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The Voice for Kitsap County’s Veterans, Active-Duty Personnel,

and their Families

Veterans Life

KitsapVeteransLife.com

April 2015

INSIDE: THE WAR AS VETERANS REMEMBER IT | TRIBUTES TO THOSE WHO SERVED

40 years later The U.S. left Saigon on April 30, 1975, and President Ford declared an end to the Vietnam Era a week later. What the war was about, and why we can be proud of our mission there By THOM STODDERT

For Veterans Life

typical high school history book will, at best, have only two paragraphs on the Vietnam War, though its history and South Vietnam’s loss to a cruel regime took more than 20 years. Those two paragraphs will focus on the social unrest and nothing really about the war — why 58,000 Americans died and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese drowned at sea; why there was a massive wave of immigration to this country; and how the war resulted, indirectly, in a safer Europe. Today, there is little known or understood about that conflict. There is also much distortion of what did happen. In 1954, Vietnam won its freedom from France, under which it had been a colony. Subsequent peace negotiations allowed the Vietnamese people to choose to live in the Communist-controlled north, governed from Hanoi; or in the democratic state in the south, governed from Saigon. Millions moved south of the 17th parallel after witnessing the brutality of the communist forces

D.R. Howe of Glencoe, Minnesota treats the wounds of Private First Class D.A. Crum of New Brighton, Pennsylvania, “H” Company, 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, during Operation Hue City, 1968. Allied casualties numbered 668 dead and 3,707 wounded. Communist forces lost an estimated 2,400 to 8,000, but 5,000 civilians were killed — 2,800 of them executed by the PAVN and Viet Cong, according to the South Vietnamese governNational Archives and Records Administration ment — and the battle marked a turning point in American political support for the war. against their own people. In 1965, American troops were deployed formally to South Vietnam, to support the South Vietnam government’s efforts

against a rising communist insurgency, which was trying to take control of a people wishing to remain self determinant. Till that time, it was a guerrilla war.

Then, in 1968, all pretenses from the North Vietnamese government were lost. It was no longer a guerrilla uprising or a civil war, as the American press tried to

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paint it, but a full-blown conflict between the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), supported by the See THE WAR, Page 3

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By THOM STODDERT

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ACOMA — The Pierce County Sheriff’s Chaplain is much more than a spiritual person ministering to the sheriff’s deputies that work in the county. Rick Bulman is a former combat Marine who served in Vietnam and now serves the residents of Pierce County in a variety of capacities. He is heavily involved in several veterans’ groups, dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, police, their families, and the victims of tragedy. He has two priorities — the first is God; the second is veterans, which includes active-duty service members, veterans, and law enforcement. For Bulman, the line between civilian and the military is often blurred. Law enforcement officers often experience the same symptoms and issues that combat vets do. When there has been a critical incident, usually with a fatality, working with the police and survivors is just like dealing with a unit that suffered many casualties. Chaplain Bulman’s career started while still in the Marine Corps, when he realized that he had issues left over from Vietnam. This led him to involvement in Point Man International, a faithbased veterans’ group that worked a lot with PTSD victims. Later, working with other veterans groups, some focused on soldiers just returning from the

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When there has been a critical incident, working with the police and survivors is just like dealing with a unit that suffered casualties. present conflicts, he was to learn that PTSD often affects members of law enforcement. You might say he is the perfect man for the job — he’s been there, done that, and is still at it for both communities. The formal preparation for his job for the Pierce County sheriff consisted of hours of training to assist grief-stricken people and to debrief law enforcement officers, firefighters, and search and rescue teams who have responded to a

tragic incident. Many are also military veterans or members of the National Guard who have had overseas deployments. The training he received has been qualified under the auspices of various international accrediting agencies. His education is ongoing. Thus, he is indirectly training to provide help for veterans. Bulman is also part of ICS, a program instituted by presidential order after the first attack on the World Trade Center. This program enables agencies to deal with a specific crisis under the direction of Federal Emergency Management Agency. All of this puts Bulman on call 24/7. Chaplain Rick can and does perform marriages on his days off. All of this points to the fact that he is a major asset to Pierce County — once a Marine, always a Marine.

When did the ‘Vietnam Era’ officially start, end for the U.S.? Congress considers the Vietnam Era to be “The period beginning on Feb. 28, 1961 and ending on May 7, 1975 ... in the case of a veteran who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period,” and “beginning on Aug. 5, 1964 and ending on May 7, 1975 ... in all other cases.” That’s according to the document, “U.S. Periods of War and Dates of Recent Conflicts,” prepared by Congressional Research Service for members and

committees of Congress. Why those dates? The beginning: According to the New York Times, in 1996 Congress recognized the start of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War as Feb. 28, 1961, when U.S. military advisers began accompanying South Vietnamese troops on operations. The war’s start was formerly established as Aug. 5, 1964, when President Lyndon B. Johnson reported that North Vietnamese

gunboats attacked two U.S. Navy destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.

The end: While the United States withdrew troops from Vietnam in

1973 after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War did not end

The War

normal elements of war; to defeat the attacker is victory. To this day, the communist Vietnamese generals ask, “Why did you stop; we were three days from annihilation?” The answer is complicated and has left most American veterans of that war with feelings of betrayal, bitterness and, in some cases, hostility. There were many forces that came into action during those war years. The 1960s were a time of rebellion, social experimentation and unrest. It was worldwide and in many forms. In the United States, there was the much-delayed civil rights movement; antagonism toward the draft, because it was perceived as an interruption in the lives of young men; and the ever-present Cold War between totalitarian communist states and democratic self-determining countries. The war was further complicated by a regime in the north — it placed communist ideology above human rights. Thus, this regime had no problem in sending thousands of their young men to die or to order the murder of thousands of innocent people.

