Bob Staranowicz: My Story, The Beginning

Bob Staranowicz

I am a Vietnam Veteran and I am proud of my service.

I served with the 101st Airborne while in Vietnam and was assigned to northern I Corps at Camp Eagle, near Hue.

I would like to tell you a little bit about myself and maybe in a future posting, something about why I went back to Vietnam in 2009.

I was born on October 11, 1948 at home since Mom couldn’t afford, or didn’t want to go to, a hospital.  I already had three older brothers.

Where I grew up was residential, as well as industrial, within the shadow of the Philco Electronics building. Directly behind was Kissling’s Sauer Kraut. Al Kissling - yes, a real person - manufactured sauerkraut, pickles, mackerel and mush – all still available in local supermarkets.

Also in the neighborhood was a Bon Ton Potato Chip factory, a lumber yard,  and Strunk's, a trucking firm. Strunk also had a car inspection and repair service in the 200 block. 

There was a bar on almost every corner, the 200 Bar at 200 Richmond, McGuirl’s at 101 Richmond and others throughout the neighborhood. I can remember four bars from Front and Richmond to the middle of the 200 block. 

There was an Esso gas station – Wolfman’s, and another luncheonette, Wojcik’s, on Shackamaxon Street. Down the block from Wojcik’s was one more luncheonette, Conroy’s, and a Gulf gas station.

We also had a rag and newspaper reclamation plant, a kielbasa plant and a sugar house (now, the Sugar House Casino), all within a two block walk.

On the corner of Richmond and Shackamaxon, were four businesses: McCracken's which was a luncheonette, the 200 Bar, Wisnieski's Grocery Store, and Black's Drug Store. McCracken’s moved to the middle of the block later.

Then there was Tilly’s (Maryanski) Candy Store, where soda and candy were sold.  It was also where the pinball wizards of the time hung out -- five balls for a nickel! No, you never had to go far to get anything you needed.

It was an interesting place to live. A typical blue collar city neighborhood of that era, where dogs ran free, everyone knew each other, and being home by dark in the summer was really the only rule we had.

We never knew we were poor, until we got out into the world and experienced other neighborhoods. Once I started going to school in 1954, more discoveries were made. 

As I crossed Frankford Avenue on my way to Immaculate Conception School, I would pass by a steel smelting plant – Ajax. Once I got to the end of the block, I came to Front Street where the elevated train ran and crossed over to the Tip Top playground which was the school yard for Immaculate Conception school.

We had a graduating class of 35 in 1962. After leaving ICS, I attended Northeast Catholic High School and graduated in 1966. I worked in my senior year at a family shoe store on Girard Avenue – the OK Shoe Store. After graduation, I decided to take the summer off before starting a real job and ended up at Sears Roebuck before I received my letter from Uncle Sam.

I received my draft notice on April 1st 1968 and before I could be inducted I joined the Army in 1968 because I wanted to control my own fate during a time that the US was involved in what was becoming an unpopular war. 

I did my basic training at Fort Bragg, NC starting in the hottest month of the year – August. Then I was assigned to Fort Monmouth, NJ to attend a Communications School. I enlisted in order to get this school since it was so close to home and would keep me in the States for at least another 10 months and allow me to get home most weekends.

My recruiter, (who shall remain unnamed), told me that with all of this security training that I would never see Vietnam. I am still looking for him… (HA HA). I received my orders for Vietnam about six weeks before I completed my training. There were 26 of us in class and 25 were sent to Vietnam. The lone member, who had the highest average, was off to Germany.

Little did I know that my tour in Vietnam would become one of the most gratifying experiences in my life. I cannot say that it has not affected me negatively in some ways, but there are many positive experiences, as well.

So, after I finished my studies at Fort Monmouth, I came home for a 30 day leave. I had met a gal in June and saw her on weekends, along with my friends, when I came home. It was a casual friendship and since I was going away to war, I didn’t want any kind of commitment while I was away. Well, that plan failed miserably and I married that girl when I returned home the next November. I had turned 21, five days before I left and also knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Some 40 years later, we are still together.

