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Los Angeles Times
03-05-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
From Heroes Hall to Hanoi — SoCal veteran returns war relics to fallen soldier's family
For more than 57 years the objects never saw the light of day. Shut up inside an old box bound with tape, they remained out of sight but never really out of mind for Adolph Novello, the former U.S. Marine who'd placed them there, alongside a prayer book and a string of rosary beads, at age 20 following a 13-month stint in Vietnam. Some identification papers, old coins, a lighter and a homemade wallet, containing a tiny black and white photo of an unnamed North Vietnamese soldier in his teens, who died in combat in 1967. The artifacts didn't amount to much — they could be held in two cupped hands — but their weight was immeasurable for Novello, who carried them with him from Vietnam to his hometown of Chicago and eventually to California, locked up tight inside that box, and in his heart, for half a century. Today, the 76-year-old Murrieta resident recalls acquiring the objects after some skirmish or other in North Vietnam, where servicemen were ordered to scour the field for still-living soldiers to take into custody and to search the bodies of the fallen for intel or maps that might reveal enemy war plans. 'I had an empty C-rations box and I put everything in there, whatever it was I'd acquired, and before I left [Vietnam], I sent it home,' Novello said of the now-relics. 'I really hadn't touched it, because I kind of knew what was in there, and I think I didn't want to remember what was in there.' It wasn't until this March, while attending a speaker series hosted by the Heroes Hall veterans museum on the Orange County fairgrounds, that Novello was inspired to open up that box. The March 1 event featured three Montford Point Marines, the first Black recruits to serve in the Marine Corps, including one who was awarded a Purple Heart by Maj. Gen. Bruno Hochmuth, the same commander who'd bestowed Novello himself with a Purple Heart. After the talk, Novello went into the garage to search through his own memorabilia for photos of the award ceremony and was confronted by the C-rations box gathering dust on a high shelf. It took about 10 times for him to muster up the courage, but thinking it might be of use at Heroes Hall, he eventually forged forth. That simple act kicked off a journey that would take the septuagenarian and Heroes Hall historian Brenton Ogden across the globe, retracing the former Marine's steps through Vietnam just as the nation prepared to celebrate the 50th commemoration of the Fall of Saigon. Ogden recalled Friday how Novello brought the box of artifacts to him, thinking they might be of interest to the museum, which had recently debuted ' Echoes of Conflict: Remembering Vietnam,' an immersive exhibit including personal items from Southern California veterans. 'He brought in objects and ephemera he had from his service in Vietnam that were from a North Vietnamese soldier,' the historian said Friday. 'And Adolph nonchalantly mentioned he wanted to see if his family could be located to give the artifacts back.' Working with his own personal and professional connections, including historians who advised the markers of Vietnam-era video games on points of historical accuracy, Ogden located the identity of the soldier in the photo — Kha Van Viet — who hailed from a Thai ethnic family living in the central highlands of Vietnam. On April 23, the pair undertook the long journey, from LAX to Ho Chi Minh City, then on to Hanoi. They met with Kha's nephew and cousin, who officially received the objects in a ceremony last Sunday, attended by numerous national dignitaries and televised by Vietnam's state-owned VTV-4. Novello was interviewed multiple times by journalists eager to hear the details of his story, but recounting events long suppressed wasn't easy. The veteran choked up during the broadcast when talking about some of what he experienced. 'You figure if you just stayed tight-lipped about it and didn't say anything to anybody, it would be OK,' he said. 'But, truthfully, it really wasn't. It was terrible and still is.' Ogden and Novello did not participate in the televised ceremony, choosing to stay out of the limelight during what was still, 50 years later, a highly emotional and politicized occasion. But, in addition to the artifacts, the Vietnamese soldier's family received a portrait of the youth, enlarged from the tiny photo that had lived half a century inside a C-rations box. That gesture is vitally important to Kha's family, Ogden said, as Vietnamese religious tradition places a high importance on praying before an altar holding the physical belongings of someone who has passed as a way to tie their spirit to their ancestral home. 'It's extremely important to have any kind of [personal] effect from that individual to have that connection, so not having anything was kind of allowing his soul to be lost,' he said. 'And this was bringing that back.' And, perhaps, the same could be said of Novello. Although his return to Vietnam was difficult, he believes it was the right thing to do. The old box has been emptied, and maybe that clearance will make room for more in his life. 'I did sleep pretty good last night, for a change,' he acknowledged Friday, one day after returning stateside. 'Hopefully, with all the different interviews and talking to people there I can talk to my kids and my wife about it. 'I think it will clear some stuff up — I think it will change everything.'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