On the American side were Henry Kissinger and the White House. Kissinger looked very diplomatic while stymied by Le Duc Tho of Hanoi. The Paris Peace Talks got nowhere for years while people on the ground bled and died. With the American government tired and wanting out of the war in any way possible, a treaty was worked out. The North was to leave the South alone and, in return, the North would receive American aid when the last U.S. troops left. The United States would continue to supply the South as long as the North was supplied by the Soviet Union. Instead, the well-supplied North attacked the South. The South Vietnamese Army fought hard but was not supplied by the U.S. as promised. After the fall of the South Vietnamese capital, the North demanded the aid promised, but was also ignored. After the fall of Saigon, there was an immediate rush of refugees to leave their homeland. They knew what would happen as they had seen the murders in the North during the 1950s and the brutality inflicted

on non-combatants by the communists for years. Hundreds of thousands of people — men, women, and children — fled by sea only to drown. The world stood by and did very little. The American government even ordered the U.S. Navy to stop rescuing the “boat people,” but they didn’t. Eventually, the South Vietnamese people did find homes in various nations where they actively contribute to their new homes with a sense of gratitude. Why are American veterans of that war so bitter and hostile? The simple answer is that the news media misrepresented them, portraying them as participants in atrocities, as drug abusers, and even as being dangerous to society. It was even chic to brand soldiers and veterans as “baby-killers.” Because of the hostility soldiers faced when they returned, they no longer felt they had a home and now many are uncomfortable with the handshakes from strangers thanking them for their service. Most of the stereotypes portrayed in the newspapers were more fiction than truth. Yes, there were badly led units that got

out of control; that was the exception, not the norm. As one attorney now puts it, “One of the best times in my life was giving medical aid to the villagers in South Vietnam.” The newspapers wrote that the Gulf of Tonkin incident was an excuse to start a war, that it did not really happen. However, one former sailor, now a mayor in Washington state, put it, “I was on a destroyer that night and those were not friendly blips on the radar screen coming at us.” American soldiers fought well under conditions no other generation of veterans had ever dealt with. War is war, but coming home was often hell for them — disenfranchised by the country that sent them, often isolated from former friends, and with families that did not want to hear what happened. The Soviet “Red” Army was paying attention. It observed how American soldiers — divided by race, ethnicity and social standing — put away these things and fought alongside each other and for each other. The Red Army, as it was called then, had the same problems, but their

Continued from page 2 Soviet Union and communist China, against the allied forces of the south which included the South Vietnamese, Americans and some help from South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, and others, but none from Europe. In early 1968, a truce was drawn up for the holidays called Tet. While everyone celebrated the equivalent of Christmas and New Year’s, the communists attacked, breaking the truce. The first two days were very confusing. However, despite the overwhelming onslaught, small units held. Then, larger units re-grouped and fought back successfully. Within a short period, the communist forces were severely mauled, all but destroyed. The news media reported the events in such a manner that it appeared it was really a defeat for the allied forces. This further eroded the support of the American public and heightened antagonism toward the veterans who had served there. Surprise attacks are

From left, Marine Cpl. Charles McMahon, 21, and Marine Lance Cpl. Darwin Lee Judge, 19, are considered to be the last two U.S. servicemen killed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. They died in a rocket attack one day before the fall of Saigon. Wikimedia Commons

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soldiers were too unreliable to be any threat to Western Europe, as Victor Suvorov wrote in his book, “Inside the Red Army.” Vietnamese today, now living in this country, are organizing themselves and their children to give thanks and appreciation to those American-born veterans who fought in Vietnam. Many veterans of that war have visited and come back with stories of the friendliness of the common people who welcomed them back. The present generation has much to learn about that war. When you shake a soldier’s hand and thank them for their service, do them a favor and know what that service is about. — Thom Stoddert is a combat veteran (Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm) and former VA rating specialist. Stoddert wrote this article based on his own experiences and those of other veterans: Dan Hied, Auburn city attorney; Peter Lewis, former mayor of Auburn; Anthony Ton, former South Vietnamese pilot; and Lan Phan Jones, co-chair of the Joint American-Vietnamese War Memorial Alliance.

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until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. Two Marines — Cpl. Charles McMahon, 21, and Marine Lance Cpl. Darwin Lee Judge, 19 — were killed in a rocket attack the day prior to the evacuation from Saigon. Congress considers May 7, 1975 to be the end of the Vietnam War for the U.S., because on that date President Gerald R. Ford announced that the Vietnam Era had ended.

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Life

OPINION

WRITE TO US: Veterans Life welcomes letters from its readers. To make room for as many letters as possible, keep your letter to 350 words maximum. Include your name and daytime phone number for verification. Send to P.O. Box 278, Poulsbo, WA. 98370; fax to 360-779-8276; or email rwalker@soundpublishing.com.

