Latest news with #VietnamWar-era
New York Post
22-05-2025
- General
- New York Post
3 Vietnam-era vets receive diplomas from Iowa high school some 60 years after they enlisted
A trio of Iowa veterans received their high school diplomas – and two even walked across the graduation stage – some six decades after they left school early to serve in the US military. Vietnam War-era vets Robert David Holliday, Richard Hill and Dennis Snyder were all honored last week during the pomp and circumstance at Muscatine High School. 'Getting it now, I look back and I think, 'Well, everything that I did with the service and everything was all worth it,'' Snyder told WQAD. 'Being here today is really, really worth it.' Advertisement 3 Vietnam War-era veterans Dennis Snyder and Richard Hill were the first to walk during the ceremony and receive their diplomas. Muscatine He recalled the stream of emotions when he found out he was getting the memento. 'I couldn't believe it,' Snyder, 78, said in an interview with KWQC. Advertisement 'I told my wife, and she said, 'What?' Of course, she started crying right away. I was just shocked.' Snyder and Hill, 81, were the first of more than 300 graduates to walk across the stage at Sunday's ceremony – with the two receiving a raucous round of applause. 3 Muscatine High School's graduation happened on Sunday. KWQC The pair both grew up in Muscatine, which is about 35 miles from Iowa City, and Snyder even attended the high school until he left classes to enlist at 17 years old. Advertisement Snyder served in the Navy from 1961 to 1965 and was stationed in Pearl Harbor, while Hill's deployment to Vietnam came to an end in 1969. 'I don't know how to accept it, you know, because I didn't get a chance, going through school,' Hill told WQAD. 3 Robert Holliday, 85, was given his diploma at home. x/MuscatineCSD Holliday, 85, wasn't at the graduation, but he was also recognized on May 14 when school officials presented him with his diploma at home surrounded by family. Advertisement The veteran would have graduated in 1958, but left school early to join the US Army Corps of Engineers, where he served in Vietnam between 1959 and 1961, according to WQAD. He also served in the Netherlands, Denmark, France and Germany. Eight veterans with ties to Muscatine have received their diplomas over the past three years, the county's veterans' affairs agency said. 'I'm just so excited that he was able to get this opportunity,' said Snyder's daughter Julie Lerch, according to KWQC, 'and then he could have the entire grandstand and the entire graduating class behind him.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump's military parade includes a dog and pony show. And the dog is named Doc Holliday
When the Army celebrates its 250th birthday on June 14, a date that just so happens to be President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, the streets of Washington, D.C., will be filled with marching troops and tanks as World War II airplanes and Vietnam War-era helicopters swoop overhead. Also included in the parade will be 34 horses, two mules, one wagon and a dog. Army Col. Kamil Sztalkoper, a spokesman for the III Armored Corps, said the dog is a Blue Heeler (aka an Australian Cattle Dog) named "Doc Holliday" -- likely a nod to the famous gunslinger played by Val Kilmer in the movie "Tombstone." MORE: Army prepares tanks for DC military parade that could cost $45 million Doc joined the Army's 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment at Fort Cavazos, Texas, more than two years ago as a young puppy, Sztalkoper said. Part of the unit, which is used mostly for community events, is a wagon pulled by two mules. Doc rides in the back of the wagon. "This is nothing for him. He's used to parades," said Sztalkoper, noting that Doc has participated twice already in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. And while Doc falls "definitely in the sweet and playful category," Sztalkoper said he "knows his place very well when it's time for the parade." Doc and his unit plan to depart Texas on June 10 so they can reach Washington in time to participate in the Army parade four days later. Doc's trip to the nation's capital is part of a massive effort underway by the Army -- and Trump -- to mark the service's milestone birthday with a weeklong festival and parade that includes some 6,700 soldiers. Planning for the celebration has been under way for close to two years, according to officials. It wasn't until this year following Trump's inauguration, however, that officials began exploring options to make the event even bigger with a parade. MORE: Army to go 'bigger' to mark its 250th. Could it be the military parade Trump wants? Trump had sought a military parade in his first term, but the effort was scrapped after costs topped $90 million. The final cost of this year's event is unknown. While the Army is estimated to spend up to $45 million to deploy troops and equipment, the celebration is expected to require considerable security on par with a large-scale event like the Super Bowl or presidential inauguration. Though Army officials said there are no plans for any of the seven bands participating in the parade to sing "happy birthday" to Trump, the Golden Knights will parachute onto the White House Ellipse and offer the president a folded American flag. After the parade, Trump will also administer the constitutional oath to 250 Army enlistees. "It is a lot of money, but I think that amount of money is dwarfed by 250 years of service and sacrifice that American soldiers have given this country," Army spokesman Steve Warren said. "We're looking at this as an opportunity to really strengthen the connection between America and her Army," he added. "So, yeah, it's