Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Multiple people in my family, clean my father are veterans.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
The troops that have been to war and now they're.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Back and think and be grateful for their service.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Sacrifice, love for their country, just unselfishness, all that they.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
Do for us.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
There are some people in this country who take extraordinary
steps to provide for the freedom and security. We forget
that those people exist. We know them as the Army, Navy,
air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. They call themselves soldiers, seals, rangers, airmen, sailors, devil.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Dogs, and so much more.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
We call them fathers, brothers, sons and husbands, mothers, daughters,
sisters and wives. We call them friend and neighbor. These
veterans answered the call. Now we answer theirs, and they
are the.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Best our country has to offer.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
And we love them. Today, we honor them and we
serve them. David Malsby is your host, and he welcomes
you to this community of veterans, as together we are
building the road to hope.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
And indeed we are glad to have you along on
this Sunday KPRC the nine five oh on the AM dial.
Thank you for joining us. Those of you listening through
the magic of podcast thank you for not only listening
but sharing.
Speaker 6 (01:36):
Wherever you listen.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
To podcasts, just look for Road to Hope. We really
do appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
When you hit that subscribe button and it'll automatically download.
It's absolutely free. Like everything we do with the PTSD
Foundation of America and sharing it, you never know who
might hear it that needs it. So thank you so
very much for subscribing, sharing again, wherever you listen.
Speaker 6 (02:01):
To podcasts, just look for Road to Hope. Brady.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
We do have a unique and I believe a special
opportunity today yesterday being National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Today
we are going to talk a bit about Vietnam. Now,
I know some of you I don't want to hear anymore.
That's okay, I got it. But you're going to hear
(02:24):
it not about or from me, but from a couple
of guys who experience that. We're gonna talk about that
from their eyes. So we will begetting to that in
just a moment. We didn't spend the entire or share
the entire show today discussing Vietnam with these two guys
(02:47):
and coming home, because coming home is part of it.
Big thank you very quickly to our sponsors allow us
this opportunity to spend a little bit of time.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
With you each and every week.
Speaker 5 (02:56):
A Corey ACR, Corey Diamond Designed to It one four
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(03:43):
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But most importantly, it's the right place. It's absolutely stunningly beautiful,
peaceful quiet. You'll be surrounded by fellow Americans who share
your value. Is Republic Grand Ranch all right in the
(04:04):
studio with us. As I mentioned, we have a couple of.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Vietnam.
Speaker 5 (04:08):
That's with us, and it's always an honor to be
able to spend a little time with our Vietnam vets.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Again.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
Yesterday it was a National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Most
of you probably know someone who's a Vietnam veteran. I
have encouraged throughout this month. You know someone like that,
you have an acquaintance. Maybe it's a family member, maybe
(04:36):
it's a friend, maybe it's a neighbor. Take the opportunity
to spend a little time and just ask him if
they would be willing to share a little bit of
their story. Today, you're going to get to hear the
story of a couple of guys. We got an Army
veteran it's been here many times, and United States Marine
veteran he's been here once before, I believe. I'll let
(05:00):
you guys introduce yourself. Who wants to go first? Who's
leading the way? Army or the Marine Corps? Oh, you're
gonna the Army is seceeding first?
Speaker 3 (05:08):
All right?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
All right. My name is Jerome Carros. I'm originally from Galveston, Texas.
I volunteered to go in the Marine Corps nineteen sixty
seven at the ripe age of seventeen years old, but
I didn't get even though I got inducted and you know,
(05:31):
passed my tests and physical I really actually didn't go
into the military until I turned eighteen, so I got
a few months to spend with family before I was
shipped off. And that's basically about me, and so I
(05:53):
turned it on to my comrade.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
My name is Phillip P.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Kring.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Unfortunately I was born a Yankee, but I've spent the
last fifty something years here in Texas and I joined
the Army back in nineteen sixty eight when the draft
was going on. I really did not want to be
an infantryman, so I joined so that I could get
the MOS that I wanted. And that's about it as
(06:30):
far as my history.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
How old were you.
Speaker 6 (06:32):
When you joined?
Speaker 4 (06:33):
I joined at nineteen and I turned twenty and twenty one,
both in Vietnam.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
Okay, so you knew it was coming. I'm going to
do what I can take control of that path.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
What that's going to mean, Yeah, yeah, we knew it
was coming. It was a case of I decided college
wasn't for me, which I could have gotten a college deferment,
but my grades in college, were like, now I'm gonna
end up getting drafted, So I joined just to, like
I said, make sure I didn't go in as an
(07:08):
infantry man, which meant you.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
Had a cush jaw while you were there. But yeah,
all right, Just a reminder wherever you listen to podcasts,
look for Road to Hope Radio. Appreciate you subscribing, sharing,
especially this show. I think as we go through that
(07:32):
you understand the deep meaning behind spending some time on
this subject today. So thank you for joining us. We're
going to take a quick break and we'll get back
and talk with Philip and Jerome and let them share
a little bit of their story and we'll be back
with more of them. Just a moment with Road to
Hope Radio.
Speaker 6 (07:53):
Shot you got the chips chucking mine.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Together and welcome back to Rode de Hope Radio.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
It is the National Vietnam Veteran War.
Speaker 6 (08:34):
Day Show.
Speaker 5 (08:36):
I'm glad to have you along at Philip United States
Army James United States Marine veterans, both, interestingly enough, might
be a surprise of many who are listening stepped up
and joined rather than being drafted, which is kind of
the story we're used to hearing you've already heard a
(08:57):
little bit about why Philip stepped forward? Jerome, Why did
you decide I'm going to do this at age seventeen?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Okay, I was a youngster and I didn't have much
direction in my life at that time, so I was
kind of unsure what I was going to do. And
but it dawned on me at that particular time that
you know, uh military, Uh, it was part of doing
(09:30):
your duty as far as you know, living in this country,
you know it should have been. It should be everybody,
every a person's duty to do their part in the
military service. So I come from a long line of Marines,
(09:51):
so uh, you know, I just told myself, you know,
I might as well go and get it over with.
I'm young, I'm strong, I'm healthy. You know, let's you know,
let's see what this is about.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
So I volunteered. I volunteered, and I went through what
I went through, you know, and yeah, the Vietnam War
was going on, so I knew that was a possibility.