IN OUR OPINION

Vietnam vets: We owe you our undying gratitude

pril 30 is the 40th anniversary of the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was America’s first war over ideology — capitalism vs. communism; the inherent right of people to govern vs. centrally controlled government. It was the first televised war, and scenes from the front, broadcast daily into American homes, influenced the nation politically and socially. The Vietnam War continues to influence our decisions to become involved in armed conflict. Before the U.S. sends troops abroad, concern is often expressed that the conflict not become “another Vietnam.” The Vietnam War told us much about the indomitable spirit of the American soldier, sailor, airman and Marine. While political and social battles spawned by the war were being fought on America’s streets and in halls of government, it was young men and women — from Kitsap, Kalamazoo and Kansas City, from big cities to small towns, from centers of commerce to centers of agriculture — who were on the front lines. Politics and polls may have influenced a particular course of action, but it was our uniformed personnel who enforced those decisions at great risk; 58,151 enforced those decisions with their lives. “War is hell except for the politicians,” Thom Stoddert writes in his cover story for this edition. “They never get to know, enjoy, and love the real faces of the real people that their decisions aﬀect.” Our military personnel served because they were asked to. That they bore the blame for the ugliness of war that we witnessed from our living rooms, and the fact that we failed to welcome them home, was a national shame. Since 2014, on March 30 of each year, the State of Washington recognizes Welcome Home, Vietnam Veterans Day. The welcome came 39 years too late. But it’s an important step toward healing. The war continues to teach us about the human capacity to forgive. An estimated 4 million Vietnamese people on all sides were reportedly killed, wounded, or reported missing during the 1965-1975 period of the war. The Vietnam War orphaned 300,000 Vietnamese children, widowed 131,000 women, and disabled 181,000 people. One thousand square miles of South Vietnam was leveled by incendiary and high explosive bombs. Some 18 million gallons of poisonous chemical herbicides were sprayed over 6 million acres of forest and croplands in South Vietnam alone. Unexploded ordnance strewn about Indochina still kills people. Yet despite the costs on both sides, “many veterans of that war have visited and come back with stories of the friendliness of the common people who welcomed them back,” Stoddert reports. America’s mission in the Vietnam War was clear. To those who served, we owe undying gratitude.

4 I VETERANS LIFE | APRIL 2015 APRIL, @

MAIL CALL This article was originally published in the Orange County Register during the Vietnam War. Sound Publishing classified department representative Priscilla Wakefield, daughter of Sgt. Felix O. Mendoza, shared it with Veterans Life.

Buddy tells of GI’s heroism SANTA ANA, California — Four months ago, a brief incident took place on a nameless hill in Vietnam — a scene repeated so often it normally no longer makes headlines. Such was the case with an action involving a U.S. Army sergeant from Santa Ana — that is until a New York GI felt so proud he had to write to the Register about it. Even the parents of Sgt. Felix O. Mendoza didn’t know he had been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, two Purple Hearts and an Air Medal for heroism in combat. He said he chose to tell no one of his deeds. The story begins on the morning of Jan. 2 near An Khe, South Vietnam. Spec. 4 David Huns of

New York City was cooking his morning chow in a shell hole. Then he and his fellow GIs were hit hard. “All of a sudden, one of our buddies hit the ground,” said Huns. “An AK round hit him. Before we knew it, we were getting hit with small-arms fire. We started to engage in a battle with a battalion-size outfit of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). “After three hours of fighting these animals we were getting tired and were losing guys bad. Three machine guns had us pinned down. That’s when I decided to make my move. I hadn’t gone a foot when I got hit in the chest and legs. I had a sucking chest wound and was losing a lot of blood. “When Sgt. Mendoza saw me hit the ground, I thought he’d gone crazy. What I started to do, he finished. He blew up the machine-gun positions. Then he started giving his men first aid. “He saved my life and those of at least two other men. He alone killed nine NVA men. “I have seen this young man in action a few times and every time

Life The Voice for Kitsap’s Veterans and their Families 19351 8th Ave. NE, Suite 106, P.O. Box 278, Poulsbo WA. 98370 360-779-4464 | 360-779-8276 (fax) Email: (First initial, last name)@soundpublishing.com

we’d had contact, he’d get up and charge the enemy. He has been shot twice, but never gives up. He merely shakes it off and continues to fulfill his job.” Huns said he will never forget Sgt. Mendoza. “He is an idol to his men,” the New York soldier said. “They look up to him and say the Army needs more men like him.” Sgt. Mendoza, of 2225 W. Seventh St., Santa Ana, who will remain in Vietnam until Aug. 29 when he gets a 45-day leave, described the incident by saying, “There were only four of us who could move around without being noticed. I made a break for it and fortunately made it all the way to the enemy’s machine-gun position. In that time, I got hit in the back but never paid any attention to it. “To me, the machine gun was doing all the hurt and had to be wiped out. I took out two hand grenades and made it all the way, blowing the machine gun out. The medic and I then gave aid to the men that were really hurting the most. I gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to three men. Later they said I saved their lives by doing so.”

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Remembering those who served R E A D E R - S U B M I T T E D SGT. JOEL COURREGES SR., USMC ■ HOMETOWN: Bremerton ■ BRANCH: U.S. Marine Corps ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 3 ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Sergeant ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Two tours as a mortar man in Phu Bai and Danang, where he was wounded. ■ POST-WAR CAREER: Owner/operator truck driver for 36 years, retiring in 2006 because of the eﬀects of Agent Orange. Service oﬃcer

for Disabled American Veterans, commander of DAV Bremerton chapter, served on county Veterans Advisory Board.

