Illinois National Guard Officer Candidate School Graduation Ceremony

A few months ago my wife and I were invited to the Illinois National Guard Officer Candidate School Dining Out Ceremony. One of the class members had seen my book, LOST SURVIVOR, and brought it to the attention of the rest of the class. They all agreed to invite me as their guest speaker. The event is very formal, I had to get a tux and my wife a couple of evening dresses (ladies always like choices), dress uniforms for the National Guard members. Generals and officers displayed gold that ran from their wrist to their neck. Medals filled their chests. We walked through a receiving line of the Candidates and their wives and then were escorted to our table. The table settings were exact with every knife, fork and napkin in perfect alignment.

I spoke about the impact of combat and how it changed your life. Shared experiences of the lingering effects it has on you for the rest of your life. I emphasized the important role training has in combat. I also talked about how diverse the military is and they would be serving with men and women that held different beliefs, looked different but wore the same uniform and would died fighting by their side. 

I was impressed by these young men and women who were being trained to be leaders. Some of them had served as enlisted soldiers and served in the combat zones of Iraq. Others had never left the country and the only view they had of military service was the time spend in the Guard in Illinois. Yet, they all stood tall to endure the training to become military officers. To be leaders among men and women. I told them I would attend their Graduation Ceremony to see them receive their commission.

That day happen August 24, 2008. I attended their Graduation Commissioning Ceremony.  I could see  their faces bright with smiles of happiness. They had made it! They were not candidates, they were Officers. The only emotion that matched their happiness was the proud look in their families eyes as they watched them walk cross the stage and receive their diplomas. I felt proud and honored to be a small part of this very special day.

Women Serving in Combat zones

I have had several very interesting conversations with women in the National Guard that have been deployed to Iraq. Not just once, but two or three times. They had read my book “Lost Survivor” and identified with the main character’s emotional experiences when he returned home from combat in Vietnam. The theme of the book is “what you give up to survive in combat is what you need live when you return home.” Surviving combat force you to thrown away the important things in your life. It is a well recognized fact that a man that experiences combat and has killed another human being becomes a different man. This is why men that have had to kill to survive combat have a more difficult time coming home and returning to the life they had before they left.

In my conversations with these women, all had served overseas in a combat zone and were experiencing problems returning to the life they had before they left. I understood their feelings of lost trying to fit in back home, but talking to them made me more aware of the changing nature of soldiers that serve in the military. There is a lot of talk about how technology is changing the nature of warfare. War is death and destruction to human beings no matter how it happens.

In today’s Nation Guard, women are soldiers, deployed overseas and serving in combat zones. In the Iraq war, like Vietnam, traditional front lines are virtually obliterated. Women are sent to fill lethal combat roles more routinely than in any conflict in U.S. history, the nation may be just beginning to see and feel the effects of such service.
Unlike previous conflicts, where women rarely were pulling the triggers or running the weaponry that left enemies dead on the battlefield, they routinely are doing so in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thousands of women, like the male veterans of so many wars before, are returning home emotionally damaged by what they have seen and done. These female troops appear more prone to post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, than their male counterparts. They, like their male counterparts, are being constantly mortared and ambushed by a guerrilla insurgency. They are watching fellow troops go home grievously wounded or dead in numbers not seen since the war in Vietnam. Women have been shown to be at higher risk than men of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after traumatic events. It has been stated that 8 percent to 10 percent of active-duty and retired military women suffer from PTSD. Yet the women who most need counseling to help them deal with what they witnessed in Iraq and Afghanistan--like their male counterparts--are the most unlikely to seek it.

There is greater understand of the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and what is needed to treat it. Yet, a Defense Department study of combat troops returning from Iraq found that soldiers and Marines deeply suffering from PTSD and readjustment problems were not likely to seek help because of the stigma such an act might carry. In the study, 1 in 6 veterans acknowledged symptoms of severe depression and PTSD, but 6 in 10 of the same veterans feared their commanders and fellow troops would treat them differently and lose confidence in them if they sought treatment for their problems.

