Volume 9, No. 49 ©SS 2017
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2017
64 R E M E M B E R I N G
THE EDISON
Philadelphia’s Thomas Alva Edison High School had the highest casualty rate in the nation during the Vietnam War. It’s a designation the school has embraced. Page 2
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COVER STORY
BY NIKKI WENTLING Stars and Stripes
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PHILADELPHIA t took 50 years for Louis Viscusi to overcome the mental obstacles that kept him from the blighted neighborhood in North Philadelphia that he always meant to visit. It was home to William Moore, the Marine who took a bullet for him six weeks into their tour in Vietnam in 1967 — the first man Viscusi saw killed — and he wanted to let Moore’s family know that he didn’t suffer in the end. On May 26, 70-year-old Viscusi, who lives in St. James, N.Y., showed up at Moore’s old high school in a gray suit. He navigated his walker with one hand, and with the other he clung onto a laminated page of information about Moore printed from the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial website. On it, he had scrawled the address of Moore’s old home, of his old parish. He’d been to both places, but found no one who knew Moore. “He left a mark on my life that I tried to put out of my mind,” he said. “Now I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I should’ve come 50 years ago.” Viscusi didn’t find Moore’s family that day. But he did find many of his classmates and a school and community that takes the time to honor, every year around Memorial Day, Moore and the many other former students who died in Vietnam. The school, Thomas Alva Edison High School, had the highest casualty rate during the Vietnam War of any high school in the United States
A memorial to the former students who died in Vietnam takes up a large portion of a wall in the school’s main lobby. Hung the highest is a wooden plaque with spaces for 100 names, 64 of them filled out. School administrators ordered it made in the late 1960s, when they realized the death toll of former students was climbing. — a fact that’s confirmed by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (the nonprofit that built the Vietnam Wall), and has been recognized by local, state and federal government officials. It’s a designation the school has embraced. Now — 50 years since the war — efforts to memorialize the “Edison 64” are stronger than ever. A local author is writing a book about the school, a few veterans are trying to obtain a posthumous award for one of the 64 former students who died. And more veterans — graduates of Edison who survived Vietnam or others who served alongside the 64, like Viscusi — are making the trip to Philadelphia.
Holding onto its history The Edison High School of today bears little resemblance to what it was in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Back then, when the men who went on to serve in Vietnam attended, Edison was an all-boys school with a predominantly African-American student population, said Darryrl Johnson, an Air Force veteran who graduated from Edison in 1972. The three-story, Romanesque-style structure was built in 1903, with gargoyles, a central tower and turrets. In 1979, the school became co-ed, and the demographics shifted — the student population was 71 percent Latino this past school year, according to data from the Philadelphia school district. In 1988, Edison High School was moved to a more modern building two miles to the north, across from a large Catholic cemetery in the Juniata Park neighborhood. It became a combined high school and vocational center and was renamed the Thomas Alva Edison High School/John C. Fareira Skill Center. The original structure, which made the National Register of Historic Places, was damaged by fire in 2011 and demolished in 2013. A Burger King and Save-a-Lot took its place. Through the changes, Edison held onto at least part of its history. A memorial to the former students who died in Vietnam takes up a large portion of a wall in the school’s main lobby. Hung the highest is a wooden plaque with spaces for 100 names, 64 of them filled
K EN -YON H ARDY/Stars and Stripes
out. School administrators ordered it made in the late 1960s, when they realized the death toll of former students was climbing. Across the lobby from the memorial wall is a glass case holding more tributes to the 64 students: a certificate of congressional recognition, a notice from the state Senate about a historical marker awarded to the school and a city resolution to rename a three-block section of road “Edison 64 Memorial Street.” Just outside the school’s front doors is a memorial garden for those who died in Vietnam. In the junior ROTC room, a large banner hangs on the wall, listing the names of the 64. Also hung around the room are name rubbings, in blue crayon, that students took from the Vietnam Wall during a field trip to Washington. No one is completely sure