But you know, I had no idea. I had no
idea of what war was. Just what I little a
(10:29):
bit I heard on TV and stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
I was gonna ask how much do you guys remember
prior to joining of the news coverage of the day.
How much do you recall it because I was a
mere child. I was barely here when you guys signed up.
But how much do you remember, if any of news
coverage Vietnam before you guys went in inside the dotted line?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Speaking for myself, like I said, you know, I watched
the news casts on TV and stuff like that, but
you know, I really didn't know. I mean, as a
young person, I really didn't know what I was getting
in myself. And like I said, I went in the
military just to do my duty, you know, or whatever. Uh,
(11:16):
you know, whatever the outcome was, whatever was going to happen,
I was okay with it, you know. That's why I volunteered.
I didn't get drafted and and going in okay, yeah,
or you know, Uh, like I said, I was young, young, dumb,
and you know, so you know, I you know, I
(11:40):
was off for it, you know, no matter what. Uh,
Like I said, I had no idea until I went
actually went overseas and actually saw for my own eyes.
And finally I told myself, what did I get myself into?
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Yeah, So but like I said, My original plan was,
you know, to do my duty, to up all my country. Yeah,
because I felt like it was part everybody's part, and
I didn't want to get drafted, you know, I you know,
so that's how I ended up.
Speaker 5 (12:15):
What about you, Philip, remember any of the news coverage
back then.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
I remembered, unfortunately quite a bit of the news coverage.
But at the time, one of the things that was
on the news just about as much as the war
was the protesters, And so it was kind of a
mix and match. I knew enough my my dad never
(12:42):
served in the military. He was a civilian DoD employee.
And my brother and his infinite wisdom, decided to join
the Air Force, and I was like, well, I can't
join the Air Force. But now it was unfortunately quite
a mix of Yeah, they would show you a you know,
(13:06):
ten fifteen second clip of what was going on in
Vietnam and then turn around and show you a thirty
second clip of the protesters, and it was it was
in my opinion right at that particular age, I mean,
I was nineteen, and I was like, there's just I'm
(13:29):
not even really sure how to describe it. It was like,
you know, what the heck, and a little like Jerome.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
You know.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
It was like, well, I know, if I'm not doing
things right, I'm gonna I'm gonna end up getting drafted.
So I figured the safest thing to do would be enlist.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Okay, so when I was a mere child, and I'm
not trying to make jokes, that's where I was. So
everything I have is kind of historical, and you know,
as you know, the reporting of it, which depends on
who you listen to. But my vague actual remembrance versus
you know, watching documentaries or whatever. Vaguely I remember sitting
(14:16):
in front of the TV in our house, which had
four channels, the three networks and PBS that was it,
and just that screen of Walter Cronkite and behind him
a map of Vietnam, and there would be some star
or something where something they were talking about about that
(14:38):
particular day might bring back a little nostalgia for some
just a real quick clip through.
Speaker 7 (14:46):
For it seems now more certain than ever that the
bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate.
But it is increasingly clear to this reporter that the
only rational way out then will be to negotiation. Not
as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up
to their pledge to defend democracy and did the best
(15:08):
they could.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
That was Walter Cronkite fifty years ago tonight. So when
you hear that.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
Again, this one reporter's recollection of it or description of it,
what's your thought? What comes to mimy hear that, you know,
coming to some sort of here's how we're going to
end it in a respectable way. But not he delineated
that as not as victors. What's that due to your soul?
Speaker 6 (15:41):
When you hear that?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Well, actually, for myself, you know, I didn't know what
the war was about. You know. Actually, as you know,
I've been staying from the beginning, I went to do
my duty. So actually I didn't know what's actually the
war was abod uh Uh you know. I I went
over there, and I knew it was a North and
(16:07):
the South type of thing, like, okay, we had a
civil war here. So I figured, okay, there's a civil
war there. Why we were there? I had no idea.
I just knew that that's where they sent me. That's
where I ended up doing my duty. And uh, you know,
I grew up there, you know, I grew up there.
(16:28):
I I, ah, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
I grow up fast, Yeah, real fast. I you know.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I I did stuff that I never dreamed that I
would do. You know, Seeing stuff that yeah, you know
you see it on TV is one thing, but when
you actually experience it's a whole different game.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
So if that's stir anything in your mind when you
hear that.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Well it's a little bit of what I picked up from.
It was the fact that we're trying to defeat communism
to keep it from spreading. And if that's what we
were supposed to be doing, that would have been great
to me. It really didn't feel like it was trying
(17:17):
to stop communism. The more you got into the war,
the more the longer we were added to me, it
turned into why the heck are we here, which is
a sad way of saying, you know, we if we
had really meant to stop communism, we could have won
(17:39):
that war.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
It would have been hew which comes back to the
hoe we lost it in DC, not not in not
in the rice patties. Are we going to take a
quick break that those on the nine five, we're going
to take quick a news break. The rest of you
hang on just one moment, be right back with more
of road to Hope Radio.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
And how's that sound?
Speaker 6 (18:18):
Felt?
Speaker 5 (18:20):
Sound familiar music?
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Huh?
Speaker 4 (18:22):
At least it's decent bump from you.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
There we go, Welcome back to Roadepe Radio.
Speaker 5 (18:30):
Glad toagline. We've got a couple of Vietnam veterans here
as we uh yesterday Vietnam National Vietnam War Veterans Day,
and we want to spend a little time talking about it.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
It's so important, guys. You lived it.
Speaker 5 (18:45):
I barely remember, as we already discussed, you know, just
the news coverage of it. You know, probably more than
the average joe, but not as much as many I've
you know, done some reading, watched some documentaries on it
as an adult and kind of try to process it
all history classes and such. You guys lived it, and
(19:07):
it's I believe one. It's important. It's extremely important, particularly
in light of the way our nation treated you guys
when you came home. And I tell you, guys, as
the whole of our military coming home, it was a disgraceful, shameful, awful, horrible,
(19:28):
unforgivable all those things. So it's important for these younger
generations to hear and while they have the opportunity to
hear from guys who lived it. I think it's extremely
important we do that, and that we honor those who
fought their for their nation, did what they were told,
having taken the oath to defend and protect the Constitution
(19:49):
of the United States. We deserve, we should rightfully so
honor the Vietnam veteran generation, and we should. The other
part of that is the education side to what's going
on and the lack of understanding what actually happened, what
was actually going on in Vietnam as opposed to what
(20:14):
some were saying at the time and what some still
say all these decades later. So let me just turn
it back over to you guys, life for you talk
just a little bit, well, I say a little bit
up to you how much, but give us a little
idea of where, when and where you were, what your
experience was. You know, they say, they say war as hell.
