It's hard to know where to begin telling Bernard Fisher's military story. No one could have predicted that a kid who joined the Navy at 18 to fight in World War II would eventually receive the Medal of Honor as an Air Force fighter pilot in Vietnam. No one would have guessed it would take the same man 57 years to receive his bachelor's degree. That's the extraordinary life of Col. Bernard F. Fisher.

A native of San Bernardino, California, Fisher joined the Navy in 1945 at the end of World War II. When his time in the Navy ended in 1947, he attended Boise State Junior College and then transferred to the University of Utah—but he didn't get to finish his degree. He joined the Idaho National Guard around the same time he began his higher education. In 1951, the same year he was supposed to graduate from college, he was commissioned in the United States Air Force.

To be clear, Bernie Fisher had done the classwork, and he earned a degree. He just never received it. It's hard to blame him for not following up on a piece of paper. Fisher was ready to start training for one of the coolest jobs in the military: Air Force fighter pilot. He flew for the North American Air Defense Command until 1965 when he volunteered to go to South Vietnam and fly A-1E/H "Spad" Skyraiders for the 1st Air Commando Squadron.

Between July 1965 and June 1966, Fisher flew 200 combat sorties in the skies over Vietnam. The U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force used A-1 Skyraiders to provide close air support to ground forces, conduct interdiction missions, and perform search and rescue operations. The close-up nature of its missions meant it was particularly susceptible to ground-based anti-aircraft fire, so 200 combat missions was no small feat. 

No mission illustrated this kind of danger better than what happened on March 10, 1966. Fisher took off from Pleiku Air Base to make strafing runs against North Vietnamese forces assaulting a Special Forces camp in the A Shau Valley. The camp was surrounded by 2,000 enemy troops and cut off from its airstrip. Time was of the essence, as the special operators and their Civil Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) allies were in danger of being overrun. 

When he arrived in the area, it was under dense cloud cover, but other A-1s were loitering overhead. Fisher, his wingman, and two other pilots broke through the clouds to begin making their attack runs. The clouds and terrain made the strafing runs dangerous for the pilots, however. It limited their maneuverability and forced the aircraft to operate within range of enemy gun placements. 

One of the A-1s, piloted by Maj. Dafford Wayne" Jump" Myers took damage from those guns and began to go down. Myers bellied the plane down on the camp's 2,500-foot airstrip, jumped from his plane, and retreated to the cover of an embankment nearby. The enemy was just 200 meters from Myers, and the nearest helicopter was 30 minutes away. With 2,000 NVA soldiers surrounding the base, there was nothing the Special Forces could do to help the downed pilot. 

That's when Bernard Fisher's voice came over the radio. He told aircraft controllers he would land his two-seater Skyraider on the airfield and pick Myers up. While the Air Force warned him against that course of action, his fellow Skyraiders began giving him the cover he needed to land on the debris-strewn strip. 

It wasn't an easy landing. Debris on the runway damaged his tail section, and despite the cover provided by the other pilots, he still took 19 rounds to his fuselage. He landed and taxied the entire length of the runway. But none of the enemy attacks were enough to deter or prevent him from taking off once Myers had hopped in the backseat. With his charge picked up, Fisher gained enough speed to take off once more, with Myers safely along for the ride. 

When Bernard Fisher returned to the United States in 1967, he received the Medal of Honor from President Lyndon B. Johnson for his daring rescue and his dedication to his fellow pilots. After the war, Fisher returned to flying interceptor missions in North America and Germany, retiring from the Air Force in 1974. But his story doesn't end there.

In 2008, the University of Utah finally awarded Bernard Fisher his diploma in recognition of his academic and military achievements. Bernard Fisher died on August 16, 2014, at age 87. According to Fisher's son, Bradford, Myers reportedly called Fisher every year on March 10 to wish him well. When Myers died in 1992, his daughter continued the tradition for 22 more years.

Have you claimed your FREE Military Service Plaque yet? This attractive custom presentation, which can be accessed via the 'Plaque" button on your Profile Page, contains a visual summary of your military service including service photo, ribbon rack, badges, primary unit patch, and sleeve insignia.

Your plaque is very versatile. It can be printed out as an 11"x 6" landscape print and framed. You can also upload your Plaque to your cellphone which is perfectly sized to display as a convenient Veteran ID or printed out as a business card.

Login to Together We Served today to view your FREE Military Service Plaque and add any information needed to complete.

As 1942 turned to 1943, a victorious end to World War II in the Pacific Theater was still far from assured for either side of the conflict. The Allies were celebrating a string of strategic victories over the course of the previous year. After the devastation of Pearl Harbor, the Americans scored a major victory against the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. A few months later, U.S. forces launched the Solomon Islands campaign, invading Guadalcanal and its strategic airfield. 

The Japanese, of course, suffered a string of setbacks. A joint Australian and American force pushed back Japan’s offensive on the Kokoda Trail on New Guinea, the losses it suffered at Midway were not replaceable and by February 1943, the Japanese Army would be forced to abandon Guadalcanal. The Japanese Imperial Staff knew it needed to reinforce its positions in New Guinea, which was fighting in some of the most grueling swamp, mountain, and jungle conditions of the entire war. 

They decided to send a convoy of 6,900 troops, along with supplies and fuel, from Rabaul on the island of New Britain to Lae on mainland Papua New Guinea, a distance of 472 nautical miles, which should have taken around five days to traverse. On February 28, 1943, the convoy of eight destroyers, eight troop transports and 100 aircraft set out for Lae. 

Unfortunately for the Japanese, British Ultra codebreakers warned the Americans and Australians of the convoy and its purpose. On March 1, 1943, a B-24 Liberator bomber spotted the convoy during a patrol of the island. The next day, the U.S. Army Air Forces attacked Lae, hoping to cripple its ability to support the convoy. A few hours later, 28 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers took off to hit the Japanese with everything they could. Nine aircraft were damaged in the attack, sinking three cargo ships and a troop transport while damaging two others. The next night, B-17s hit the convoy again in an inconclusive attack. 

On March 3, the convoy erupted into a full-on battle. More than 100 Allied aircraft struck the Japanese airfield at Lae as American and Australian fighters and bombers hit the convoy in the mid-morning hours. The combination of low-level and mid-leveling bombing made it difficult for the Japanese to repel the planes with anti-aircraft fire. Furthermore, the convoy spread out in the water, which meant they could no longer protect each other with a group anti-air umbrella.

The attack was devastating for the Japanese. All eight troop transports were destroyed, along with four of the destroyers and 20 aircraft. Almost 3,000 soldiers and sailors were killed, and only 1,200 made it to Lae. It was a lopsided victory, too. The Allies only lost 13 killed in action, along with four fighters and two bombers. 

The Japanese on New Guinea, though receiving some reinforcements, did not receive supplies, and their positions on the island were severely weakened. The Battle of the Bismarck Sea was a decisive victory for the Allies that ensured the safety of Australia and New Zealand while hampering Japan’s ability to reinforce and supply its troops throughout the Southwest Pacific.

Do you have old photos from your service days stashed away in a drawer or in a shoe box in your attic? Old photos fade with time and if they are not scanned and preserved digitally, they risk eventually being lost forever.

