Vietnam War Heroes 1955-1975
VOICES OF VIETNAM Friday, October 9, 2026 WALTER EUGENE PATTERSON The Soldier Who Guarded the Gate A Son of Tennessee | United States Army | Vietnam Veteran His granddaughter wanted to know his story. Her grandfather had spent fifty years trying to protect her from it. Presented by The Micky Spano Show and VetVaultAmerica 250: … Read more
VOICES OF VIETNAM FRIDAY • OCTOBER 2, 2026 • AMERICA 250 SGT. DONALD GRADEN MELVIN UNITED STATES ARMY WHITE LAKE, NORTH CAROLINA Born: March 16, 1946Vietnam VeteranCalibration Technician • Sergeant E-5 THE HAT THAT CAME HOME Today, Voices of Vietnam takes us to White Lake, North Carolina. Not to remember a name carved into the … Read more
FRIDAY • SEPTEMBER 25, 2026 • AMERICA 250 CHARLES DONALD CARTER UNITED STATES ARMY • VIETNAM VETERAN A COMPANY • 1ST BATTALION • 506TH INFANTRY REGIMENT 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION Born June 26, 1950Florence, South Carolina Vietnam • 1969–1970MOS 11B10 • Infantryman “I JUST DID MY JOB.” Every Friday, Voices of Vietnam gives us an opportunity … Read more
VETERAN OF THE DAY September 16, 2026 LCDR JAMES D. HUNT United States Navy Missoula, Montana December 1, 1936Missing in Action: October 13, 1968Attack Squadron 52 • VA-52USS Coral Sea (CVA-43)A-6A Intruder • Bureau No. 154141Vietnam Veterans Memorial • Panel 41W • Line 59 “One Final Transmission. Then Silence.” There are moments in war when … Read more
VOICES OF VIETNAM September 11, 2026 James Franklin “Jim” Sherrer United States Army Vietnam Veteran Laurens, South Carolina Born August 8, 1949 “Before He Was Papa, He Was Soldier.” From the Mountains of South Carolina to the Mountains of Vietnam To his grandson, he was once “Papa Bear.” Later, simply: Papa. To others he has … Read more
VOICES OF VIETNAM September 4, 2026 William S. Adams United States Army Vietnam Veteran • Signals Intelligence Soldier 8th Radio Research Station Born November 18, 1948Atlanta, Georgia “First He Was Given a Number. Then He Built a Life Around the Values Behind the Uniform.” The Nineteen-Year-Old From Atlanta Before Vietnam, William Adams was a young … Read more
VOICES OF VIETNAM Donald Lindsey Maddox United States Army Command Sergeant Major Silver Star Recipient Born January 5, 1942 Vietnam Veteran | Operations Advisor | Soldier | Leader | Public Servant 44 Years of Service to America There are veterans who answer their country’s call for a season. There are others for whom service becomes … Read more
August 21, 2026 Thomas Edward “Tom” Pelkey United States Army Infantryman • Mortarman • Huey Door Gunner St. Cloud, Minnesota Born June 24, 1952 “I Volunteered So Someone Else Wouldn’t Have to Go.” Some Vietnam stories begin with a draft notice. Tom Pelkey’s begins with a choice. After graduating from high school, the young man … Read more
DENNIS PAUL DuPUIS UNITED STATES ARMY VIETNAM HELICOPTER PILOT • MASTER ARMY AVIATOR Born August 20, 1949Fort Knox, Kentucky Two Tours in Vietnam • 1969–1970 & 1971–1972More Than 1,550 Combat Flight Hours THE MAN WHO KEPT FLYING There are names carved into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. And then there are men who came home carrying … Read more
William Carroll Wakefield II — He Returned to Remember From a roadside Pennsylvania childhood to two tours in Vietnam, federal engineering service, and a lifetime of mentoring young people William Carroll Wakefield II saw more of the world than the child pumping gasoline at his family’s roadside business in rural Pennsylvania could ever have imagined. … Read more