The war was being protested more and more during that time and the day before I left, the largest moratorium aimed at ending the war took place on October 15, 1969. Almost 500,000 men and women were deployed in the conflict, and opposition to the war was growing.

The Moratorium for the first time brought out America's middle class, middle-aged voters, in large numbers. The focal point was the Capital, Washington DC, where more than 40 different activities were planned and about 250,000 demonstrators gathered to make their voices heard.

There were protests all over Europe, not just the US. Peace activists congregated outside US embassies across Europe. In London a crowd of some 300 people demonstrated opposite the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square.

So, with all of this going on, I headed to the airport after saying good bye to my Mom and Dad. Of course, my mother was upset, but it was the first time I had ever seen my Dad cry. I left with my future wife and my brother and sister-in-law and headed to the airport. Corny as it may sound, as I kissed my future mate good bye, I handed her my high school ring as an assurance that she would have to give it back to me when I returned.

Then I got on the plane, my first ever flight, headed for Chicago, then to Oakland. I was joined by several other Fort Monmouth classmates and my future best man, who at that time had no idea, nor did I.

We spent several days in Oakland, before receiving the call to get on the plane to Vietnam. We departed Travis AFB around midnight for what would be a year in Vietnam. After a brief stop in Alaska, we headed to Tokyo.

Upon landing, there was a problem with our plane and it would take at least 24 hours to repair. Our plane was carrying about 150 second lieutenants with artillery or infantry specialties, along with many enlisted men, some returning to Vietnam for another tour. The young officers all knew that that their specialty had a great deal of casualties in Vietnam.

While waiting for plane repairs and with all of this freedom, Joe and I decided to hit the bars. Little did we know that those Kirins we were drinking were high in alcohol. After several hours, we retired to our hotel and fell asleep. We were supposed to be called when the plane was repaired. 

There were two officers in our room as well and when they got the call, they failed to awaken us from our drunken stupor. Sometime later, when the hotel manager was checking rooms, he found us, woke us and told us the plane was leaving. We hopped in a cab and raced to the airport to see out plane on the tarmac ready to leave. We had just made it.

The flight to Vietnam was uneventful after that, until we landed and the hot steamy air hit us as the doors opened. Needless to say, that did not help our still existing “hangover” condition. We both walked down the steps to the tarmac on wobbly legs with queasy stomachs.

We were off to the reception center where I found, after a few days of jungle training, that I was to board a C-130 to Phu Bai. I knew nothing of the country’s geography and searched a map around the Saigon area, where I wanted to be assigned. Up and up my finger cruised to find Phu Bai in the northern I Corps region. I was shocked. I was hoping to stay in the “safer” area around Saigon but it was not to be. I was headed to the boonies.

So, I got to Camp Eagle and was happy to see one other guy from my class. It was November 2nd, almost two weeks after leaving home. This was most difficult since I was writing letters home but had yet to receive one in return. I now had a mailing address, but it would take another two weeks to receive a reply after I sent the information home.

My travel was over and I settled in to the daily 12 hour, 7 day routine. Along with the duties of the communications shop, there was KP, guard duty, and other company-related duties. I wasn’t happy but something happened in the next several weeks that would change my whole point of view about this place.

In a future blog I will continue this story and share an experience which has stayed with me until this day and which brought me back to Vietnam 39 years later.

[Bob Staranowicz is a Vietnam veteran, a member of the Doylestown Post 175 VFW, and Author of the book, "Chapter One".  He lives in Buckingham PA.]


“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do, and by the grace of God, I will.” ~Everett Hale

The Grey-Haired Brigade

[Contributed by my brother-in-law, Dennis L. Kempf]

The typical U.S. household headed by a person age 65 or older has a net worth 47 times greater than a household headed by someone under 35, according to an analysis of census data released Monday.

If us old farts have all the money, then let's try to elect someone who might be near honest and not be after feathering their own nests.

