The Vietnam heroes we didn’t know about were always here
When I heard that Ken Burns and Lynn Novick had completed an ambitious 18-hour PBS documentary on the Vietnam War, I had an idea.
Why not reach out to those in the Bradenton community and see who would be willing to share their stories about the Vietnam War?
Herald editors readily green-lighted the proposal, resulting in a nine-part series that served as a local companion to the TV documentary.
I have more than a passing interest in the war. I, too, served in Vietnam.
My experiences as a junior officer in Vietnam from August 1968 to June 1971 helped me relate to — and understand — these remarkable Manatee County residents I interviewed.
It takes courage to open up about perhaps your worst day and how it affects you the rest of your life.
Each story is different. All are compelling.
RELATED, Part 1: Rome plow driver scarred by intense combat in Vietnam’s ‘Iron Triangle’
RELATED, Part 2: Palma Sola VFW post commander served with heroism in Vietnam
RELATED, Part 3: He fought two wars: Vietnam and the war within
RELATED, Part 4: Palma Sola VFW veterans remember their Vietnam service
RELATED, Part 5: She helped bring touch of home to GI’s in Vietnam
RELATED, Part 6: Manatee man fought to win heards and minds in Vietnam
RELATED, Part 8: Tony Morton’s experience in Vietnam: Real bullets, real war, real bad
RELATED, Part 9: Late Bradenton veteran played role in identifying the Vietnam Unknown
Let’s start with Tony Morton, a bright, friendly retired Army sergeant major.
The 66-year-old almost seemed to transform into an 18-year-old machine gunner as he relived a battle from April 14, 1970.
Morton and his rifle platoon fought their way through a wall of flame battling a larger force of North Vietnamese Army regulars on a hillside near Dak Seang to recover the body of an American helicopter pilot. His story of how his platoon took out a fortified enemy position firing a nasty-looking 30 mm anti-aircraft weapon is nothing short of hair-raising.
Then there is Bob Mulhauser, commander of Palma Sola Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10141, who is so steady and low-key that you might never suspect that he, like Morton, was decorated for heroism.
During the Battle of Fire Base Ripcord, “Sgt. Mulhauser continually subjected himself to hostile fire while resupplying his position with needed munitions. He later provided suppressive fire, protecting a Ch-47 resupply helicopter. His actions were instrumental in preserving the security of the fire base,” said a citation which recognized his valor.
And what about Diane Tucker? She volunteered to go to Vietnam as a 21-year-old civilian with the American Red Cross to bring a touch of home to the troops. She visited as many as eight fire bases in a day, serving refreshments and leading games of trivia.
She never thought of herself as brave, even though she was often flying over hostile territory in a helicopter, and more than once had to run for a bunker during a rocket attack.
“I just felt like I needed to support our troops,” she said.
That theme of service, of doing a job that others might try to avoid, came through in all the interviews.
It was a privilege sitting in living rooms, looking through scrapbooks of fading photos from long ago, trying to capture a little of what these men and women had experienced.
For too long, the folks who fought the Vietnam War were unappreciated, shunned, even insulted for doing what their country asked them to do.
Their stories are finally being heard. It’s about time.
James A. Jones Jr.: 941-745-7053, @jajones1
This story was originally published September 25, 2017 at 3:03 PM with the headline "The Vietnam heroes we didn’t know about were always here."