This is where TWS can help. We have just invested in a high quality Fujitsu book and photo scanner that can scan any size of photo or yearbook. As a service to our members, we would like to offer you a free photo scanning service for your most significant photos from your service which we will then return to you, in original condition, along with a CD containing your photo files.

In addition, we can upload your photos for you to your Photo Album on your TWS Service Profile which will also appear in your Shadow box and available to you to access or download at any time.

Please contact us at Admin@togetherweserved.com for full details on this Free Service.

SSGT Randy Allman USARNG (Ret)
Served 1978-2005

When March rolls around, visitors to Air Force bases worldwide might notice a marked increase in the number of airmen sporting mustaches. Some observant readers might remind me that mustaches are making a comeback among airmen of the latest generation, and while that observation is correct, there's still something special about growing a stache in March. 

The tradition is called Mustache March, and though it has become a month to honor and remember pilots everywhere, it started with a U.S. Air Force legend: Robin Olds. 

Olds was undoubtedly one of the greatest fighter pilots to ever get behind the stick of an aircraft. He was a triple fighter ace with victories in World War II and Vietnam; scoring kills from the P-38 Lightning, P-51 Mustang, and the F-4C Phantom II. One Air Force historian even remarked that Robin Olds was "made to be the perfect airman" and the greatest aerial warrior in American history. 

All his achievements in the United States Air Force, World War II, and Vietnam are his true legacy, of course. But what Airmen who learn about Olds for the first time are really taken with is the magnificent mustache he sported during the Vietnam War, one that should have been off-limits to any member of the armed forces, let alone a Colonel in command of a squadron.

But there it is, in both black-and-white and in full color, depending on the photograph. 

By all accounts, he was well within regulations before deploying to the Vietnam War. He was commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Ubon Royal Air Base, Thailand. From there, he put together his own string of aerial victories, leading his pilots, nicknamed the "Wolfpack," through daring maneuvers and combat operations, each of which probably deserves its own article in Dispatches. 

He scored four aerial victories in Vietnam, one officially shy of becoming an ace. But if his mustache is any indication, he wasn't always playing by the rules. He was technically only allowed to fly 100 missions over Vietnam, but USAF Historian Henry Halvorsen writes that he flew 152. The odds that he shot down only four enemy aircraft in 152 missions are hard to believe. He believed he would have become a public relations stunt if he had become an Ace and would thus have lost his command.

Olds grew his mustache in March of 1965, and it became a symbol of defiance against the doctrinal, statistics-based warfare in Vietnam. He wanted no part in supporting that kind of thinking.

"It became the middle finger I couldn't raise in PR photographs," he said in his autobiography, Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds. "The mustache became my silent last word in the verbal battles I was losing with higher headquarters on rules, targets, and fighting the war."

The Airmen deployed to Royal Ubon loved it, and many began sporting their own mustaches. When higher-ups visited the base, no one gave it much thought, being so far from home and so far removed from the spotlight. However, after his time in Vietnam ended, the mustache had to go. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John McConnell told him to take it off, and Olds complied. 

But legends never die. 

To this day, airmen start growing their own "bulletproof" mustaches on March 1st. Sadly, they must still comply with uniform regulations, so few will ever be as magnificent as Col. Olds' once was, but traditions like Mustache March keep his memory – and the spirit of the Air Force – alive. 

Together We Served has a growing archive of more than 23,000 Boot Camp/ Basic Training Graduation Photos which we now display on your Military Service Page and Shadow Box. We also have a growing collection of Yearbooks which we will be made available on the site shortly.

We are still searching for Boot Camp/ Basic Training Photos and Yearbooks. So if you have yours available, please contact us at Admin@togetherweserved.com.

Either you can send us a scanned file of your photo or you can send it to us for scanning. We will add this for you to the Recruit/ Officer Training section of your Military Service Page.

All photos and yearbooks will be returned to you in the original condition along with a CD containing your scanned photo.

"Where ever there's trouble
Night or day
Go the men of the Green Beret
To fan the fire of freedom's dream…"
"A Team" 1966, by Leonard Whitcup, Barry Sadler, and Phyllis Fairbanks

Army Together We Served includes 556 members who have been with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), which was originally constituted on July 5, 1942, as the 2nd Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Special Service Force; which was then a component of the combined Canadian-American organization sometimes known as "Black Devils" or "Devil's Brigade" (unofficially first called "The Braves"). Detachment 101 of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) is also considered a predecessor of the 1st SFG (A). That unit raised and led a guerrilla force known as the "Kachin Rangers," which wrought havoc behind Japanese lines in Southeast Asia during World War II.

This unit was activated July 9, 1942, at Fort William Henry Harrison, Montana, disbanded January 6, 1945, in France, and then reconstituted April 15, 1960, in the Regular Army; concurrently consolidated with Company B, 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion (activated June 19, 1942), and the combined unit redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces on September 30, 1960, with 1st Special Forces Group (constituted June 14, 1957, in the Regular Army and activated June 24, 1957, in Japan). The group was inactivated June 30, 1974, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and reactivated September 1, 1984, at Fort Lewis, Washington (former Company B, 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion, withdrawn February 3, 1986, consolidated with Company N, 75th Infantry, and the consolidated unit redesignated thereafter under that separate lineage). It was redesignated again on October 1, 2005, as the 1st Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces Regiment. 

The 1st SFG (A) activated the Group Support Battalion on June 30, 2006, in order to provide increased expeditionary logistical capabilities, and activated the 4th Battalion on August 15, 2011, to enhance the group's expeditionary capabilities to better support the unit's missions. Since September 11, 2001, 1st SFG (A) personnel have played a vital role in fighting violent terrorist organizations around the globe by participating in Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan and Philippines, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Inherent Resolve, and Operation Resolute Support. In the ensuing years, they continue to conduct an array of engagement and contingency missions throughout the Pacific, to include war-plan related training on the Korean Peninsula. 

Special Forces training consists of eleven distinct phases. It begins with the six-week Preparation Course focused on fundamentals like physical fitness and land navigation. Follow-up is Special Forces Assessment and Selection, a 24-day test of physical and mental stamina, and then learning a new language in the 53-week Special Forces Qualification Course, which also includes survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE) exercises, advanced special operations techniques (ASOT), and a staged invasion of the fictional country of Pineland. US Army Special Forces are colloquially known as the Green Berets due to their distinctive service headgear. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy authorized the beret to be used exclusively by the US Special Forces. Preparing for an October 12 visit to the Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the president sent word to the center's commander for all Special Forces soldiers to wear green berets as part of the event. The president felt that since they had a special mission, Special Forces should have something to set them apart from the rest. In 1962, he called the green beret "A symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom." After displaying their survival skills to President Kennedy, when they caught and ate snakes, they were stuck with the moniker "snake eaters." They have five doctrinal missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counterterrorism, and special reconnaissance. Other Special Forces missions, known as secondary, include combat search and rescue (CSAR), counter-narcotics, hostage rescue, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian demining, peacekeeping, and manhunts. Components of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) or other US government activities may also specialize in these secondary missions. The Special Forces conduct these missions via five active duty groups, each with a geographic specialization and two National Guard groups that share multiple geographic areas of responsibility. 