what factors aligned to make Edison the high school with the highest death rate in Vietnam, Johnson said, but some have guessed. Johnson joined the Air Force voluntarily to get out of the neighborhood and away from gangs. He assumes some of the 64 did, too. Gerald Jones, a Marine Corps veteran who graduated in 1965, said some of the 64 had gotten into trouble, and the court gave them a choice — jail or military service. Others brought up theories about the draft targeting povertystricken areas. Whatever led to the high loss of life, Edison’s current principal, Awilda Ortiz, described it as a legacy — and not one she or the rest of the school is shying away from. “It’s a shame, I know that. But it’s also an honor, too,” SEE PAGE 3
MORE FROM OUR CONTINUING SERIES AT STRIPES.COM/VIETNAM50 � 1967: love, protest, music and ‘madness’
� Readers’ choice: the most realistic Vietnam War movie – and the worst
� Charlie Company: an unlikely friendship
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COVER STORY Edison 64: ‘These guys died for us’
said David Morson, an Air Force veteran and one of the Junior ROTC instructors. “I think it shows the spirit of the Philadelphians. I think it speaks highly about the Philadelphian fighting nature, you know?” The high point each year for recognizing the 64 comes the Friday before Memorial Day, when the school invites former students who served in Vietnam and fills its auditorium for a three- to four-hour ceremony. It’s grown from its first iteration in 1968 as a simple candle lighting. Johnson, who returned to Edison High School decades later as a teacher, is the one mostly responsible for keeping the tradition going. It’s meant not only to honor the dead, he explained, but to inspire the current students, who face some of the same challenges as the school’s previous generations. Ortiz said Edison had a history of “turning tribulations into fortitude.” “So many principals have come and gone; the school has changed,” Johnson said. “But this is a tradition we do, not only for our guests, but for students. We want them to understand the legacy of this school and embrace it. We want to make sure this story is told every year.”
The path back to Edison When Johnson started as a student at Edison High School in 1968, there was a lot going on close to home: the civil rights movement, hippie counterculture, gang activity within his north Philadelphia neighborhood. It was hard to pay attention to what was happening in Vietnam and to his schoolmates who were serving there. “At 15 years old, trying to stay focused on the war was a challenge, although we should’ve been more focused on these guys,” Johnson said. Like other students, Johnson paid attention only when the principal, Albert Glassman, came over the PA system to announce another death. The students and teachers would hold a moment of silence, and then go back to their work. Then, the school held its first candle lighting in the auditorium. At some point that
year, the memorial plaque, with its 100 nameplates, appeared on a wall near the school entrance. “We kept looking at that like, ‘Wow, 100. Are we going to lose 100 graduates?’ ” Johnson said. “Some of us were looking into the military ourselves and wondering if we were ever going to show up on that wall.” When he graduated in 1972, Johnson enlisted in the Air Force and qualified to become an aircraft mechanic on FB111 Aardvark jet bombers. Later, he was a flight engineer on C-141 airlift aircraft at McGuire Air Force Base outside Trenton, N.J. He joined, he said, to “get away from gangs, from the neighborhood, from the little world in north Philadelphia that was all I knew.” More than 20 years later,
his path led him back there. Johnson returned in 1999 to teach mathematics. “When I walked into the building, I realized the tradition not only continued, it grew,” he said. For the next 17 years, he would organize and grow the annual remembrance of those who died in Vietnam. Johnson retired in 2014 and moved to Delaware, and he’s still organizing the ceremony. During a rehearsal May 25, Johnson gave instructions to the students lighting the candles and the color guard presenting the flags. He fretted over the details — the route veterans would take when walking in, where the bugler should stand when playing taps and how to pronounce each name on the list of special guests. Johnson was nervous, he
said — he always is before the ceremony. And this year’s was especially important. He was excited to update the crowd about his recent attempts to secure the Medal of Honor for one of the 64, Spec. Lural “Earl” Lee Blevins III.
‘A very good soldier’ Last year, Johnson read a memoir published in 2015 by noted venture capitalist and Vietnam veteran Charles W. Newhall III. In one chapter, Newhall writes about a reconnaissance mission in August 1968 on what would later become known as Hamburger Hill, the site of a battle in 1969 that killed about 400 U.S. soldiers and prompted public outrage. In the book, Newhall credits Blevins with saving his life on the hill.
