[ music ] Untold Stories saluting our Vietnam Veterans, continues now. Christmas in a hospital. How strange it seemed to be. Its not a physical ailment, but an ailment thats called ptsd. 46 years later, Doug Alexander still carries the burden of war. Alexander is a vietnam veteran who wrote this poem by receiving treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. He is also my uncle. I know. Those people died. Over there. Fighting a war that. Really none of us. Understood why we were there. But we were sent there to do a job, and we were trying to do it. And i know that those people tried just as hard as the next guy. But they didnt make it. And that bothers me. The year was 1969, and the country had already invested 15 years into vietnam. My uncle was 19 and more than a year into his army enlistment, when he was given orders to head to vietnam. He would soon be on the ground in tein minh. And i asked them, why do they call it rocket city . He said, cause they get rocketed three times a day every day. He remembers battles in the middle of the night against a communist group backing the north vietnamese commonly referred to by the u. S. As viet cong soldiers. The group repeatedly overran my uncles military base. The next day, we had to do what they call policing. And what is policing . Well, youre going out now instead of policing for trash, theyre cleaning up trash we were cleaning up basically, body parts. This is my purple heart which i received in vietnam, for being wounded in action. Also from chicagos west side, my uncles childhood friend, paul eugene short. Short was drafted at 19, and sent overseas. He spent most of his days on the front lines of combat in vietnams jungles. The smells, the hollerin, the screamin, oh. Youd be smellin blood, dirt, all kind of stuff. But it was friendly fire that ended pauls tour in vietnam. Where were you hit . What was the result of everywhere. Shrapnel, stuff like that. All up in here, all across here. He now deals with Countless Health issues. Diabetes, hepatitis, uh i have cirrhosis of the liver. Much of which he says was brought on by repeated exposure to the toxic agent orange, sprayed over the jungle to destroy tree cover and reveal enemies. We just thought it was just a quick rain flash. That stuff was just wasnt even in the picture. All you was tryin to do is survive and live. That other stuff was small. But it was the invisible wounds that affected these vets the most. And flashbacks from war. It took me almost a year to sleep with both of my eyes closed when i got back. We were walking down the street during the 4th of july, and someone fired firecrackers, and i dived in the bushes. Someone said whatd you do that for . I said, it scared me. They struggle to keep jobs and meaningful relationships. Frustration and anger consume them. And both look for ways to escape the painful memories. We talkin about crack cocaine. Thats what we talkin about. And it had a hold of me. When i was getting high, i didnt think about none of it. Its kinda rough. I didnt really realize that i had ptsd. Doctor mark pollock is the head of psychiatry at Rush University medical center, and the hospitals road home program, which help veterans navigate the mental stresses brought on by war. Despite vietnam ending in 1975, doctor pollack says the ptsd diagnosis the medical community until the late70s, early80s. Giving it a name, i think, helped validate the experience that many of the returning soldiers had. That, in fact, they werent crazy, they werent making it up. Im a fanatic when it comes to this. [ music ] its music that helps paul drown out the silence that triggers gruesome reminders. He also relies on weekly Group Sessions with other Vietnam Veterans and regular meetings with his psychiatrist. If you say so. Mm hmm. For my uncle, his wife of 33 years, carolyn has helped him overcome the hurdles. He also completed a two and a half month Treatment Program at a v. A. Facility, which taught him how to deal with his emotions. Thats also where he wrote this poem. A reminder of the struggle he and other veterans endured each and every day. The way we saw death, it was just not fair, cause even when just walking, in the air. So, if you dont understand, i have tried to explain. I went to vietnam one way, did not come back the same. Receiving a letter hi, mom and dad from loved ones 28 september, 1968 usually meant someone cared. I probably got two or three a day. Being able to send one i almost blew it. Meant you survived another day. Its hard to believe he is dead. In the midst of bombs and bloodshed during the vietnam war, these thin envelopes carried a lot of comfort. Made you feel like okay, they know im still here. They didnt forget me. It is 10 pm that reassurance for these Army Veterans didnt just come from home, but also each other. That was a good thing that were all over here together. These childhood friends from winstead we knew each other well. We all partied together. We were both after the same girl for a while. Joe gadenzi, dave tazera, and paul vicari voluntarily joined the army together shortly after high school. Paul, one day, just said, hey, what do you say we join the service . Vietnam is also the scene of a powerful aggression the three took this brave step without hesitation, as the u. S. Was sending more troops overseas to support south vietnams effort to ward off communist north. From connecticut, the trio remained side by side for months of training. And they even got off the same plane in vietnam together in 1968. Its like 105 degrees 110 degrees with 80 humidity. Welcome to vietnam. At that moment, reality hit. Uh, scared. Even more so after they were oh, it was really devastating for me. I just was like wow. From that point, while on their Reconnaissance Missions in the jungle, the three could only communicate through letters. Paul wrote a lot. And each one ended with a countdown. The trio will be together in 300 days. However, letters between the three only flowed back and forth for two months. September 11, 1968. Joe still has the letter he was reading from paul dear joe. Hello, dummy when his base camp came under attack by north vietnamese soldiers. My hands gone. My foots ripped to shreds. Im ive got a dead body across me. I panicked. Joe was taken