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) six-wheel drive all terrain vehicles, and support personnel.

Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2 provides operational command and control over forces to deliver power projection ashore and rapidly respond to global crises.

ESG-2 Commander Rear Adm. Kevin D. Scott emphasized the importance of providing Sailors and Marines continued training with Navy landing craft and lighterage.

"Hands-on training develops proficiency and confidence in our Sailors and Marines," Scott said. "This type of joint exercise is how we know we are ready to successfully execute any mission in support of the nation's maritime strategy."

"Our Reservists have always been essential members of the nation's military force. They are the reason why we have unsurpassed readiness to respond to any mission, anytime, anywhere. A fully integrated Reserve component brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that complements our active component and increases our overall combat effectiveness," said Scott.

The primary mission of NBG 2 and its subordinate commands, ACB 2, Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 2, ACU 4, and Beach Master Unit 2, is to provide ship-to-shore transportation of fuel, materials and equipment in support of expeditionary strike groups, Marine expeditionary forces and brigade-sized operations and maritime prepositioned force operations.

Texan wants a fighting chance

DENNIS FIVECOAT, PA-C

552 Thoreau Trail • Schertz, TX 78154 • 702.497.1921 • Den5Coat@yahoo.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Texan wants a fighting chance; Birth defect is causing liver failure

Dallas, TX October 26, 2010 - Health care costs are a major political issue this election. While insurance companies wait for politics to prevail, one Texan finds himself caught in the middle - with his life at stake.

Stephen Dikovitsky needs a new liver. That is not because he abused alcohol or illegal drugs. Stephen was born with a condition known as biliary atresia – a problem with the common bile duct of the liver. A surgical procedure performed as an infant provided him with borrowed time. Stephen is now 23 years old and his time is running out.

To be placed on a waiting list for a suitable liver, a patient must get the costs approved by an insurance company… or submit a down payment of $300,000. After a transplant, the medical costs continue to go up.  Prescription drugs are needed to prevent his body from “rejecting” the organ. There will also need to be follow-up care and steps to prevent other illnesses that weaken the liver.

For now, Stephen just hopes to get on the waiting list. Stephen and his father Mike are trying to maintain positive thoughts. Mike tells us, “Medicaid says they will consider our case. However, every day we wait is a threat to Stephen’s survival. It gets complicated and it takes time. After all that, they can still say no. It’s a lot of money.”

If you ever get mad when thinking about your medical insurance options, talk to someone born with a liver defect. It is difficult to get even the most basic coverage. Insurance companies do not want to take on costs that are categorized as “pre-existing conditions.” The more costly the pre-existing condition, the more likely you are to be denied coverage. Even “guaranteed” medical insurance from an employer is no guarantee. If you can get coverage, it can be just about impossible to afford.

Although it is illegal for an employer to consider medical coverage as criteria for hiring, it happens all the time – and is difficult to investigate and prosecute.

If you ever want to feel better about your resume or job prospects, talk to someone born with a liver defect.

“I wanted to join the military or maybe become a police officer,” says Stephen. “I would like to be one of those people who help others. Sometimes that kind of thinking just makes things worse. I guess I just always looked up to my dad. Of course I work when I can, but no one has offered me a job that covers me medically.”

Stephen’s father, Mike Dikovitsky served in the US Army and then worked as a Dallas area police officer.  He now owns US Small Arms Training School – a small business that provides firearm training to military, law enforcement, and private citizens. “Stephen can often help me,” Mike says. “He has good days and bad days. He has earned several training certifications and he really excels at maintaining our good safety record. I just can’t find him coverage for his condition.”

When asked about the upcoming election, Mike’s face takes on a look only a parent would recognize. “I try not to blame anyone,” he says. “I wish I could talk to Governor Perry or someone who is running this time.  I would like to tell them about my son’s situation. I know they are busy and we are just regular people. I can’t help them get elected. I just want my son to be OK. I would do just about anything.”

Legend has it that on March 5th, 1836, Colonel William Travis drew his sword upon the ground of the Alamo. There he challenged his men to cross a line in the sand, and stand beside him for the Texan cause.  Texans all know this story since about the time they could understand words. The desperate and heroic decision inside the Alamo has touched us all at an early age.

Now, Texas has a young man that did not decide upon a line in the sand. His situation was thrust upon him –

and he too, just wants a fighting chance.