(20:37):
I mean, we don't want to get too deep into
all that. But when and where were you at in Vietnam?
And what was that like? What was going on?
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Okay again, I'll start this. I my mos which was
what I what I was trained to do, what I was.
I was thirty one, which is an M sixty machine gunner.
I spent three quarters of my tour on the d
(21:08):
M z UH which is around the Quantree Uh Dung
Hall and Jill Lynn area.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Oh again, I.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
You know, I the whole scenario of the being there
andything was a surprise to me. Uh you know, just
being there. So actually what it what it came to
when I people, I started getting shot at and I
started seeing people falling and people dying and getting wounded.
(21:46):
You know, it became this survival instinct started kicking in.
You know, it was a survival thing. You know. Uh
I was there, it was like, okay, I don't want
to do this no more. You know, it's I want
to go home. It wasn't going to happen. So I
had to pull in all my instincts, little survival what
(22:12):
I was taught to how to survive, kick in and
just you know, my do my time. My tour was
a thirteen month tour. When I got in my twelfth
twelfth month and the second week it was time for
me to come home. I came home and I was
(22:34):
in Okanawa for a little while. Part of my story
is my brother too. My brother was over there and
he came a little a little late, but he was
only there a couple of months and he got he
got killed. I was in Okinawa when I found out,
so I had to wait and escort his body home.
(22:56):
So that's how I came home. I came home and Stateside, Uh,
military wasn't for me. You know, I couldn't adjust. So
you know, I went through my little periods of frustration
and whatever I went, and you know, I got myself
in little trouble. They locked me up a little while.
(23:18):
But my mom she backed me up and she you know,
got people to help me. So I got out maybe
six months earlier. Had I signed up for four years,
I got maybe six months a little earlier. I came home,
and I came home to a real ungrateful a country.
(23:40):
Uh they gave us names. You know, jobs were hard
to find. Viewers a Vietnam jarge were hard to find,
and you know, people just I got mistreated. So I
carried that. I carried that shame and guilt for all
these years, even after all these other wars that came out.
(24:00):
There was you know, people start giving other veterans, you know,
welcome home parades and jobs and you know, helping them
get housing and whatever. And that didn't set well with me,
you know, so when people would thank me for my service,
I didn't, you know, I had a bad attitude about
(24:21):
it too.
Speaker 5 (24:21):
Let me just go back for just a second. So
you talked about what your MOSO was, your machine gunner.
So I kind of stir some images in my brain
that I kind of assume from watching documentaries and whatever.
How much of that of that came home with you?
(24:42):
I mean, you talked about the transition, trying to get
into a civilian world and that not going so well.
How much of that what you were doing came home
with you?
Speaker 2 (24:52):
The whole thing came home with me because I couldn't adjust.
I couldn't adjust, I could not hold on a job.
Relationships were hard for me. And then towards the end,
after I lost my wife and my kids, I decided
to go homeless. You know, I went home. I went
(25:14):
homeless for about over twenty years because again I learned,
I was learning in the streets. I knew how to survive,
I learned how where to go eat, I knew where
to go get closed. I knew, you know, all the
resources they were, and I got comfortable with it. It
was like I was in the war again and it's all.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
Your time in Vietnam. Where were you when.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Philip, Well, when I first hit Vietnam, we flew into
ben Wah and they were shelling the airport when we landed.
Welcome to Vietnam, Welcome to Vietnam.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
Chamber Commerce Day.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Oh yeah, I'm a big poster that said visit beautiful
Vietnam this vacation. And of course that was one of
the armies. Yeah, started out in ben Wah as far
as where they were going to start positioning us with
outfits that needed help. About two or three days after
(26:22):
I hit Vietnam, they sent us up. For anybody that's
even part way familiar with the northern part of South
Vietnam is the Ashaw Valley, and I have a tremendous
amount of respect for the Marines that suffered up there.
They called the army, We went in and helped them out.
(26:43):
And a week or two later, the Army got in
a bind and we called the Marines and they came
in and helped us out. I have a tremendous amount
of respect for both branches of service. Ashaw Valley was
not an easy place to be, and I'll leave it
at that. But after about three months they positioned us
(27:06):
down near Saigon, what they called Palace Guard was a
little bit easier. We weren't getting shelled every day, so
at least we'd have a day or two in between incomings.
As far as when I got home, a little like
(27:28):
Jerome said that, we came back to a country that
could have cared less, and we did have a lot
of nicknames that were not nice.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
We're going to take a break here in just a minute,
and I want to dig into that a little bit.
We don't have to go too far, but it will
dig into that a little bit. What I do want
to say real quickly before we run to break. We
understand as we talk about these stories, some hopefully we'll
hear this that are fellow Vietnam veterans and you were there,
(28:02):
and some of this can be quite triggering and maybe
conjuring up memories that you've tried to smash down into
a box and wrap up and put off in a corner,
never to be brought up again. We get that, but
we will talk a lot about this. But I do
want to quickly mention eight seven seven seven one seven
(28:25):
seventy eight seventy three. That's a combat Trauma support line.
And the reason that number is important is a combat
that's going to answer the phone. So it's somebody that understands,
truly understands, not just a clinician it spouting off stuff
they learned reading at a book. Eight seven seven seven
one seven seventy eight seventy three. The Combat Trauma Support
Line PTSD post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSDUSA dot org for
(28:50):
all kinds of information, of support and resources for our
veterans of every era of war. And take a quick
break and be right back with more of Road to
Hope Radio.
Speaker 6 (29:01):
People tell me there, we welcome.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
You back to Road to Hope Radio.
Speaker 5 (29:20):
Got a couple of Vietnam bets with US. Philip, United
States Army at Jerome, United States Marine. Both joined at
a very very young age. Joined were not drafted. I
went to a place that none of us liked to
really even think about. Nevertheless, have to go and experience.
We were talking a bit about coming home, and Philip,
(29:42):
you were just starting to get on that. So I'm
going to turn it back over to you. But for
anyone that's you know, aware at all, which would be
most everybody except maybe some of the much younger generation
that just didn't pay attention or we're in an education
setting where they just didn't and talk about it from
a realistic, an honest recollection of history.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
But the name.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
Calling in all that was going on when our veterans
came home.
