The Viet Nam War Stole Their Fathers

(C) James J Alonzo

Someone said, "War is Hell!"  But that's a lie. Hell is only for the guilty. War is worse than Hell, war not only destroys a country, kills soldiers on both sides, but it also kills and destroys innocent people. Sometime whole generations.

Viet Nam is where It began, the young men answering the call of their country, after training, received their orders, then they were sent to this exotic country in Southeast Asia. These soldiers got sent to this exotic country, met interesting people, and even kill some of them. Viet Nam was war, gore, heat, death and destruction. A war that stole their father's heart. A war that killed his buddies, his spirit, and hardened the man within

Vietnam was a place that many soldiers left parts of themselves, hurting with fear, and pain.
Viet Nam was a place that over 58,000 of their buddies died. Viet Nam was a war that hundreds of thousands were wounded and maimed. Viet Nam was a war where terror through the night struck hard, as beads of sweat rolled down their faces. Viet Nam was a war that they did not choose.

Viet Nam was the war that they had to listen to the fire of ammunition echoing through the sky, and watching their buddies falling at their sides, their blood beneath spreading across the mud and dirt. Soldiers dead, wounded, crying out "who is caring about me?"

Viet Nam was where they had to stay alive by crawling through the mud, having to improvise,    learning to roll with the shock and changes as they came. Young, and naive, struggling to survive with each passing day, never knowing the planes above spraying chemicals that would kill them.

Viet Nam, where soldiers had to drudge through the mud up to their knees, crossing warm rivers with leeches, snakes, and contaminated by dioxin from Agent Orange runoffs. Earth giving soldiers shelter from harm, as they grasp it and hold on to it tight, feeling it beneath their feet pulling them into the darkness of the jungles.

Guns readily at their sides, never allowed to go to sleep. And when they try to sleep, while their buddies watch, nightmares flash through their mind. Flares flicker overhead, fired into the sky to aid in searching for the enemy hiding in the black jungle.

At the end of their tour, the United Sates of America sending them home one by one, scarred by the war, not knowing their minds damaged with PTSD, bodies contaminated with Agent Orange, not knowing that they would also be contaminating their future children.

Back home, no one really understanding the pain and suffering going on. Thousands of tears fall to the ground for the Vietnamese victims of The war, but not for the soldiers coming home one by one. Where was the welcoming home, the support they needed to go on with their lives?

Some wives and children grieving the loss of their dead fathers and husbands. Others, their husbands and fathers, are standing in front of them, but they are spiritually, and emotionally gone forever.

The Black Wall in Washington, Beer, Whiskey, and Cigarettes speaking from the graves of the brothers who died in front of them. To forget, drugs and alcohol are used, a disease that swept across the nation of American combat soldiers. Children and wives left behind, pain and suffering over taking their lives.

Misunderstood, and running away from the memories that still lived inside, screaming murder, blood everywhere. Nightmares, flashbacks, memories in the soldiers head, wrestling day in, day out, all through the night. Combat veterans, no joy or life left in them.

The soldiers that survived Viet Nam, coming home, their children born, filled with defects and illnesses, parents crying through the night. Questions unanswered, walls built up, broken communication, lack of love, relations dissolve. Prayers for the child of the soldier to survive.

The Viet Nam War stole their fathers, damaged family's lives, as the aftermath of Agent Orange spread through their veins one by one. No mercy, no compassion, where is the justice for the American soldier and his family.

The Concussion And The Worm VN

(mini-TET May 13, 1968)
(C) James J Alonzo

In Viet Nam I was driving in the middle of a 50 truck convoy in the Iron Triangle, going from Long Binh to Cu Chi. On the way through an area that was near the Michelin Rubber Plantation we were ambushed. The area was commonly known as "ambush alley." The enemy tactics was to disable a few of the trucks with road mines, (IED), setting up the convoy to fire small arms, rockets and mortars to destroy the rest of the vehicles.

J J Jackson, 6'3", 200 lbs, african-american, was my best friend and the machine gunner riding in the "shotgun" position of the tractor trailer, (18 wheel vehicle) I was driving. The vehicle was loaded with 155 MM artillery shells, and it was a high explosive load.

Driving through this area we were vigilant, we expected to get ambushed, I just didn't understand, that when it happen, I was still caught completely surprised! As the two lead vehicle were blown up, the small arms firing started, J J Jackson with grim determination on his ebony face opened up with the machine gun laying down heavy grazing fire to suppress the Viet Cong's charge.

