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Agent Orange victims share tales of chemical's poisonous legacy
Vietnam is known for jungles, but during Dan Wilson's last 8 months there, nothing was green at all. "There was no grass. There were several thousand acres of dust when it didn't rain and mud when it did." American soldiers didn't know that they were living and eating in a toxic wasteland. The area had been sprayed with Agent Orange, a weed killer employed by U.S. forces to destroy the jungle that gave cover for enemies. Now Wilson suffers from illnesses and peripheral neuropathy, a painful condition that affects the nerve-endings. "It starts with pain, then it's a burning, then you lose all sensation."
by infozine :: 2008-06-08 :: Agent Orange: Chemical Warfare
Remains of C-130 crew recovered - Closure for 14 families
The remains of 4 U.S. servicemen, crewmen of a C-130 Spectre gunship missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified. But that is only the tip of the iceberg for this story about the loss of 14 different men in 1972. Hundreds of families believed their loved ones survived the war in captivity. This AC-130 was shot down over Laos. The men aboard are some of those who were thought to have survived the crash and the war and would rank among those left behind by the Nixon Administration which reneged on a $2.2 billion war reparation payment to North Vietnam.
by salem-news :: 2008-05-31 :: Remains: Lost servicemen, MIAs
Marine veterans rebuild Vietnam-era helicopter
This Sikorsky UH-34 Seahorse helicopter had flown in combat in Vietnam, its floorboards flooded with the blood of dying soldiers. When the war ended, it lay in a boneyard for abandoned aircraft, forgotten after 8 years of service. Now it has been reconstructed in a North Fork potato barn by the hands of men with their own histories of service in Vietnam. As they have redeemed the chopper, veterans say their project has helped them reclaim their own war stories, restored old friendships, and helped some come to terms with the past and drive away emotions that had long plagued them.
by newsday :: 2008-05-31 :: Helicopters and military pilots
New Zealand government apologizes to Vietnam War veterans for mistreatment, neglect
The New Zealand government made an apology to the Vietnam War veterans for mistreatment. 3,900 NZ troops were sent to Vietnam, 37 were killed and 187 wounded. Since the war ended, hundreds have suffered from or died of illnesses, especially cancers linked to the Agent Orange. Some veterans, their children and grandchildren who have suffered from Agent Orange have been given special payments. The commander of NZ's last troops to serve in Vietnam, Colonel John Masters, said the apology was "very sincere," adding that the treatment of the returned soldiers had been a "disgrace to the country."
by iht :: 2008-05-31 :: Politics & Leaders
Andrew Knapp restores Vietnam-era Huey helicopter gunship to show in parades
In the few weeks before Christmas when most are hitting shopping malls for gifts, Andrew Knapp did a little shopping of his own: A Vietnam War-era helicopter gunship. Knapp, a collector and restorer of military memorabilia decided to add the worn down UH1M Huey helicopter to his fleet of military transport vehicles from WWII. "It's a unique hobby. I probably should have taken up fishing," said Knapp as he thought of all the work and the money he has poured into his hobby. Knapp is owner of Knapp Tree, Inc., and he will bring the helicopter to the Memorial Day parade in Stamford.
by thestamfordtimes :: 2008-05-25 :: Helicopters and military pilots
The clandestine Naval air squadron VO-67 honored after years shrouded in secrecy
For over 30 years, members of the VO-67 could not talk about their role in the Vietnam War. Now, as they prepare to get the presidential unit citation they find the recognition bittersweet. In late 1967, the members of naval anti-submarine patrol units got orders to report for a special operation. The 300 officers and enlisted men were formed into squadron VO-67, given modified P-2V5 Neptune patrol planes and sent to Thailand under top-secret orders. It was not lost on anyone that there were no submarines there. The unit was soon known as the "Ghost Squadron," since it didn't exist.
by dallasnews :: 2008-05-19 :: Special Forces
Kim Phuc Phan Thi, icon of Vietnam War, brings message of forgiveness
You recognize it when you see it, this iconic photo from the Vietnam War. A 9-year-old girl, naked and crying, runs down a road. A wayward napalm assault by South Vietnamese aircrafts had burned much of her body. Photographer Nick Ut won a Pulitzer Prize for the June 1972 picture. He also helped get the girl to a hospital, where she spent the next 14 months and, against odds, survived. The terrible photo helped sour American support for the war. And the girl, Kim Phuc Phan Thi, now a mother of 2 living outside Toronto, has taken her unsought fame and put it to use to help other children victimized by war.
by hamptonroads :: 2008-05-09 :: Death & Horror
Exhibit features American soldiers' Vietnam War memories, photos
Photos are like frozen memories. And many American soldiers who served in Vietnam unlocked those memories for Viet Art Center's photo contest "Memories of Vietnam," which sought those pics. Recently the center hosted a grand opening of an exhibit of 100 photos selected from the submissions and named 3 winners from the chosen 6 finalists. Among the finalists are photos of a Vietnamese soldier sharing a smile with a woman. Another photo shows a child putting a hand on a soldier and smoking a cigarette. Executive director Michelle Nguyen is greatly pleased with the quality of the photographs.
by ocregister :: 2008-05-09 :: Art and Propaganda