. . Air Force pilot Joe Zalar knew how dangerous it was to fly in Vietnam. After more than 220 missions, he became a flight instructor, sending hundreds of young men into combat. How many never came home? He wonders. The sadness is overwhelming. It's really tough to think about. This
. . Despite having lived all over the world during his long Air Force career, you can still hear the Texas in Ben Wright’s voice. He grew up in Big Bend Country, as far west in West Texas as you can get. Now Ben and his wife live in Beaver, Pennsylvania,
. . Ron Worstell was drafted into the Army after dropping out of college in March 1968. He was shipped to Vietnam in September 1968. After several patrols, he asked for the job of radio operator, which required him to haul a 26-pound radio pack on missions with the First Infantry
. . Ken Thomas is from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and he’s a very good friend of Barry Campbell, both drafted during Vietnam. In fact, both of their wives were pregnant with their first children at the time. There is a bond there that goes deep. Ken tries not to dwell on
. . John Schweich of Beaver, Pennsylvania served in Vietnam as an army intelligence officer. He later served with the CIA as a civilian and retired from the Army Reserves as a lieutenant colonel. One of the most profound problems we faced in Vietnam, John recalls, is that military and political