Explosions of mortar or rocket fire continued. However, that was the last thing I remembered. Apparently I was near an explosive force from one of these rockets or mortars that landed nearby. My 160 lb. Body was lifted and thrown from the concussion of the blast! I was told later that the force had lifted me and thrown me off the truck landing about 15 feet from the truck.

The convoy commander Lt Best and J J Jackson later told me what had happen; As the fighting started, J J opened up on the enemy with the machine gun, and I was bringing more ammo belts to reload, when the blast occurred and he had ducked down looking back where I was supposed to be. When he saw me flying in the air doing a couple of somersaults and a 1/2 pike before hitting the roadway, landing on my head. Seeing my demise, he knew I wasn't going to be assisting him.

Through the enemy small arms fire and fellow explosions, J J Jackson disconnected the machine gun from the mount on the truck, continued firing at the VC, and ran to my unconscious body to see if I was alive. Having established that I was alive, still carrying the machine gun in one arm, he scooped me up like a baby and ran with me to better cover.

After the battle, I and other wounded soldiers were medivac by chopper, to the 24th EVAC Hospital at Long Binh. I was admitted with concussion of the brain, cuts, and abrasions of my face, hands and arms.

After the doctors finished with me, I was x-rayed, bandaged,and was admitted for 24 hour observation. When I became conscious, I no longer had my clothing, boots and weapons. I found out later that J J Jackson took my weapons back to the my company unit. I was also informed that I had to stick around.

"Ma'am, do I have to stay in bed?" I asked the nurse, who like all the nurses had officer rank, but she was American and pretty and I did stare at the first American women i've seen in long time.

"No, sergeant," the nurse responded, "there's the latrine, and after you clean up put this hospital gown and robe on. Then you're allowed to roam at will. The mess hall is down on 1B, since you can walk, you won't be served. And sergeant,,,,, don't bother the nurses!"

Well that had been clear enough, i just got my orders. As I roamed the other wards that day I heard a lot of laughter and excited talk from the nurse and medic station. Upon approaching the station desk, it became clear that all the attention was focused on a pill bottle that one of the nurses was holding. Seeing me this pretty blonde nurse smiled and said,

"Hey soldier, take a look at this."

The nurse handed me the pill bottle, and I found myself looking at some kind of worm about an inch long, but nothing else that would make me excited like these people.

"I've seen bigger worms in the jungle."

"Look closer, soldier, this is an intestinal worm," she laughed, " I bet you haven't seen one like this with sutures (stitches)!"

Looking closer, I did observe several pieces of knotted thread stitches on this worm.

"Your right, I've never seen anything like this before."

Still excited the nurse said, these are surgical sutures! Can you believe it?"

"Now why would anyone want to suture a worm? I asked puzzled.

"The worm," the nurse laughingly explained, "had been found in a stool sample collected from another soldier that was also wounded very severely in his stomach. We take samples to see if he has intestinal worms as a precaution, since it is common in this country. If he has them we give medicine to make the body evacuate the worms through their stools when they defecate."

"So how did the worm get sutured?" I asked.

"That's what got my attention," she laughed, "we were in surgery, and I noticed the sutures Doctor Johnson had done on the boy's stomach and intestinal area. Doctor Johnson thought the worm was a vessel and had tied it off by mistake. When I showed him the worm, Doctor Johnson was very proud of the sutures!"

She may have thought it funny and that doctor may have been proud, but I didn't see anything to laugh about! All I saw was a big screw up!

"How can a doctor make that kind of mistake?"

"Soldier," she lashed out in defensive tone, " these doctors work long hours in a lot of bloody bodies so they do make mistakes!"

"Right, well I'll see you later," suddenly feeling tired, I was glad that I had only been admitted for a brain concussion. If doctors sew up worms and are proud of this, I didn't want to be operated on.

© Copyright 2011 James J Alonzo All rights reserved.
James J Alonzo has granted Agent Orange Legacy its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Returning Home to The Village (PTSD Viet Nam)

(C) James J Alonzo

After serving my time in Viet Nam, I was given my 30 day leave prior to following my written orders to report to Ft Hood Texas. I was pissed, I wanted to extend my time in Viet Nam because I only had 9 months left on my enlistment time.

However, when I sent a letter home and explained to my wife, if I extended six months more in Viet nam, I would get an "early out", or a waiver of the last three months. Nanci wrote back that besides her de-nutting me when I got home, she would divorce me!

So I returned to the "world", (USA), without any debriefing or de-sensitizing of any kind. One minute I was in-country, in combat, then 22 hours layer, i'm standing on a sidewalk unarmed, in the USA!