They like to refer to us as senior citizens, old fogies, geezers, and in some cases, dinosaurs. Some of us are "Baby Boomers" getting ready to retire. Others have been retired for some time. We walk a little slower these days and our eyes and hearing are not what they once were. 

We have worked hard, raised our children, worshiped God and grown old together. Yes, we are the ones some refer to as being over the hill, and that is probably true. But before writing us off completely, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration.

In school we studied English, history, math, and science which enabled us to lead America into the technological age. Most of us remember what outhouses were, many of us with firsthand experience.

We remember the days of telephone party-lines, 25 cent gasoline, and milk and ice being delivered to our homes. For those of you who don't know what an icebox is, today they are electric and referred to as refrigerators. A few even remember when cars were started with a crank.

Yes, we lived those days. We are probably considered old fashioned and out-dated by many. But there are a few things you need to remember before completely writing us off. 

We won World War II, fought in Korea and Vietnam. We can quote "The Pledge of Allegiance", and we know where to place our hand while doing so. We wore the uniform of our country with pride and lost many friends on the battlefield. 

We didn't fight for the Socialist States of America; we fought for The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. We know this is a Republic and NOT a Democracy and the difference is vast and extremely important! 

We wore different uniforms but we carried the same flag. We know the words to the "Star Spangled Banner", "America", and "America the Beautiful" by heart, and you may even see some tears running down our cheeks as we sing. 

We have lived what many of you have only read in history books and we feel no obligation to apologize to anyone for America.

Yes, we are old and slow these days but rest assured, we have at least one good fight left in us. We have loved this country, fought for it, and died for it, and now we are going to save it. 

It is our country and nobody is going to take it away from us. We took oaths to defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that is an oath we plan to keep. There are those who want to destroy this land we love but, like our founders, there is no way we are going to remain silent.

It was mostly the young people of this nation who elected Obama and the Democratic Congress. You fell for Hope and Change which in reality was nothing but Hype and Lies.

You now have tasted socialism and seen true evil face to face and have found you don't like it after all. You make a lot of noise, but most are all too interested in their careers or Climbing the Social Ladder to be involved in such mundane things as patriotism, your freedom, and voting. 

Many of those who fell for The Great Lie in 2008 are now having buyer's remorse. With all the education we gave you, you didn't have sense enough to see through the lies and instead, drank the Kool-Aid. 

Now you're paying the price and complaining about it. No jobs, lost mortgages, higher taxes, and far less freedom. This is what you voted for and this is what you got. We entrusted you with the Torch of Liberty and you traded it for a paycheck and a fancy house.

Well, don't worry youngsters, the Grey-Haired Brigade is here, and in 2014, we are going to take back our nation! We may drive a little slower than you would like but we'll get where we're going, and in 2014 we're going to the polls by the millions!

This land does not belong to the man in the White House, nor to the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. It belongs to We the People and We the People plan to reclaim our land and our freedom. We hope this time you will do a better job of preserving it and passing it along to our grandchildren. 

So the next time you have the chance to say the "Pledge of Allegiance", stand up, put your hand over your heart, honor our country, and thank God for the old geezers of the Grey-Haired Brigade.

Can you feel the ground shaking?  It's not an earthquake, it's a STAMPEDE.


“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do, and by the grace of God, I will.” ~Everett Hale

To All My Veteran Friends

On April 3, I put an article on the blog with the title, "Do You Still Think About Vietnam?"  

It was an excellent article, by a Vietnam Veteran, who shared his thoughts and feelings about how and why he cannot NOT still think about Vietnam.

He did not put his name on the article, preferring to remain anonymous, but he should feel proud, because it became immediately obvious that his article touched on something important which was universal among all Vietnam Veterans: Yes, they do still think about Vietnam.  

I'm only sorry I can't thank the veteran for his article.  The feelings and memories it evoked have been overwhelming, not only for those in every group where it was posted on Facebook and LinkedIn, but for me, as well.