For information:Contact: den5coat@yahoo.com or Dikovitsky@sbcglobal.net

Phone: 702-497-1921

Send checks payable to:

Stephen Dikovitsky

Liver Donation Fund

C/O Bank Representative

Heather Warren or

Angie Castillo

Wells Fargo Bank

557 E Ovilla Road

Red Oak, TX 75154

Or

Jennifer T. Wells, MD

Liver Transplant Specialist

Baylor Hospital Dallas

214 820-8500

Veterans’ Reflections: Following in Her Father’s Footsteps

By Ian Graham

Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2010 – Marie Peckham is a small woman. While it wouldn’t be technically inaccurate to assume she wears military-themed pins and jewelry because her husband served in the military -- he did -- it would be an underestimation of Peckham’s strength.

Even though she stands only somewhere between four and five feet tall, she was a Marine Corps staff sergeant, following in her father and brothers’ footsteps.

“It was only natural I became a Marine, and thank God I did,” she said.

Through her service and subsequent involvement in the U.S. Marine Corps League, Peckham met her husband, a fellow Marine who survived five major campaigns in the Pacific and went into Nagasaki mere weeks after it had been bombed.

Peckham, who grew up with dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship, ultimately embraced America when she took the oath of enlistment and joined the Corps in 1943. After basic training, she served with the Marine air wing at Congaree Field, S.C., as a link trainer. She also taught plane and ship recognition to fighter pilots.

“We taught pilots to fly by their instruments,” she explained. “When they were ‘undercover,’ as we called it, and they couldn’t see very well, they had to learn to fly by instruments. So I sat at a desk and watched what they did in the trainer and made sure they were doing it right.”

Peckham’s service changed her outlook on people, she said. A lot of cultural norms were changing at the time, she added, and being in an integrated force helped her adjust.

“My service taught me camaraderie, it taught me to not be prejudiced, and it taught me to appreciate all of the blessings of this country,” she said.

That appreciation, she said, is something that isn’t as prevalent today because a gap between civilians and servicemembers needs to be remedied.

“I’m a bit prejudiced,” Peckham said of the nation’s current conflicts when asked if she has any advice for today’s servicemembers. “We want all of it to be over as soon as possible, but while it’s going on, do your part.”

Civilians don’t need to feel pressured to serve in uniform, she said, but they need to do everything they can to support those who do don the uniform. Members of the all-volunteer force are putting themselves at great risk, she added, and the least people can do at home is to create an environment of support and caring.

“Read more about veterans issues – read about their problems, what they need, and what they deserve,” she said. “And always, always support them – always.

“All you veterans out there, especially you Vietnam guys, if you want to be loved, accepted and belong to a group where we’re brothers and sisters, come and join a veterans organization,” Peckham added, noting that she is a member of the U.S. Marine Corps League, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary and the American Legion.

(“Veterans’ Reflections” is a collection of stories of men and women who served their country in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and the present-day conflicts. They will be posted throughout November in honor of Veterans Day.)

Boat Forces Tour – ANT San Francisco

Written by: Dan Bender

Our next stop on the Boat Forces Tour is Aids to Navigation Team San Francisco where Coasties work hard to keep the maritime public safe around California’s Bay Area.

“Our mission is to maintain more than 700 aids to navigation within our area of responsibility,” said BMC Jay Brisson, the officer in charge at the ANT, “although we can be assigned many other Coast Guard missions depending on the needs of the service.”

This is vital work because the thousands of vessels that transit the bay rely on the aids the ANT services.

 “Maintaining these aids contributes to safe passage of all commerce into the ports of Oakland, Richmond, Martinez, Stockton, and Sacramento,” said Brisson. “There’s a massive amount of goods coming in and out of port every day.”

Like most ANTs, their area of responsibility is much larger than that of your average station.  With hundreds of aids to navigation to service, there’s only one way for the 20-person crew to stay caught up—hard work.

“ATON work routinely requires long hours, technical expertise, attention to detail, adaptability and plenty of initiative,” said Brisson.  ”Our AOR extends form Bodega Bay, through San Francisco Bay, to Point Sur and east to Sacramento including Lake Tahoe as well as all other federal waterways and tributaries in between.”

It also requires a lot of training; there’s a huge skill set associated with working here from servicing buoys to seamanship.