a lot of money, but it pales in comparison to what we're selling." The event isn't the first military parade in Washington, though it is likely to be the biggest. The U.S. military under President George H.W. Bush held a victory parade in June 1991 following the Persian Gulf War. MORE: Video June 8, 1991: The men and women of Operation Desert Storm parade through Washington, DC Army officials said the parade is designed to tell the history of the Army, starting with troops wearing Revolutionary War garb. As the parade enters the World War II era, troops will march alongside period jeeps and an M4 Sherman tank while a B-25 Mitchell bomber aircraft, Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport plane and four North American P-51 Mustang fighter-bombers buzz overhead. More recent conflicts will be represented with Army UH-1 Huey, AH-1 Cobra, AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Also included in the parade are 28 M1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker vehicles and six Paladin self-propelled howitzers. The Army on Wednesday began loading the tanks on to rail cars from its base in Fort Cavazos to make the trek to Washington, D.C. in coming weeks. The tanks will be shipped to Jessup, Maryland, before being loaded onto trucks and driven to a staging area in Washington near the Lincoln Memorial. Trump's military parade includes a dog and pony show. And the dog is named Doc Holliday originally appeared on
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
Trump's military parade is a dog and pony show. And the dog is named Doc Holliday
When the Army celebrates its 250th birthday on June 14, a date that just so happens to be President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, the streets of Washington, D.C., will be filled with marching troops and tanks as World War II airplanes and Vietnam War-era helicopters swoop overhead. Also included in the parade will be 34 horses, two mules, one wagon and a dog. Army Col. Kamil Sztalkoper, a spokesman for the III Armored Corps, said the dog is a Blue Heeler (aka an Australian Cattle Dog) named "Doc Holliday" -- likely a nod to the famous Civil War-era gunslinger played by Val Kilmer in the movie "Tombstone." Doc joined the Army's 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment at Fort Cavazos, Texas, more than two years ago as a young puppy, Sztalkoper said. Part of the unit, which is used mostly for community events, is a wagon pulled by two mules. Doc rides in the back of the wagon. "This is nothing for him. He's used to parades," said Sztalkoper, noting that Doc has participated twice already in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. And while Doc falls "definitely in the sweet and playful category," Sztalkoper said he "knows his place very well when it's time for the parade." Doc and his unit plan to depart Texas on June 10 so they can reach Washington in time to participate in the Army parade four days later. Doc's trip to the nation's capital is part of a massive effort underway by the Army -- and Trump -- to mark the service's milestone birthday with a weeklong festival and parade that includes some 6,700 soldiers. Planning for the celebration has been under way for close to two years, according to officials. It wasn't until this year following Trump's inauguration, however, that officials began exploring options to make the event even bigger with a parade. Trump had sought a military parade in his first term, but the effort was scrapped after costs topped $90 million. The final cost of this year's event is unknown. While the Army is estimated to spend up to $45 million to deploy troops and equipment, the celebration is expected to require considerable security on par with a large-scale event like the Super Bowl or presidential inauguration. Though Army officials said there are no plans for any of the seven bands participating in the parade to sing "happy birthday" to Trump, the Golden Knights will parachute onto the White House Ellipse and offer the president a folded American flag. After the parade, Trump will also administer the constitutional oath to 250 Army enlistees. "It is a lot of money, but I think that amount of money is dwarfed by 250 years of service and sacrifice that American soldiers have given this country," Army spokesman Steve Warren said. "We're looking at this as an opportunity to really strengthen the connection between America and her Army," he added. "So, yeah, it's a lot of money, but it pales in comparison to what we're selling." The event isn't the first military parade in Washington, though it is likely to be the biggest. The U.S. military under President George H.W. Bush held a victory parade in June 1991 following the Persian Gulf War. Army officials said the parade is designed to tell the history of the Army, starting with troops wearing Revolutionary War garb. As the parade enters the World War II era, troops will march alongside period jeeps and an M4 Sherman tank while a B-25 Mitchell bomber aircraft, Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport plane and four North American P-51 Mustang fighter-bombers buzz overhead. More recent conflicts will be represented with Army UH-1 Huey, AH-1 Cobra, AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Also included in the parade are 28 M1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker vehicles and four M-109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers. The Army on Wednesday began loading the tanks on to rail cars from its base in Fort Cavazos to make the trek to Washington, D.C. later this month. The tanks will be shipped to Jessup, Maryland, before being loaded onto trucks and driven to a staging area in Washington near the Lincoln Memorial.