To All My Veteran Friends:

I want to thank you, all of you, for your honesty and for openly sharing your thoughts and feelings about the Vietnam War.  I expected to hear that you do still think about Vietnam, just like our anonymous veteran.  What I wasn't expecting was how deeply everything you had to say would also touch me.

Every time I read something one of you shared, without your knowing it, you helped me face many things I have also buried since 1969. 

Through reading about your experiences and your loss, I have felt your anguish, because it also touched those things that I had buried and brought them to the surface. Often, it was sudden, like a body slam and it was frightening. Other times, it was a gentle pull, like a whisper and I cried.

But I'm learning. I know that to heal, that's exactly what I need to do more of.

Pain is pain. It doesn't matter who owns it, or from which direction it comes, or how it got there. Pain is pain, it hurts like bloody hell, and we want to avoid it, because we're afrait it will consume us. But stuffing it brings even worse pain, the kind that can haunt forever, through nightmares or flashbacks.

You have helped me see that we are not our fear, nor are we the pain. They do not own us. And, we are not separate.  We are whole, we are good, and above all else ... we are human.

I've found that healing begins with the realization that the horror, loss, or even the guilt of still being alive -- are all significant and defining moments in our lives. They couldn't help but change us.  We are who we are because of those defining moments and that can bring acceptance.

Every time one of us shares something, we are all facing it together -- and we are honoring the men, like my husband, and the women on The Wall, the fallen heroes who can never share their stories.  Through sharing, we give them a voice ...

I just needed you to know how very much you have helped me. So, once again, I thank you.  My only hope is that I have in some way also helped you.

I am here for you ...

With my deepest respect and admiration, I remain ...
your friend,

~CJ


“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do, and by the grace of God, I will.” ~Everett Hale

The Final Inspection

THE FINAL INSPECTION

The Soldier stood and faced his God,
which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
just as brightly as his brass.

 
"Step forward now, My Soldier,
how shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My church have you been true?"

The soldier squared his shoulders.
'No, Lord, guess I ain't.
Those of us who carry guns,
can't always be a saint.

 
I've had to work most Sundays,
and at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
-- the world is awfully rough.

 
But I never took a penny
that wasn't mine to keep.
I worked a lot of overtime,
'cause the bills just got too steep.

I never passed a cry for help,
though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
it needn't be too grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.

 
A silence fell around the throne,
where the saints had often trod.
As the Soldier waited quietly,
for the judgment of his God.

 
"Step forward now, My Soldier,
you've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets.
You've done your time in Hell."

~Author Unknown~ 

Contributed by John Norwood
Retired aircraft Flt Engineer

It's the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the freedom of the press.
It's the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us the freedom of speech.
It's the Soldier, not the politicians that ensures
Our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
It's the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag.


“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do, and by the grace of God, I will.” ~Everett Hale

Documentary: "The Ghosts of Ripcord"

The Last Battle of the Vietnam War.  Coming in the fall of 2014.  

"It is an incredible story that needed to be told." ~Director John Daily

[Documentary, "The Ghosts of Ripcord", produced by Temple University, written and directed by John Daily, and produced by Amanda Boisselle and Katie Frueh. The premier of the documentary recently took place April 6, 2013 at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia.]

FSB Ripcord (upper left), A-Shau Valley)

The documentary tells the story via old photographs, film, and interviews with those who served, of the disastrous overrun of Fire Base Ripcord by approximately 30,000 North Vietnamese Army regulars in 1970.

Nearly forgotten back home, fighting for their lives against impossible odds, the heroes of RIPCORD withstood the advancement of more than 30,000 enemy troops.

The siege of Ripcord cost the lives of hundreds of American soldiers and thousands of those on the opposite side. This is their story:

Fire Support Base Ripcord was located in the A-Shau Valley in the Northern part of I Corps in South Vietnam.

Because of the heroics of the battle, three Congressional Metal of Honors and six Distinguished Service Crosses were ultimately awarded.  248 American soldiers were killed and three were missing in action during the time that the 101st occupied the firebase.