Many of their operational techniques are highly classified. They have a longstanding and close relationship with the Central Intelligence Agency, tracing their lineage to the Agency's predecessors in the OSS and First Special Service Force. The Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) highly secretive Special Activities Center and, more specifically, its Special Operations Group (SOG) recruits from the US Army Special Forces. Joint CIA/Army Special Forces operations go back to MACV-SOG during the Vietnam War and were seen as recently as the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). Special Forces traces its roots as the Army's premier proponent of unconventional warfare from special operations units like the Alamo Scouts, Philippine guerrillas, First Special Service Force, and the Operational Groups of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Although the OSS was not an Army organization, many Army personnel were assigned to the OSS and later used their experiences to influence the forming of Special Forces. Currently, there are seven active Special Forces Groups. 1st SFG(A) is headquartered at JB Lewis–McChord, WA along with its 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Battalions, its 1st Battalion is forward deployed at Torii Station, Okinawa. The 1st SFG is oriented towards the Pacific region and is often tasked by PACOM.

In 1943, the unit fought notably on the Aleutian Islands, Italy, and Morocco, following Project Plough during WWII. A major battle for them that year was also at Monte la Difensa, where they suffered 77% of their casualties, which are memorialized in the 1968 film "The Devil's Brigade." Their next engagement at Monte Majo had reduced the force from 1800 strong to only 400. That same year, 1944, they were seen fighting in Operation Shingle at Anzio for 99 days without relief. From August through December, now reinforced to the 2,000 troop level, they saw action in France during Operation Dragoon through the French Riviera sector at Port Cros, Ile du Levant, and L'Escarene.

All in all, the full unit is said to have accounted for 12,000 German casualties and 7,000 enemy prisoners taken. The 1st SFG(A) predecessor, 1st Special Service Force, was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Silver-Gilt Star, as well as the Distinguished Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism. In 2006, the Canadian members of the 1st Special Service Force received the United States Army's Combat Infantryman Badge for participation in front-line combat. On February 3, 2015, the 1st SSF was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress can give to civilians.

The 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) holds the distinction of having the first and last Special Forces soldiers killed in Vietnam: Captain Harry Cramer was killed on October 21, 1957, and Captain Richard M. Rees was killed on December 15, 1973. Decades later, another 1st Special Forces Group soldier became the first American to die by hostile fire in Afghanistan: SFC Nathan Chapman was killed on January 2, 2002. During the Vietnam War, the 1st SFG(A) sent teams for six-month temporary duty. It also ran Camp Hardy Combat Training Center in the Northern Training Area of Okinawa, which involved SF units, Navy SEALs, and US Marines deploying to Vietnam. It earned the MUC for its efforts during the year 1973. Starting in February 2002, elements of the 1st SFG (A) deployed to conduct unconventional warfare in the Southern Philippines by and with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in order to assist the Government of the Philippines (GOP). Over the next three years there, 1st SFG(A) members built an admirable record training six light infantry battalions and three light reaction companies from the AFP, treating over 31,000 Filipinos in MEDCAP events, helping to professionalize the AFP, and providing operations and intelligence fusion teams to actively assist in targeting terrorist cells. Throughout 2003–2004, the 1st SFG(A) deployed many soldiers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. By November 2004 the unit deployed an entire battalion to Afghanistan as part of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A). The 1st SFG(A) supported the Global War on Terrorism with operations in those theaters as well as maintaining US security relationships with partner nations throughout the Pacific until 2021. 

1St Special Forces Group (Airborne) campaigns:
World War II
Aleutian Islands
Naples-Foggia
Anzio
Rome-Arno
Southern France (with arrowhead)
Rhineland

1st Special Forces Battalion additionally entitled to:
War on Terrorism
Global War on Terrorism

2d Special Forces Battalion is additionally entitled to:
War on Terrorism Campaigns to be determined

Decorations:
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered Pacific Area1972-1973
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered Asia 2002
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered July-August 1972
Company C, 1st Special Forces Battalion, additionally entitled to:
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered Central and Southern Iraq 2007
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered Central Iraq 2008-2009
Company C, 2d Special Forces Battalion, additionally entitled to:
Valorous Unit Award, Streamer embroidered Central and Southern Iraq 2007

Army TWS also includes 720 members who are enrolled in the Special Forces Association. The 1968 film Anzio featured Peter Falk as Corporal Jack Rabinoff, who identified himself to co-star Robert Mitchum as a member of the American-Canadian 1st Special Service Force. Three documentaries have been made about the force: "Black Devils" in 2000, an episode of History Channel's "Dangerous Missions" series, written produced and directed by Darryl Rehr; Daring to Die: The Story of the Black Devils, written and directed by Greg Hancock and Wayne Abbot; and Devil's Brigade, a 2006 TV miniseries produced by Frantic Films In November, 2019. A Bravery In Arms documentary was produced of the First Special Service Force assault on Monte Majo. In the documentary, the actual location of the battle was shown. Quentin Tarantino's 2009 film Inglourious Basterds features a character named Lt. Aldo Raine, aka "Aldo the Apache," played by Brad Pitt, who wears the unit's crossed arrows collar insignia and red arrowhead shoulder patch. Tarantino cited the 1st SSF as an influence. The Devil's Brigade by Robert H. Adleman & George H. Walton is an autobiography and historical reference for the First Special Service Force. The Marvel Comics character Wolverine claimed several times that he was a member of the Devil's Brigade during the war — being Canadian-born during the last years of Queen Victoria's reign, it fits. He also claimed he took part in the Anzio and Cassino battles. In 1981, Capt. Kathleen Wilder became the first woman to qualify for the Green Beret. Wilder, a former military intelligence officer, wore the Special Forces tab from when it was created in 1983 and continued to do so over a 28-year career until she retired as a LtCol. In 2024, there are about 2,300 women currently serving in Army Special Forces, making up 8% of strength, which includes Special Forces and Rangers.

TWS has nearly 2 million members who served in a wide range of units, ships, squadrons and duty stations. Get more people to your Reunion by sending your Reunion information to us in the following format and we will post it for free in our Reunion Announcements on Together We Served, in emails that go to our members and in our Newsletters.

Please contact us at admin@togetherweserved.com with the following details of your Reunion:

Service Branch Reunion Applies To:
Your Reunion Name:
Associated Unit or Association:
Date Starting:
Date Finishing:
Place Where Held:
City:
State:
Contact Person:
Contact Phone Number:
Contact Email Address:
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Other Comments:

End-of-life planning is uncomfortable, which is why so many people avoid it. I know this from personal experience.

My father was a wonderful man – a career Army Officer and patriot, a loving husband, and a strong and tough mentor to four children. He was also a lifelong cigarette smoker. So we were not surprised when they discovered he had lung cancer. During his final two years, he put off all efforts to address issues that required he acknowledged he wouldn't live forever. 
 
After he died, I spent hours helping my mother with paperwork and taxes, tasks that could have been easily handled when he was alive. Even years later, she still receives inquiries related to his affairs. As we worked through these, I often joked that this was his plan, so she would never forget him.

