Stand at Ease

Eddie Neas joined the Marines on his 17th birthday in 1966 and was in Vietnam shortly after his 18th birthday. A few months after he arrived, he was meritoriously promoted to Corporal for his leadership in the battle of Hue. Years later, he enlisted in the Marine Reserves, retiring as a Sergeant Major in 2000. Since that time, he has been active with his chapter of the Marine Corps League, the L/CPL Robert J Slattery Detachment #206 MCL, named for a Marine he was in boot camp with and fell in combat in Vietnam in 1967. With other Marines from his detachment, he makes monthly trips to Walter Reed to visit the young wounded warriors.

Every war has legacies. Some we talk about – others we try to bury. One legacy of the Vietnam war is the chemicals that were left behind – Agents Orange and White among them. Named for the band colors on the barrels that contained these herbicides, they were sprayed by the ton over the Republic of Vietnam, and to this day, the chemicals are effecting the citizens there as well as our warriors who were in-country when they were used. One of those warriors, Doc Bernie Duff, is doing his best to bring awareness of this problem to awareness. Doc has been helping people since he joined the Army and later as a veteran, and now as an artist/activist.

It’s estimated that there are 67,000 service members and veterans in the United States who are living with spinal injuries. In the United States, the number is upwards of 1.2 million people, and worldwide the number is just staggering. What was once seen as a life-changing event is now, with the proper medical care, more of a lifestyle change. Jim “Jimmy” McCormack, a walking quadriplegic and director of Operation Regeneration, joins us today to discuss some of the changes that have occurred in just the past decade. If you are or know someone (veteran, service member, or civilian), who needs help from with a spinal injury, contact their organization at http://operationregeneration.org or toll free at 1-855-OPREGEN (855-677-3436).

We dedicated this show to Sgt. Charles Engelken, a Zagreb warrior and a brother in arms. Forever young. 1963-2011

Within each of us there lies a talent, a creative spark, that when unleashed can make a difference. Marine Lt. Col. Mike Corrado has just such a spark, and over the past 20 years, he’s unleashed a musical can of whoop ass on all sorts of topics ranging from the responsibility and honor of standing the watch to protect our great nation to recovering from the physical, spiritual, and psychological wounds warriors suffer. Mike speaks to us about the power and impact of music, along with his work with the Wounded Warriors Regiment and “Still in the Fight”, and organization he co-founded with two other Marines.

Hollywood (and all of the other movie centers in the world) has a nut for military stories. From movies such as All Quiet on the Western Front and Hell’s Angels to the new crop like The Green Zone and The Hurt Locker, we often see interpretations of what the men and women in the military go through when they are down-range. There are also movies like First Blood and Coming Home that show what may occur when these individuals return. But, how do these interpretations hold up to reality? In this podcast, we explore that and more with Sharon Cobb, ex-wife of Randal “Tex” Cobb who played Sailor in the movie Uncommon Valor. Take a listen and hear about Gar getting Tex drunk in Zagreb.