T R I B U T E S

SGT. BJORN (SWEDE) DAHLIN, USMC ■ HOMETOWN: Bremerton ■ BRANCH: U.S. Marine Corps ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 3 ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Sergeant ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: 3rd Marine Division, regimental scout sniper; drill instructor, San Diego. ■ POST-WAR CAREER: Logger, adult probation oﬃcer, bailiﬀ, deputy marshal, missionary,

pastor, driver for a senior living residence.

EOC WILLIAM J. HODGES, USN ■ HOMETOWN: Lewistown, Montana ■ BRANCH: U.S. Navy ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 20 ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Chief Equipment Operator (Seabee). ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Danang with MCB 5, December 1967 to July 1968; Dong Ha with MCB 5 until June 1969; Com CB Pac Det Oki, Camp Kinser, Okinawa; Sand Point. Retired 01 April 1974. ■ POST-WAR CAREER:

BS in occupational safety and health, Central Washington State College, 1976; worked at nuclear plants in New York.

CAPT. RONALD L. HOUGHAM, USN

HOMETOWN: Kingston BRANCH: U.S. Navy ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 4 active, 20 reserve ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Captain ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: USS Vancouver (LPD-2), 196365; USS Ogden (LPD-5), 1965-68, making three deployments to Viet Nam carrying Marines and Company, 1969-1999; equipment. Navy Reservist 1969-1989. ■ POST-WAR CAREER: Manager, Boeing ■ ■

BM3 ROBERT H. HILSE, USN

HOMETOWN: Poulsbo BRANCH: U.S. Navy ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 1963-68 ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Boatswain’s Mate Third Class ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Six months of sea duty and one year in DaNang. Decorated for service during Cuban Missile Crisis and in Vietnam. ■ POST-WAR CAREER: Retired from the timber industry. Currently drives ■ ■

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Remembering those who served R E A D E R - S U B M I T T E D LT. COL. MATT KLOUS, U.S. ARMY

YM1 DAVID M. KAESER, USN

HOMETOWN: Keyport BRANCH: U.S. Navy ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 1961-1983 ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Yeoman First Class ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: USS Chevalier (DD-805), USS John S. McCain (DL-3), USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14), one deployment in ship’s company, one deployment in air wing: VA-23 (A4F squadron). ■ POST-WAR CAREER: Naval Undersea Warfare

T R I B U T E S

■ ■

Station Keyport, 12.5 years; shipfitter helper in shop 11, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, until 2004.

■ HOMETOWN: Bainbridge Island; currently residing in Bremerton. ■ BRANCH: U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: Enlisted in 1971 and retired in 2012. ■ HIGHEST RATE OR GRADE ATTAINED: Lieutenant Colonel. ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Attended U.S. Military Academy from 1973-77. ■ POST-WAR CAREER: Telecom manager for the Seattle School District before being recalled to

CAPT. LAWRENCE LUTHER, USMC

HOMETOWN: Poulsbo BRANCH: U.S. Marine Corps ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 1960 -1970 ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Captain ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: On Hill 881, south during the Siege of Khe sanh; awarded a Bronze Star with Combat “V” and the Combat Action Sold packaging materials Ribbon. until his retirement in 2005. ■ POST-WAR CAREER: ■

■

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Remembering those who served R E A D E R - S U B M I T T E D GYSGT. GILBERT I. MARSHALL, USMC

HOMETOWN: Silverdale BRANCH: U.S. Marine Corps ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 20 ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Gunnery Sergeant ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Served in Vietnam 196667. Received the Navy Commendation Medal with combat V “for heroic achievement” against the Viet Cong in 1966. ■ POST-WAR CAREER: Worked 17 years at Keyport Undersea Warfare Engineering Station, ■ ■

deacon in his church, taught high school Sunday school class, treasurer of North Kitsap Baptist Church building fund.

T R I B U T E S

SENIOR CHIEF JAMES E. REGAN, USN ■ HOMETOWN: Port Orchard ■ BRANCH: U.S. Navy ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 22 ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Senior Chief Nuclear Electrician Supervisor ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Three tours in Vietnam on the USS Truxtun (DLGN-35/ CGN-35). ■ POST-WAR CAREER: Retired from the Navy. Worked for RADCOM in the shipyard and received a Secretary of Navy Career

STAFF SGT. CECILIA A. STEVENS, USAF

HOMETOWN: Silverdale BRANCH: U.S. Air Force ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 5.5 years regular Air Force, 1 year Air National Guard ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Staﬀ Sergeant ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Wiesbaden USAF Hospital, Germany. Received Air Force Commendation Medal, Expeditionary Force Medal and other Air Force medals. ■ POST-WAR CAREER: American Red Cross, Armed Forces Emergency Services and International ■ ■

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CENTRAL KITSAP $159,950 Well maintained 2 story home. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1 car garage, new carpets, new interior paint, new vinyl in entry & kitchen. Deck. Tommy Jones 360-731-9685 View at www.johnlscott.com/93520

BREMERTON $160,000 This 2 bd/1ba home is ready for you; from the time you pull up & walk through the with picket fence to the oversized 2-car & shop/det.gar. Needs a little TLC Shawn Hartley 360-377-0046 View at www.johnlscott.com/70547

