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Today, Chuck joins me to discuss going back to Vietnam to build libraries and his experiences of friendly fire. He shares his motive for volunteering for the draft, his feelings, and his curiosity surrounding Vietnam.Chuck discusses how the ‘old-timers’ looked after the new guys, how returning from the war affected him, and how he became an attorney, defending veterans and fighting for VA benefits. Chuck also discusses his passion for building libraries in Vietnam and his belief that knowledge and information creates freedom.
” To understand what war is all about and having done something like that myself, I’ve got a lot of compassion for any guy in any war that does the human things you can do in your life: make a mistake.” – Chuck Theusch
This week on the Stigma Free Vet Zone Podcast:
- How Chuck volunteered for the draft with a friend and joined the Buddy Program
- Chuck’s mixed feelings and driving curiosity to find out what was happening in Vietnam
- How the one-week in-country training and defectors from the Chieu Hoi Program of Vietnam highlighted the seriousness of what was to come
- How the ‘old-timers’ looked out for the FNGs (new guys)
- Why inverting a number when calculating a fire emission round and almost causing a friendly fire became the incident that sticks in Chuck’s mind
- How being called a baby-killer when returning from Vietnam at the age of nineteen affected Chuck
- Reflecting on Vietnam and how later in life in this starts to surface in a more significant way
- Fighting for veterans and their benefits as an attorney
- Why it is crucial to build libraries in Vietnam and give people the freedom to have access to information
- Becoming more in tune with the cultural aspects of Vietnam
Resources Mentioned:
This episode is brought to you by…
The Orban Foundation for Veterans is dedicated to bringing greater hope, understanding, resolution, and togetherness on issues of civilian readjustment for all military veterans and their families. Orban Foundation for Veterans promotes the importance of education, identification, understanding, acceptance, and resolution of many of the complex and severe responses to war and military life.
Visit our website to learn more about the Orban Foundation for Veterans and to support our mission.
Helping Veterans & Their Families Transition to Civilian Life
Thanks for tuning into this segment of the Stigma Free Vet Zone podcast, the show dedicated to helping veterans and their families make the transition from the military to civilian life and culture. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and leave a review. For more stories, insight, and resources on coping with military-related trauma and PTSD, visit our website and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us raise awareness and help our brothers and sisters and their families transition to civilian life.
DISCLAIMER: The information and content shared in each episode of the Stigma Free Vet Zone are for informational purposes only. The Stigma Free Vet Zone hosts, Mike Orban & Bob Bach, are not, nor claim to be, medical doctors, psychologists, or psychiatrists and should not be held responsible for any claims, medical advice, or therapy/treatment recommendations mentioned on this podcast. Any advice mentioned or shared by Mike Orban, Bob Bach, or their guests is strictly for purposes of bringing awareness to the veteran community and the services available. Please speak with a medical professional before taking any advice or starting any therapy or treatment discussed or shared on this podcast.