Speaker 6 (30:14):
I know.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
I have a friend that was United States and Navy
who was a fighter pilot, also did some work on
the intelligence side, and he talked about the fact that
he was walking Rice Campus University in his Navy uniform
after returning home and some things were thrown on him.
(30:36):
I don't know you guys experience, but tell me what
you experienced personally coming home as a Vietnam VET.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
When I got home, we flew into San Francisco International
and we got off the airplane and the gentleman that
formed us out said that you're here. There's a fence
line and the buses to take you back to Ford
(31:08):
Order on the other side of that fence line, and
all along the fence line were protesters, and he said,
that's the only thing keeping you from getting to ford Ord.
And for some strange reason, we did manage to get
on the buses.
Speaker 6 (31:24):
I'll leave it at that.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
But one of the first things they told us when
we hit Ford Ord was to get out of your uniform,
get back into civilian clothes.
Speaker 6 (31:34):
And I was.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
Quite a bit fortunate in the fact that I did
not really have any major problems with people. I was
at the age where people were running off to Canada
to avoid the draft and that kind of thing. And
(31:59):
I'd never told anybody that I had been in the military,
much less than to Vietnam, and a lot of people
were like, well, Okay, you got lucky, you missed it,
and I just let it go with that, And I've
heard a lot of that.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
Just don't let anybody know.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
Yeah, and it took As a matter of fact, I
think my first wife and I or she didn't really
know much about it until after we'd been married for
a few years.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
But yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
Then found an occupation that I could semi isolate. I
didn't have to deal with people, and I've got all.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
The dangers of PTSD right there.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
Yeah, I've got a whole lot of miles on cross country.
I've been in all forty eight states at least eight
or nine times driving a truck and you're by yourself.
You can either work with it or ignore it. And
that's what I did, lucky in that sense that I
figured out a way to semi isolate.
Speaker 5 (33:04):
What about you, Jerome, You've already talked a little bit
about the whole disconnect and not really kind of fitting
in coming home. And did you experience some of the
things that were being reported on the news at the time.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Actually not the face to face their money bad experiences.
Was one time I went to apply for a construction
job and when I put down on paper that I
was a Vietnam veteran, you know, I just recently been home,
the contract told me that the experience that I had
(33:39):
he couldn't use, you know.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
And so.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Yeah, I got turned away. Yeah, I mean yeah, you know,
I never because I come from a small town, you know,
Galston at that particular time. You know, nobody actually got
in my face. But there were you know, newspapers and
you know TV you know about that, the all protests, Yeah,
(34:08):
all the protests and the name calling, and and you
know what, I how I got through it was, I
told myself, but you know what, when they call me
a baby killer, I was a baby killer.
Speaker 5 (34:21):
You know.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
I didn't need to be reminded of it. But yeah,
I did that stuff. I did that stuff.
Speaker 5 (34:29):
Uh. War is easy to run when you're in a
classroom in uh the buke. Iowa pretty clean when you
do it from there, both of you today and this,
and I'm sure part of it just has to do
with what you know. You knew you were coming here
today to talk about this, but it's not unusual to
(34:51):
see both of you today in this current time wearing
Vietnam veteran hats. You're not ashamed of it. How did
we get from you're a baby killer and you can't
have a job because you were in Vietnam two proudly
saying that's where I served? How'd you get here?
Speaker 6 (35:14):
Be real quick?
Speaker 2 (35:15):
For myself and myself, I had resentment against Vietnams people. Yeah,
coming here to hous standards, the big church here where
being the missed people go. I had to sit in
front of that church for about a year, you know,
letting that all that hate go, letting all that hate go.
(35:35):
So uh when when uh yeah, when all these other
wards came came and gone, you know, people start thinking again,
start thanking me for my particular service, you know, That's
when I learned to let it go.
Speaker 5 (35:49):
I said, okay, Caesar said, than done, And yeah, yeah,
I said, just let it, let it go.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
It was getting me nowhere.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
What about you, Philip, Oh, that's kind of a tough one. I,
like I said, I did a great job of just
semi isolating. I really didn't have to worry too much
about it. I did get extremely resentful for the VFW
and the other veteran organizations that were out there supposedly
(36:21):
to help you, and I was turned away from all
of them. They were like, you went to Vietnam, We
want nothing to do with you. Well, now that years
have gone by and they've started losing the veterans from
World War Two and from Korea and their numbers are dwindling,
all of a sudden, it's like, welcome you, Vietnam vets.
(36:44):
And I say this politely. They can hang that where So, Yeah,
it was bad. Like I said, I was very fortunate
in the fact that when I started driving truck, I
didn't have to worry about getting a job. There's always
struck driver jobs open somewhere doing something, And so I
(37:09):
did my semi isolation until COVID hit, and that was
the start of the downfall.
Speaker 5 (37:18):
Well, I'm grateful for both of you. I'm grateful for
you wearing the uniform of a country, going where they
sent you, in doing what had to be done.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
I hate.
Speaker 5 (37:29):
With a passion what happened. I hate with a passion
what happened and the way we treated you guys in
coming home. And I hope it's some solace to you
that it seems to at least some degree the nation
has learned a little bit, though it seems to also
have forgotten some of those lessons already. But grateful for
each of you and what you've done. My hope is
(37:51):
some folks will share this episode of this podcast with
some folks. I was at an event not too long ago,
and it was designed to sit down and talk to
folks in a very intimate setting and kind of describe
what we do at Camp Hope with There's a gentleman
that sat down as a Vietnam vet, and so I
just I just started, Hey, where were you? Do you
(38:14):
mind talking about it? And he was about five seconds
in and he started tearing up and struggling to speak.
The pain is real and these veterans are carrying it
decades later. You know someone, share the word. Ptsdusa dot
org where if you listen to podcasts, look for Road
to Hope it's free, hit the subscribe button, it'll download automatically.
(38:36):
You can share it with somebody, Share the hope. These
two gentlemen faced it, they face the struggle coming home,
they struggle with it, and now they're in a so
much better place. It can happen everything we do for
our veterans and their families at absolutely zero cost to
them or their family. Ptsdusa dot org Again, thanks for listening.