Fire Support Base Ripcord

The actual Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord was a 23 day battle between the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and the North Vietnamese Army from July 1, 1970 until July 23, 1970. It was the last major confrontation between United States ground forces and North Vietnam of the Vietnam War.

Little was known about the battle until 1985, when the FSB Ripcord Association was founded.

President Nixon secretly began the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam early in 1969. As the only full-strength division remaining in Vietnam in early 1970, the 101st Airborne Division was ordered to conduct the planned offensive Operation Texas Star near the A-Shau Valley.

On March 12, 1970, the 3rd Brigade, 101st began rebuilding abandoned Fire Support Base Ripcord which relied, as with most remote bases at the time, on a helicopter lifeline to get supplies in and the personnel out. 

The firebase was to be used for a planned offensive by the 101st to destroy NVA supply bases in the mountains overlooking the valley. Located on the eastern edge of the valley and taking place at the same time as the Cambodian Incursion, the operation was considered covert.

As the 101st Airborne Division planned the attack on enemy supply bases, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) was secretly observing their activities. 

From March 12 until June 30, the NVA was sporadically attacking the firebase. After weeks of reconnaissance by the NVA, on the morning of July 1, 1970 the North Vietnamese Army launched a mortar attack on the firebase.

During the 23-day siege, many were killed, including Colonel Andre Lucas, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, and First Lieutenant Bob Kalsu, the only active pro athlete to be killed during the war.

Kalsu was an All-American tackle at the University of Oklahoma and an eighth-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League in 1968. Kalsu was a starting guard in 1968. He played the entire season and was the Bills' team rookie-of-the-year. After his rookie season, he enlisted in the Army to fulfill an ROTC requirement from college and was sent to Vietnam Nov. 15, 1969, as a first lieutenant.

On July 21, 1970, the base received word that a damaged helicopter would be coming in for an emergency landing, and that enemy troops would be in close pursuit. Kalsu left the bunker to warn the soldiers serving under him when a mortar shell went off 15 feet from him, killing him instantly.

Kalsu left behind a wife and two children – one of whom was born just days after Kalsu's death. A base in Iraq has been named after him, and he is on the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame.

The actor, Chuck Norris, also had a brother who was killed in the battle.

Fighting from four hilltops, surrounded, and outnumbered nearly ten to one, U.S. forces brought about heavy losses on eight enemy battalions before an aerial withdrawal under heavy mortar, anti-aircraft, and small arms fire. After the U.S. Army withdrew from the firebase, Air Force B-52 heavy bombers were sent in to carpet bomb the area.

By end of day on July 1st, a Chinook CH-47 had been shot down, and there were fifteen wounded. At 1030 on July 2nd, another Chinook was shot down.

On July 23rd, the final day of the battle, from around 6 a.m. until around noon, FSB Ripcord was being evacuated. The Chinooks took out the artillery and heavy equipment first.

Eight Chinooks were hit by fire, including mortars and .51-cals atop Hill 805, and AK-47 fire from NVA in the debris at the base of Ripcord. Another two Chinooks were shot down, the latter crashing into the previously destroyed 105mm guns of B/2-319th, preventing their extraction. 

During the extraction of the infantry, two Cobras attacked helicopters and twelve Hueys (UH-1) were hit. There were a total of 22 Chinook sorties and 100 Huey sorties.

The last living man off Ripcord was a Kit Carson Scout. "A Cobra saw him walking around," a door gunner wrote. They immediately had a LOH (Light observation helicopter) OH-6A go in to get him. They barely got him off in time. 

Five minutes after his rescue, several hundred NVA charged up the hill and threw satchel charges into the empty bunkers and operations center. At 1225, the final extraction began.

The heroics of those who fought on Ripcord have not fully been properly conveyed. Since the disaster of Hamburger Hill, Hill 937 on Ap Bia Mountain in May of 1969, the media was deterred from reporting other major battles.

The only documented pieces of Ripcord come from Army photographers and film crews, pictures and films from those who fought and verbal accounts of those who served. 

It was not until the Ripcord Association was created that members started to come together in reunions and other gatherings to talk about their memories of the battle. 