However, the military did give me some "choices" of duty assignments. They asked if I was interested in be assigned to the "Old Guard" at Arlington, Virginia to guard the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, and Honor Guard the burials of the deceased soldiers. But I was in no mood to be in such an honor assignment and have that awesome responsibility.

So they gave me a choice of going to drill instructor school at Ft. Benning, Georgia, and then be assigned to a basic training company. I was in no mood in training the "new meat" and send them to that damn war. How was I going to train these kids how to deal with being scared "shitless"! Or how to deal with the stench of death, tagging and bagging the bodies of their buddies, or their buddy's blood on their clothes, the heavy rust smell of blood, treating wounded while under fire, or the heat and humidity of this Asian country. How was I going to train them that if they survived, they weren't going to like the "welcome home" from the US citizens.

Having not picked any of their choices, I received my orders, I was being assigned to Ft Hood, Texas, and I hope Nanci was going to be happy, because I wasn't.

When I arrived in sunny California, standing there in my tailored dress uniform, with my medals, no one prepared us for the American citizens that would be greeting us at the airport! We were greeted by hippy type assholes, screaming accusations, and profanities!

As we walked through the crowd, I saw police officers near by, but they were doing nothing to keep these clowns under control. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing; the insults, the resentment, the terrible comments, all from American citizens towards the military that served their country.

They were taunting us, daring us to assault them, as though they knew the cops on the sideline would arrest us if we attacked.

What have we done to deserve this? Didn't we do our patriotic duty to God, Country, and apple pie? When we were kids, all we heard was when you serve you country, and the citizens will thank you, like they did after World War 2, and the Korean War.

The crowd is angry and hostile, and we had to push back and struggled to make a pathway through these clowns. I am unarmed, however, it is not me that is fearful of being hurt, but my instincts are still razor sharp, and I feel coiled, ready to strike out. Wanting to strike!

Getting to the street curb, I grabbed a taxi, and I feel uncomfortable, for I immediately notice there is no wire mesh over the windows.

"It would be so easy for someone to throw a grenade," I thought, "Never mind, I'm home in the US."

"Take me to the San Francisco airport please." I said.

"How'd you like your welcome?" asked the cab driver, laughing,

"It sucks," I responded.

"Well, I'll give you some free advice. Before you get to the airport, I'll stop at a clothing store, and you get some civilian clothes to wear. There are a lot more protesters at the airport."

"Okay, I don't want to have any run ins like back there."

"It's a good thing there was no fighting," the cab driver said, "If there is fighting the police are ordered to arrest the GI's, but not the hippies."

I followed the cab drivers advice buying civilian clothes, changing into them, he took me to the airport. I went to pay him and he said,

"No son, you don't owe me a thing."

"Thanks again."

"Remember what I told you," he advised, "Don't tell anyone on the plane you served in that Viet Nam war, or you might get spit on!"

As I closed the cab door, I could hear him laughing. I kept thinking, " What the Hell happened? When I left this country, people weren't like this. "

I was in Viet Nam and during that time, Malcolm X, Martin Luthur King,, and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated! Civil Rights riots in the cities! This country has lost it's mind!

I caught the plane to Buffalo by way of Chicago, and there wasn't any further problems. However, i spent too much time in my thoughts, my mind was rapidly scanning through the last couple of years of my life. When I went to war, I was 18 years old, married, a child on the way, and a squad leader in a combat unit. I decided to try and drink away these thoughts, and called on the stewardess to keep the drinks coming.

When I arrived in Buffalo, I was still clear of thought, but yet numb to the strange things I saw. I noted the lack of sand bags, and the fields of fire for these structures.

My family having heard I would be arriving that day poured out of the structure when i arrived. They are in a hurry to greet me outside, but i am in a hurry to get inside, undercover, even though it is now night time, and there shouldn't be any fear of snipers.

Some are people I have known, and some are people I grew up with, and some are family members, however, I feel so detached from all of them. A feeling of shame comes over me with a quick memory of where I had just come from, and I find myself avoiding any conversation.

Besides, I learned that getting to close to anyone means more hurt and heartbreak when they are taken away.

The years have passed as I try to live in my home village of Buffalo, and the fortifications around my home have improved along with the weapons that I keep exceptionally clean and ready to use. The attitude of my fellow citizens has changed to the better, and I associate with others that have been through what I have been through.

We had needed to discuss our memories, or quietly we will meet again when night falls,,,and dream the dreams and walk the walk again,,, here in my home village of Buffalo.