1. Marine Cpl. Charles J. Antonelly, 20 2. Army Pvt. Nathaniel Washington, 18 3. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Samuel F. Walker Jr., 26, MIA 4. Marine Cpl. Richard McNichols, 22 5. Army Pfc. Hector W. Bryan, 20 6. Marine Pfc. Michael M. White, 20 7. Army Sgt. Angelo Santiago, 22 8. Army Sp4 William B. Blackmon Jr., 20 9. Marine Lance Cpl. Milton G. Clayborne, 19 10. Marine Lance Cpl. William Chapman Jr., 25 11. Marine Pfc. Bernard R. Woehlcke, 20 12. Marine Pfc. James J. Allen Jr, 18 13. Army Pfc. General White, 19 14. Army Pfc. Zackrie Brookins Jr., 22 15. Army Sp4 Gerald J. Wahlen, 22 16. Marine Pfc. Randolph T. Jefferson, 18 17. Marine Pfc. Samuel N. Burton, 19 18. Marine Lance Cpl. John E. Addison, 19 19. Army Pfc. Irvin J. Hopkins, 25 20. Marine Pfc. Glenn Carter, 19 21. Army Pfc. Lural L. Blevins III, 22 22. Marine Lance Cpl. Lewis N. Welsh, 21 23. Marine Pfc John W. Jolley Jr., 19 24. Army Sp4 Mark Smith Jr., 19 25. Army Cpl. Neely J. Singletary, 19 26. Army Sp4 John J. Thomas, 20 27. Army Sp4 Joe Thomas Johnson Jr., 18 28. Army Sp4 Lawrence J. Reichert Jr., 20 29. Army Pfc. Gerald J. Maguire, 20 30. Marine Pfc. Deighton A. Danielles, 20 31. Army Sp4 Henry B. Thomas, 20 32. Marine Pfc. Kenneth Pettus, 18 33. Marine Cpl. Charles J Glenn III, 20 34. Marine Pfc. John G. Orsino, 22 35. Marine Cpl. Richard A. Carter, 23 36. Army Sp4 Aaron L. Thomas, 18 37. Marine Pfc. Darnay Shubert,18 38. Army Sgt. Leroy W. Peagler, 25 39. Army Sgt. Wayne T. Dillman, 20 40. Marine Staff Sgt. James B. White, 26 41. Marine Cpl. Joseph Mieczkowski, 19 42. Army Sgt. Robert J. Campbell, 24 43. Army Pfc. Stephen P. Blanchett, 19 44. Army Pfc.Louis A. Cobarrubio, 19 45. Army Pfc. Harold A. Doman, 20 46. Army Cpl.Dennis Kuzer, 20 47. Army Pfc. Joseph F. Lodise Jr., 20 48. Marine Pfc. Joseph Johnson Jr., 21 49. Marine Pfc. Samuel Rodriquez, 19 50. Army Pfc.Roscoe Glover Jr., 19 51. Army Staff Sgt. Harry James Miller, 39 52. Army Sgt.Robert Torres, 20 53. Lance Cpl. Rocco R. Isaac, 19 54. Marine Pfc. William J. Moore, 19 55. Army Sp4 George R. Martin, 18 56. Marine Pfc. Joseph A. Weber, 18 57. Army Pvt. Duane G. Williams, 18 58. Marine Pfc. Adolfo Martinez, 20 59. Army Pfc. Harry B. Seedes III, 20 60. Army Pfc. Kenney E. Lassiter, 19 61. Army Sp4 Antonio Garcia, 20 62. Army Cpl. Francis A. Zerggen, 19 63. Army Cpl. James T. Swift Jr., 22 64. Marine Pfc. Alfred A. Purvis, 18
After reading the memoir in April 2016, Johnson went to Blevins’ page on the virtual wall, a website run by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. He described the passage about Blevins and asked anyone who may know more about the situation to come forward. He wrote that Newhall was attempting to have Blevins awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest service award in the Army. SEE PAGE 4
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COVER STORY Christian’s first visit to Edison High School. “The 64 kids who died, that’s a big number,” Christian said. “I don’t even understand it, how that could happen.”