I have noticed during book signing for “Lost Survivor” more women buying the book than men. They are trying to understand what happen to their love ones that changed them so much from who they were before they left home. Men who return from combat do not talk to the women in their lives. Now think about a woman return from combat, who can she talk to? Not the women or men in her life unless they have had common experiences as she. Most people around her don’t. Who does she reach out to? Men who return from combat will tell their wives they are going out to have a drink with the boys and it is accepted as normal. A woman who has served with men in a combat zone will prefer to have a drink with them, many times, than the girls. However, her husband may find it difficult to understand her saying she wants to go out for a drink with the boys.

And then there are expected roles of women, especially if they have kids, no matter where they have been or done. They are expected to come back home and resume being the wife or mother that never left.

Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial Twentieth Anniversary (May 2, 3,4, 2008)

In recognition of the enormous debt all Americans owes to former Prisoners Of War who gave up their freedom in the service of their country during the Vietnam War, the Illinois Vietnam Veteran Vigil Committee honored 24 Ex-POW's that served over 100years of imprisonment from around the country. The weekend event was kicked off Friday with an honors dinner.

Jerry Lambert, a Vietnam Veteran, who is the News Anchor on Springfield’s local ABC television station, was the guest speaker. His emotional speech about what Vietnam Veterans faced returning home and the trials that POWs had to endure brought forth feelings from many of us that translated his words into a shared experience. He received a standing ovation.

I was honored as Master of Ceremonies for the dinner and to introduce some great people that care about and honor veterans like Jim Mathes, Chairman of the Vigil Committee, whose idea it was to honor the POWs. JP Brown III, National Commander of AMVETS and other members of the Illinois AMVETS organization. Gary Sigler, a Former POW who coordinated getting the POWs here and putting on the dinner introduced Ted Gostas a Former POW and famed artist that shared poems and prints of his famous paintings. During the weekend I had the opportunity to spend time with the POWs, hear some of their stories of survival, and share emotional moments of remembrances. It reminded me of one of the greatest fear I had in Vietnam, being captured and taken prisoner. In my recon team we had a whispered agreement not let the enemy capture us alive. None of us believed we would survive to be taken to North Vietnam.

The thought of going to sleep every night for years knowing you will wake to torture and pain in the morning seemed to me worst than death. Yet, here I was in a room full of men that survived that ordeal. Men who were humble and took nothing for granted. What strength it took to survive the constant fear, the physical and mental torture, the loneliness and doubt. How do you keep yourself intact being an enemy prisoner in the middle of enemy lands? Only when you are faced with the reality of it do you discover how to survive it.

When I got home after spending the weekend with them my neighbor asked me how did the events go? I told him that there was nothing I could see in my life to whine about after spending time with the Ex-POW’s.

20th Anniversary of the Vietnam Vigil and the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial

Twenty years ago I was one of the early members of a small group of Vietnam Veterans that had a fire inside to do something in Illinois for the remembrance of Vietnam Veterans. At that time I was Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans and had coordinated the state of Illinois participation in the National Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. It inspired two Illinois Vietnam War veterans, Richard Stahl and Mike Ferguson to have an Illinois memorial honoring the state’s Vietnam War causalities. It was when I met Mike that the fire was ignited in me. The Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Committee was created to raise the $1.25 million needed to construct the Memorial. No one knew how to raise that much money, especially with a goal to raise it from private rather government sources.

My wife and I left on a trip to see America, for almost two years we traveled the country. But before I left I got Governor Thompson involved in the effort to build the Memorial. His presence and belief in the need for the Memorial was a driving force to acquire the funds. The Memorial was dedicated on May 7, 1988 as a permanent state memorial under the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Inscribed on the five walls representing the five branches of services are the names of those who died or are still missing. An eternal flame burns atop the Memorial. The inscription on the outer walls reads: To Those Who Died Honor and Eternal Rest, To those Still in Bondage Remembrance and Hope, and To Those Who Returned Gratitude and Peace.