We look forward to being with you again next week
(38:56):
for more of Road to
Speaker 6 (38:58):
Hope Radio Canna Inno
Multiple people in my family, clean my father are veterans.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
The troops that have been to war and now they're.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Back and think and be grateful for their service.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Sacrifice, love for their country, just unselfishness, all that they.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
Do for us.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
There are some people in this country who take extraordinary
steps to provide for the freedom and security. We forget
that those people exist. We know them as the Army, Navy,
air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. They call themselves soldiers, seals, rangers, airmen, sailors, devil.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Dogs, and so much more.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
We call them fathers, brothers, sons and husbands, mothers, daughters,
sisters and wives. We call them friend and neighbor. These
veterans answered the call. Now we answer theirs, and they
are the.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Best our country has to offer.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
And we love them. Today, we honor them and we
serve them. David Malsby is your host, and he welcomes
you to this community of veterans, as together we are
building the road to hope.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
And indeed we are glad to have you along on
this Sunday KPRC the nine five oh on the AM dial.
Thank you for joining us. Those of you listening through
the magic of podcast thank you for not only listening
but sharing.
Speaker 6 (01:36):
Wherever you listen.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
To podcasts, just look for Road to Hope. We really
do appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
When you hit that subscribe button and it'll automatically download.
It's absolutely free. Like everything we do with the PTSD
Foundation of America and sharing it, you never know who
might hear it that needs it. So thank you so
very much for subscribing, sharing again, wherever you listen.
Speaker 6 (02:01):
To podcasts, just look for Road to Hope. Brady.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
We do have a unique and I believe a special
opportunity today yesterday being National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Today
we are going to talk a bit about Vietnam. Now,
I know some of you I don't want to hear anymore.
That's okay, I got it. But you're going to hear
(02:24):
it not about or from me, but from a couple
of guys who experience that. We're gonna talk about that
from their eyes. So we will begetting to that in
just a moment. We didn't spend the entire or share
the entire show today discussing Vietnam with these two guys
(02:47):
and coming home, because coming home is part of it.
Big thank you very quickly to our sponsors allow us
this opportunity to spend a little bit of time.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
With you each and every week.
Speaker 5 (02:56):
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(03:43):
of all things Camp Hope and PTSD Foundation of America.
But most importantly, it's the right place. It's absolutely stunningly beautiful,
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your value. Is Republic Grand Ranch all right in the
(04:04):
studio with us. As I mentioned, we have a couple of.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Vietnam.
Speaker 5 (04:08):
That's with us, and it's always an honor to be
able to spend a little time with our Vietnam vets.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Again.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
Yesterday it was a National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Most
of you probably know someone who's a Vietnam veteran. I
have encouraged throughout this month. You know someone like that,
you have an acquaintance. Maybe it's a family member, maybe
(04:36):
it's a friend, maybe it's a neighbor. Take the opportunity
to spend a little time and just ask him if
they would be willing to share a little bit of
their story. Today, you're going to get to hear the
story of a couple of guys. We got an Army
veteran it's been here many times, and United States Marine
veteran he's been here once before, I believe. I'll let
(05:00):
you guys introduce yourself. Who wants to go first? Who's
leading the way? Army or the Marine Corps? Oh, you're
gonna the Army is seceeding first?
Speaker 3 (05:08):
All right?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
All right. My name is Jerome Carros. I'm originally from Galveston, Texas.
I volunteered to go in the Marine Corps nineteen sixty
seven at the ripe age of seventeen years old, but
I didn't get even though I got inducted and you know,
(05:31):
passed my tests and physical I really actually didn't go
into the military until I turned eighteen, so I got
a few months to spend with family before I was
shipped off. And that's basically about me, and so I
(05:53):
turned it on to my comrade.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
My name is Phillip P.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Kring.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Unfortunately I was born a Yankee, but I've spent the
last fifty something years here in Texas and I joined
the Army back in nineteen sixty eight when the draft
was going on. I really did not want to be
an infantryman, so I joined so that I could get
the MOS that I wanted. And that's about it as
(06:30):
far as my history.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
How old were you.
Speaker 6 (06:32):
When you joined?
Speaker 4 (06:33):
I joined at nineteen and I turned twenty and twenty one,
both in Vietnam.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
Okay, so you knew it was coming. I'm going to
do what I can take control of that path.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
What that's going to mean, Yeah, yeah, we knew it
was coming. It was a case of I decided college
wasn't for me, which I could have gotten a college deferment,
but my grades in college, were like, now I'm gonna
end up getting drafted, So I joined just to, like
I said, make sure I didn't go in as an
(07:08):
infantry man, which meant you.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
Had a cush jaw while you were there. But yeah,
all right, Just a reminder wherever you listen to podcasts,
look for Road to Hope Radio. Appreciate you subscribing, sharing,
especially this show. I think as we go through that
(07:32):
you understand the deep meaning behind spending some time on
this subject today. So thank you for joining us. We're
going to take a quick break and we'll get back
and talk with Philip and Jerome and let them share
a little bit of their story and we'll be back
with more of them. Just a moment with Road to
Hope Radio.
Speaker 6 (07:53):
Shot you got the chips chucking mine.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Together and welcome back to Rode de Hope Radio.
Speaker 5 (08:28):
It is the National Vietnam Veteran War.
Speaker 6 (08:34):
Day Show.
Speaker 5 (08:36):
I'm glad to have you along at Philip United States
Army James United States Marine veterans, both, interestingly enough, might
be a surprise of many who are listening stepped up
and joined rather than being drafted, which is kind of
the story we're used to hearing you've already heard a
(08:57):
little bit about why Philip stepped forward? Jerome, Why did
you decide I'm going to do this at age seventeen?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Okay, I was a youngster and I didn't have much
direction in my life at that time, so I was
kind of unsure what I was going to do. And
but it dawned on me at that particular time that
you know, uh military, Uh, it was part of doing
(09:30):
your duty as far as you know, living in this country,
you know it should have been. It should be everybody,
every a person's duty to do their part in the
military service. So I come from a long line of Marines,
(09:51):
so uh, you know, I just told myself, you know,
I might as well go and get it over with.
I'm young, I'm strong, I'm healthy. You know, let's you know,
let's see what this is about.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
So I volunteered. I volunteered, and I went through what
I went through, you know, and yeah, the Vietnam War
was going on, so I knew that was a possibility.
But you know, I had no idea. I had no
idea of what war was. Just what I little a
(10:29):
bit I heard on TV and stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
I was gonna ask how much do you guys remember
prior to joining of the news coverage of the day.