© Copyright 2011 James J Alonzo All rights reserved.
James J Alonzo has granted Agent Orange Legacy its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

The Monkey Attacks

(C) James J Alonzo

1967-1968, In the Iron Triangle, known as the delta, there in the heavy jungle of Viet Nam are many types of monkeys. There are small Spider Monkeys, some are Gibbons, brown and reddish fur, however some are all black, called "Howlers", for the noise make when ever they'ed spot us. They call out loudly "oooo! oooo!" and point towards us. These howls would echo very loud, and would carry for miles, and this would piss us off!

After all, we are either trying to sneak up on the Viet Cong, or recon patrolling without being seen! Some of the soldiers threw sticks or stones up at the monkeys, but the monkeys instead of being afraid and running away would throw something back at the soldiers. The monkeys if they didn't have something readily to throw back like branches or fruit, they would crap in their hand and throw the turds at you! And shit, they were accurate!
--------------------------------------------------
From the central highlands to the DMZ, in areas known as the Rock pile, the monkies, no matter what they looked like or type, they were call "rock monkies." Slightly different from the Howlers or Gibbons, about 3 1/2 feet tall, but just a nasty.

This particular incident we were pulling security for Army Engineers who were doing land clearing operations for a new forward base camp in the A-Shau valley.

Our platoon leader, a Lt. Best from Hamburg, NY, was sitting in his jeep while his driver, Larry Christy, Chicago, a big Mountain of a man had been messing around behind the jeep, laughingly throwing rocks at the some of the largest rock monkeys I have ever seen!

They were about 60 yards away, were light brown to reddish brown in color, and about half the height of an American. Usually you'd see them sitting on their haunches and picking at themselves, and were active at night, though some reports indicate they trooped in the day as well, and were sometimes mistaken for patrols of North Vietnamese Regulars. Our troops would ambush them and add to our enemy body count.

Maybe they might be classified as chimps or small apes. I guess Christy thought it was funny getting the monkeys throwing rocks back at him. Suddenly, there was a loud thump of a sizable rock impacting Christy's big head!

As we were laughing, hooting, shouting, and jumping up and down at Christy's demise, the apes must of decided we deserve the same destiny, and began to throw rocks at us. Shit! These rock apes were accurate.

Deciding to join the fun, some of the other soldiers picked up some rocks and returned fire, the apes were more than happy to throw them back, and they threw a wicked fast ball!

When Christy came too, he didn't think it was funny anymore, for beside the headache, he had a cut on top of his head, accompanied with a large lump. and when getting to his feet, started hollering mixed curses, growls and various descriptive adjectives to the apes that had bonked him.

"Sir! Let me shoot these f--king apes!" whined Christy.

"At ease!", ordered Lt Best, laughing. "No one is firing a weapon at the apes.

When this rock throwing episode started, no one bothered telling PFC Jimmy Davis from Sweetwater, Tennessee, that he shouldn't be taking a nap in a fox hole within the firing range. Davis was there sleeping through all this noise, but he was tired since he had been on perimeter guard duty the night before.

This newly found rock throwing contest, as all games had some serious mistakes since it wasn't really thought out by the apes throwing rocks or the human idiots that were throwing them back.

One mistake, no one told Jimmy Davis what was happening and that Lt Best said there would be no shooting.

The ape's fatal mistake was hitting Jimmy Davis while he slept.

Davis upon being awoke from the sudden pain of the rocks hitting him, and thinking that an attack from the Viet Cong had started, jumped up screaming,

"incoming!"

Meanwhile grabbing his M-79 grenade launcher, he put a High Explosive round right in the middle of the apes.

Kaboom!!!!! All four rock apes disappear in a bloody rocky mist!

I guess the lesson here is don't mess with a sleepy Jimmy Davis

- The M79 can fire a wide variety of 40 mm rounds, including high explosive, ant- personnell, buckshot, flichette, and high illumination. The M406 40 mm HE (high explosive) grenades fired from the M79 travel at a muzzle velocity of 75 meters per second. The M406 contained enough explosive to produce over 300 fragments that travel at 1,524 meters per second within a lethal radius of 5 meters.-

© Copyright 2011 James J Alonzo All rights reserved.
James J Alonzo has granted Agent Orange Legacy its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

WE R THE 2ND GENERATION Danielle K. Reyes

WE R THE 2ND GENERATION: Danielle K. Reyes I am the 2nd Generation Agent Or...:

DANIELLE K. REYES I AM THE 2ND GENERATION AGENT ORANGE VICTIM DIOXIN SURVIVOR This is a pretty accurate account of what happened to my ...

