The Scuttlebutt: Understanding Military Culture Veterans Breakfast Club

A large group of Veterans gathered to discuss their military service for a Veterans Breakfast Club Open Conversation. We talked about the 4/9 24th Infantry Division "Manchus," the experience of PTSD, and the use of buttons vs. brass zippers on Army fatigues. But the most robust, disturbing, and important aspect of the conversation was a discussion of drug use among US Servicemembers during the Vietnam War, especially 1970-1973. 
During the Vietnam War, drug use was much more prevalent than in previous wars. Soldiers consumed a variety of substances, including marijuana, psychedelics like LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin mushrooms, as well as hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin. The military also issued stimulants like amphetamines to enhance endurance during missions and sedatives to manage anxiety and prevent mental breakdowns, which were notably successful with a low rate of mental breakdowns compared to previous conflicts.
The ease of access to drugs, breakdown in morale, and influence of counterculture back home contributed to widespread drug use among troops. Marijuana was initially tolerated and easily obtained from local villages. However, media attention following reports like John Steinbeck IV's article led to crackdowns by the military, pushing many soldiers towards heroin, which became more available due to its odorless nature and influx from neighboring countries like Cambodia.
Most soldiers used drugs casually as a means of escape from the harsh realities of war rather than being addicted. Efforts to curb drug use included initiatives like "Operation Golden Flow," which required servicemen to undergo drug testing before returning home. Contrary to fears of widespread addiction post-service, rates of drug use and addiction among veterans returned to pre-war levels.
The role of drugs in the brutality witnessed in Vietnam remains debated. Overall, the Vietnam War reflected broader societal shifts in drug culture during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
#happyhour #history #interview #veteran #veterans #veteransbreakfastclub #virtualevents #virtual #zoomevents #liveevents #webinar #militaryhistory #military #army #navy #marinecorps #marines  #coastguard #vbc #nonprofit #501c3  #vet #militaryhistory #usarmy #vietnam #usnavy #pilot #airforce #veteranowned #coastguard #aviators #militaryveterans #Iraq #vietnamveterans #veteransstories #veteranshistory #veteranshistoryproject #veteranstravel #veteranstrips #veteranshistoricaltours #veteransoralhistory #militaryretirees #armyretirees #navyretirees #warstories #airforce #vietnamwar #veteraninterview#podcast #zoom #scuttlebutt #thescuttlebutt #humor #storytelling #headlines #news #oralhistory #militaryhistory #roundtable #navy #army #airforce #marinecorps #marines #military #coastguard #veteran #veterans #veteransbreakfastclub #vbc #nonprofit #501c3  
 

Beth Reuschel is a professional military records researcher who helps families discover their legacies of service. She conducts research for people and also coaches them to do their own detective work. Through her expertise and guidance, dozens of people have tracked down service records of veteran parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, as well as brothers and sisters.
Beth joins The Scuttlebutt to give us “Military Records Research 101” briefing. She’ll offer tips and tricks to guide family history seekers through their own research journeys. If you’ve ever been curious about your veteran ancestors or family members, you’ll want to join us to talk with Beth and ask questions about how to start or get past the obstacles in your way.
Beth’s own path to archives began with a search for her grandfather, Jack Perz, who died before Beth was born.
An airman in Europe, Jack spoke little of the war. He even threw away his uniform in 1945. It was a black hole in her family history.
By asking questions and digging into archives, she discovered a picture of his crew, his original Certificate of Discharge (DD-214), his ribbon bar, even his Individual Flight Record. She eventually traced him a B-24 tailgun position in the 766th squadron, the 461st Bomb Group, 15th Army Air Force in Italy.
Researching his unit both online and at the National Archives II, she was able to compile a complete list of every single combat mission he flew—all 36 of them– including the target, mission number, accuracy rating, and, for some, the number of the aircraft the crew flew that day.
With a little more work, Beth then discovered the Holy Grail for any military researcher: the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). The OMPF is the official administrative records of a service member’s military career. It tracks where they trained, what they qualified to do, where they went, how they performed, what trouble they got into, and most other highlights and lowlights along the way.
She requested Jack Perz’s OMPF through the National Archives website. She was prepared to be disappointed. Up to 80% of all Army OMPFs were destroyed in the NPRC 1973 fire.
It turned out, Beth’s grandfather’s records were scorched, to be sure, but not totally destroyed. She received 60 pages of his file. And the stories she learned about her grandfather’s service provided her relatives, including her grandmother, a source of pride and love for a long lost family member.
This first experience taught Beth her biggest lesson in military records research:
Don’t give up.
There will be obstacles and seeming dead-ends. They can seem insurmountable. But the paths to discovery are many, and there’s almost always a workaround.
Even brick walls can be climbed.
Join us to share your questions and our research story! And learn more about Beth’s work at reuschelresearch.com.
Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!
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In November and December last year, 21 of us—including five veterans who had served in-country during the war—traveled to Vietnam, from Hanoi and Halong Bay in the North to Saigon and the Mekong Delta in the South. Vietnam is a beautiful and often bewildering place, ancient in history and now yoked to American culture and memory. The country presents to the traveler more than can be absorbed. Tonight, we’ll talk with those who traveled with us and gather their impressions of the country, the people, and what they’ve learned from the trip.
One of our travelers was Vietnam veteran Jerry Augustine who remembers almost every aspect of his harrowing service. Jerry captured his story in his memoir, Vietnam Beyond. Jerry served in 1966-1967 with B Company, 3rd Battalion,  21st Infantry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade in Vietnam. We’ll hear from Jerry what he thought of Vietnam and how it may have changed his view and understanding of his service.
Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!

