Tag Archives: RVN

Current Events

Belated Memorial Day Message

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To all my Vietnam Veteran brothers, as well as my patriotic American followers who weren’t able to serve, may God bless you and keep you. I did not post anything prior to Memorial Day, as I always find myself somewhat lost for the appropriate words. Is it correct to wish someone “Happy Memorial Day? Appropriately or not, I always find it difficult to make that wish.

However, yesterday I received an email from a good friend and fellow warrior, Lobo, with a message from Quang Nguyen that I found highly moving and fittingly appropriate as a Memorial Day presentation. In case you are not familiar with Quang Nguyen, he is a state representative from Arizona. He sent Lobo a copy of the speech he had given this year at the Prescott National Cemetery in his home state. I’ll let him tell you his story. Enjoy!

Big Brother,                                                                    I was given 7 minutes to speak at the Prescott National Cemetery on this Memorial Day.  I thought it beneficial to Veterans to hear a different perspective.  Here’s the copy.  Please remember that I write the way I speak and so I am not paying attention to grammar or punctuation.  Thank you.

It is always an honor to be present here at the Prescott National Cemetery on Memorial Day. I was here last year to hear the wise words from Major General Mick McGuire and I hope to be just half as inspirational as his.

There is somewhat of a different perspective of Memorial Day once you been in a war and understand the true meaning of the “ULTIMATE SACRIFICE”. Today, I offer you my unique perspective of what this day personally meant to me. You see… We recently commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. I was too young to be in the service, but I lived through three communist invasions including the final one on 30 April, 1975. So when I say I’ve seen American service members walking through the rice fields, I actually saw that with my own eyes. When I say I understand the sacrifice of young men and women who travel 10 thousand miles to fight for my freedom, I actually do know and do understand. More than 58 thousands of your sons and daughters gave it all, SO I can stand here in front of you today. No books; No teachers; No professors will be able to explain the meaning of Memorial Day to me. I know from personal experience. Not a single day in my life that I don’t think about how lucky I am to be an American.

My Dad spent 39 years of his life fighting in three different wars.  My brother fought along side many of you who are here today, from 1968 to 1975 as an Airborne soldier. During my childhood, I learned that two of my first cousins died as rangers in Cambodia. One was executed after the Fall of Saigon in a concentration camp. Those are also my personal experience.

For years, I wasn’t able to visit the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. I felt responsible for getting those names etched on those Walls. I did not want to interfere with the mourning process by showing up. There is so much guilt in my soul. In 2016, my wife, daughter, and I flew to DC to drop off my daughter Sarah at a Summer Program in Annapolis. Having little else to do in the area, my wife and I decided to visit the monuments and I mentally avoided the WALL. My wife then said to me… We need to spend time paying respect to Vietnam Veterans to which I replied, I don’t think I am wanted there. She literally dragged me from the Lincoln Memorial to the Vietnam Wall. It was 2:30 in the afternoon and for some unknown reasons, not a soul was there except for a wreath left for a soldier with a gold banner: “West Point Class of 64”. I touched as many names as I possibly can and by the time I got to the very end, I was emotionally drained and I felt grateful having known that so many died for me and I am grateful to be adopted by the most generous nation in the world.

To the Gold Star families, you bear the heavy burden of loss. You showed us your strength and resilience and that is a profound testament to the love and pride you hold for your love ones. I will never be in the position of telling you that I understand your loss. Thank you, Gold Star families for your ultimate sacrifice. To you and your service members, this nation owes you a debt of gratitude.

Here’s what we all need to recognize… Our fallen heroes know sacrifice through giving. The rest of us know sacrifice through receiving.

Let us honor our fallen heroes not only with words, but how we live, by serving others, stand up for what is right and to ensure their legacy endures through our action. May we never forget freedom is not free. It is paid for by the brave, and today, we remember them all.

God bless the Unite States America and her heroes.

Quang Nguyen

Recent Posts

“Sgt Al”

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I never make two posts in one day, but today it is a must. Today, a Saturday, started out as any other day in my near 80 years of life. It’s not a weekend to me since retiring, hell every day is a weekend. But then I received some news that struck a dagger into my heart. And I do mean it hit me hard and I have to share it with my followers, many of whom served and will understand how and why this sort of news hits one deep in the soul. For those who may not have been there, please excuse my posting something you may not understand. So simply pass it by if you wish — this is personal

Raiders of Echo 2/1,  it is with the heaviest of heart that I inform you of the passing of one helluva Marine with whom we all served in 1966-67. One of whom I owe so much, the best damn Platoon Sergeant anyone could ever ask for regardless of one’s position in the platoon, but especially for me as the plt cmdr. As we all knew and loved him, “Sgt Al” — aka Dennis Alessandrine. He and his son Denny, Jr attended  our first reunion.