With this experience, I always admire Veteran spouses when they ask me, "What happens when my Veteran dies?" There are many aspects to a complete answer, but two points that come up most frequently involve continued benefits and the possibility of needing to interact with the VA.

If the Veteran receives disability compensation, the spouse wants to know if these payments will continue. The short answer is no. However, other benefits are available to the spouse that can partially offset the loss of that monthly payment.

One benefit is DIC – Dependency Indemnity Compensation. If their Veteran passed from conditions related to their service connection, this benefit could provide a monthly payment to the spouse, children, and even parents. More details can be found at https://www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation/.

Another benefit is the Survivors Pension. This provides a monthly payment to spouses and children if the Veteran served during time periods defined as Wartime. An essential requirement is the spouse's income and assets must be below a specific limit, currently about $150,000. Again, more details can be found at https://www.va.gov/pension/survivors-pension/.

Another aspect of this question about the death of a Veteran involves the fact that the Veteran might be in the midst of the benefits process when he passes. The possibility of dealing with confusing forms and a faceless bureaucracy can be daunting to a grieving spouse. Fortunately, there are two straightforward steps that a surviving spouse can take to resolve these.

The first is what is known as Accrued Benefits. These benefits are available but have not been paid before the Veterans death. This could be because a claim for the benefit was pending, but the VA had all the needed evidence. Or the claim was granted, but the benefit hadn't been awarded at the time of death. In this example, the surviving spouse could obtain these Accrued Benefits by completing VA Form 21P-601, "Application for Accrued Amounts Due a Deceased Beneficiary."

The second is known as a Substitution Claim. This allows the person eligible for the Accrued Benefits to substitute for the deceased and work with the VA to provide the needed information to complete the claim. In this example, the surviving spouse could become the substitute by completing VA Form 21P-0847, "Request for Substitution of Claimant Upon Death Claimant."

Many tasks will need to be completed after a Veteran's death. These will be harder because of the grief over the loss. Planning during good times can make some of the work less difficult. This is certainly true if the Veteran was service-connected or is still interacting with the VA.
 
If assistance is needed, reach out to a Veteran Service Officer from your State Department of Veterans Affairs. Many counties also have Veteran Service Officers. They are also available from Veteran Service Organizations – WWP, DAV, The Legion, VFW, etc.

Paul R. Lawrence, Ph.D., served as Under Secretary of Benefits at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from May 2018 to January 2021. He is the author of "Veterans Benefits for You: Get what You Deserve," available from Amazon.

TWS is building a searchable yearbook archive that will be up and running later this year.

What's in it depends on members like you. We have invested in a high-quality Fujitsu book and photo scanner that can scan any size of photo or yearbook.

Allowing us to scan your book helps family and your brothers & sisters find a photo they may have lost along the way.

If you would like your book scanned, email us at admin@togetherweserved.com. We'll send you a flash drive with the scans when we return your book to you. You'll also receive a tracking link via Stamps.com.

On the night of April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot while watching a comedic play, "Our American Cousin," at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. Over the next 12 days, the largest manhunt in American history took place, which was personally directed by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. 

"Manhunt," a new limited series on Apple TV+, dramatizes Stanton's hunt for Booth and his co-conspirators. The show is based on author and Lincoln scholar James Swanson's 2006 book, "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer," which examines every aspect of the assassination plot. 

Most people have a general feel for what happened the night Abraham Lincoln was killed and who was involved. What's new about "Manhunt" is that the assassination is just the beginning. The show is a conspiracy thriller, following Stanton's efforts to not only hunt down Booth but also anyone else who might have been involved. The show, of course, ends at Garrett's Farm in Virginia, where Booth met his own end with a wound nearly identical to the one he inflicted on Lincoln. 

But Lincoln wasn't the only target that night in April 1865. Co-conspirators were supposed to target Vice-President Andrew Johnson, an attack which never came, and Secretary of State William Seward, which did. Seward was wounded along with others in the attack. Four conspirators would be hanged for the assassination attempts, but the series explores others who might have been involved. It's a conspiracy that extended from Confederate Richmond in the south to Montreal, Canada, in the north, and even to faraway London. 

"Manhunt" isn't just about the conspiracy around the murder of the 16th President of the United States. It explores Booth's personal motivations for killing Lincoln, as well as the reasoning behind the conspiracy. Historians have long believed the assassination was either retribution for the South's defeat in the Civil War or a means of reviving the Confederate cause, which by then was rendered hopeless. 

It also explores the personal connection between Lincoln and his "Mars," Secretary of State Edwin Stanton. Stanton officially oversaw the hunt for Booth because the first-ever assassination of a sitting president shook the security of the nation. The outrage and shock expressed by the public put massive pressure on the government to find the killer. As Secretary of War in the days before the FBI was created, Stanton was particularly suited for the job. 

Most importantly, however, Stanton and Lincoln were close friends who had worked together to prosecute the Civil War, and Stanton was committed to seeking justice for his friend's murder. Anthony Boyle ("Masters of the Air") stars as Booth opposite Tobias Menzies ("The Crown") as Stanton. 

"Manhunt" also stars Will Harrison ("Daisy Jones & The Six"), Brandon Flynn ("13 Reasons Why"), Lovie Simone ("The Craft: Legacy"), Hamish Linklater ("The Stand"), Matt Walsh ("Veep") and Patton Oswalt ("Weird: The Al Yankovic Story"). The series will debut on Apple TV+ on March 15, 2024. 

Available for Together We Served members only! Together We Served has two hard-working Marines devoting their time and energy to help our members find long-lost friends who are not yet members of our Together We Served.

If you are looking for someone, email us at admin@togetherweserved.com with name, approximate age, where they were from, last known address, marital status, and name of spouse. We'll do our best!

CMSgt Donald Felch US Air Force (Ret)
Served 1984-2014

One of my early jobs in the military was to manage the operation and maintenance of a computer.

Younger generations enjoying a laptop computer's reliability, speed, and power may rightly ask, what is there to maintain about a computer? Doesn't one just buy another one when the old one crashes?

Well, let me tell you about "my" computer. Even better, let me give you a tour of the computer, just as I used to do at an Air Force SAGE ("semi-automatic ground environment") air defense sector in the early 60s.

But first, let me explain the mission of an air defense sector.

During the Cold War, the threat of a Soviet "air-breathing" (manned bomber) attack on the United States was considered real. (On a couple of occasions, just short of "imminent.”) The mission of an air defense sector (there were 24 of them in the U.S.), with its computers, radar, and communication systems, was to detect, identify, track, and guide weapons and fighter aircraft to intercept and, if necessary, destroy any hostile Soviet aircraft approaching the U.S.

Processing the radar data and other inputs and providing the scores of personnel (surveillance and identification officers, weapons controllers, etc.) the information with which to perform the mission was an enormous 275-ton vacuum tube (50,000 of them) computer occupying over ½ acre of floor space in a four-story concrete "blockhouse" with a total of 3.5 acres of floor space (below).
 