Ray Mabus served as the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy, the longest to serve as leader of the Navy and Marine Corps since World War I. Secretary Mabus is a Navy veteran himself, having served two years in the Navy as a surface warfare officer from 1970 to 1972 aboard the cruiser USS Little Rock (CLG-4), achieving the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.
Ray Mabus has been Secretary of the US Navy, Governor, Ambassador and CEO.
As Secretary during President Obama’s Administration, he revolutionized the Navy and Marine Corps, opening all jobs to women, aggressively moving to alternative energy as a warfighting measure, building more than twice as many ships during his term than in the preceding eight years and developing the Gulf Coast Restoration Plan after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It was during his watch that Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden. Among many awards, he received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Social Responsibility Award and was chosen as one of the top fifty CEOs in America by GlassDoor, the only government person picked.
From 1988 to 1992, Mabus served as Governor of Mississippi, the youngest elected to that office in more than 150 years. Mississippi experienced record growth in jobs, education, tourism and exports.
Mabus was United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1994-1996. He was CEO of a public company from 2006-2007 leading it out of bankruptcy in less than a year while paying all creditors in full and saving equity.
Today, Mabus is on the board of two public companies, Hilton and Virgin Galactic, where he is Chair. In addition, he is a board member of InStride, a public benefit education company, the founder of Mabus Group, a consulting organization, and a board member or advisor to several other companies. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Explorers Club, and the Screen Actors Guild. He serves on the boards of the Environmental Defense Fund and Jose Andreas’ World Central Kitchen and the advisory board for the National Medal of Honor Museum.  He has thrown out the first pitch at all 30 major league ballparks. He has stood on both poles and, during his life, has traveled to more than 190 countries and territories.
Secretary Mabus is a native of Ackerman, Mississippi, and received a Bachelor’s Degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Mississippi, a Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University, and a Law Degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Mabus served in the Navy as an officer aboard the cruiser USS Little Rock.
Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!
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Author and Vietnam veteran Bob Orkand discusses what he calls the “tragic failure” of the M16 rifle in Vietnam, a story captured in his book, Misfire.
The M16 rifle in the Vietnam War was marred by a series of critical problems that severely undermined its effectiveness and tarnished its reputation among soldiers. Initially introduced as a replacement for the M14, the M16 faced immediate challenges in the harsh and demanding conditions of the Vietnamese jungles.
One of the primary issues stemmed from insufficient training and maintenance procedures. Soldiers were often ill-prepared to properly care for the M16, with some even being misled into believing that the rifle was “self-cleaning.” Lack of cleaning supplies and instructions further compounded this problem, leading to increased vulnerability in combat situations.
The intricate components of the rifle required meticulous maintenance, a task many soldiers found themselves untrained for.
Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!

War Movie is a five-part documentary series that examines not only the history of war in American cinema but how this medium has shaped our country's perspective on conflict, foreign policy, race, masculinity, and national identity.
Cinematic depictions of military conflict have been common since the first crank of a shutter. From early films like The Birth of a Nation to recent entries The Hurt Locker and Dunkirk, the atrocities of war have never strayed far from the silver screen. Whether praised by critics or criticized by veterans who were there, war films play an integral part of our cultural understanding. War Movie looks at the history of these films and attempts to understand why we're compelled to experience and re-imagine our own violence on screen. Rather than a simple survey, War Movie examines our complex psychological relationship with the genre. By interviewing cinema studies scholars, creatives that bring these films to life and veteran perspectives, War Movie unpacks the over one-hundred-year history of military conflict on screen.
Join Shaun Hall, Documentarian Evan Mulgrave, and WAR MOVIE Director, Producer, Editor, Cinematographer, and Writer Steve Summers as we discuss his incredible series.
 
IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28633748/
 
War Movie on Amazon Prime – https://bit.ly/3P59DNi
 
Purchase on Blu-ray - https://www.amazon.com/War-Movie-American-Battle-Blu-Ray/dp/B0CNKT9CVC
 
Thank you to our sponsors:
 
UPMC for Life: http://upmchealthplan.com/medicare
 
Tobacco Free Adagio Health: https://tobaccofree.adagiohealth.org/
 
To find out more information about the Veterans Breakfast Club and view our upcoming schedule of online and in-person events, visit our website at: http://www.veteransbreakfastclub.org/
 
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#veteransstories #veteranshistory #veteranshistoryproject #veteranstravel #veteranstrips #veteranshistoricaltours #veteransoralhistory #militaryretirees #armyretirees #navyretirees #warstories #airforce #vietnamwar #veteraninterview