How much do you recall it because I was a
mere child. I was barely here when you guys signed up.
But how much do you remember, if any of news
coverage Vietnam before you guys went in inside the dotted line?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Speaking for myself, like I said, you know, I watched
the news casts on TV and stuff like that, but
you know, I really didn't know. I mean, as a
young person, I really didn't know what I was getting
in myself. And like I said, I went in the
military just to do my duty, you know, or whatever. Uh,
(11:16):
you know, whatever the outcome was, whatever was going to happen,
I was okay with it, you know. That's why I volunteered.
I didn't get drafted and and going in okay, yeah,
or you know, Uh, like I said, I was young, young, dumb,
and you know, so you know, I you know, I
(11:40):
was off for it, you know, no matter what. Uh,
Like I said, I had no idea until I went
actually went overseas and actually saw for my own eyes.
And finally I told myself, what did I get myself into?
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Yeah, So but like I said, My original plan was,
you know, to do my duty, to up all my country. Yeah,
because I felt like it was part everybody's part, and
I didn't want to get drafted, you know, I you know,
so that's how I ended up.
Speaker 5 (12:15):
What about you, Philip, remember any of the news coverage
back then.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
I remembered, unfortunately quite a bit of the news coverage.
But at the time, one of the things that was
on the news just about as much as the war
was the protesters, And so it was kind of a
mix and match. I knew enough my my dad never
(12:42):
served in the military. He was a civilian DoD employee.
And my brother and his infinite wisdom, decided to join
the Air Force, and I was like, well, I can't
join the Air Force. But now it was unfortunately quite
a mix of Yeah, they would show you a you know,
(13:06):
ten fifteen second clip of what was going on in
Vietnam and then turn around and show you a thirty
second clip of the protesters, and it was it was
in my opinion right at that particular age, I mean,
I was nineteen, and I was like, there's just I'm
(13:29):
not even really sure how to describe it. It was like,
you know, what the heck, and a little like Jerome.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
You know.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
It was like, well, I know, if I'm not doing
things right, I'm gonna I'm gonna end up getting drafted.
So I figured the safest thing to do would be enlist.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Okay, so when I was a mere child, and I'm
not trying to make jokes, that's where I was. So
everything I have is kind of historical, and you know,
as you know, the reporting of it, which depends on
who you listen to. But my vague actual remembrance versus
you know, watching documentaries or whatever. Vaguely I remember sitting
(14:16):
in front of the TV in our house, which had
four channels, the three networks and PBS that was it,
and just that screen of Walter Cronkite and behind him
a map of Vietnam, and there would be some star
or something where something they were talking about about that
(14:38):
particular day might bring back a little nostalgia for some
just a real quick clip through.
Speaker 7 (14:46):
For it seems now more certain than ever that the
bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate.
But it is increasingly clear to this reporter that the
only rational way out then will be to negotiation. Not
as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up
to their pledge to defend democracy and did the best
(15:08):
they could.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
That was Walter Cronkite fifty years ago tonight. So when
you hear that.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
Again, this one reporter's recollection of it or description of it,
what's your thought? What comes to mimy hear that, you know,
coming to some sort of here's how we're going to
end it in a respectable way. But not he delineated
that as not as victors. What's that due to your soul?
Speaker 6 (15:41):
When you hear that?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Well, actually, for myself, you know, I didn't know what
the war was about. You know. Actually, as you know,
I've been staying from the beginning, I went to do
my duty. So actually I didn't know what's actually the
war was abod uh Uh you know. I I went
over there, and I knew it was a North and
(16:07):
the South type of thing, like, okay, we had a
civil war here. So I figured, okay, there's a civil
war there. Why we were there? I had no idea.
I just knew that that's where they sent me. That's
where I ended up doing my duty. And uh, you know,
I grew up there, you know, I grew up there.
(16:28):
I I, ah, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (16:33):
I grow up fast, Yeah, real fast. I you know.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I I did stuff that I never dreamed that I
would do. You know, Seeing stuff that yeah, you know
you see it on TV is one thing, but when
you actually experience it's a whole different game.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
So if that's stir anything in your mind when you
hear that.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Well it's a little bit of what I picked up from.
It was the fact that we're trying to defeat communism
to keep it from spreading. And if that's what we
were supposed to be doing, that would have been great
to me. It really didn't feel like it was trying
(17:17):
to stop communism. The more you got into the war,
the more the longer we were added to me, it
turned into why the heck are we here, which is
a sad way of saying, you know, we if we
had really meant to stop communism, we could have won
(17:39):
that war.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
It would have been hew which comes back to the
hoe we lost it in DC, not not in not
in the rice patties. Are we going to take a
quick break that those on the nine five, we're going
to take quick a news break. The rest of you
hang on just one moment, be right back with more
of road to Hope Radio.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
And how's that sound?
Speaker 6 (18:18):
Felt?
Speaker 5 (18:20):
Sound familiar music?
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Huh?
Speaker 4 (18:22):
At least it's decent bump from you.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
There we go, Welcome back to Roadepe Radio.
Speaker 5 (18:30):
Glad toagline. We've got a couple of Vietnam veterans here
as we uh yesterday Vietnam National Vietnam War Veterans Day,
and we want to spend a little time talking about it.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
It's so important, guys. You lived it.
Speaker 5 (18:45):
I barely remember, as we already discussed, you know, just
the news coverage of it. You know, probably more than
the average joe, but not as much as many I've
you know, done some reading, watched some documentaries on it
as an adult and kind of try to process it
all history classes and such. You guys lived it, and
(19:07):
it's I believe one. It's important. It's extremely important, particularly
in light of the way our nation treated you guys
when you came home. And I tell you, guys, as
the whole of our military coming home, it was a disgraceful, shameful, awful, horrible,
(19:28):
unforgivable all those things. So it's important for these younger
generations to hear and while they have the opportunity to
hear from guys who lived it. I think it's extremely
important we do that, and that we honor those who
fought their for their nation, did what they were told,
having taken the oath to defend and protect the Constitution
(19:49):
of the United States. We deserve, we should rightfully so
honor the Vietnam veteran generation, and we should. The other
part of that is the education side to what's going
on and the lack of understanding what actually happened, what
was actually going on in Vietnam as opposed to what
(20:14):
some were saying at the time and what some still
say all these decades later. So let me just turn
it back over to you guys, life for you talk
just a little bit, well, I say a little bit
up to you how much, but give us a little
idea of where, when and where you were, what your
experience was. You know, they say, they say war as hell.