While today, we plug our laptop computer into a 120-volt wall socket, the air defense computer's power was provided by huge diesel generators that delivered enough electricity to power a small town and, since 50,000 vacuum tubes and other electronics generate an awful amount of heat, there was an air conditioning system big enough, you guessed it, to cool a small town. Both located in an adjacent facility.

And did I mention the miles of wires and cables connecting everything together?
 
Or the "magnetic drum" storage devices, each weighing 450 pounds and whirling at 3600 rpm—what is now the minuscule "hard drive" in your laptop? How about the dozen 8-ft tall magnetic tape drives lined up along a wall?

The scores of 10-ft tall cabinets, each one containing a" part" of the computer — such as a "register," an "adder," or a "memory" — were spread out over the ½ acre of floor space.

During the tours, I proudly pointed to one of the "magnetic ferrite-core memories." The one shown below stored 4,096 32-bit words and was called "Little Memory."
 
The other one, "Big Memory," stored an "amazing" 65,536 words. Compare that to a typical laptop's storage capacity one billion times larger and a speed faster by nearly an equal factor, all contained in a device no larger than a magazine and almost as thin.

But back to the "operation and maintenance" of the air defense computer.
 
Star Wars-like "operation and maintenance" console of the SAGE computer
The scientists and engineers who designed the AN/FSQ-7 computer (that was the military "nomenclature") determined at a very early stage that, with the state of the electronics technology at the time, there would be a "fatal" or "catastrophic" failure every few minutes. That would not do for such a critical military system.

Thus, they developed a dual-redundant computer system (two computers), where one – the "active system" — would be running the air defense program while the "standby system" was being maintained.

Part of the maintenance consisted of an ingenuous "marginal checking software system" that systematically varied the voltages to the vacuum tubes, inducing failures in weak components. In effect, anticipating failures before they occurred, thus allowing technicians to replace marginal components before they actually failed.

That was the only way to achieve the 99% reliability absolutely necessary for such a critical military function.

But it came at a cost.

It took three shifts of 20 technicians each to keep this monster running 24/7.

Each system cost approximately $128 million in today's dollars and the entire project is estimated to have cost between $80 and $120 billion in today's dollars, exceeding the cost of the Manhattan Project.

Although, in some respects, it is like comparing apples to oranges, today's typical laptop computer with speed, capacity, and reliability that is one million times better costs around $500.

So, next time you are ready to throw your laptop out of the window because of a minor hiccup, think of the amazing power you hold in your hands, all for "peanuts."

But also pause a moment to think of the brilliant scientists, engineers, and programmers from MIT's Lincoln Labs, MITRE, RAND, the System Development Corporation, IBM, and others who made the impossible possible.

And let us not forget the dedicated Air Force technicians who kept the monster running and our country safe.

What possesses a unit of soldiers to run headlong into a frontal assault on a heavily defended position, knowing that the chances of success aren't great and that they could die? Many might ask: aren't they scared?

The answer is: of course they are. That's not really what matters at that moment, however. 

President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear." Nowhere in American military history was that something more important than in the Civil War. Union soldiers marched into the grim melee of the world's first modern war, knowing they might be maimed or killed. 

Fear is the natural process that keeps us alive and (hopefully) unharmed in the face of overwhelming danger. It's what provokes us to run away to safety or prepare to stand our ground. But war is different. Soldiers can't run away from their duty in the middle of a battle just because their fear response kicks in. Moreover, the fear and how they cope with that fear begins to shape who they are. 

It's altogether fitting that author Philip M. Cole tackles this subject in his book "You'll Be Scared. Sure - You'll Be Scared - Fear, Stress, and Coping in the Civil War." Cole is a U.S. Navy veteran who was born and raised in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Aside from writing books about the Civil War (this book is his third), he is a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park. 

In "You'll Be Scared…" Cole discusses the stressors that added to soldiers' emotional distress during the Civil War, including physical fatigue, lack of sleep, hunger, conflict of values, and the clash between self-preservation and the obligations to duty and fellow soldiers. He also talks about how motivation, morale, discipline, and training helped them overcome their fears and operate on some of the most merciless battlefields in American military history. 

Through eyewitness accounts, observations, and firsthand experiences, Cole takes readers into the minds of the men who fought the 1861-1865 war as they denied their situations, accepted their fates, or just became acclimated to the constant stress and fear of a soldier in America's most bloody war. It explores every fact of fear a soldier on the field might face, how the soldiers prepared for those facets and what their leaders could do to help. 

What's most interesting is that Cole connects the past to soldiers on a modern battlefield. The technology and the kind of fighting might be different, but the fear is the same, as is the dedication to duty and to the soldier fighting next to them. Anyone with a love of military history will appreciate this fascinating new perspective into the psyche of Civil War troops and may be able to read about their favorite battles and war stories in an entirely new way. 

"You'll Be Scared. Sure—You'll Be Scared—Fear, Stress, and Coping in the Civil War" by Philip M. Cole is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and elsewhere as an ebook and in paperback, starting at $5.99. 

If you wish to make a post to our new Bulletin Board - People Sought, Assistance Needed, Jobs Available in Your Company, Reunions Pending, Items for Sale or Wanted, Services Available or Wanted, Product or Service Recommendations, Discounts for Vets, Announcements, Death Notices - email it to us at admin@togetherweserved.com.

Service Reflections Video of the Month

#TributetoaVeteran - GySgt Michael Trevino U.S. Marine Corps, 2003-Present

Are You a Writer?
As you know, Together We Served is always looking for interesting articles to post to our forums and in this newsletter. Have you written any military-related articles you want to share with a broader audience? Send your submissions to admin@togetherweserved.com, and you may see them in an upcoming issue.

TWS Flyers Available
Do you have a reunion coming up and would like to spread the word about Together We Served? We now have flyers that help explain who we are and what we do.

Send your requests to admin@togetherweserved.com. Please include your name and address and how many flyers you require.

TWS Invite Cards
Did you know we have Together We Served invite cards you can hand out to any veteran you meet? We have included a handy QR code on the back of the card so prospects can scan the card right away to get started.

If you would like some cards, email us your name and address at admin@togetherweserved.com, and we will get them in the mail. 

Association Chapter Logos 

Does your association chapter have a different logo from your state or national association chapter? We are working on programming that will allow us to add chapter logos. If you have one, please email it to admin@togetherweserved.com, and we'll add it.

Military Volunteers Needed

TWS has recently been working with an organization called Stories Behind the Stars. They are working hard on telling the stories of all our World War II fallen. We can help them tell the story by checking the military details added to the profiles they have built or edited. We have the tools for you, and we will train you!

If you love details and have some time on your hands, please get in touch with us at admin@togetherweserved.com, and we'll get you started.

Your Invite QR Code

It is now available to download to your phone and share it with the veterans you may meet. Through this QR code, you will get credit for their membership. You receive six months of full membership for every five people who join from your invite. If 50 people join, you'll receive a life membership!

Military News

Confusion, Lack of Policy Led to Austin's Hospitalization Secret
By Meghann Myers Military Times

The Defense Department found no wrongdoing in the events that led to the secrecy surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization last month, according to details of a review ordered by his chief of staff into how days passed without the president or Congress being notified that the Pentagon boss was incapacitated.

