This is my Testimonial of why I believe, and why we fight for freedom, The Constitution of The United States.
My wife informed me of an organization called Oath Keepers was giving presentation, and that we should go. I had heard of Oath Keepers, and was excited that we were going. This was a great highlight for the beginning of a new year! I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of friends and associates at this meeting. It’s always a good feeling to be around like minded people who care about the well being of the people who make up this great country we all call “The United States of America”.
My name is Doc Chung, and my wife is Cheryl. We are both Vietnam Veterans. I served with the United States Air Force, and Cheryl was an Army Nurse. Cheryl was stationed at the 93rd EVAC Hospital at Long Bien Army Base in 1969, and I was with USAF Det 1, 377th Combat Support Group attached the 1st Marine Air Wing, 12th Marine Air Group at Bien Hoa Air Base and An Loc in 1971-72.
My family has a history of serving in the Military. My father was a 1st LT. in the United States Marine Corps as G2 Intelligence during WWII. He was in South East Asia supporting Merrill’s Marauders. When I was drafted in 1969, I decided to enlist in the Air Force. You should have seen the look on my father’s face when he found out that I was not going into his beloved Marine Corps! As the years passed, he has forgiven me!
What is an American? I believe an American is a person who stands on the moral high ground, and is willing to sacrifice a part of his or her worth to fight, promote, defend, and realize that even their own life has to be put in harms way to protect the freedoms of family, loved ones and friends. Through the grace of God, we have the Constitution of the United States to guide and protect us. But! Who protects our beloved Constitution? There are those who say, “these are modern times, and should look at modern day thinking freedoms for modern day thinking people.” Wrong! The Constitution was so far ahead of it’s time, that it is still the beacon of hope for the free world.
During the Vietnam 1972 Easter tide Offensive. 31,000 American Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and Sailors experienced what veterans phrase, “for those who have fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.” On Easter Sunday of 1972, over 500,000 NVA Communist and mechanized crossed over the DMZ and the Cambodian border into South Vietnam. Their goal was to make a military and political statement by wiping out the remaining Americans before the negotiations were completed and the American withdraw began. During the first week, many American outposts were overrun. Logistical support were non existent because of Kissinger’s and Nixon’s plan to leave the Vietnamese to do their own fighting. While all this is going on, Americans, like Jane Fonda, were traveling with Communist forces, and broadcasting over captured radio frequencies, and saying, “remaining American forces, you must surrender or die!” This caused a problem with getting air support, re-supply and medivac for the wounded. Till this day, some say that this happened because of the problem, “if Fonda were to get injured while operations were ongoing to try and help Americans in the Field, it would cause a political problem with ongoing negotiations in Paris between Kissinger and the North Vietnamese.” I remember talking to a wounded Marine at An Loc. He calmly said, “It’s Easter. Christ died for our sins, and here we are dying for nothing”. Everyone in the bunker looked at the Marine in amazement. An Air Force Sgt. by the name of Dan Gummels yelled back at the Marine, “It ain’t so! We will fight and die for your life and everyone else’s on this base. We will not surrender! We will not strike the colors, and we will not raise the white flag! Freedom is not free, and sure as hell are not going to give in to some Hollywood Traitor.
I know a lot of Vietnam veterans are upset about what Jane Fonda did to the troops during the Easter Offensive, but you need to talk to the veterans that she did it to! A lot of them are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. All on panel 2 West. In the end, some of us came home from that horrible Offensive. But I will say this about my brothers in arms with tears. Always tears. Every peacetime soldier with any imagination at all surly wonders if, when the shells and bullets become real, he will be found wanting. Of a thousand sailors who stand underway watches on the bridge of Navy ships, perhaps only one will experience a true test of professional seamanship or personal resolve. So it is with all those in the Armed Forces of the United States, as their uncounted operational sorties are skillfully planned and executed, they have fulfilled their responsibilities, but fate never presented that special challenge. The Easter Offensive is the story of a group of young Americans who were brought together at an unusual time and under unusual circumstances. Strangers to each other, as members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, they welded together as a team to assist the South Vietnamese forces in halting a massive enemy invasion.
For many, unknowingly, their moment of personal challenge was at hand. This would be the time and place where circumstances would reveal the true mettle of their worth. As history recorded, some Americans quickly left the battle areas. A few stuck to their jobs and, though exposed to the gravest of combat conditions, performed admirably. Individually challenged, the circumstances brought out the extraordinary qualities which separate them from ordinary people. They became heroes in a war often described as one war without heroes. Their individual valor should not go unrecorded. As an Air Force Enlisted Airman 1st Class, it was my privilege, indeed fate, to be on the scene to observe the acts of heroism of these Soldiers, Airmen, and especially Marines who saw their duty and did it as each “climbed his mountain. They rose to the heights that many aspire to climb, but only a few ever experience the view.
After Vietnam, I started with a small company at that time called Federal Express, and retired after twenty six years. Not many people know that the history of FedEx was started by mostly Vietnam Veterans. I was then appointed to work for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs concerning Minority Veterans Benefits and Health-care. This included Congressional and White House advisory level.
I am currently a Director for the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation (VWMF) in Washington, DC. It was my pleasure to have brought the Women’s Memorial to the National Mall, and help in it’s dedication in 1993. I still travel back and forth to DC and conduct business with VAQ and our Memorial. I retired from the VA, and came back home to Hamilton Fort, Utah. It’s really good to be back home again, and for good! If you happen to drop by the Iron County Vietnam Memorial in Cedar City, everything you read on the granite walls were researched and done with loving care by my wife, Cheryl. As a Nurse in Vietnam, she has our ultimate love from all of us who have returned. You can’t even imagine what she saw while working with wounded. If it wasn’t for the nurses, a lot of us would not be here today.
This is my Testimonial of why I believe, and why we fight for freedom, The Constitution of The United States.
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January 25th, 2010 at 11:25 am
I was processed through the 95th Evac Hospital in Qui Nohn. What a blessed group of angels who tried to comfort me in the triage center ain’t gonna make it side of the room. Nurse walked up and asked if I had peed. I said no. This happened about 3 times. Next time she came in with the Doctor. I thought I heard them talking about castrating me. In reality they were talking about a catheter. Anyway I peed all over my self because I didn’t want to get castrated on my way to visit those 52 virgins.
My very good friend, Dr. Don Mason, served with the 93rd Evac Hospital. If you know him, do you have any good stories about this character.
January 25th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Doc and his wife, Cheryl are Great American Heroes
and I for one am very thankful they are members of Vietnam Vetrains of America “Keith Blackman” Chapter 961 in Southwestern Utah. It is no surprise to me that they would stand up and be counted as OATH KEEKERS. God Bless them and all the members here who love LIBERTY, Thanks to all of you. Doc, & Cheryl, I got your back. Bruce Bissell 101st Airborne Div. “Recon Team” Nam 1971.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Welcome, Doc and Cheryl!
It does take some perspective – - living without freedom or standing up against odds to defend it – - to properly appreciate our Constitutional Republic and unalienable rights. Too many of those that are comfortable behind the cordon simply cannot imagine what all the fuss is about.
Thank you, not only for your service, but for your entrepreneurial leadership. Defended and then allowed to run under minimal regulation, our wonderful Country and it’s economic engine are largely self-correcting and awesomely strong.