(20:37):
I mean, we don't want to get too deep into
all that. But when and where were you at in Vietnam?
And what was that like? What was going on?
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Okay again, I'll start this. I my mos which was
what I what I was trained to do, what I was.
I was thirty one, which is an M sixty machine gunner.
I spent three quarters of my tour on the d
(21:08):
M z UH which is around the Quantree Uh Dung
Hall and Jill Lynn area.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Oh again, I.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
You know, I the whole scenario of the being there
andything was a surprise to me. Uh you know, just
being there. So actually what it what it came to
when I people, I started getting shot at and I
started seeing people falling and people dying and getting wounded.
(21:46):
You know, it became this survival instinct started kicking in.
You know, it was a survival thing. You know. Uh
I was there, it was like, okay, I don't want
to do this no more. You know, it's I want
to go home. It wasn't going to happen. So I
had to pull in all my instincts, little survival what
(22:12):
I was taught to how to survive, kick in and
just you know, my do my time. My tour was
a thirteen month tour. When I got in my twelfth
twelfth month and the second week it was time for
me to come home. I came home and I was
(22:34):
in Okanawa for a little while. Part of my story
is my brother too. My brother was over there and
he came a little a little late, but he was
only there a couple of months and he got he
got killed. I was in Okinawa when I found out,
so I had to wait and escort his body home.
(22:56):
So that's how I came home. I came home and Stateside, Uh,
military wasn't for me. You know, I couldn't adjust. So
you know, I went through my little periods of frustration
and whatever I went, and you know, I got myself
in little trouble. They locked me up a little while.
(23:18):
But my mom she backed me up and she you know,
got people to help me. So I got out maybe
six months earlier. Had I signed up for four years,
I got maybe six months a little earlier. I came home,
and I came home to a real ungrateful a country.
(23:40):
Uh they gave us names. You know, jobs were hard
to find. Viewers a Vietnam jarge were hard to find,
and you know, people just I got mistreated. So I
carried that. I carried that shame and guilt for all
these years, even after all these other wars that came out.
(24:00):
There was you know, people start giving other veterans, you know,
welcome home parades and jobs and you know, helping them
get housing and whatever. And that didn't set well with me,
you know, so when people would thank me for my service,
I didn't, you know, I had a bad attitude about
(24:21):
it too.
Speaker 5 (24:21):
Let me just go back for just a second. So
you talked about what your MOSO was, your machine gunner.
So I kind of stir some images in my brain
that I kind of assume from watching documentaries and whatever.
How much of that of that came home with you?
(24:42):
I mean, you talked about the transition, trying to get
into a civilian world and that not going so well.
How much of that what you were doing came home
with you?
Speaker 2 (24:52):
The whole thing came home with me because I couldn't adjust.
I couldn't adjust, I could not hold on a job.
Relationships were hard for me. And then towards the end,
after I lost my wife and my kids, I decided
to go homeless. You know, I went home. I went
(25:14):
homeless for about over twenty years because again I learned,
I was learning in the streets. I knew how to survive,
I learned how where to go eat, I knew where
to go get closed. I knew, you know, all the
resources they were, and I got comfortable with it. It
was like I was in the war again and it's all.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
Your time in Vietnam. Where were you when.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Philip, Well, when I first hit Vietnam, we flew into
ben Wah and they were shelling the airport when we landed.
Welcome to Vietnam, Welcome to Vietnam.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
Chamber Commerce Day.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Oh yeah, I'm a big poster that said visit beautiful
Vietnam this vacation. And of course that was one of
the armies. Yeah, started out in ben Wah as far
as where they were going to start positioning us with
outfits that needed help. About two or three days after
(26:22):
I hit Vietnam, they sent us up. For anybody that's
even part way familiar with the northern part of South
Vietnam is the Ashaw Valley, and I have a tremendous
amount of respect for the Marines that suffered up there.
They called the army, We went in and helped them out.
(26:43):
And a week or two later, the Army got in
a bind and we called the Marines and they came
in and helped us out. I have a tremendous amount
of respect for both branches of service. Ashaw Valley was
not an easy place to be, and I'll leave it
at that. But after about three months they positioned us
(27:06):
down near Saigon, what they called Palace Guard was a
little bit easier. We weren't getting shelled every day, so
at least we'd have a day or two in between incomings.
As far as when I got home, a little like
(27:28):
Jerome said that, we came back to a country that
could have cared less, and we did have a lot
of nicknames that were not nice.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
We're going to take a break here in just a minute,
and I want to dig into that a little bit.
We don't have to go too far, but it will
dig into that a little bit. What I do want
to say real quickly before we run to break. We
understand as we talk about these stories, some hopefully we'll
hear this that are fellow Vietnam veterans and you were there,
(28:02):
and some of this can be quite triggering and maybe
conjuring up memories that you've tried to smash down into
a box and wrap up and put off in a corner,
never to be brought up again. We get that, but
we will talk a lot about this. But I do
want to quickly mention eight seven seven seven one seven
(28:25):
seventy eight seventy three. That's a combat Trauma support line.
And the reason that number is important is a combat
that's going to answer the phone. So it's somebody that understands,
truly understands, not just a clinician it spouting off stuff
they learned reading at a book. Eight seven seven seven
one seven seventy eight seventy three. The Combat Trauma Support
Line PTSD post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSDUSA dot org for
(28:50):
all kinds of information, of support and resources for our
veterans of every era of war. And take a quick
break and be right back with more of Road to
Hope Radio.
Speaker 6 (29:01):
People tell me there, we welcome.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
You back to Road to Hope Radio.
Speaker 5 (29:20):
Got a couple of Vietnam bets with US. Philip, United
States Army at Jerome, United States Marine. Both joined at
a very very young age. Joined were not drafted. I
went to a place that none of us liked to
really even think about. Nevertheless, have to go and experience.
We were talking a bit about coming home, and Philip,
(29:42):
you were just starting to get on that. So I'm
going to turn it back over to you. But for
anyone that's you know, aware at all, which would be
most everybody except maybe some of the much younger generation
that just didn't pay attention or we're in an education
setting where they just didn't and talk about it from
a realistic, an honest recollection of history.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
But the name.