A mixture of concerns about protecting Austin's privacy — and a lack of written policy for emergency hospitalizations — caused staff to balk when it came to informing the White House or Congress of the secretary's absence while at the same time not informing the deputy defense secretary of why she was taking over authorities, according to an executive summary of the broadly classified review released Monday.

"As this unclassified summary highlights, the secretary's team was faced with an unprecedented situation, and so they executed a transfer of authority in the same way that they had previously done," Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary, told reporters during a briefing.

Austin's emergency hospitalization for a urinary tract infection that developed following a late December procedure to treat his prostate cancer wasn't unprecedented, however.

Then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates was rushed to the hospital in 2008 when he broke his shoulder slipping on his icy front steps. The Pentagon confirmed the following day that he'd had an accident.

What was unprecedented was that following Austin's ambulance ride on Jan. 1, his staff took until Jan. 4 to notify the White House and Congress of his absence and until the following day to make a public statement.

Austin has taken the blame for the situation overall, saying that he did not want to "burden" the president with his early December cancer diagnosis, he told reporters during a Feb. 13 briefing.

"What I've learned from this experience is that taking this kind of job means losing some of the privacy that most of us expect," he said. "The American people have a right to know when their leaders are facing health challenges that might affect their ability to perform their duties, even temporarily."

Austin said at the time that he did not direct his staff to withhold any information from the chain of command, adding that he doesn't believe that he has created a culture of secrecy that would have conditioned his staff to hide information on his behalf.

The review found that concerns over "medical privacy laws" precluded staff from sharing what they knew or asking for more information.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, is the main law governing health information in the U.S., but it only dictates that healthcare workers and health insurance administrators, for example, not share patient medical records with unauthorized people.

Ryder acknowledged that there may have been some confusion about privacy laws. Austin's chief of staff, on the other hand, learned of his hospitalization from a military aide, which was not a violation of any privacy laws.

Ryder did not answer a question from Military Times as to what changed between Jan. 2, when members of Austin's staff were informed of his hospitalization and concerned about his privacy, and Jan. 4, when notifications began.

In his Feb. 13 briefing, Austin did not address why he didn't request that a member of his staff notify the president that he wouldn't be going into work on Jan. 2.

The review released Monday adds that it was not Austin's decision to transfer authority to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on Jan. 2 but that members of his staff made the call when he was moved into the intensive care unit and would not have access to secured communications to carry out his job.

"Look, I'm not gonna speak for why any individuals did or did not take certain specific actions. I think we can all agree, you know, it is not uncommon for a natural human response when it comes to things like things like medical care to default to a privacy setting," Ryder said. "But the secretary also made clear in that press briefing that he acknowledges we can do better, that we will do better."

In that spirit, when Austin returned to Walter Reed on Feb. 11 to address a bladder issue stemming from his initial UTI, the Pentagon immediately notified the relevant authorities and made a public statement, keeping information flowing about the secretary's condition and plans to return to work.

The review released Monday includes eight recommendations to improve the notification process when a defense secretary is incapacitated, including articulating to staff the expectations for information-sharing and writing down guidelines for how to handle such events. There will also be new protocols for determining when authorities should be transferred to a deputy defense secretary and how to notify authorities about it.

All recommendations have 90 days to be implemented, Austin wrote a memo signed Monday, Feb. 26.

Army to Slash Thousands of Jobs in Major Revamp for Future Wars
By Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press

The U.S. Army is slashing the size of its force by about 24,000, or almost 5%, and restructuring to be better able to fight the next major war, as the service struggles with recruiting shortfalls that made it impossible to bring in enough soldiers to fill all the jobs.

The cuts will mainly affect already-empty posts — not actual soldiers — including in jobs related to counter-insurgency that swelled during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars but are not needed as much today. About 3,000 of the cuts would come from Army special operations forces.

At the same time, however, the plan will add about 7,500 troops in other critical missions, including air-defense and counter-drone units and five new task forces around the world with enhanced cyber, intelligence, and long-range strike capabilities.

According to an Army document, the service is "significantly overstructured," and there aren't enough soldiers to fill existing units. The cuts, it said, are "spaces" not "faces," and the Army will not ask soldiers to leave the force.

Instead, the decision reflects the reality that the Army hasn't been able to fill thousands of empty posts for years. While the Army, as it's currently structured, can have up to 494,000 soldiers, the total number of active-duty soldiers right now is about 445,000. Under the new plan, the goal is to bring in enough troops over the next five years to reach a level of 470,000.

The planned overhaul comes after two decades of war in Iraq and Afghanistan that forced the Army to quickly and dramatically expand in order to fill the brigades sent to the battlefront. That included a massive counter-insurgency mission to battle al-Qaida, the Taliban, and the Islamic State group.

Over time the military's focus has shifted to great power competition from adversaries such as China and Russia, and threats from Iran and North Korea. And the war in Ukraine has shown the need for greater emphasis on air-defense systems and high-tech abilities both to use and counter airborne and sea-based drones.

Army leaders said they looked carefully across the board at all the service's job specialties in search of places to trim. And they examined the ongoing effort to modernize the Army with new high-tech weapons to determine where additional forces should be focused.

According to the plan, the Army will cut about 10,000 spaces for engineers and similar jobs that were tied to counter-insurgency missions. An additional 2,700 cuts will come from units that don't deploy often and can be trimmed, and 6,500 will come from various training and other posts.

There also will be about 10,000 posts cut from cavalry squadrons, Stryker brigade combat teams, infantry brigade combat teams, and security force assistance brigades, which are used to train foreign forces.

The changes represent a significant shift for the Army to prepare for large-scale combat operations against more sophisticated enemies. But they also underscore the steep recruiting challenges that all of the military services are facing.

In the last fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, the Navy, Army, and Air Force all failed to meet their recruitment goals, while the Marine Corps and the tiny Space Force met their targets. The Army brought in a bit more than 50,000 recruits, falling well short of the publicly stated "stretch goal" of 65,000.

The previous fiscal year, the Army also missed its enlistment goal by 15,000. That year, the goal was 60,000.

In response, the service launched a sweeping overhaul of its recruiting last fall to focus more on young people who have spent time in college or are job hunting early in their careers. And it is forming a new professional force of recruiters rather than relying on soldiers randomly assigned to the task.

In discussing the changes at the time, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth acknowledged that the service hasn't been recruiting well "for many more years than one would think from just looking at the headlines in the last 18 months." The service, she said, hasn't met its annual goal for new enlistment contracts since 2014.

Mental Health Outreach Efforts Need More Focus on Women Vets: Report
By Leo Shane III Military Times

Federal officials too often overlook the specific mental health needs of women veterans when crafting mental health programs, leaving worrisome gaps in available resources, researchers from Disabled American Veterans argued in a new report released Tuesday.

They say that more outreach and research efforts are needed to more effectively encourage women veterans to seek care, instead of relying on male-focused messaging already in use by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"The lack of recognition for women's service, isolation after separation from military service, poor social support and unique risk factors all contribute to the challenges and barriers that many ill and injured women veterans face as they transition from service members to civilians and work toward physical recovery and mental wellness after service," the report stated.