Newsroom
16-05-2025
- General
- Newsroom
How the grand old dame of the US Navy navigated NZ's nuke-free policy
Analysis: Here's one for the ship spotters. One of the biggest American warships ever to visit New Zealand sailed into Wellington on Friday morning. There are brass bands. There are flags and bunting. The 19,600 ton (17,800 tonne) USS Blue Ridge is the flagship of America's Seventh Fleet and, at the age of 56 years, is also the grand old lady of the US Navy. (As best I can discover, the Blue Ridge is the biggest US Navy vessel to visit since the 1968 Vietnam War-era visit of the aircraft carrier USS America, which fully laden was 83,573 long displacement tons, which is 84,914 US tons, or 77,031 metric tonnes, or … oh, never mind, it was big). The ship's leadership is scheduled to meet with Kiwi counterparts and local leaders to discuss ways of improving operational readiness, advancing future military capabilities, and enhancing the US-New Zealand bilateral relationship. 'This historic port visit by the USS Blue Ridge and our 7th Fleet team speaks to deep ties the US and New Zealand share,' says Vice Admiral Fred Kacher, commander of the US 7th Fleet. 'Our partnership is rooted in our common values and respect, and our visit here represents an important opportunity for us to further strengthen the bond between our nations and our navies.' So, umm, the question not addressed by the US State Department press release: how are we getting around the nuke ship ban to allow US warships to visit again? Like I say, this is one for the ship spotters. New Zealanders had protested US nuclear-powered ships since the visits of the cruisers USS Truxtun and Long Beach in 1976. But things really came to a head when the destroyer USS Texas visited Auckland and Wellington in 1983. My recollection (but I'm damned if I can find a source to confirm this) is a protester in a kayak banging his paddle on the side of the ship and declaring gleefully, 'I can hear the nukes rattling inside!' Kevin Hackwell went on to lead Forest & Bird, but he was a young member of the peace movement at the time. He and a friend got wind from the police, a month out, that the Texas would be visiting. So they spent that month training in the sea – and when it steamed into Wellington Harbour, they swum out from Point Jerningham. The plan, Hackwell tells me, was to spraypaint 'Ban the Bomb' on the hull – but that proved impossible in the choppy waters. So instead, he tied a neoprene ribbon to the anchor chain. They got spotted and had to swim away; when they got back to shore, police were waiting to arrest them. The following year, the Fourth Labour Government was elected and soon after, David Lange banned visits from nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships. To America, this act of defiance undermined its strategic position in friendly ports around the world. Although New Zealand was still willing to accept visits from non-nuclear US ships (as it always has from French and Royal Navy ships), the Reagan Administration stuck resolutely to its 'neither confirm nor deny' policy. That's not to say there weren't attempts to send US ships to New Zealand. The US quietly negotiated to send an ageing tub named USS Buchanan. While theoretically nuclear-capable, everyone knew it didn't carry nukes. But when the New Zealand Government (in something of a communications breakdown) turned down even the Buchanan, that was the final straw. The US barred any visits by any naval ships to New Zealand, and the visits of any New Zealand navy ships to its ports, and the Anzus alliance crumbled. There was one more comms breakdown in 2003, that I discovered and reported as political editor of the Sunday Star-Times. The US Army landing craft USS Great Bridge, based in Guam, sought permission for a routine US$1.4m refit in a commercial dockyard in New Zealand. It was halfway down the Pacific, when an American official somewhere found out and ordered action stations. The ship's captain was cabled and reminded of the US ban on military ship visits, and the vessel was redirected to Australia. Subsequent diplomatic cables, published on Wikileaks, revealed American embassy discussions of the incident, and my reports. 'Milne's article posited that the US Government lost a chance to break the 20-year diplomatic stalemate, noting that PM [Helen] Clark claimed it was 'highly likely' that a request for such a refit would have been approved once it was determined that the ship fit New Zealand's anti-nuclear legislation.' Perhaps my articles back then were overly sympathetic to the US Government – because the subsequent leaked cables to Washington DC described me as 'the respected Sunday Star-Times reporter', and my articles as 'well-balanced'. I guess you take the wins where you can get them! Then, after years of negotiations between successive New Zealand and US governments, the long stalemate finally ended in 2012, when US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta announced he was lifting the prohibition on ship visits. And in 2016, PM John Key agreed to the arrival of the destroyer USS Sampson, for the New Zealand Navy's 75th birthday celebrations in Auckland. The Sampson never made it to the birthday party. The Kaikōura earthquake hit, and the American ship instead detoured to the