PTSD expert discusses Vietnam veterans' struggles decades after the war
MOUNTAIN HOME, Tenn. (WJHL) — More than 50 years after returning home from Vietnam, the veterans who served still struggle with what they saw and did and how they were treated when they came back to the U.S. 'They struggle with the idea that, on the bigger scale, it didn't accomplish the change that they were told they were going to accomplish,' said Andrew Presnell, the program manager for the PTSD Clinical Team at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center. 'We try to focus them on, you know, it did mean a lot to the person next to you that you were faithful in your service because you doing your job meant that maybe they got to come home too.' Vietnam veterans share thoughts on Fall of Saigon on its 50th anniversary Being in a war zone is an unthinkable experience to many, with tough assignments and difficult situations. 'Oftentimes hard to tell if they were a friend or foe. Which makes it very difficult when you come back to, to trust your evaluation of what's going on around you,' Presnell said. 'And it's the same kind of situation we saw in more recent conflicts, where ill defined enemy makes it much harder to deal with that anxiety.' A great number of those who served in Vietnam were drafted, which adds a different element to that particular group's struggles. 'They weren't choosing to go to Vietnam, and they have been told to go,' said Presnell. 'And it's not infrequent that people volunteered when they felt like their number was coming soon. So it's kind of like somewhere in between being drafted and sent and choosing to go.' More than 58,000 of those who went didn't get to come home. 'The ones who did make it home, they really come home with a burden,' Presnell said. 'They saw friends with serious injuries or who lost their life. And they question a lot of times, why them? Why did they make it back? You know, that's an unanswerable question… They feel like they owe something or that somehow that the choice was wrong. They should have been the one who stayed, and someone else should have made their way back. But it adds a lot of weight and difficulty to moving forward with life, because you feel like somehow you were lucky enough to get this when you don't feel like you deserved it.' Vietnam War era veterans not only fought a war overseas but also back home with the American people. 'Where the issue comes is that when you come back to people telling you that you've done the wrong thing, telling you horrible things about yourself because you've gone when you didn't really make the choice to go, you know, I'm doing what my country asked me to do. And now, when I come back, people are not accepting that. I was just doing what I had to,' he said of veterans. Presnell said he's also noticed a difference in the way Vietnam veterans react to being thanked for their service. 'Their initial reaction sometimes to ['Thank you for your service'] is one of kind of irritation, anger. Because what are you saying? You know, why are you bringing this up?' he said. 'Then they kind of readjust the idea that, okay, these people don't necessarily hold the same thoughts and beliefs that I came home to, but it impacts how they accept those kinds of recognitions and in some ways makes recognition now more meaningful to them, because it's about these people actually have a positive feeling about my service.' Many of them suppressed those feelings and avoided them. 'The treatment is going to be helping them come to terms with that avoidance,' he said. 'And how do we overcome that avoidance and deal with these memories, deal with these events, deal with these things in our daily life that seem to prompt these sorts of symptoms to come up.' Presnell is a veteran himself and can relate to those he works with. 'I understand PTSD. I don't understand what every single person's ever gone through, but I can bring what I know. My team can bring what they know to help you kind of work through that stuff,' he said. 'We are here. We do respect what you've gone through, and we want to help you deal with that in a way that doesn't continue to be a barrier to living a life moving forward.' News Channel 11's final segment of The Vietnam War: 50 Years Later airs Friday, May 2 at 5 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Vietnam War veterans recall drastic shift in recognition since Fall of Saigon
LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) – 50 years ago, the Vietnam War came to an end with the Fall of Saigon, where many soldiers faced backlash during their return, but since then, a drastic shift in veteran recognition has taken place. 70 years ago conflict between the communist government of North Vietnam and South Vietnam led the United States armed forces to intervene, and nearly 3 million American soldiers went to combat. Air Force veteran David Applewhite recalled the moment he decided to serve his country. 'One of my best friends, I had grown up with. In February, after he had served one month in Vietnam, he was killed, Lieutenant Danny Gilstrap,' said Applewhite. 'I went to his funeral in February here in Kilgore and in May I joined.' Sadly, 2.7 million people were killed during warfare and of that number, more than 58,000 were American men and women who served in the United States military. Of the thousands of casualties, five were individuals who attended Kilgore High School. 'There's a certain amount of guilt to the fact that I came home at all. Why he had to go or why she had to go and I didn't,' Air Force veteran Stan Wiley said. Wiley continued by stating that you never know why it is always the people who have the most to lose that never return. Those who were lucky to return home in the 70s were resented by many for losing the war. American citizens were divided by the politics that occurred during the Vietnam era and that led to soldiers facing backlash and criticism as they set foot back on American soil. Keith Rothra, a United States Navy veteran, expressed the experience of many U.S. servicemen and women. Rothra said, 'People were spitting on Vietnam veterans, people were throwing ugly things at them.' 50 years later, the recognition of Vietnam War veterans has changed. Many are acknowledged via the Honor Flight Network, through multiple memorials across the nation, and servicemen now say they are now gladly welcomed home by their community members. 'I took my lawn mower over to my lawn mower man's house one day, and he was going to repair my lawn mower. His fourteen-year-old son came out, stuck his hand out and said 'Welcome home, sir' and of course, I lost it,' said Applewhite. After decades of change in the public perception, one sentiment never wavered among the men: they will always be proud to have served their country. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Abilene's Vietnam veteran recalls Operation Babylift and Fall of Saigon
ABILENE, Texas () – A retired Vietnam veteran shares stories and tragedies from the final days of the Vietnam War, including his account of the Fall of Saigon. April 30, 1975, marks the day Saigon fell to North Vietnamese troops, signaling the official end of the Vietnam War. Now, 50 years later, the stories shared by those who served often reflect a mixture of duty, heroism, and loss. It is crucial to understand what these brave men and women faced during the pivotal final moments of the Vietnam conflict. One of those heroes is retired U.S. Army First Sergeant Larry Gordon, who served as a radio operator during multiple tours in the Vietnam War and was present during the Fall of Saigon. Gordon now lives in Abilene, but in the 1960s, he was stationed in Hawaii with his wife and two children. Gordon was attached to many significant missions during his deployment, but recalls one particular mission, Operation Babylift. The goal of this mission was to transport over 3,000 Vietnamese children, who had been orphaned due to the conflict, to secure locations outside of Vietnam to later be adopted. This mission began tragically when the first flight out of the country on an Army C-5A carrier plane, carrying over 300 babies, small children, and American crew members, crashed due to mechanical issues. This accident resulted in about 150 fatalities, an event that Gordon recalls. 'The same plane that we got off of was the same plane they had loaded the orphans on. I remember when I was in the DAO compound, which is sometimes called Pentagon Far East, I happened to be there when the pilots and crew came in from the crash. And I'll never forget the look on their faces… the horror of what they went through… trying their best to land that plane safely with all those precious lives… I still have that etched in my memory,' Gordon said. When the evacuation order for troops in Saigon finally arrived, Gordon recalls his actions on the final day and the challenges they faced in leaving the country. 