back to the u. S. For surgery, leaving his friends behind. When paul realized weeks had gone by without a response from joe, with nearly 17,000 deaths, 1968 was the deadliest year for americans in vietnam. The fact that we had decided to do this together, you know, weighed heavily on me. You know, wow. You know, we decided to go and join the army and now maybe joes not gonna make it. Joe did make it. And eventually got around to writing paul, with one hand. He printed the entire five pages with his left hand. From their, paul and dave continued to write, keeping each other updated on joes condition as they finished out their taxing yearlong tour in vietnam. Its probably one of the greatest feelings of my life, the day, if not the greatest, was the day i left vietnam. Paul and dave reunited with joe as soon as they returned home. And, today, theyre living in winstead again, with their families. Dave and paul on the same street. Listen, ill tell you what happened. All three admit theyre proud of their service how much . 175 . But have talked very little about vietnam since leaving. Theyve showed up, like, the next day. Especially because most of the country was against the war. You know, you could look at each other and just know, just by looking, how you felt. Hey, was this your first girlfriend . Yes. Instead, they focus on the fonder memories of growing up. I hope everything is okay where you are and how grateful they are letters are no longer needed. Joe is gonna be at placu because the trio is together again. You know, that bond is, obviously, never gonna break. Woo all right way to go, mike its air conditioned. Untold stories saluting our Vietnam Veterans continues now. [ music ] this is hardly the image of a wartorn country. Doesnt seem like a place ripped apart by a conflict that brought millions of strangers to these shores, many of whom never made it back home. No, instead, this place looks more like a tourist attraction, where beachgoers sunbathe in the shadows of thriving big cities like netrang, where commerce flows as freely as the waters of the mighty mekong river near canto. No, this is not at all the image of a wartorn country, which is why this all looks so unrecognizable to a group of u. S. Veterans. These people, this is just like goin down the street for them. Returning here to vietnam for the very First Time Since the war. Ive been waiting many years to come back here, to take a look at this. Richard bentley can still remember the sound of the bomb blasts. It knocked us outta the beds they were so close. They were so close. So close. He knew it would be tough to return here alone, so he brought his wife along for support. He wanted her to see the place he saw as 20 year old draftee. The place that changed his life forever. Rich was a cook in the army. Just a support guy. He didnt think hed see much death and destruction, but that all changed the minute he set foot in vietnam. I think that the first day of his tour here made him who he was, because he said he got off the truck and there were rows and rows of bodies. That happened right here, at the kuchi Army Airfield in southern vietnam, where rich was stationed. This is as close as we can get. So, when he knew he was coming back to vietnam, he prepared. Its straight ahead. Yep, thats straight ahead. By finding an old map of the airfield. Even located it on gps. What he wasnt prepared for was the feeling. Airborne, sir. I said airborne, but i dont know. Appreciate it. Its all right. Now his sunglasses hide the tears as he shows his wife the very place hes been talking about all this time. We need you. Im right here. Im right here. Im right here. Im here. Im here. There was a time Richard Bentley never wanted to come back here. But, more than 40 years after the war, returning fills a void. I dont know. I feel like its my 20th birthday back here. But even now, he cant enjoy the moment for long. We made it. I know. Within just a couple of minutes hello. A guard comes over and tells us to stop photographing richards old airbase, which now belongs to the communist vietnamese army. All richard could get was this one good snapshot of the front gate. But it doesnt matter, because at least he made it here. Isnt this great . I feel like this i feel like the circle is complete. Completing that circle is the idea behind return visits like this. Vietnam battlefield tours is a nonprofit run by Vietnam Veterans every year to find the places that forged who these people became. These guys had never met each other before, most of them. And when they leave, its like theyve known each other forever. They have something in common. And they just you can see them kind of relax. And you can see them, they reminisce. Its really nice to see that. A w wght lifted. This is great. This is great. After a long journey, 8000 miles. You only got so much life left. Thisll be a memory ill carry with me. Thank you. And more than 40 years in the making. [ music ] [ music ] nearly everything about vietnam is foreign to the returning u. S. Veterans, and that makes the simplest things fascinating. From the way the locals town of vitan, just as they have for centuries, to the water buffalo roaming in a herd right alongside the highway. A captivating country, from both above okay, lets roll. And down below. This is u. S. Army veteran mike herndon, who couldnt wait to crawl through these elaborate tunnels used by the enemy to hide out during the war. Oh, were already here. The dark and the dirt and the bats dont bother him a bit. A picture of the bat right above your head, ron. He is dead set on covering as much ground as possible during this trip. Im coming the easy way. Since he only saw vietnam by air 45 years ago, as a crewmember on a helicopter ambulance. Ive seen more on the ground in vietnam in the last 4 days than i saw in 2 years that i was here. [indistinct chatter]. One more. There you go. Oh, yeah. For veterans like mike, there isnt much time to soak in this experience, unlike their lengthy tours of duty during the war. This is smaller. This return visit to vietnam is just 14 days long. Coastal town of danang, a tourists spot where theres so much local culture it literally oozes from the infrastructure do it. We found a vietnam veteran whos become so immersed in