Women make up about 10% of the veterans population and roughly the same percentage of enrolled patients in the VA health care system, according to Veterans Affairs statistics. Those numbers are expected to grow significantly over the next decade.

DAV researchers said mental health outreach for VA officials has shown important advances in recent years, but often that messaging is focused solely on the needs and challenges of male veterans.

In particular, report authors noted that VA suicide prevention efforts do not include components on military sexual trauma or postpartum adjustments, both of which increase the risk of suicide among female vets. Little research has been done on whether firearms safety efforts should be adjusted to improve outreach to female veterans.

"Too many women veterans are unaware of the resources available to them or struggle to access the timely, quality mental health services that are essential to recovery and overall well-being," the report stated.

At a forum unveiling the report on Tuesday, a panel of experts said the process of fixing those shortfalls needs to start with a recognition that adjustments to existing male-only efforts aren't providing all of the help that women veterans need.

"When I left the military more than 30 years ago, VA was just beginning to focus on the growing number of women veterans," said Army veteran Joy Illem, national legislative director for DAV. "Much has changed for the better since then, but there's still so much more to be done."

VA officials said they are working to address that.

"There's a lot of research underway on barrier reduction and better understanding of how women veterans use the Veterans Crisis Line, how they may use it differently, and their experiences," said Dr. Elizabeth Yano, a health care researcher at the VA.

"We need to better understand what leads women veterans to suicide, the gender differences in suicidal thoughts and attempts, what they experienced when they enter care, how hard it is to get care and how to eliminate those barriers."

The full report is available through the DAV website.

Navy to Unify Oversight of Base Water Systems in Wake of Red Hill
By Zamone Perez Military Times

The Navy announced a new policy this month meant to increase drinking water oversight and coordination across all 70 of the service's installations, according to a statement from Navy Installations Command.

Implemented on Feb. 2, the new policy moves away from decentralized oversight of water systems. Before the policy was enacted, each Navy command managed their own corresponding water systems, according to the statement. Now, Navy Installations Command will oversee water systems to "ensure consistent management, policy, and oversight" across the service.

"We must consistently validate that those who rely on the Navy water systems, whether they are on our bases or live in nearby communities, have access to safe drinking water," Vice Adm. Scott Gray said. "This policy identifies the responsibilities and roles of Navy commands and positions of authority while holding them accountable to deliver quality drinking water that meet standards."

A main feature of the realignment includes establishing drinking water committees at installation, region, and headquarter levels to ensure water quality management and properly address concerns. The committees will comprise public works, environmental, medical, and communications personnel and will be chaired by region commanders and installation commanding officers, according to the NIC statement.

The new policy follows recent controversy over the safety of drinking water at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. In November 2021, residents in and near Pearl Harbor reported that their drinking water smelled like fuel, but Navy officials maintained the water was safe to consume.

Samples tested at a laboratory the following month, however, found petroleum products in the water that had leaked from Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.

Nearly 6,000 people, mostly military personnel and their families, sought medical attention for rashes, sores, nausea, and other ailments after drinking and bathing with the contaminated water. Nearly 1,500 people had filed administrative claims against the Navy as of late June. There is also a pending federal lawsuit with nearly 300 plaintiffs.

"We are aiming for a new normal: One where this never happens again," Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said in a news release in December 2021.

In October 2023, the U.S. military announced it would begin draining more than 1 million gallons of fuel from three pipelines as part of an initial step toward closing the World War II-era fuel facility.

Navy Introduces New Robotics Warfare Rating
By Diana Stancy Military Times

The Navy unveiled a new robotics warfare rating Thursday, Feb. 22, to oversee robotic and autonomous system operations.

The rating, known as the Robotics Warfare Specialist, or RW, will operate both active and passive payload systems and sensors while maintaining these robotics systems, which were not identified in a naval administrative message, or NAVADMIN, announcing the new rating.

"The RW rating is a major milestone in our Navy's relentless march to achieve a truly hybrid Fleet," the message said. "This dedicated robotics rating will accelerate development of deep expertise in rapidly advancing autonomous technologies. This new rating is now open to Active Duty Sailors."

Those who convert to the robotics warfare rating will primarily come from those currently or previously assigned to billets in unmanned vehicle divisions and those with applicable Navy enlisted classification codes.

"All Active Duty ratings are open for conversion to RW, but it is important to note that this will initially be a small and highly selective rating," the NAVADMIN said.

It's unclear how many sailors will serve in this rating. A Navy fact sheet said "community requirements and employment will determine the manning numbers."

Active duty sailors between the ranks of E-4 and E-9 may submit a request to convert, and commands will coordinate with their immediate superior in command and enlisted community manager so they can apply.

The Navy-wide robotics warfare advancement exam will kick off in September for E-5 and E-6 sailors. Higher ranks will undergo the exam and screening board in 2025.

Sailors will transfer to the robotics warfare community once their current tour concludes if they haven't already moved into a converted billet.

Navy Education and Training Command is working on a training pipeline specific to the robotic warfare rating, and the Navy expects that will open to incoming sailors in fiscal year 2026.

The Navy will open the rating to sailors in the Reserves at a later time.

More information on the new rating is available here.

Adrenaline Therapy through Motorsports & Road Course Endurance Racing.

Coming back to the world after military life will likely never be a seamless transition. It does not matter if your stint was 4, 8, 20 years or even more. There is a certain way of thinking instilled at basic training and a unique array of experiences and hardships we each encounter during our years of service, no matter your MOS. This will forever lead us to approach situations differently; "Embrace the Suck," we say, meaning we will get through the worst of any scenario simply by leaning into the hardest parts. It is the strife that not only creates unbreakable bonds with the ones we served alongside, but it is also what creates the most difficulty with civilian life. When you do return, you find that in your new surroundings, there will not be many people around you who share these experiences and ways of thinking. You’re no longer a part of something as special as the United States Military, and for most, the wild adventures and incredible stories get fewer and further in between, leaving mostly monotony in the day-to-day. We get lonely, we get bored, we become depressed.

Queue Battle Scarred Motorsports: Founded by a couple of gearheads, loud-noise-loving Marines, Battle Scarred Motorsports brings Adrenaline Therapy to Veterans & First Responders by way of Road Course Endurance Racing. Each Race event attended provides a chance for participants to break up the tediousness of civilian life with a little bit of excitement and action. They call it Adrenaline Therapy, and the results are profound. The heightened concentration and intense situations on track induce the same caliber of adrenaline rush of past action. The length of an endurance race can be grueling, but it is that same toil that creates new bonds we miss so much in our civilian life. After the racing is done, we wind out the day with a good meal in good company. Everyone is among their people here, no matter the branch of service. They share stories, they make new bonds, and they somehow find it just a little easier to relax after a day of getting the adrenaline out. Before you realize how fast the weekend is passing, it is time to leave on Sunday, yet there is just a little more light on returning to your office or place of work on Monday. Whether you have already committed to the next event or you are simply watching the schedule in wait, Battle Scarred Motorsports has given you one more thing to look forward to, and in that, the organization finds Victory: Victory over the loneliness and depression, and most importantly, Victory over Veteran Suicide. 

