A sick Marine Corps Veteran reached out to VA’s Veterans Experience Office in 2019 to help him find the Navy Corpsman buddy who saved his life in Vietnam. This is part one of a three-part story, and it contains vivid and emotionally triggering memories of combat. Bill Mulcrevy had just dug in. He and 23 others from Mike Co., 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment (3/5) – including close friends Jim Johnson and Navy Corpsman Gregory Williams – were the first wave for Operation Hastings, a multi-force task force to push the PAVN 90th Regiment back across the DMZ and prevent it from taking over Qua ..read more

Bill Mulcrevy’s search had come to an end. Gregory Williams, the Navy Corpsman who had saved his and so many other Marines’ lives in Vietnam, died in Illinois in November 2017. He was 73. Many of the questions about Williams’ life after the Navy and after Vietnam had gone unanswered. The search had concluded with positive identification of a photo and grave marker at Lincoln National Cemetery. That story, this “never-ending movie,” doesn’t end here, though. Through Kim Craft at Together We Served, Mulcrevy was eventually put in touch with Gregory’s survivor, Dorothy. Mulcrevy learned that Greg ..read more

On March 29, our Nation will commemorate National Vietnam War Veterans Day on its 50th anniversary. This is an opportunity for VA employees and all Americans to recognize and thank our Vietnam Veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice during one of America’s longest wars. All of us at VA encourage everyone to remember and respect the nine million American men and women – more than six million of whom are living today – who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces during our involvement in Vietnam from November 1, 1955 to May 7, 1975. Whether they were stationed in-count ..read more

On National Vietnam War Veterans Day, we honor all those who bravely served in the Vietnam War and who sacrificed, as did their families and caregivers. Since the birth of the United States, no single generation of Americans has been spared the responsibility of defending freedom by force of arms. More than 44 million American men and women have sacrificed and served in times of war. In 2008, the Secretary of Defense was authorized by law to conduct a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. All military families endure the hardship of separation, uncertainty and fear, but the ..read more

On National Vietnam War Veterans Day, today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Olga Kalpagian, who served as a nurse during the war. Olga Kalpagian continued her family’s history for service by joining the Army Nurse Corps. Her father David Kalpagian, originally from Turkey, served during World War I. Her two older brothers, Harry and Edward, served in World War II. David Kalpagian, her third brother, graduated from West Point. In 1967, Kalpagian traveled to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, for basic training. After training, she worked at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawa ..read more

National Vietnam War Veterans Day is just over two months away, and any organization who wants a simple, free way to make the day more meaningful for Vietnam Veterans can become the Vietnam War Commemoration’s “commemorative partners.” The program is for federal, state and local communities, Veterans’ organizations and other nongovernmental organizations. They can assist a grateful nation in thanking and honoring Vietnam Veterans and their families. More than nine million Americans served from Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975. Six million are still living, but commemorative partners can do more ..read more

During his inaugural address in 1961, President John F. Kennedy affirmed that the United States stood ready to pay any price and to bear any burden to preserve freedom and liberty. Vietnam War Veterans surely shouldered that burden. More than 58,000 of them paid the ultimate price and another 153,000 were wounded over the course of the conflict. Today, on National Vietnam War Veterans Day, VBA joins the rest of the nation in honoring the service and sacrifice of all Veterans who served in the Armed Forces from 1955 to 1975. On March 29, 1973, the last U.S. combat troops departed South Vietnam ..read more

Marine Corps Veteran Bill Mulcrevy faced a long recovery from his injuries in Vietnam. After Navy Corpsman Gregory Williams loaded him onto the MEDEVAC that day in 1966, Mulcrevy was transferred to various hospitals throughout Vietnam before eventually completing physical therapy in San Francisco 18 months later. Upon discharge, the Veteran spent time at home with his father, a World War II Veteran. After a few odd jobs, he eventually went back to school, graduated, and miraculously started a 36-year career with the California Highway Patrol and various local law enforcement agencies. Mulcrevy ..read more

National Vietnam War Veterans Day is fast approaching (March 29). Army Veteran Major General James T. Jackson (Ret.) is the national director of the Vietnam War Commemoration. Directed by Congress and executed by Department of Defense, the commemoration’s goal is to reach out and thank those–our Vietnam Veterans–that never got a proper welcome home. Currently, there are over 6.2 million living Vietnam Era Veterans. They deserve a proper thank you for raising their right hand. On this episode of Borne the Battle, Major General James T. Jackson shares the vision and mission behind the efforts o ..read more

*Looking for answers to your COVID questions? The #VetResources email on 3/24 erroneously linked to this post. The correct link is https://news.va.gov/86196/covid-19-vaccine-questions-answered-need/. Edited 3/25/21. Army Veteran Diane Carlson Evans, founder of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation, joined Borne the Battle to discuss her decision to become a nurse, time serving in Vietnam as a combat nurse, decision to re-enlist after working in a civilian hospital and her fight for a women’s memorial on the National Mall. Growing up on a farm in Minnesota, Evans always knew she wanted to be ..read more