this country. I like it here. He never plans to leave here. I came over here looking for my past, but i really found my future. Bill ervin had a moustache on his face and a chip on his shoulder when he joined the marines back in 1968. He wanted to help stop communist aggression in vietnam. So it is ironic that he now calls that very communist country home. The war is over, and life goes on. It took about 30 years for him to first come back here. Too many memories. Bill suffers from ptsd. But back in the 90s, he started leading tour groups for returning veterans, and he liked it here. And then a life change back home in colorado brought about a big decision. After my wife died, about two years later, i decided, i think im gonna move over here. That was 7 years ago. Bill now lives in danang full time, year round. And hes not alone. Theres probably 40 American Veterans that i know that live over here. It makes you realize that youre not just totally crazy. Hard to believe a place so connected with such a painful part of his life could now be the source of so much solace. But bill noticed something after moving here. He actually thinks less about the vietnam war now than he ever did back home in the u. S. You know, you got this big bubble thats been inside of you for 40 years, and its a good place to let that go. Vietnam soon brought about another surprise, too. I got married in danang in a dress and rubber shoes. A few years back, bill reconnected with anh, a tourguide hed met years earlier. They fell in love and got married. Youve never met a man like me before, right . Never. The first time he came here, vietnam changed him. Little did that young man with a moustache on his face and a chip on his shoulder realize didnt find what i was looking for, but i found something much better. You again . How much this place would change him again. I love it. His favorite thing was fortune cookies. And i was walking through the grery store, and i saw the fortune cookies, and all of a sudden it hit me. Anyway. Untold stories saluting our Vietnam Veterans continues now. Youre doing snacks, right . Yeah, im doing snacks. Yeah. Inside the olders house, the one where american flags decorate the front lawn, wally and janice are doing what has become their lifes work helping veterans and active duty military any way they can. One box ready to go with the others, janice. Today, they are preparing care packages to send to service men and women all over the world. The work is personal, because always, just in the background, are the echos of the war that shaped wallys life vietnam. I wanted to serve. I signed up. I wasnt drafted. Wally was a sergeant and worked with munitions on ships. His three brothers served, as had his father. But vietnam, vietnam was different, especially back at home. While wally had volunteered in 1966, there was growing sentiment in the United States against the war, and that sentiment led some to blame soldiers upon their return. I dont know what we did wrong but serve. But when you got back, you felt blamed. Am i right . Absolutely. Bill, i have never had a feeling like that in my life. And i know many carry that. Vietnam had all the horrors of war, but wally felt it was wrong to blame the soldiers who had served and fought for their country, felt that deeply. I want to impact lives. Id probably still be working, had i not and how many heart attacks have you had . Ive had a couple. Wallys now 70, and he and janice raise money and help vets almost full time, especially near the holidays. They do so with the help of those wally calls angels, who you can find in some surprising places. Wallyll tell me, hey, i got a guy thats hard up for somethin, he needs a car, he cant do somethin, and yeah, we just try to help em out. I have a brotherinlaw thats a vietnam veteran and another brotherinlaw thats still in the army, and hes been over in afghanistan three times already. So you know what john has your car being repaired is courtesy a to z. No charges. Oh, really . Thanks again. I appreciate it. Bill crumroy, a marine veteran, and his wife, tracy, the parents of three daughters, have been through the ringer. I ended up getting cancer, and from that, they found out there was a tumor in the lower part of my brain. Losing his job, and with tracy off work with back problems, the family struggled. For a while, there was no income coming in. When wally and janice found out, they brought donated food, got the crumroys car fixed at a to z, did basically whatever they could. Hey, bill. You know, you just put your hand out, and hes here to grab it and help you out. I actually dont consider it help. I think hes saving people. So wally keeps on giving, with the help of angels he finds everywhere, including at the local post office. Were on a first name basis, here. Wally and mike. Mike eckart manages the post office, and has a nephew in the service whos received wallys care packages. Mike says customers often offer to pay for the packages when they see wally in line. It gives us a sense of pride that were involved with wally. And i heard some of your guys actually have chipped in some. Yes. Yes, we have chipped in, ourselves, too. Wally believes mike and john and all his other angels share with him a common purpose to improve the quality of life of our veterans. Theyll know that we made a difference, and we will never, never forget what this countrys about and what we represent. This is the album from the beginning. You can ask this waterbury mom about her firstborn child this is my favorite picture. But these days, dont expect a short answer. He was a little man. Mary kite proudly talks abour her son michael kite. I dont want to stop talking about michael. As she flips through the pages of his life she captured. I wasnt bragging. From childhood he earned that bike. To adulthood. A mother couldnt have wanted a better son. However, kite was not prepared for what was going to fill the next page. When that young man stood at that door, i knew what had happened. Michael was deployed to vietnam as a helicopter pilot in february of 1967. And 3 months later, the rotor blades on his huey were acidentally hit by another american crew, sending the aircraft, and later, kites heart, plunging. We regret to inform you your son, warrant of