The Organization has grown to a near nationwide operation with connections and resources spanning coast to coast. Battlescarred Motorsports attends roughly 20 events a year with the help of Racing Leagues and Sponsors/Donations. For more information on Battlescarred Motorsports, to donate, or to join our cause, please visit us at BattleScarred.org. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram. 

Looking for "Battle Buddy" Statement

It's a long shot, but I need help. I have filed a claim for Agent Orange exposure in Guam and need to prove I was there. I was TDY to Andersen Air Force Guam from Dec 67 through May 1968 from March AFB, but I don't have my TDY orders to prove it. I worked in the Transportation section, and my career field was Air Freight 60551. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can prove I was there? It would be greatly appreciated. I have a copy of my personnel records, but there is no mention of any of my TDYs.

James Blend
USAF Veteran
jblend@msn.com

I'm still looking for someone that served from 1972 through 1973 at the 9th Ordnance Company, Miesau, Germany. I was involved in a vehicle accident that the VA has been dragging their feet on for the last eight years. They claim there is no mention of the accident even though my medical records show I went to the hospital after being involved in the accident. My vehicle was returned to the Motor Pool after the accident and was totaled. After the accident, I first complained of chest pain. I was having trouble breathing because the steering wheel had me pinned to the seat and had bruised my ribs. Shortly after that, I was back at the hospital with neck and back pain. We didn't have MRIs back in those days, but they never bothered to even do an x-ray on my back or neck. My only treatment was Vicodin, and they claimed that I had simply had muscle strain. My commanding officer at the time was Major James H Banks. If anyone was stationed there at that time, I would love to speak with you. I've lived with the pain most of my adult life. Now, I've had three major surgeries, I have been on opioids for the last ten years, and at 71, I still have to work to stay afloat, thanks to Bidenomics. Even a small disability amount might allow me to stop working and try to live the rest of my life with less pain. Thank all of you for your service. 

SP 4 Don Mills
fuzzycrestor431@gmail.com

Help a Vet

Hello – My name is Gregg Katz. I am a US Marine, serving with 3/3 under then Col. Charles Krulak from 1982-1986. In the past two years, I’ve had a few medical procedures that were not very significant. One was for an injured knee, and the other was for a hernia. However, after a few months of discomfort, which I thought was related to the hernia, my doctor went back in to make sure I didn’t have any blockage but discovered a malignant tumor in my bladder. Things were further complicated come surgery time when a 2nd tumor was discovered, along with “severe trabeculations” of the bladder and an enlarged prostate. While my prognosis is positive, I was out of work for two months. As an independent contractor (taxi cab driver), not only did I have two months of no income, but I attempted to return to driving only to discover that the company I drove for continued to bill me daily for the car since it was my only mode of transportation to and from the VA. I had been led to believe that balance was going to be written off, but they decided I had been off too long for them to be able to write it off, so upon returning to work, I am already over 2K in the hole. I created a GoFundMe in hopes that anyone who might be in a position to help out might.

Regards,
Gregg Katz
iamgreggkatz@gmail.com
Link to GFM page: https://gofund.me/1608e7c5

Searching for a Marine

My Name is Raymond E Nelson. On Operation Kingfisher, the engineers were ordered to find a new way out, so we loaded up with Bangalore and started setting them up in the forward location where we were. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to finish the job before we were hit. I put my partner on my back and crawled out of the bush back onto the main road, and I believe that he was the first Evac of the day. I have been trying to locate him ever since. I do not remember his name or rank; plus, he was still alive when I brought him out. The only info I have is that we were members of 3rd Engineers Support group Charlie Company 3rd herd base Camp Dong Ha.

Raymond Nelson
raymond_nelson@hotmail.com

Help Rebuild Tun Tavern

Paul K. Hopper, Col USMC (Ret), National President, Marine Corps Reserve Association

In the event you are unaware, there is an effort to rebuild our beloved Tun Tavern. Yes, there have been previous attempts to do the same, but they all failed. Why will this one succeed? Great question, the difference this time is the six organizations (https://thetun.org/founded-at-the-tun/) who trace their roots to The Tun have teamed together to make this happen. Read our latest update (USMCRA Article). We are now in a full-court press to raise the last funds needed to purchase the land. This is where we need the help of EVERY Marine! We are requesting every Marine to make a one-time $10 donation. Scan the QR code, and you will be taken directly to The Tun CONTRIBUTION page. $10 is all we are asking. If every Marine donates $10, we can pay cash for the entire project. Please make that $10 donation!

I appreciate the support.

Semper Fi,

Ken
(214) 693-6249

Ken.Hopper@usmcra.org
www.USMCRA.org
3619 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Suite 115
Stafford, VA 22554

Calling All Sailors!

Calling all sailors! Sailors, we will be celebrating the Navy’s birthday, which is Oct. 13, with a fabulous cruise departing Port Canaveral, FL, the same day. We will be joyously commemorating 250 years of the Navy’s existence! Come join us and experience that wonderful Navy Camaraderie while sharing memories and making new ones, reminiscing, and reconnecting with old shipmates and your fellow Navy brothers. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring together your personal Navy brothers, family, and friends on board this cruise without any of the work of putting an event together. Come aboard and enjoy getting underway without the Watches, Musters, and GQs!

Our journey begins with a meet-and-greet at a host hotel in Orlando, FL, the day before we set sail. We’ll get the celebration started early while gathering and becoming acquainted with new brothers and reconnecting with our former fellow shipmates. 

We will board the Carnival Glory and say bon voyage to the mainland with a toast (with a cold beverage of your choice). We’ll eat - the famous, hot and juicy Guy’s burgers or tacos and burritos from the Blue Iguana Cantina, drink at the RedFrog Rum Bar and the BlueIguana Tequila Bar and be merry as we head out on the deep, blue, open sea.

There are tons of things to do and enjoy onboard. There are hilarious stand-up comedians at The Punchliner Comedy Club. You can enjoy a show on the stage at Playlist Productions. And wait until you see the Camel Club Casino, where you can try your luck in a Las Vegas-style casino. And if a picture paints a thousand words, imagine the millions flying off the big screen during a film under the stars at Dive-In Movies - and the good times don’t stop there. And don’t worry, you can still catch your favorite NFL, MBL and other games at the SkyBox Sports Bar.

But wait…there’s more! Like a port stop at Celebration Key - a new private island destination exclusively for Carnival guests. It is nestled on the south side of Grand Bahama Island, and it’s perfect for adults who appreciate fun and natural beauty! Celebration Key perfectly matches the onboard vibe folks love, and the vacation possibilities are expanded with unique island-style fun, relaxation, and adventure. Get ready for unforgettable experiences like a mile-long white sand beach, freshwater lagoons, local Bahamian flavors, shopping, and more!

We will also make a port stop at the beautiful island of Nassau. Nassau offers a variety of excursions—everything from snorkeling to scuba diving to horseback riding on the beach. Or you can just sit back, chill, and relax with a cool drink while soaking up the warm sunshine and gazing at the turquoise-green, tranquil ocean. There is also an open-air market, shops, restaurants, and sightseeing to enjoy!

Call for Details
Norman Payne 404 606-3371
Janet Crowder 678 995-9036