small South Island town, where captain and crew assisted with the emergency response. The first US warship visit in 30 years was not to Wellington or Auckland, but to Kaikōura. In 2021, PM Jacinda Ardern welcomed another destroyer, the USS Howard. And this week, the biggest post-rapprochement visit of all, the USS Blue Ridge. The difficulty is, New Zealand's nuclear-free policy hasn't changed. And neither has the American policy to 'neither confirm nor deny'. So how have the two nations negotiated their way through this? With a lot of determination and goodwill, is the short answer – and perhaps a degree of grace and humility. There won't be any visits from nuclear-powered aircraft carriers or submarines – New Zealand law prohibits visits from nuclear-powered vessels. As for nuclear weapons, the law reads: 'The Prime Minister may only grant approval for the entry into the internal waters of New Zealand by foreign warships if the Prime Minister is satisfied that the warships will not be carrying any nuclear explosive device upon their entry into the internal waters of New Zealand.' So ahead of this week's visit, we may be certain that the US sought diplomatic clearance. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have conducted an assessment, before advising Christopher Luxon that the Blue Ridge is neither nuclear-powered, nor nuclear-armed. That would allow him to satisfy himself, as the law requires, that the USS Blue Ridge is compliant with New Zealand's nuclear ships ban. And the US is not required to compromise its 'neither confirm nor deny' policy. Kevin Hackwell doesn't question the PM's assessment that the Blue Ridge isn't nuclear armed. US Navy surface ships, by doctrine, do not carry nuclear weapons. But he got close to the US Navy once before; he doesn't think New Zealand needs to get close again. 'The US is proving to be a very unreliable ally,' he says. 'Given the stance of the US, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region against China, we should be distancing ourselves. We shouldn't be militarily aligned with them. We shouldn't be aligned with China either. New Zealand should be taking an independent foreign policy and military stance.' To be fair, New Zealand's foreign policy remains officially independent. And what is apparent is that Luxon is taking a wait-and-see approach as tensions between the US and China, on either side of the Pacific, heighten. His initial instincts to align more closely with the US have clearly been shaken by Donald Trump's volatility on foreign policy, and his fervour for a trade war. Luxon is right to pause and take time. As for Hackwell, he is now 69. He lives in Wellington, but his days of swimming out to warships are done. 'I just about died last time. I got hypothermia. No, I'm not swimming out to the Blue Ridge today!'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Veteran serves as guardian for daughter of late vet Emil Misar Jr.
WASHINGTON (KELO) — The dynamic between a veteran and his or her guardian on a Midwest Honor Flight trip to the Washington, D.C. area is at the heart of the journey's experience. Navy veteran Dave Peterson of Brookings, S.D. took in the sights and experiences on the nonprofit organization's May 6 trip alongside his guardian Pam Intermill, someone he had only recently met. 'She takes it seriously and just makes sure that I get through all of this without any incident,' Peterson said while seated next to Intermill at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on May 6. Midwest Honor Flight brings area veterans to the memorials of Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia. The trip makes for a long day which includes two flights, several short bus rides and many steps, so the guardian is there to offer any kind of support. But for Intermill, Peterson was her support, too. Her late father Emil Misar Jr. of the Brookings area had served with the Army. He had badly wanted to go on a Midwest Honor Flight trip, and he learned he would be able to go on one during the fall of 2022. But injuries suffered in a car crash in rural Brookings County took his life that year before he was able to accompany fellow veterans to Washington. He was 85 years old. Now in 2025, his daughter has experienced the trip while her late father is never far from her thoughts. 'He would've loved it,' Intermill said. And accompanying her was Peterson, like her father a Vietnam War-era veteran in his 80s: an emotional guardian for his own guardian thinking of her late dad. 'It was almost like I was there seeing the opportunity that he would have had,' Peterson said. 'I totally could feel him with us, for sure,' Intermill said. The day would have been dramatically different for Intermill's dad compared to another experience. 'He mentioned when he got off the ship that people were spitting on him in California, and the amount of love today has been amazing,' Intermill said. The steady hands and watchful eyes of guardians go a long way in helping make this trip a success for veterans. And for Peterson and Intermill, the late Emil Misar Jr. has helped forge their bond. 'Now, I feel like we'll have a connection forever,' Intermill said. 'So he's been my guardian as much as I've been his guardian today.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