The Veterans Memorial Vigil, Inc. holds an Annual 24-hour Vigil and Remembrance ceremony that honors those who died, who are still unaccounted for, and those who honorably served their country.

This 20 year remembrance event welcomes Vietnam Veterans home and thanks them for their service to the country. The official ceremony starts at 11:00 a.m. on May 3rd with speakers, laying of Wreaths, passing of the torch, and ending with a P.O.W ceremony. Sunday May 4th the ceremony continues with the final watch of the 24 hour Vigil and closing at 1:00 p.m. with a rifle salute, taps and flag-raising.

If you are in Illinois on these days join the many that will be showing their gratitude for those who served their country in Vietnam, welcoming them home and giving thanks for their service.

My day on a National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker

April 18, 2008 I took a plane ride. Not the usual commercial flight from point A to point B. It was on a National Guard KC-135 a Stratotanker, whose principal mission is air refueling. It also provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft as well as aircraft of allied nations. It is a big plane, based on the same basic design for the commercial 707 passenger plane.

I was honored to be one of the community members invited to participate in this experience, a Diversity Orientation Flight put on by the Air National Guard’s 183rd Fighter Wing. We attended a morning presentation led by Colonel Michael Meyer, Commander of the Fighter Wing, about the 183rd roles and missions in the Air National Guard. After the morning presentation and a brief tour we boarded a KC-135 from the 126th Air Refueling Wing to observe F-16 Fighting Falcons refueling in the air.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a highly maneuverable, single pilot, compact, multi-role fighter aircraft used in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. Seeing one take off, get a few feet off the ground, hit its afterburner and disappear into the sky is an amazing sight. We had the chance to see the cockpit and walk around some parked F-16s. It is an electronic marvel. Electrical wires relay commands, replacing the usual cables and linkage controls. A side stick controller is used instead of the conventional center-mounted stick. Hand pressure on the side stick controller sends electrical signals to actuators of flight control surfaces such as ailerons and rudder. It is a tight fit for pilots. It was clear to me that a seven foot person could not fit in the cockpit. Also, it took a lot of skill to listen to the radio, watch the various instruments in front of you and fly the plane.

The KC-135 four turbofans, mounted under 35-degree swept wings made a smooth take off and climbing to it operational altitude quickly. The KC-135 is equipped with a flying boom for fuel transfer. The boom operator lies on his stomach peering out of small windows operating the boom with small joy sticks. I shared the view, lying next to the boom operator. All I can say is what a ride, what a view watching the F-16 come up to the boom. The jets come up to about 10 feet to the underbelly of the KC-135 and boom is extended, connecting to the jet and the fuel transfer begins. The KC-135 pilots maintain a speed of about 535 miles per hour during the refueling.

Back on the ground we had a chance to fly in an F-16 simulator where you could crash a couple of times and walk away to try again. The whole day was a great and different experience and I thank the Air National Guard’s 183rd Fighter Wing for it. Though I am an old Vietnam Veteran, I felt a common bond with these young military men and women who are now serving their country.

Aerial refueling flight

The Illinois National Guard has invited me on board a KC-135 Stratotanker while it refuels a F-16 Fighting Falcon. WOW. It promises to be an exciting mission and I am look forward to it.

As I read the orientation flight guidance sheet a few things caught my attention. Everyone receives a pre-flight briefing in order to fly on a military aircraft. When I was in the military I was on a lot of different planes, never had a pre-flight briefing. In order to experience a refueling, they say you will be lying on your stomach in the rear of the aircraft. The only time I laid down in an aircraft was on Choppers taking fire in Vietnam. The aircraft is very loud and they will provide earplugs. I found it interesting the under the section "What to leave behind" was the statement: Firearms are not permitted on Federal military installations or on military aircraft. I have found that when you see an statement like that it probably means someone tried to bring a gun on board. Wonder what they were thinking?

Under "Sickness/injury section" head cold or sinus problems could result in serious head injuries during pressurization of the aircraft (this is not a commercial aircraft designed for passenger comfort). I have never been on commercial plane that refueled another plane, fair is fair.