I just got off the phone with son Denny Jr and his sister JoAnn with whom I frequently communicated in an attempt to get him to come to another reunion. I spoke with Sgt Al just two weeks ago where we spoke of the passing of his lifelong girlfriend, Peanuts as he called her. He missed her terribly. She was in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s, where for the past nine years, he had traveled there to feed her three times a day. Yes, three times a day – EVERYDAY! He never missed a day, which is why he could not attend any of  our subsequent reunions. We talked about her as we always did when we had our periodic phone conversations. She passed in March and  he was having a rough time getting over it, but was enjoying his grandchildren.

It appears from initial reports Sgt Al died of an apparent heart attack on Thursday at the age of 73. He is to be cremated and the services as now planned will be this coming Thursday in PA.

Sgt Al and I sailed to RVN together, survived our time in hell together, came back together, and remained best friends and brothers since then. I loved him like the brother I never had.

I have so many memories of our time together in RVN, more so than any other members of the company. We looked out for one another and probably saved one another’s life more times than we cared to count. As some of you know who read the book, I somehow became the Skipper’s “Pinch hitter platoon commander.” Anytime we lost a Lt for whatever reason I was sent in to take over. I always requested Sgt Al to come with me, and sometimes the Skipper approved, sometimes not.

I remember so many times when we  were setting up to cross a danger area on patrol. Two squads on either side of the crossing point along with guns and mortars, I’d take the third squad and start crossing. Sgt Al always said “Let me take the squad across, we can’t afford to lose you!” I’d laugh and say bullshit, we need you more than me.”

One time as I we were preparing for the cross I was looking for Sgt Al to give him the heads up to take charge of the base of fire squads and I looked up and the crossing squad had already started across with Sgt Al in charge.

That crossing turned live, they drew fire from two directions to their front. The crossing squad hit the deck in the swollen rice paddies and the base of fire squads opened up with a high volume of fire along with the 60 mortars and machine guns. Once fire superiority was achieved I fired a red star cluster, the base of fire squads shifted their fire outboard and the crossing squad fired and maneuvered across the paddy to the treeline and set up a defensive position.  We took no casualties and found three dead VC once we all got across.

After setting a PPB and eating a C, Sgt Al stunk to high heaven having laid in a smelly knee deep rice paddy for several minutes. He joked he was not going to demand to take the crossing squad anymore. He lied, he continued to do so every time.

He was from Philly and was fearless, always ready for whatever “Murphy” could possibly throw at us on patrol. He was a hero in my eyes and to the troops as well.  I will certainly miss our periodic phone calls.

May God welcome him into heaven with all the pomp and circumstance deserved of a hero! And God bless the entire Alessandrine family and friends. Here are some cherished photos of the brother I never had!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sgt B and Sgt Al Waiting to be helicoptered into Operation Mississippi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SSgtB and SgtAl finally clean

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foreground, Sgt Mize, plt guide,  Sgt Al and Sgt B after a patrol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cpl Pelch (1st Sq Ldr), Sgt B, and Sgt Al

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sgt Al holding a deaffall we discovered on the patrol where I was wounded. Sgt Al led the platoon back to the company.

Sgt Al, I personally believe we made one helluva team, and we shall do so again! God Bless you, we will be together again someday, because We’ll All Die as Marines Brother.

Originally posted 2020-08-08 16:23:06.

Recent Posts

Welcome Home!

For those of us who served, this is a great tribute narrated by one of my favorite actors, Sam Elliot, who stared as the Sgt Major in “We Were Soldiers Once.” Turn up the sound, sit back, relax, and enjoy (if you can)

Originally posted 2020-05-31 09:30:23.

Current Events

“All Gave Some . . .

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But some gave all. And that is what this weekend is all about. So when you gather around the table for some traditional hotdogs and burgers this weekend, remember to hold hands and give a moment of silence to all those service men and women who are resting in ANC and in all those other hundreds of other  cemeteries spread around the world

Jazz Finally at Rest                    By: Greg Maresca

On January 24, 2022, less than a month after Robert “Jazz” Jasinski, celebrated his 60th birthday, his six-decade run on this third post from the sun came to an abrupt and unexpected close. It would not be until May 23, 2023, that his cremains would be finally interred to their ultimate resting place in Arlington National Cemetery.