“We’re responsible for all of the requirements set forth in Coast Guard Boat Operations and Training Manual in addition to specialized ATON training including minor aids, lighthouse technician, aid positioning, and tower climbing courses,” said Brisson.

Ultimately, the demanding operational tempo only makes the job that much more satisfying.

“The best part of our job is the feeling of accomplishment you get with tangible results,” said Brisson.

They’re definitely tangible for the mariners who rely on them.

Coast Guard Heroes: Charles Walter David Jr.

Written by: LTJG Stephanie Young

With contributions from LTJG Ryan White

This Compass series chronicles the first 14 heroes the Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters have been named for. These men and women, who stood the watch before us, lived extraordinary lives as they lit the way for sailors in times past, braved gunfire in times of war and rescued those in peril at sea. As Coast Guard heroes, their stories are a constant reminder of our service’s legacy. As the namesake of the Coast Guard’s newest patrol boats, they will inspire the next generation of Coast Guard heroes.

Stewards-Mate First Class Charles Walter David Jr. served aboard CGC Comanche on North Atlantic convoy duty during World War II. His dauntless character was put into action on the night of February 3, 1943 as the U.S. Army transport USS Dorchester was torpedoed by a U-boat off the coast of Greenland.

The Comanche was on scene with the Dorchester and its crew desperately searched for survivors in the frigid North Atlantic waters. David fearlessly volunteered to leave the safe haven of Comanche to dive overboard, with air temperatures below freezing, to help rescue the Dorchester’s crew.

As other Comanche crewmembers volunteered to dive in, 93 survivors from the Dorchester were rescued and plucked out of cold riotous waters.

One of the men David saved was a fellow Comanche crewman, the cutter’s executive officer, Lieutenant Robert Anderson who had fallen overboard and after exhaustion set in he was unable to pull himself out of the water. David was able to tie a line around Anderson and the crew aboard Comanche hoisted him to safety.

After the last of the survivors were safely aboard Comanche, David began to climb the cargo net to the ship’s deck. One of David’s shipmates, Storekeeper Richard Swanson had volunteered to dive overboard to assist with the rescue but was having trouble climbing the net due to his freezing limbs. David encouraged his friend to continue but Swanson was fatigued and frozen. David descended the net and with the help of another crewmember, pulled Swanson to Comanche’s deck out of harm’s way.

Tragically, David died a few days later from pneumonia that he contracted during his heroic efforts to save the Dorchester’s survivors and members from his own crew. He was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery, which was received by his wife and son, Kathleen and Neil David.

A special place in the Coast Guard’s history

Two hundred and thirty one thousand men and 10,000 women served in the Coast Guard during World War II. Of these, 1,918 gave their lives in service.

In the spring of 1941, Coast Guard cutters were assigned to the Navy and operated in anti-submarine warfare escorts, amphibious landings, search and rescue, beach patrol, port security and LORAN duty.

Coast Guard-manned ships sank at least 11 enemy submarines and its cutters and aircraft rescued more than 1,500 survivors of torpedo attacks in areas adjacent to the United States. Cutters on escort duty saved another 1,000.

David served his country at a time when the service was segregated and was aboard a cutter where he was barred from the officer ranks and limited in his enlisted specialty. Despite this, David exercised the Coast Guard’s core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty to the highest measure.

Swanson, recalling his friend in an interview, described David as a “tower of strength” on that tragic day, and his heart and commitment to his shipmates is something to be revered.

“Charles Walter David Jr. is a selfless American hero,” said Petty Officer Third Class Forest C. Reimann, a cutter surface swimmer on Coast Guard Cutter Waesche. “The sacrifice he made for his shipmates is a perfect example of why the Coast Guard Cutter Rescue Swimmer Program is indispensable. As one of the first three cutter swimmers onboard Coast Guard Cutter Waesche I am honored to fulfill this duty.”

Swift Boats in Vietnam

On November 4, 2010, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole features a conversation with Weymouth D. Symmes, USN, author of War on the Rivers A Swift Boat Sailor’s Chronicle of the Battle for the Mekong Delta.

Program Date: November 4, 2010
Program Time: 1600 hours, PACIFIC
Topic: Swift Boats in Vietnam
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2010/11/04/swift-boats-in-vietnam
About the Guest
Weymouth D. Symmes, USN, “was raised in Lewistown and Billings, Montana. In 1966 he enlisted in the United States Navy. During his service he spent two years aboard the USS Ticonderoga and one year on Swift boats in Vietnam. Honorably discharged in 1970 he was awarded the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation for Extraordinary Heroism, Two Navy Unit Commendations, The Republic of Vietnam meritorious Unit Citation (Gallantry Cross) and other awards.