Under the section "Operation of equipment" in bold capital letters: YOU ARE PROHIBITED FROM OPERATING ANY MILITARY EQUIPMENT ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. Wonder why they had to state that so forcibly? I had visions of someone saying they always wanted to fly a really big plane or push the buttons to lower the fuel boom to refuel a F-16, even though they never had a flying lesson or plane refueling training. I am glad they will not let us because I know I would not have any idea of what to do. I only know for sure you can't stay in the sky forever and how you get back on the ground is very important.

Not everyone gets the chance to be apart of such an event I am looking forward to it and will share my experiences with you when I get back on the ground.

Peoria Illinois Book Signing

Peoria Heights, IL—Two authors, two wars, two perspectives. I Know You Like A Book presents two historical fiction authors for its next Local Author book signing event on Saturday, April 19th at 2:00 p.m. Brooks Carver of Canton and Thomas Jones of Springfield both explore the effects of war on the American soldier.

Carver’s first book, “The Angels’ Share” is set in the reconstruction period after the Civil War. The story follows Jack Grady, his son, and two other veterans as they make an epic journey across the war-torn South. The novel won the Bronze Medal for historical fiction in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year competition in 2004. Carver’s second novel, “Give My Love to Ivy Rose” tells the story of the grandchildren of “The Angels’ Share” hero. Both books will be available at the book signing.

Jones took his experiences as a Marine in the Vietnam War and crafted his novel, “Lost Survivor: The Novel of a Black Soldier’s Journey to Vietnam and Back”. The premise of the story is that one of the hardest lessons for a soldier is to realize that past experiences are not valid during combat, and what is lost, in order to survive, is what is needed to live. Tom and Lost Survivor have been featured by Illinois State Library Authors Book Fair and his book placed in the Illinois Authors Collection at the IL State Library, Gwendolyn Brooks Building

An articulate and engaging speaker, Tom shares his particular war experiences of the survival journey required by the return to civilian life plus anecdotes garnered from his work as a counselor to other veterans and their families. For Street-Wise, Newspaper of Chicago, he wrote a requested article entitled, “What does America owe its veterans?”


I Know You Like A Book, 4707 Prospect Road, Peoria Heights, IL hosts Local Author Book Signing Event, Saturday, April 19th, 2:00 to 6:00 pm. Mary Beth Nebel, Owner (309) 685-2665.

National Guard/African American History Month 2008

I was invited to be a keynote guest speaker for the National Guard activities during African American History Month at the Joint Force Headquarters at Camp Lincoln in Springfield Illinois. Major General Enyart, The Adjutant General for both the Illinois Army and Air National Guard, introduced me. Following are some thoughts I shared with that group.

Most of us are raised by families of mothers/ fathers, grandmothers/grandfather, uncles and aunts that look the same. We are taught to think and believe in what they do. It is the only world we know when we were children.

But you grow up, leave home and go out into the “world”, especially if you join the military. Then you find the world is a diverse place filled with people that have different cultural, color and beliefs. In the military, you learn to exist within that diversity.

Each one of you has your own reason why you join the National Guard. Many of you join because of the education benefits, extra money, and to serve your country. It used to be you stayed home except for a few weeks of the year. That has changed. Times are different as the world is different.

In the military you live and work in a diverse world and when you go into combat, there is a great possibility you will engage an enemy who does not look you, believe in what you do, nor think the same as you. Who live and fight by different rules.

The person serving with you may not look like you, be from a different culture, or have different personal beliefs than you. Yet, everyone wears the same uniform, trained together, go into battle with the same hopes and fears, these different people will lay their lives on the line with and for you.

Diversity at home and abroad is the way of our world today. Now does that mean you will like all this difference? No, because most of us did not grow up to like differences. It is something we discover when we find our own mind.

Our differences make this country great. It gives us the ability to drawn upon a bigger pool of skills and talents. What is great about diversity is that we can be different and have common purposes.