In 2000, the Ripcord Association website www.ripcordassociation.com was created and is managed by Frank Marshall.  There is also a Ripcord Association Group on Facebook (by Anthony Critchlow).

It is the hope of the association that with documentaries such as this, that the true significance of the battle of Ripcord will never be forgotten.

Reviews of the "Ghosts of Ripcord" Preview:

"In every one's life, one looks back to see what he or she has accomplished.

In your case, the documentary you did for us on Ripcord will always be a shining moment of many accomplishments to come.  For me it was a powerful film. It brought back memories of the experiences I had at Ripcord and gave me a better idea of what went on. One realized that something was happening, but not the magnitude of the situation at the time.

Getting the the story from all the units involved in the operation was enlightening as well as your getting the events of the situation first hand. I have never been more proud to have served with the Veterans of Ripcord.

If anything your film has given the Vietnam Veteran the respect he deserves by showing the sacrifices he made while over there.

John, thank you for taking the time do this project and for your interest in us. You are now a member of Ripcord."

Curaheee Brother

Tim Newman 

A/2/506 

Forever Proud

"Everyone who was on Ripcord has their own small personal experience of the battle, but after seeing The Ghosts of Ripcord Documentary premier, I feel all of us now have a much better understanding of the entire battle and all that went on. I learned a lot I didn't know before. I thought Temple University did an excellent job of telling our story in the time they did. Great job!"
George D. Murphy
B 2/320 Arty

"I was overwhelmed with emotions after viewing your film Saturday night. Actually, I haven't slept a whole lot since then, as so many memories have flooded back in. It is absolutely the best documentary I have seen, which so accurately relates the story of the guys on the ground. 

Most such films come through the filter of those who were not actually in harm's way. Yours, so eloquently told by the veterans on camera, was spot on. It captured the gritty reality of that event, including the understandable bitterness about some of the tactical decisions that were made, which ended up costing lives, and the quiet heroism of those brave men who endured, and who took care of each other.

I was a pilot with the Lancers, Co. B, 158th Assault Helicopter Bn. As such, our role was solely to support the guys on the ground. If we could actually get in and out of Ripcord, or any of the "LZs" surrounding the FSB, without getting shot down, we were out of harm's way until the next sortie. Each trip in was an adventure in just trying to limit ours and the ground troops exposure to all of the weaponry the NVA could bring to bear, which was formidable.

The guys on the ground, however, had no respite from that onslaught. I salute them all, and you, too, for telling their story.

I could not be prouder of the number of times our aircraft, with the telltale white dot on the tail boom, were included in the footage. I can now show my children, that "We were there".

Bill Walker
(Lancer 17)
Co B, 158th Aslt. Hel. Bn., 101st Abn, Div. 1970

“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do, and by the grace of God, I will.” ~Everett Hale

The Sport of Kings

by Loyd Cates

Loyd Cates

Combat is the world’s ultimate sport, the “Super Bowl” of life itself.

Other sports exist to serve as theatre for the masses as they eat their popcorn, drink their beer and place their bets.

Combat requires the consummate bet, as the ante is your sanity and the wager, your life. It is man on man, will against will, and stink on stink.

The playing field lies at the intersection of Kiss Your Ass Goodbye and The Gates of Hell. 

This is not a game for bush-leaguers, or the timid, and spectators are discouraged. No official score is kept, but the field is strewn with winners and losers. The pay is low and the risk is high but all you need to participate is backbone and a short memory. A player would be well advised to bring his “A-Game”. 

Lloyd Cates

Come on boys, its hotter than hell, it looks like rain, we’re suited up and we ain’t showered in a month. It’s a perfect day to die. 

 Somebody kick the Devil in the nuts and let’s get this show started.

SSG Cates RVN '69-'70
199th Light Infantry Brigade

Also by Loyd Cates:

Maybe Tomorrow

The Sport of Kings

Memorial Day: by Loyd Cates

“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do, and by the grace of God, I will.” ~Everett Hale


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