He was the treasurer for the Montana State Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial; was one of the founders and first treasurer of the Swift Boat Sailors Association (the fraternal organization for Swift Boat sailors); was one of the founders and the national treasurer for Swift Boat Veterans & POWs for Truth; and was on the board and the treasurer of the Admiral Roy F. Hoffmann Foundation. Weymouth is the author of two books: War on the Rivers A Swift Boat Sailor’s Chronicle of the Battle for the Mekong Delta and This is Latch The Story of Rear Admiral Roy F. Hoffmann."

According to the book description of War on the Rivers: A Swift Boat Sailor's Chronicle of the Battle for the Mekong Delta, “This is a story about sailors, and one sailor in particular, asked to do extraordinary things and make great sacrifices during the Vietnam War.”

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2010/11/04/swift-boats-in-vietnam


Listen from the Archive:

http://www.americanheroesradio.com/swift_boats_vietnam.html

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Above and Beyond: Honoring our nation’s veterans

It was always about the names.       

When I first got involved with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the most visited memorial in our nation’s capitol, our goal was to honor the 58,241 names of the men and women killed in Vietnam. We were determined that the names should not be forgotten, nor lost, in American history as the most lasting sacrifice of a tumultuous war that divided our nation.  At the dedication of the Memorial in 1982, the healing process truly began as the Wall brought honor and dignity to all who died and served our country.  Each soldier killed has their name equally displayed without rank or date of birth.  All were soldiers who went “above and beyond” and gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Aside from Washington, D.C., the soldiers names engraved on the Memorial are permanently honored in only one other location.  The “Above and Beyond” exhibit, unveiled in 2001 at the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, is comprised of dog tags, one for each service man and woman killed.  Suspended from a fine line, each dog tag sits exactly one inch apart, allowing them to move “like a living thing with shifts in the air current”.  

Hung from the ceiling in a two-story atrium, the design including all 58,241 names is haunting, breathtaking and memorable.  As people enter, the breeze waves the metal dog tags creating the faintest sound of chimes, evoking a sudden silence, spiritually and unspoken dignity within the space.

The Museum has been visited by thousands of people and provides one other place for family and friends to honor and remember. This award-winning design has become an instrument to educate people about sacrifice in war. As one observer noted, visiting students “snap to silence and their jaws drop” stunned by the power of the exhibit. The Museum has become a unique and important place for veterans of all wars to display poignant and healing art. However, the museum has lost its lease and needs to relocate. As a result, the soldiers' dog tags may be boxed up and placed in storage "until further notice”. Such action would be unfortunate for our veterans and our nation for it is still about the names.

As George Washington cautioned after our war for independence “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war...shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive veterans of earlier wars are treated and appreciated by our nation.”

As the country engages in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, many more have made the ultimate sacrifice. While there will be efforts to permanently honor the names of the more than 5,000 soldiers killed in these conflicts, we must continue to respect service to country and take care of our troops returning home. As a nation, we must not sink into the amnesia for which it may long, as reflected upon by Philip Caputo in “A Rumor of War”. Indeed, our country does need public displays and memorials so that we never forget the names of those veterans who have gone “above and beyond” for our nation.

Ronald F. Gibbs, Vietnam veteran, helped spearhead passage of the legislation establishing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C., and is a former board member of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

For further information write email gibbsron@msn.com or visit www.NVAM.org

Ron Gibbs Background information

Ron is head of National & International Public Affairs Consulting (NIPAC) and provides strategic counsel to businesses and non-profits on public policy, legislative affairs, marketing/branding, fund raising and communications. He is a nationally recognized expert in public policy and an adjunct professor at the University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy. Mr. Gibbs served for twenty-five years on the board for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and helped spearhead the passage of the legislative establishing the Memorial. As Jan Scruggs stated in his book, To Heal A Nation, "Ron spent many hours walking the halls of Congress. He never asked for public recognition or acclaim. His only desire was to see the 58,000 names inscribed in a place of honor." He served as an Army Infantry Captain in Vietnam and Germany from 1968-1972. Mr. Gibbs received a Master's Degree from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. Contact information:

55 E. Erie St.

Unit 3501, Chicago, IL 60611, 312-543-1455, gibbsron@msn.com.