Speaker 5 (30:09):
Calling in all that was going on when our veterans
came home.
Speaker 6 (30:14):
I know.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
I have a friend that was United States and Navy
who was a fighter pilot, also did some work on
the intelligence side, and he talked about the fact that
he was walking Rice Campus University in his Navy uniform
after returning home and some things were thrown on him.
(30:36):
I don't know you guys experience, but tell me what
you experienced personally coming home as a Vietnam VET.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
When I got home, we flew into San Francisco International
and we got off the airplane and the gentleman that
formed us out said that you're here. There's a fence
line and the buses to take you back to Ford
(31:08):
Order on the other side of that fence line, and
all along the fence line were protesters, and he said,
that's the only thing keeping you from getting to ford Ord.
And for some strange reason, we did manage to get
on the buses.
Speaker 6 (31:24):
I'll leave it at that.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
But one of the first things they told us when
we hit Ford Ord was to get out of your uniform,
get back into civilian clothes.
Speaker 6 (31:34):
And I was.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
Quite a bit fortunate in the fact that I did
not really have any major problems with people. I was
at the age where people were running off to Canada
to avoid the draft and that kind of thing. And
(31:59):
I'd never told anybody that I had been in the military,
much less than to Vietnam, and a lot of people
were like, well, Okay, you got lucky, you missed it,
and I just let it go with that, And I've
heard a lot of that.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
Just don't let anybody know.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
Yeah, and it took As a matter of fact, I
think my first wife and I or she didn't really
know much about it until after we'd been married for
a few years.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
But yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
Then found an occupation that I could semi isolate. I
didn't have to deal with people, and I've got all.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
The dangers of PTSD right there.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
Yeah, I've got a whole lot of miles on cross country.
I've been in all forty eight states at least eight
or nine times driving a truck and you're by yourself.
You can either work with it or ignore it. And
that's what I did, lucky in that sense that I
figured out a way to semi isolate.
Speaker 5 (33:04):
What about you, Jerome, You've already talked a little bit
about the whole disconnect and not really kind of fitting
in coming home. And did you experience some of the
things that were being reported on the news at the time.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Actually not the face to face their money bad experiences.
Was one time I went to apply for a construction
job and when I put down on paper that I
was a Vietnam veteran, you know, I just recently been home,
the contract told me that the experience that I had
(33:39):
he couldn't use, you know.
Speaker 5 (33:42):
And so.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Yeah, I got turned away. Yeah, I mean yeah, you know,
I never because I come from a small town, you know,
Galston at that particular time. You know, nobody actually got
in my face. But there were you know, newspapers and
you know TV you know about that, the all protests, Yeah,
(34:08):
all the protests and the name calling, and and you
know what, I how I got through it was, I
told myself, but you know what, when they call me
a baby killer, I was a baby killer.
Speaker 5 (34:21):
You know.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
I didn't need to be reminded of it. But yeah,
I did that stuff. I did that stuff.
Speaker 5 (34:29):
Uh. War is easy to run when you're in a
classroom in uh the buke. Iowa pretty clean when you
do it from there, both of you today and this,
and I'm sure part of it just has to do
with what you know. You knew you were coming here
today to talk about this, but it's not unusual to
(34:51):
see both of you today in this current time wearing
Vietnam veteran hats. You're not ashamed of it. How did
we get from you're a baby killer and you can't
have a job because you were in Vietnam two proudly
saying that's where I served? How'd you get here?
Speaker 6 (35:14):
Be real quick?
Speaker 2 (35:15):
For myself and myself, I had resentment against Vietnams people. Yeah,
coming here to hous standards, the big church here where
being the missed people go. I had to sit in
front of that church for about a year, you know,
letting that all that hate go, letting all that hate go.
(35:35):
So uh when when uh yeah, when all these other
wards came came and gone, you know, people start thinking again,
start thanking me for my particular service, you know, That's
when I learned to let it go.
Speaker 5 (35:49):
I said, okay, Caesar said, than done, And yeah, yeah,
I said, just let it, let it go.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
It was getting me nowhere.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
What about you, Philip, Oh, that's kind of a tough one. I,
like I said, I did a great job of just
semi isolating. I really didn't have to worry too much
about it. I did get extremely resentful for the VFW
and the other veteran organizations that were out there supposedly
(36:21):
to help you, and I was turned away from all
of them. They were like, you went to Vietnam, We
want nothing to do with you. Well, now that years
have gone by and they've started losing the veterans from
World War Two and from Korea and their numbers are dwindling,
all of a sudden, it's like, welcome you, Vietnam vets.
(36:44):
And I say this politely. They can hang that where So, Yeah,
it was bad. Like I said, I was very fortunate
in the fact that when I started driving truck, I
didn't have to worry about getting a job. There's always
struck driver jobs open somewhere doing something, And so I
(37:09):
did my semi isolation until COVID hit, and that was
the start of the downfall.
Speaker 5 (37:18):
Well, I'm grateful for both of you. I'm grateful for
you wearing the uniform of a country, going where they
sent you, in doing what had to be done.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
I hate.
Speaker 5 (37:29):
With a passion what happened. I hate with a passion
what happened and the way we treated you guys in
coming home. And I hope it's some solace to you
that it seems to at least some degree the nation
has learned a little bit, though it seems to also
have forgotten some of those lessons already. But grateful for
each of you and what you've done. My hope is
(37:51):
some folks will share this episode of this podcast with
some folks. I was at an event not too long ago,
and it was designed to sit down and talk to
folks in a very intimate setting and kind of describe
what we do at Camp Hope with There's a gentleman
that sat down as a Vietnam vet, and so I
just I just started, Hey, where were you? Do you
(38:14):
mind talking about it? And he was about five seconds
in and he started tearing up and struggling to speak.
The pain is real and these veterans are carrying it
decades later. You know someone, share the word. Ptsdusa dot
org where if you listen to podcasts, look for Road
to Hope it's free, hit the subscribe button, it'll download automatically.
(38:36):
You can share it with somebody, Share the hope. These
two gentlemen faced it, they face the struggle coming home,
they struggle with it, and now they're in a so
much better place. It can happen everything we do for
our veterans and their families at absolutely zero cost to
them or their family. Ptsdusa dot org Again, thanks for listening.
We look forward to being with you again next week
(38:56):
for more of Road to
Speaker 6 (38:58):
Hope Radio Canna Inno
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