FROM PAGE 3
Two men, Ron Christian and Greg DeLaurentiis, answered. Like Newhall, DeLaurentiis said Blevins saved his life. In the following months, the men — Johnson in Delaware, Christian in Philadelphia and DeLaurentiis in Brooklyn, N.Y. — regularly communicated through email and conference calls. They collected witness statements and a petition with about 100 signatures, and acquired the Army’s investigation report that determined Blevins was killed in action. DeLaurentiis shared a letter he wrote his parents, describing the day Blevins died. They combined everything into a packet and sent it to President Donald Trump, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn., Sen. Bob Casey Jr., D-Penn., and others, requesting an investigation to award Blevins the Medal of Honor. Johnson is aware it could take years, he said, and their efforts may result in a lesser award — but they all wanted to try. “We thought it was the right thing to do,” DeLaurentiis said. “He saved my life and the lives of other people, and he did it completely selflessly. That’s what, I think, distinguishes him from other people.” Newhall wrote in his book that Blevins ended up in Vietnam after he’d been accused by Philadelphia police of stealing hubcaps. When they spoke of the future, Christian said, Blevins told him he wanted to be a mechanic. He met Blevins when he volunteered to leave his artillery gun crew and carry Christian’s radio. They were both from Philadelphia and planned to reunite when they got back home. Blevins used to show off a photo of his wife, Christian recalled. He also had a young daughter. Christian was away on R&R when Blevins volunteered for another assignment, this time to be a forward observer for Newhall’s company on what Newhall described in his witness statement as a “highly dangerous” assault on a hill in the Ashau Valley that was defended by North Vietnamese troops. At the time, Blevins’ tour was scheduled to end in a matter of days. DeLaurentiis was also on the assignment. He, Blevins and a few others became quick friends, DeLaurentiis said. Like Christian, he described Blevins as funny and courageous, with a “great spirit.” It was a three-day assault, and
Bringing survivors together
Blevins was the only soldier in the company to participate every day, Newhall wrote. On the first day, Aug. 14, 1968, Blevins repeatedly went into harm’s way to direct airstrikes and cover fellow soldiers with small-arms fire. Newhall was wounded and didn’t return for the rest of the assault, but DeLaurentiis was there with Blevins the following two days, he said. DeLaurentiis wrote in his witness statement that the company was ordered to withdraw on Aug. 16, but he and four others were stuck under fire. Blevins, though wounded in the leg, stayed on the hill and continued to call in airstrikes for the men. “His decision to stay cost him his life,” DeLaurentiis wrote. Blevins’ body wasn’t immediately recovered, but an Army investigation board determined — after speaking to DeLaurentiis, as well as others who fought on the hill — that Blevins had been shot in the head and killed. He was 22. Newhall submitted paperwork at the time to award Blevins the Medal of Honor. After Blevins died, DeLaurentiis wrote a 16-page letter to his parents about the assault. “I am fine physically, but mentally I am distressed and as depressed as one can be,” he started the letter. “You see, two days ago I lost two of the best buddies a guy could have.” He went on to tell his parents about Blevins’ death, about he and the remaining soldiers’ fear they’d die if they tried to carry the bodies down, and about signing the documents for Blevins’ Medal of Honor. Every year for a long time, DeLaurentiis looked through the posts on Blevins’ page of the virtual wall, he said. This past May marked his and
There’s some discrepancy between the school’s tally of the dead and what’s officially recognized. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund acknowledges 54 former students of Edison High School were killed in Vietnam. Over time, though, the school added more names of former students who returned from the war but died of injuries sustained there. Many past students who survived Vietnam didn’t know, until decades later, that Edison suffered significant losses, Jones said. Jones was drafted into the Marines in 1968. He spent 12 months, 20 days in Vietnam, and when he returned to Philadelphia he had no idea the number of deaths of schoolmates at Edison had climbed into the dozens. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that Jones, and a lot of the other guys, learned of the situation, he said. “It took years for us to realize what had happened to Edison,” Jones said. “When we came home, we were just dropped back into society. A lot of us had addictions or disabilities. Finding out about what had truly happened to a number of my classmates — that took years for it to come full circle.” He was one of about 35 former Edison students who were honored at the school May 26. They wore greenand-yellow caps, Edison’s colors, with “Edison 64” stitched across the front. This was Jones’ sixth year returning to Edison. Now, most of his friends are survivors of Vietnam who attended the high school. Following the ceremony, they ate lunch on the school lawn and swapped stories. Jones’ biggest motivator in returning each year, he said, is the same as Johnson’s — to make sure the school’s history isn’t forgotten. “I think it needs to be passed onto the kids. A lot of them don’t even know,” Jones said. “They need to know exactly what they’re part of, that being a student at Thomas Edison High School comes with a heavy legacy.”
Search for closure Viscusi went into Edison High School on May 26 with a specific purpose — to learn more about the man who died next to him in Vietnam and to offer his family some words of comfort.