NEW ON MARKET POULSBO $175,000 Newly updated double-wide in central location. Newer roof,wall board,paint,kitchen cabinets. Woodstove for cozy warmth. 2 decks.Lrg corner lot.Plenty of storage. Cherie Fahlsing/Terry Feather 360-779-7555 View at www.johnlscott.com/27064 NEW ON MARKET KINGSTON $199,000 2.39 acres w/views of the Olympic mountains & only 1.5 miles to town & ferry. Unfinished shop/possible ADU? 4 bedroom septic. Pat Osler 360-779-8543 View at www.johnlscott.com/92418 POULSBO $208,999 Wonderful home with an open floor plan that features: 1238 sqft, 2 bedrooms & a large rec room. Nice deck & a private backyard that backs up to a greenbelt. Donny Reece 360-509-5249 View at www.johnlscott.com/88523 HANSVILLE $219,000 Daylight Rambler 3 bed/1.75 bath, 1980 sq ft. New 30yr roof w/guard gutters. New washer & dryer. 2 car carport, can be closed in for garage. Joe Simon 360-265-2259 View at www.johnlscott.com/22296 KINGSTON $284,900 26030 Barber Cut-Off Rd NE. Private & charming home w/premium upgrades throughout. Main floor master, a loft area, extra heated bonus room off huge garage. Jeri Coleman 360-621-7131 View at www.johnlscott.com/81871 POULSBO $379,500 Meticulous home w/views of the Olympic Mountains & Hood Canal! Features: open floor plan w/1865 sqft, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths & family room. Great location! Jim Lake 360-337-9817 View at www.johnlscott.com/93176 POULSBO $495,000 Woods & Meadows,Div 3,Chaffey built 3bdrm/2.5ba hm featuring 3266sf w/2 offices,great rm,formal living & dining rms. Oak flrs.Located on a private cul-de-sac. Cherie Fahlsing 360-440-3419 View at www.johnlscott.com/28274 NEW ON MARKET POULSBO $629,950 175’ of no bank waterfront on Liberty Bay! Beautiful home w/3 bdrms, hardwood flrs & a 980 sqft finished guest studio. Large deck, fire pit & beach amenities. Jane Woodward 360-779-8520 View at www.johnlscott.com/80363

SOUTH KITSAP PORT ORCHARD - NEW! $139,000 This home is located on a large, secluded & wooded 1.47 acre! 3BR + den, 2 full baths, wood stove, round pen for horses, lean-to barn, parking for 2 cars!! Eric Von Marbod 360-710-2010 View at www.johnlscott.com/33774 PORT ORCHARD $650,000 This home is on of a kind! 5543 sq. ft., 3BR/4.25BA, entry, formal dining,mother in law qtrs.in basement, music room, hot tub room & fantastic views!! Rick Ellis 360-871-1600 View at www.johnlscott.com/80444

CENTRAL KITSAP $235,000 Like new! Summerwind twnhme. Master suite on main level. 2-car garage! Newer Hardi-Plank, roof, appliances, water heater & windows. A/C too@ Jean Bradford 360-620-4774 View at www.johnlscott.com/80982 NEW RAMBLER PRESALE $315,000 Alderwood 1730SF Model Nat gas furnace, gas FP w/tile surround, vaulted ceilings, Hardi siding, stone accent on porch posts.19 lots, Poseidon Ct off Pugh Rd. Silverdale Office 360-692-9777 View at www.johnlscott.com/76102 CENTRAL KITSAP $350,000 Sunny & bright one story home w/room for all your toys! Incredible property and open floor plan that features a large kitchen w/butcher block island, 2.28 acres John David 360-509-0691 View at www.johnlscott.com/33771 CENTRAL KITSAP $439,000 Beautiful Stafford home in the sought after nbrhd of Whisper Ridge offers over 2,800 sq ft of living space. Kitchen has granite counters & extended pantry. Sarah Canfield 360-473-6670 View at www.johnlscott.com/62204

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND MADRONE VILLAGE $339,900 The main floor offers 2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths, plus the home includes upstairs loft/office and a private garage. Ideal! Eileen Black 206-696-1540 View at www.johnlscott.com/94389 ISLAND PARADISE $400,000 Peace and quiet on a little piece of Island paradise. Soaring ceilings with a wall of windows in the living room give the feel of wide open space. Jamie Jensen 360-620-9351 View at www.johnlscott.com/61224 VIEW OF THE OLYMPICS $569,000 West facing views of the water & the Olympic Mountains with stunning sunsets on your expansive entertaining deck. Liza Cohen 206-595-2299. View at www.johnlscott.com/67663

MISSION LAKE $359,900 Paved private drive, 2992 sq ft home located on 5+ acres. Offers a 1610 Sq Ft shop, covered parking for 5, patio w/fire pit, tile room & more. Tony Cole 360-649-1549 View at www.johnlscott.com/41507 COMMERCIAL $459,900 Highly visible 10,000 sq. ft of commercial space with 100 feet of frontage! Formerly Roy’s Appliance so it would do well for a similar business. Call for info. Rick Ellis 360-871-1600 View at www.johnlscott.com/29372

PFC GAIL WARD THOMSEN, U.S. ARMY

HOMETOWN: Kirkland BRANCH: U.S. Army ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 1967 (six months). Killed by friendly fire on Nov. 7, 1967, 10 days after arriving in Quang Tin, Vietnam. ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Private First Class ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Deployed to Quang Tin, Vietnam. ■ POST-WAR CAREER: ■ ■

Posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

BREMERTON $1,000,000 Turn key Business opportunity, Owner operator cleared over 100K in 2013 and stayed in the most expensive unit.11 Completely renovated, furnished apartments. Bob Harkness 360-516-9217 View at www.johnlscott.com/84318

SGT. MIKE VOURI, USAF

LAND & LOTS BREMERTON $26,500 There was a home on this lot prior to a fire therefore electrical, sewer & water are on site. Also a portion of the foundation, quiet low traffic street! Beth Allen 360-895-5226 View at www.johnlscott.com/47627 BREMERTON $99,900 Ready to build that dream home? View lot in Dockside, all utilities in street. Private nbrhd lakefront park w/dock and gazebo too! Karen Ebersole 360-633-5068 View at www.johnlscott.com/73235 NORTH KITSAP $109,900 Looking for a central location Fabulous location here between Silverdale & Poulsbo. Plenty of room to roam on your 2.17 acres! Septic installed & drilled well! Dave & Cindy McKay (360) 620-5451 or 620-6490 View at www.johnlscott.com/42977

■ HOMETOWN: Friday Harbor ■ BRANCH: U.S. Air Force ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 1967-71 ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Sergeant ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Special Forces Camp B-43, Cao Lahn, 1969-70. ■ POST-WAR CAREER: Journalist, author, San

Juan Island National Historical Park historian

PRICE REDUCED KINGSTON $129,500 Minutes to Kingston, 2 spots would make a beautiful home site. Both access roads paved. Heavily treed. Close to schools, trails, boating, shopping, ferry. Jan Zufelt 360-297-0325 View at www.johnlscott.com/95255

PIERCE COUNTY

BREMERTON $199,900 Beautiful 1.33 acre wooded parcel zoned Mixed Use. Right off the Wheaton Way business area but on a dead end street. Sewer assessment is paid. Check it out!! Patricia McGuire 360-895-5212 View at www.johnlscott.com/48354

LAKEBAY - REDUCED! $155,000 Looks & feels like new construction! New carpet, fresh paint, new doors & vinyl windows! Palmer Lake Estates w/2 parks, a dock. 3BR/2BA & 2 car garage! Deborah Lozares 360-340-3359 View at www.johnlscott.com/15429

POULSBO $575,000 106 feet of waterfront building lot parcel with community well installed and views of Liberty Bay and Poulsbo. Also included a 88 feet shared dock. Teri Hewson 360-779-8539 View at www.johnlscott.com/92004

JOHN L. SCOTT KITSAP COUNTY OFFICE LOCATIONS Bainbridge Island | Jamie Jensen, Managing Broker �� (206) 842-5636 Kingston | Frank Wilson, Managing Broker �� (360) 297-7500 Poulsbo | Frank Wilson, Managing Broker �� (360) 779-7555 Port Orchard | Jacqui Curtiss, Managing Broker �� (360) 876-7600 Silverdale | Lee Avery, Managing Broker �� (360) 692-9777 Bremerton | Lee Avery, Managing Broker �� (360) 377-0046 John L. Scott Real Estate has 122 offices, some offices are independently owned and operated.

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VETERANS RESOURCES PORT ORCHARD — Resources for veterans in Kitsap County. American Legion Post 109 Silverdale Address: 10710 Silverdale Way, Silverdale. Meets on the third Monday of the month, 7 p.m., at All Star Lanes & Casino. Contact: Email alpost109cmdr@gmail.com, or visit on Facebook. American Legion Post 149 Bremerton Address: 4922 Kitsap Way, Bremerton. 360-373-8983. Online: www.legion149wa.org American Legion Post 172 Bainbridge Island Address: 7880 NE Bucklin Hill Road, Bainbridge Island. 206-842-5000. Meets first and third Friday of the month, 7:30 p.m. Online: www.bainbridgeislandpost172.org. American Legion Post 200 Belfair Meets on the first Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. Contact: Tom Welch, email xtw@aol.com. American Legion Post 245 Veterans Service Office Poulsbo Address: 19068 Jensen Way, Suite 3A, downtown Poulsbo. 360-779-5456. Open every Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Disabled American Veterans 2315 Burwell St., Bremerton. 360-373-2397. 4475 Birch Ave W., Port Orchard. Chapter meetings: Potluck noon, meeting 1 p.m., second Saturday of each month DAV Adjutant/Service Office North Mason Resources, 140 NE State Route 300, Belfair. 360-552-2303. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday or by appointment. Kitsap County Veterans Assistance Program Address: Kitsap County Department of Human Services, 614 Division St., MS-23, Port Orchard. Contact: 360-337-4811. Online: www.kitsapgov.com/hs/veterans/VA.htm. Marine Corps League Olympic Peninsula Detachment 531 Address: 2315 Burwell St., Bremerton. 360-265-7492. Meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. Suquamish Tribe Veterans Resource Office Contact: LaVada Anderson, 360-394-8515, lander son@suquamish.nsn.us. VFW Post 239 Bremerton Address: 190 Dora Ave., Bremerton. 360-377-6739. Meets second Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m. VFW Post No. 1694 Shelton Address: Memorial Hall, Second and Franklin streets, Shelton. 360-426-4546. Meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, 7 p.m. Beverages and snacks are served at 6 p.m. by the Ladies Auxiliary. WorkSource Kitsap County Address: 1300 Sylvan Way, second floor, Bremerton. 360-337-4767. Contact: Michael Robinson, disabled veterans outreach, 360-337-4727, mrobinson@esd.wa.gov. Or jmc kenna@esd.wa.gov.