As the nation prepares to observe Memorial Day, it was certainly a tailored time to have his last and long overdue request realized. The elapsed time of 16-months – two hockey seasons – would have stirred a hearty laugh tinged with a little disgust from my old friend. Jazz was all too familiar with the enduring federal bureaucracy having spent most of his life toiling on the front lines for Uncle Sam – first as a U.S. Marine and then with the Transportation Security Administration.

 The extended and unnecessary ripple effects of COVID-19 still resonate throughout America’s capital city and wokefully ground zero is Arlington National Cemetery. In no way does COVID still make such a prolonged wait for burial justified. It is nothing short of a national disgrace.

We have no issue with packaging multi billions in military aid to Ukraine and thought nothing of bequeathing nearly just as much military hardware to the Taliban in our flight out of Afghanistan – another national disgrace.

Millions pour over our southern border illegally, while we drown in government debt living in a cultural zeitgeist where plenty of folks think nothing of using a $1000 iPhone 14 Pro to check their food stamp balance.

The nation’s capital was like a second home to the Delaware County, Pennsylvania native having done a tour of duty at Marine Corps Headquarters. A favorite D.C. haunt of his was Arlington. Yet, it took 16-months to finally inter Jazz’s ashes among some of the men he served with and those he helped bury while serving with the Corps’ Casualty Notification Unit decades ago.

If Jazz had survived and knew that any veteran had such a long waiting period, he would have been heard. Given the circumstances, he never would have placed himself in a situation to jump the line, either.

Still, with this Memorial Day weekend upon America, we can’t bury some of our veterans in a timely fashion at the nation’s most hallowed and historic burial grounds affording closure for so many families.

There still exists a third of America who takes seriously the nation’s oldest president whose administration is devoid of many things, most of all – wisdom. According to Biden’s recent commencement address at nearby Howard University, America’s greatest threats are not foreign, but domestic. Is it any wonder why on this Memorial Day weekend, the nation is circling the drain of the abyss?

A call to Arlington’s general service number yielded nothing but excuses, namely COVID overkill. What was emphasized was how Arlington conducts approximately 6,400 burials a year averaging 30 per day. Their backlog consists of 4,500 extending the wait to 16 months – now in its third year.

Unanswered in another column from a year ago was when Biden abandoned Afghanistan in record time, why couldn’t he sign another one of his numerous presidential executive orders to expedite laying to rest heroic American veterans in a timely fashion?

Pulling punches is not in the Jasinski DNA as Jazz’s older brother Stan was generous providing solutions saying, “They (Arlington) need to think out of the box by holding larger ceremonies for groups at a time, use special ceremonial units or ROTC for extra manpower to reduce the wait. They have got to stop this ‘is what we have always done mentality.’”

Arlington guards the remains of more than 330,000 immortal souls buried under plain, white granite stones all in formation where every day is Memorial Day, and where waiting lists should be entrusted to the dustbin of history.

Arlington is the priciest of American real estate and is the unabridged narrative of the nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. And my old friend, whose ashes now finally rest here, would stress in no uncertain terms that we need to keep it that way.

Rest easy, Jazz, you are finally home.

Yes, may God please bless Jazz, and all the others who have served this once famous country. Amen

Postscript: I just received some very bad news from a Marine Brother, Sam Garland. Our best friend and brother Marine hero, LtCol Vic Taylor, USMC (Ret) from Steamboat Springs, CO has passed away. We know none of the details at this time. When I get more information, I will pass it along on here.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 An older picture (1959) of Vic as a LCpl

 

Originally posted 2023-05-28 10:52:31.

Book News

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Well, after a little more than a year I finally received a book trailer I had requested and paid for back in January 2022. So, I thought I’d give it a try out here on the blog. LOL I just wanted to get it out there and see what it looks like and how it’s accepted. There is a gross error in it however. The book is NOT available on Amazon anymore at their highly inflated price that they never shared with me. Talk about a rip off. Anyway, I cut ties with the publisher and Amazon at the same time. Until I find another publisher, I do have a few of the hard covers that survived the hurricane here in September, and I do have a few that did get a little wet which I will sell really cheap. The others I’ll let go for $30 personally inscribed and I will eat the postage to you. Anyway, let me know what you think of the trailer.  You may have to copy and paste the URL below to see the trailer. I hope you enjoy it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s2eNGB3KzRT4sqISHc-G_pJxsDX4uSeI/view?fbclid=IwAR3MLHR-WiCt2a9qBCYSo9PIX5E9aBq2L3Wzw6JifAb_NRvAgbtA024lAXA

 

 

Originally posted 2023-02-18 16:44:27.