Coast Guard Heroes: Paul Leaman Clark

Written by: LTJG Stephanie Young

With contributions from LTJG Ryan White

This Compass series chronicles the first 14 heroes the Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters have been named for. These men and women, who stood the watch before us, lived extraordinary lives as they lit the way for sailors in times past, braved gunfire in times of war and rescued those in peril at sea. As Coast Guard heroes, their stories are a constant reminder of our service’s legacy. As the namesake of the Coast Guard’s newest patrol boats, they will inspire the next generation of Coast Guard heroes.

Fireman First Class Paul Leaman Clark displayed extraordinary devotion to duty in the face of enemy fire while serving as a landing boat engineer attached to the USS Joseph T. Dickman during the allied assault on French Morocco during World War II.

Clark served as beach master where he supervised the unloading of soldiers and supplies from the transports on the beach. This was an especially hazardous duty, as once disembarked from the landing crafts, soldiers were vulnerable to enemy fire.

Early into the assault, which lasted from November 8-11, 1942, Clark was unloading a transport when a hostile plane battered his boat with machinegun fire. The heavy fire mortally wounded the bowman and severely injured the coxswain. Showing unsurpassed courage and initiative Clark took control of the boat and withdrew from the beach with the injured crewmember aboard.

Clark sped towards the nearby USS Palmer and transferred the wounded man to safety. Although enemy bullets had already punctured his craft, he courageously returned to his station at the beach and completed the boat’s mission.

The torrential gunfire led 21 of the 32 boats to be lost at the landing during the duration of the assault. These harrowing wartime conditions did not hamper Clark, instead he rose to the occasion with fierce bravery in the highest traditions of military service. For his courage that day, Clark was awarded the Navy Cross.

A special place in the Coast Guard’s history

The USS Joseph T. Dickman underway in April 1942 with pattern camouflage. The USS Joseph T. Dickman was one of the ships that led the assault on French Morocco. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.  The invasion of North Africa in November 1942 was the first offensive for the United States against Germany during World War II. At the time, “Operation Torch” was the largest amphibious operation ever undertaken.

Operation Torch proved to be the turning point in the Allies’ war in Africa and after their loss of French Morocco, the Nazis remained on the defensive for the remainder of the war.

Honoring the heritage of Clark, the Coast Guard presents the “Fireman First Class Paul Clark Boat Force Engineer Award” annually to an enlisted boat engineer who demonstrates exemplary performance and superior technical, professional, leadership, and seamanship abilities while performing Coast Guard boat operations.

“Fireman Clark was a true hero, selflessly risking his own life in order to save wounded crewmembers while simultaneously completing an important mission,” said Petty Officer Second Class Matthew Merical, a machinery technician and recipient of the 2009 Paul Clark Boat Force Engineer Award. “Clarks actions were incredibly inspiring to me as an enlisted member and hopefully his story will continue to inspire others in the service. Having a new Fast Response Cutter named after him will be a fitting tribute to one of our best.”

Governor, First Lady to honor state service members with 'Tribute to Our Troops' holiday tree

Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs

Gov. Jim and Jessica Doyle will again honor Wisconsin's deployed service members with a "Tribute to Our Troops" holiday tree, and are inviting Wisconsin military families to send in a holiday ornament dedicated to their service members here and abroad.  The Executive Residence will display the ornaments on one of the large evergreen trees on display during December's holiday tours.

"Our whole state is very proud of the men and women who serve our country throughout the year," Gov. Doyle said. "This holiday season we want to acknowledge the sacrifices that these brave men and women make each and every day."

"This tree also represents the sacrifice so many families must make so we can live safely and in peace," Jessica Doyle said.

Hundreds of Wisconsin service members continue to serve around the world and will be away from home this holiday season. This "Tribute to Our Troops" Holiday Tree honors all those who serve, whether currently deployed or not.

Families of all Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard members are welcome and encouraged to participate by sending ornaments - plain, fancy, and/or personalized - no later than Nov. 27 to:

Service Member Support Branch Special Projects

ATTN: Carolyn Morgan

2400 Wright Street

Madison, Wis. 53704

Individuals submitting ornaments are asked to include their name and return mailing address, along with the name of the service member being honored. Ornaments will be returned after the holidays.