R E A D E R - S U B M I T T E D ATN3 DAVID MONROE WILLIS, USN ■ HOMETOWN: Simi Valley, California ■ BRANCH: U.S. Navy ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED: Aviation Electronics Technician Third Class ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Killed in action on April 15, 1969. Shot down in the Navy VQ-1 EC-121/ WV-2, call sign Deep Sea 129. Roughly 100 nautical miles oﬀ the North Korean peninsular site lies the watery grave of 31

MCPO PAUL R. YOUNG, USN ■ HOMETOWN: Bremerton ■ BRANCH: U.S. Navy ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: 1952-1981 ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED:Master Chief Storekeeper ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Naval Support Activity, Saigon, 1969-70. ■ POST-WAR CAREER: Worked for private contractor; civil service for three years; sold real

estate until 2014.

SGT. AL ZACHARY, U.S. ARMY ■ HOMETOWN: Hansville ■ BRANCH: U.S. Army ■ YEARS OF SERVICE: July 1967 - June 1969 ■ HIGHEST RANK OR GRADE ATTAINED:Sergeant ■ SIGNIFICANT DUTY STATIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR: Fort Lewis, basic training; Fort Benning, advanced infantry, guerrilla warfare training; Fort Bragg, NCO school, jump school; rifle squad leader, platoon sergeant, 173rd Airborne, 1st Battalion, Bin Din Province, South Vietnam. ■ POST-WAR CAREER:

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Vietnam: Amid hell of war, signs of humanity By THOM STODDERT For Veterans Life

alking between a large truck and a sandbag wall one day, I was checking up on all the workers I had been assigned to supervise when the shadow of someone in the truck warned me to duck. As I did, a shovel swung past where my head had been. Looking up, I saw a young Vietnamese woman waving her arms and yelling at me — I was number 10 (a very bad person) and a few English words were added for further injury. Rather amused more than anything else, this confirmed she was unstable and I stayed even further from her. Guarding civilian workers was the price we had to pay when our platoon was not first up for a mission. We were the 101st Airborne Division’s reaction force during the Vietnam War and usually each morning a buck sergeant with a driver would pick up 10 women from a local village, bringing them each day to the camp to perform the more mundane chores. Thus, we were freed to clean latrines or rearm helicopter gunships. This arrangement also provided a good income for them. In time, we got to recognize individuals despite how impersonal it all was. The majority of the women appeared to be older than my own mother, except for two who were about my age, 19. I tried to flirt with the cute girl that day by being extra nice to her, but she was always aloof. The other was not pretty and

had a volatile disposition. So at all times I ignored her and was not disturbed by her hostility toward me; for once I was innocent. Chuckling to myself after the shovel incident, I walked around to the front of the work area and watched the older women working. It was hot and in direct sunlight, so I got a large insulated container, had it filled with water and ice, and placed it outside for the women to have something cold to drink. They all lined up in a row, each taking their turn filling a paper cup and walking away to enjoy it. However, one older woman filled a cup with cold water and then walked over to me. Bowing, she offered it to me first before she went back to fill a cup for herself. Thinking to myself, more feeling than cognition, I was left with a desire to learn who she was. What was her life about? Months later, I again had the dubious privilege of picking up the Vietnamese work detail, but that time we could only afford to pay for eight workers. As soon as we got to the pickup point in the village, they all climbed on the back of the truck before the sergeant could select who would be left behind. Sgt. Hollingsworth tried to be sensitive to Vietnamese culture by selecting the oldest first. The cute girl with all décor got off the truck; however, the crazy one wrapped her arms around the wooden seats and refused to get off. While arguing with her in a loud voice and gestures, the sergeant saw someone in the front trying to steal my bandoleer of ammo. Tensions were mounting and we were get-

In doorway, Danny Archer of Garfield, Washington, and Nguyen Si De, a former University of Hanoi math student, died later in a helicopter crash. Contributed / Thom Stoddert ting desperate to get back. It ended when I cocked my rifle and put it to her head. As she was getting off, I felt something pulling at my elbow. It was a boy about 11 years old, almost in tears, asking me in broken English to not shoot. Two years before in the same area, the communist army systematically killed thousands. I shook my head and smiled to reassure him. There were many complicated and convoluted events I witnessed that year at war and only years later would I begin to understand those issues. I have much to be grateful for when I think about what has been given to me by the Vietnamese community now living here in Seattle. During a formal ceremony, they thanked us for our sacrifice. Coming from a people who had lost everything, it has almost overcome the sense of betrayal and condemnation many of us carried from that time by our own country. I still think, what about the men in my unit who were born in Vietnam, fought alongside us though