He approached people in the school’s packed main lobby that morning, introduced himself and asked for any information about Moore. But Moore’s story wasn’t as well-known as some of the others’. Viscusi and Moore were in Vietnam only six weeks when their platoon was ambushed in a jungle in Quang Ngai province. “He wanted to switch positions,” Viscusi said. “He took my spot, and I took his. Ten minutes later, he got shot in the head, and I got shot in the leg.” Viscusi and others were medically evacuated. In the helicopter they took out of there, Moore’s body was next to him. “He was lying right by me, and all I did was cry for him,” he said. “I was 21 years old; he was 19. What did we know?” Six weeks wasn’t long, and he knew little about Moore. He wanted to be a carpenter, Viscusi said, and he was a polite guy. Twenty-five years after his death, Viscusi visited the Vietnam Wall and made a rubbing of Moore’s name that he keeps with the rest of his things from the war. When the 50th anniversary came, he woke up one day and told his wife that he was ready to go to Philadelphia. “She said, ‘I’ve been waiting for you to say that for the last 50 years,’ ” he said. “It’s not easy, but I’m here.” Later in the day, he met a classmate of Moore’s who knew him. He was a deacon, and he listened to Viscusi’s story. It wasn’t a relative, Viscusi said, but “it made me feel good.” Johnson had spent a few hours with Viscusi and his wife before, and told them the story of the 64 — that Moore was part of a bigger story. Johnson doesn’t think he’ll organize the ceremony for many more years, but he’ll help enough to ensure it continues. There’s a community that expects it now. There are more stories to tell, he said, and more opportunities for some closure, like Viscusi found. “Fifty years from now, this building may be torn down and another Edison built somewhere else,” Johnson said. “But there will always be that bond, that connection that can never be severed. “There has to be dedicated individuals who will see that our mission to recognize these guys continues, regardless of the years, the circumstances, the principals, students, staff. It doesn’t matter. These guys died for us; they represent us.” wentling.nikki@stripes.com Twitter: @nikkiwentling
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MILITARY
New Army fitness test to focus on strength, power BY M ARTIN EGNASH Stars and Stripes
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — After almost 20 years of evaluating approaches to fitness, the Army will introduce a new, combat skill-centered fitness test in 2020. The lead time gives the Army a chance to assess a pilot program while giving soldiers around the world time to modify their existing fitness regimes. “The Army has been talking about doing this for a long time, but with an end date in mind we know this is for sure coming up,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Micheal Sutterfield, of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria. Grading is likely to go through many changes before 2020, but Sutterfield said that enough progress has been made that soldiers can begin planning for this type of test safely. “There is a big difference in the mindset of what these two tests measure,” Sutterfield said. “The Army (physical fitness test) is a great test to measure someone’s overall
fitness. But the (combat readiness test) measures explosive power, strength and the kind of fitness a soldier would need in combat.” The CRT will be as minimally gender specific as possible, Sutterfield said. “It’s everyone’s job to be combatready,” he said. It consists of the following six events, encompassing a variety of muscle movements: Deadlift. A weighted bar is lifted off the ground. The more weight lifted, the higher the score. Standing power throw. The soldier lifts a weighted ball off the ground and throws it behind him or her. The score is measured by distance thrown. T-pushup. A pushup, except the arms are extended to make a “T” shape at the bottom of the movement. Leg tuck. The soldier hangs from a bar and bring the knees up to the midsection. Spring/drag/carry. The soldier simulates sprinting into combat, then drags and carries another soldier out of the area.
Sgt. Bruna Galarza demonstrates the deadlift Sept. 14 at Fort Lee, Va.