'I was probably the last person manning the satellite system when other people were evacuating. I was there to make sure, until the very last minute, because there was so much communication being, even there at the last minute when it was over. So, on the way out, they tried to bring us down with everything they had: small arms fire. You could hear the pinging on the body of the helicopter as the rounds hit,' Gordon said. Gordon's journey back to American soil and his family was a long one. After leaving Vietnam, he was transported to a secure location in the Philippines, where he spent a brief and confusing time waiting to return to Hawaii. During his time in the Philippines, Gordon's wife was not updated on his status and was told that he was missing in action. Finally, Gordon returned to the United States and recalls his reception and the struggles that came after. 'When I arrived back in Hawaii, there was no fanfare. There was nobody to meet me except for my wife. That's all I needed. It took me days to realize that I was back home, you know—a loving wife and two loving kids. We tried our best to do everything that would get my mind off of that,' Gordon said. Because of the recent loss of his wife, Gordon joined a grief counseling group with his local church. After some time of sharing his grief, Gordon feels that he now has clarity on why his life was spared during the Vietnam War, and says that with that clarity comes a new purpose. 'I just lost my wife not too long ago, and that's where I got involved. Now I'm involved in helping other people, and I'm sitting there telling myself, 'God, this is where you wanted me. You saved me for this,' said Gordon.' Gordon explained that he doesn't believe his story is any more special than any of the others who've served, but he feels it is important to share these experiences not only for personal health but also so that others may better understand our past. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Vietnamese refugees in Chicago mark 50 years since Saigon's fall
CHICAGO (WGN) — Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. The end of the Vietnam War was a pivotal moment in U.S. history – and one that brought a wave of refugees to Chicago, forever changing the landscape of the city. There is a section of Chicago's Uptown neighborhood known as 'Asia on Argyle,' a neighborhood whose seeds were planted a half century ago, 87,000 miles, and a world away. Doug Nguyen was just 10 years old on April 30, 1975, when communist North Vietnamese forces captured the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon. More: Full special: Vietnam – A Lost Generation 'You saw people climbing over barbed fencing around the American embassy,' he said. 'You saw people trying to jump on the back of cargo planes taking off.' U.S. ally South Vietnam surrendered, bringing an end to the Vietnam War, as the final helicopter left the American embassy. 'That shot is the epitome of the Vietnam war. The shot of the people boarding that helicopter,' Nguyen said. Nguyen's father, a South Vietnamese soldier, was killed in the war. He and his mother escaped the conflict and were brought to a refugee camp in Arkansas. 'We left everything we had behind. You just had your clothes on your back,' Nguyen said. 'We left on a cargo plane, they pushed everybody in as much as they could, to fly us out of Saigon.' Eventually, he moved to Chicago. Special Section: Vietnam and the Fall of Saigon 'The refugees found themselves in these ethnic enclaves, like Uptown, and formed their own communities,' Nguyen said. The Uptown neighborhood became a community of thousands of Vietnamese refugees who settled in the area and created a new home. Along the way, they blended Vietnamese culture with Chicago style and found a common thread that helped tie them to the city. 'Sports became something that unified young people,' Nguyen said. Illinois now has 40,000 residents of Vietnamese descent, half of them are in Chicago. It is a lasting legacy of the Fall of Saigon including the vibrant 'Asia on Argyle' area of Uptown, where shop owners trim trees and make bubble teas. Van Huynh is the executive director of the Vietnamese Association of Illinois. More: Rediscovered footage is changing the way we remember Vietnam 'To be able to come to a new land to be resettled in a country in which you don't know the language, you don't understand the culture, there might be some political context that you're not filled in on, and to revitalize neighborhoods and communities, so you see little Saigon's all over the United States as a result of the work that Vietnamese refugees have built,' Huynh said. 'I think April 30 has always represented a very somber and heavy moment in my family.' She said April 30 is a time to both reflect on the end of the war and recognize the new beginning it brought. 'Often times when people think about Vietnamese people, they think about the Vietnam War, but obviously it's more than that,' Huynh said. 'April 30 is about more than the end of a war but about how people sought to rebuild after that.' On Saturday at St. Augustine College, the Vietnamese Association of Illinois will host a series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. There will be speakers, panel discussions, cultural performances and more from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