Children of Vietnam Veterans Illness List

At this time, Agent Orange Legacy is gathering information about our members to help us better understand the issues affecting them. It is not known if these illnesses are caused by their parent(s) exposure to agent orange except for spina bifida.
Agent Orange Legacy does not claim that these illnesses are or are not caused by our members parent(s) exposure to agent orange. Our task is to report the facts. To date we have found that a very large percentage of our members suffer from multiple illnesses.
This is the list of birth defects, illnesses, diseases, mental health issues etc. reported by our members as of June 2010.
This list also includes symptoms reported which remain un-diagnosed
Many of the children suffer from symptoms which are unexplained or remain untreated.)
We are still working on the list. More information will be added as it becomes available.
Currently, There are 176 Illnesses on this list.

ADD
ADHD
Addison's Disease
Allergies
Anemia
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Anxiety
Aolpecia
Areata
Arnold Chiari Malformation
Arthritis
Asbergers
Asthma
Autism
Autonomic Nervous Dysfunction
Bipolar Disorder
Blindness
Brain Tumors
Bulged discs
Cerebal Palsy
Cervical dysplasia
Chronic Angioedema
Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic Fatigue
Chronic Headaches
Chronic Lyhocytic Thyroiditis
Chronic Sleep Deprivation
Cleft Lips & Palate
Club Foot
Compromised immune system
Connective Tissue Disorder
Conversion Disorder
Cornelia de Lange syndrome
Crohn's Disease
Common Variable Immuno Defieciendy
Cystic Fibrosis
Debilitating muscle spasms
Depression (includes chronic also)
Deformed Fingers (multiple at birth)
Deformed Sinuses
Deformed Toes (multiple at birth)
Degenerative Disc Disease
dextrocardia Deviated Septum
Diabetes Type I
Diabetes Type II
Diagonal Earlobe Crease
Digestive Disorders
Diverticulitis
Double Uterus/Cervix
Double Uvula
Dysautonomia
Ear Infections/problems
Eczema
Endomertil Cancer
Endometriosis
Epilepsy
Familial Tremor
Felty's Syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Foot Deformity
Fragile X Syndrome
Fused veterbrae
Gall Bladder Disease
Gastritis
Gastrointestinal Problems
GERD
Gluten Intolerance
Growth Hormone defficiency
Growths of the Skull
Hashimoto's
Heart Attack
Heart Disease
Heart Failure
Heart Murmur (newborn)
Hemangioma
Hernia
High Blood Pressure
Hip Dysplasia
Hip Dysplasia (congential)
Hylan Membrane
Hypertension
Hypoglycemia
Hypospadias
Hypothyroid/Hypothyroidism
Hysterectomy
IBS
Imperforate anus
Infertility
Insomnia
Insulin Resistance
Interstitial Cystitis
Intestinal pseudo-obstruction
Intracranial hypertension (rare disease)
ITP platlete disorder
Joint & Muscle Pain
Keratosis Pilaris
Kidney Cysts
Kidney Disease
Knee Dysplasia
Lateral Mycrotia
Learning Disabilities
Leukemia
Loss of Skin Pigment
Lung Problems
Lupus of the skin
Lymphatic Tumors
Lymphoma Cancer
Macrodactyly
Major Depression
Malformation of both Feet (Severe)
Memory Retention Problems
Mental Health Issues
Mental Retardation
Migraine headaches
Miscarriages
Missing digits
Missing Limbs
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Mullerian Aplasia
Multiple Sclerosis
Musco-skeletal Problems
Nasal Polyps
Neuralgia
Neuropathy
Night Terros
Numbness of the Hands (chronic)
OCD
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Osteoarthritis
Osteopenia
Osteoporosis
Ovarian cysts
Pallet Problems
Pancytopenia
PCOS
Poland Syndrome
Primitive Neuro-Ectodermal Tumor
PSOD
Psoriasis
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic Rheumatoid Arthritis
PTSD
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome
Renal Failure
Reproductive Problems
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Salpingitis isthmica nodosa (SIN)
Sarcoidosis
Scoliosis
Seizures Severe Chronic Neutropenia
Sinus infections & problems (chronic)
Skin Cancer Skin Problems
Skin Rashes (newborn)
Sleep Apnea
Spina Bifida
Spina Bifida Occulta
Spinal Cord Disease
Spinal deformities
Spondyloarthropy
Spondylolithesis
Spondylolytis
Strange Growths
Subglottal Stignosis
Syndactyly
Syringomeylia
Tachycardia
Tendinitis
Thyroid Cancer
TMJ
Joint Disease
Tourettes
tracheoesophageal fistula
Tumors
Urinary Tract Infections
VACTERL/VADER Association