PHOTOS
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SEAN K IMMONS/Courtesy of the U.S. Army
Spc. Efren Gandara performs leg tucks in September at Fort Lee during a pilot program for the Army Combat Readiness Test. 2-mile run. This is the same, but is expected to be more difficult after completing the earlier events. “This is going to be a tough test,” Sutterfield said. “It’s going to show you really quick who eats right, who got a good night’s sleep and who is taking care of themselves. “The key is holistic fitness, and focusing on preventing injuries. By doing these kinds of workouts, safely, you train your body to avoid injuries in the future.’” The Marine Corps has used a combat-oriented test since 2009. It shares many features of the Army’s proposed CRT, including a focus on explosive power, and a sprint/drag/run event. Marine Sgt. Ruben Poot, with Marine Corps Recruiting Station Twin Cities, said it’s about time the Army made changes. “It took them a while, but good on them,” Poot said. He believes the new test will benefit the Army in much the same way a combat-centered test helped the Marine Corps. “The end result will allow them to keep the best qualified soldiers around,” Poot said. Soldiers in USAG Bavaria
Pfc. Alex Colliver, left, pulls a 90-pound sled 50 meters that simulates the strength needed to pull a battle buddy out of harm’s way. are also developing their own holistic health system, called the Bavarian Health Initiative, to help soldiers train for the new test, Sutterfield said. The initiative “isn’t a response to the CRT, but it does share a lot of the same goals: reduce injuries and increase combat readiness,” Sutterfield said. Part of the initiative’s goal is to improve functional fitness, which focuses on
training muscles for everyday activities. Currently there is one functional fitness center on Grafenwoehr, but there are plans to open new gyms on other USAG Bavaria bases. “We want our soldiers to be as healthy and combat ready as possible,” Sutterfield said. “I think the [CRT] is a step in the right direction.” egnash.martin@stripes.com Twitter: @Marty_Stripes
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WAR ON TERRORISM
US, Afghans hope new Black Hawk unit will help turn tide against insurgents BY PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN Stars and Stripes
KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — The helicopter plunged downward and looked like it might crash, then deftly lifted its nose and continued its flight. “That move right there is an autorotation,” Army Maj. Alexmi Lugo said, looking up and squinting in the bright Kandahari sunlight. “The pilot’s practicing how to land the aircraft when the engine goes out.” Lugo, a program manager with NATO’s Train, Advise, Assist Command-Air unit, is laying the groundwork for the Afghan air force’s new UH-60 Black Hawk program that is reportedly costing the U.S. more than $1 billion. The pilot flying above was one of the first Afghan trainees on the new choppers. Afghanistan is scheduled to receive 159 U.S.-funded Black Hawks by 2024 to replace an aging fleet of Russianmade Mi-17s, part of a larger modernization effort that will more than double the aircraft in the air force’s inventory. As insurgents continue to make gains 16 years into the war, U.S. and Afghan military leaders say that stronger air capabilities will give Afghan forces a distinct advantage on the battlefield, enabling them to defeat more enemies while relying less on U.S. combat support. As part of the Black Hawk deal, UH60A models are being upgraded to a UH-60A+ variant with more powerful engines. Fifty-eight of the aircraft will be fitted with additional rocket pods and machine guns to provide close air support like the Mi-17s — the current backbone of the Afghan air force, used primarily for transporting troops and supplies and performing medical evacuations. Restrictions on doing business with Russian arms manufacturers have prevented the U.S., which financially supports the Afghan military, from providing new Mi-17 parts and aircraft. Army Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has warned the fleet is becoming unsustainable. Critics have called the switch politically motivated and fear that a transition to the American-made aircraft could hurt Afghan forces in the short
CHANGING THE BATTLEFIELD
PHOTOS
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PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN /Stars and Stripes
An Afghan trainee UH-60 pilot performs a check on his aircraft at Kandahar Air Field before practicing maneuvers. term. Lugo dismissed those concerns. “I’m pretty sure these guys flying the Mi-17s will be able to transition,” he said, adding that basic rotary wing skills are transferable between aircraft. “At the end of the day, they’re flying helicopters.”
‘We love it’ The Afghans have received two Black Hawks so far, with two more expected later this month. Just days after the first helicopters touched down at Kandahar Air Field, six pilots began a six-week training course to learn how to fly them. The trainees were reviewing emergency procedures four weeks into the course at their training school in a dusty corner of the base. “Of course, flying any new aircraft is challenging,” said Capt. Jawad Saqib, 32. “But we love it. The systems are different, but it’s suitable and it’s stable.” Contractors from the Huntsville, Ala.-based Science & Engineering Services run the school. The trainees normally get about 90 minutes of flight practice each day, followed by several
Capt. Zabihullah Dorandish, who is training to fly the UH-60A Black Hawk, finishes practice maneuvers Nov. 5 at Kandahar Air Field. hours of classroom instruction, during which they review a 4-inch-thick training manual that they must partly memorize.
“There are many more things we have to think about,” Saqib said. “We’re all studying until night.” SEE PAGE 12
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WAR ON TERRORISM FROM PAGE 11
After the six-week aircraft qualification course is finished, the trainees must go through 10 weeks of mission training. Those who pass will fly missions with U.S. military advisers until they are deemed proficient to operate alone, which could take up to a year, officials said. Training for special mission operators — who take care of cargo, man airborne weapons and perform limited maintenance — also will start in the coming months. The goal is to have four UH-60 crews — each comprising two pilots and two special mission operators — operating in the 2018 fighting season, which begins in the spring. “That’s what we’ve promised Gen. Nicholson,” said Air Force Col. Darryl Insley, Vice Commander of Train, Advise, Assist Command-Air. “And then for fighting season ’19, the plan is to get 32 crews, so it’s pretty aggressive.”