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they started out as the enemy? The Vietnam War was first, last and always a political war for supremacy between two opposing ideologies — communism and democracy. One demanded strict adherence to the central government and the other allowed freedom of choice. Yet, ordinary combatants on both sides were first, last and always pawns. Thousands bled while the peacemakers

talked for years in Paris, even winning Nobel prizes. The military at that time had a program to allow former enemy soldiers to come alongside of us, live with us and fight with us — the Kit Carson Scout. Cam Tho was a former communist soldier from the north who held the rank of sergeant major. Despite his affairs in the black market, Cam was highly respected for his professional military skills. He kept the younger scouts in tow and saved many American lives. I am not sure why he switched sides — maybe he hated communism or he saw that it was only time before he died in the meat grinder. The communist ideologues had no problem from their safe offices with sending their population of young men and women to the south till the conclusion of the war or their death. All that was important was the maintenance and expansion of communism. Maybe that is why Nguyen Si De, a math major at the University

of Hanoi when he was drafted, switched sides. He was reliable and loyal, teaching us the jungle craft of the enemy so we could better survive. He died in a helicopter crash that also killed Danny Archer of Garfield, Washington. Luong Cong Du was a communist Vietcong guerrilla who joined us. Despite blood shooting out both sides of his shoulder, he stood and fought back so the others could organize a defense after being ambushed. Before he died in the same crash that killed De and Danny Archer, he would write my mother and she sent him cookies. A fierce warrior, yet child-like, I loved him. Good translations of Vietnamese to English were rare and we never understood his choices and sacrifices. The same for De and Cam; we never fully understood. It is believed that Cam survived the war. However, when the communist North Vietnamese See HUMANITY, Page 12

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ORT ANGELES — Elisa Apolinar and Thania Saynes had never met, but they had a lot in common. Both were military wives in their 20s. Each had a 1-year-old son and were expecting a second child. Elisa’s husband, Martin Apolinar, was stationed with the Army Special Forces Operational Detachment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Elisa had taken a break from her job as a fourth-grade teacher to stay at home with her toddler son, Marty, while Martin was deployed to Afghanistan. Thania’s husband, Sgt. Timothy Sayne, was stationed with the Army 1st Cavalry at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska. Thania stayed at home and took care of their son, Kalvin, while Timothy was deployed to Afghanistan. On May 29, 2011, Elisa received the news that her husband’s Humvee had been struck by an IED. He and another member of his team, as well as their detachment commander, had been killed. The happy 28-year-old expectant mother was now a widow. And it happened in an instant. In September 2011, Thania received the news

Humanity

Continued from page 11 took over the south, they

that her husband had been killed in action. The expectant stay-at-home mom, now widowed, was suddenly the sole breadwinner — a role she had never played. Elisa and her son returned to Arizona where her family lived, and delivered her baby there. “We stayed with my parents and they helped with my son and the new baby, which gave me time to grieve,” she said. Thania moved to Illinois to live with her motherin-law and work toward a nursing degree so she could support her family. Her mother-in-law helped care for Kalvin and the new baby. Still, Thania was struggling and feeling disconnected. “There are support lines you can call when you feel down, but each time you call you have to repeat your story to a different person. ... And I didn’t have anyone nearby, other than my mother-in-law, who I could talk to in person.” When Elisa arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive her husband’s remains, she met Betsy Schultz of Port Angeles, Washington. Betsy’s son, Capt. Joseph William Schultz, Special Forces, was detachment commander for a team of Green Beret soldiers and had died in the Humvee with Martin Apolinar. Betsy and Elisa talked and exchanged numbers. Fast forward to May

In the year since Capt. Schultz’s death, Betsy had embarked upon a mission in memory and in honor of her son and the many heroes who have fallen since the beginning of the War on Terrorism. In August 2011, she founded the Captain Joseph House Foundation. With volunteer and paid staff, donated funds and inspiration, the foundation would convert a 1910 Tudor-style home in Port Angeles into a place for families of the fallen to gather for respite, and receive a continuum of care for their personal

healing. This continuum of care would be in addition to assistance the families receive elsewhere. Captain Joseph House provides Gold Star families the opportunity to take an extended break and draw strength from other families experiencing similar loss. It’s a place where friendships can take root in the peace and solitude of a home away from home. “Captain Joseph House may be the first of many steps that Gold Star families take on their journeys from grieving victim to survivor,” Betsy said. “It is intended to give them a sense of what it’s like to start living again — and to give them the hope that one day they will find a new normal.” Twenty months after their mini-retreat, Thania and Elisa continue their personal journeys toward a “new normal.” Elisa and her children have returned to North Carolina, and she is now teaching first grade in a small private school. Thania and her children have purchased a home in Sparks, Nevada, near family, and she is working in a grocery store. “Elisa and I still talk on the phone and text,” Thania said. “I tell her about my life and she listens and tells me how she deals with some of the same things. It helps.” To contribute to Captain Joseph House, call 360460-7848 or go to captain josephhousefoundation.org.

brutally punished those who were members of the South Vietnamese armed forces. Unless he was able to escape by sea, it is very

unlikely he would have been allowed to live, and half of those who tried to escape by boat drowned. War is hell except for the

politicians, but they never get to know, enjoy and love the real faces of the real people that their decisions affect.

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2012. While attending a Memorial Day service for Capt. Schultz and other servicemen and women who had been laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery, Betsy met Thania Sayne, whose husband had been interred near Joseph. Betsy spoke briefly with Thania and they exchanged phone numbers. On Christmas Eve that year, Betsy received a call from Thania. She told Thania about Elisa, as the two women had much in common. The two were put in contact with each other. “We bonded instantly,” Elisa said. “We were able to talk and bounce things off of each other. Thania was still struggling, while I was a little bit further along on my journey.”

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