Language an obstacle For now, the focus remains on training pilots, a task made more difficult because it’s happening during a war. “This is not the only game in town,” Lugo said on the tarmac as Reaper drones and other aircraft used by the U.S. Freedom’s Sentinel counterterrorism mission and the Afghan military intermittently took off and landed around him. Not only do the trainee pilots make way for other operations at the base, but the hostile environment means they can’t land their aircraft just anywhere. While practicing his morning maneuvers, Capt. Zabihullah Dorandish, 27, circled above the heavily protected base more than a dozen times before landing. “Today was perfect,” he said confidently as he took off his helmet and held it by his side. “It will do well. The power is good and flying it is starting to become normal for us.” “The most complicated thing was with the radio communication,” he added. “I didn’t catch everything.” The radio communication was in English. Language proficiency for both pilots and
PHOTOS
BY
PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN /Stars and Stripes
An Afghan pilot trains Nov. 5 with American contractors on a UH-60 at Kandahar Air Field.
‘ I’m pretty sure these guys flying
the Mi-17s will be able to transition. At the end of the day, they’re flying helicopters.
’
Army Maj. Alexmi Lugo program manager with NATO’s Train, Advise, Assist Command-Air unit
maintainers has concerned some observing the air force’s development. Plans for a UH-60 maintenance training program have not yet been finalized, according to NATO officials, who say contractors will perform maintenance for the time being. It takes five years to train a maintainer, as opposed to three years for a pilot with no experience. In a cavernous hangar in another area of the base, metal tools clanked as Afghans performed maintenance work high atop an Mi-17. Because the Afghans have had
Mi-17s for decades, they’re often able to work in their own language. As the Russian aircraft get phased out, they’ll need to know English to read the Black Hawk technical manuals. “The literacy rate in Dari and Pashto isn’t the greatest, and now you’ve got to teach them English. It’s going to be a pretty big challenge,” said Air Force Maj. Charles Schultz, commander of the 442nd Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, who works with the maintainers. But the maintainers have welcomed the UH-60’s ar-
Capt. Jawad Saqib, a UH-60 pilot trainee, studies with an American instructor at Kandahar Air Field. rival, Schultz said. It’s a feeling that is ubiquitous at the Kandahar base: While shifting to the Black Hawks could pose challenges, it’s necessary to beat the insurgents. “The tool to fight is very, very important,” said Sadat,
one of the UH-60 trainee pilots, who asked to be identified by one name for security reasons. “If you have better tools than the enemies, absolutely you are going to have more success than them.” wellman.phillip@stripes.com Twitter: @pwwellman
Friday, November 17, 2017
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VETERANS
‘Thankful’
Veteran who lost legs in Afghanistan finishes 31st marathon in 31 days BY STEPHEN CARLSON Stars and Stripes
WASHINGTON — Rob Jones braved the cold weather on Veterans Day to complete his mission: running 31 marathons in 31 days. After losing his legs to an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2010, Jones has shown endurance that few can rival. “I’m pretty sore, but overall I am feeling pretty good,” Jones told Stars and Stripes as the sun rose over the Lincoln Memorial. Jones’ final run was on the National Mall in Washington, where he ran 26.2 miles to support his fellow veterans and raise money for charity. Jones was laid out on a couch before setting out for his final run shortly after 7 a.m., bandages being taken off his back after falling during a race in Atlanta. He sat up, his artificial legs off, and clearly thought about this last race while he spoke. Jones began his quest Oct. 12 in London, then flew to the States to race in Philadelphia, New York and Boston. He has raced in nearly every major city since then, running the equivalent of a marathon each
PHOTOS
BY
JOE G ROMELSKI /Stars and Stripes
Rob Jones, with his wife, Pam, talks to the crowd of supporters Saturday. day. There was an air of exhaustion and pain about him, but he seemed determined. “I’m feeling good. I’m excited about this last one. It is going to be painful,” he said. When asked which run was the toughest, he mentioned his recent run in Houston, Texas, on Nov. 3. “Houston was very tough because of the humidity. The last three have been tough because of the back injury,” he said, referencing his tumble in Atlanta on Nov. 8. “It is hard to say which is the toughest, but I would have to say Houston, because I felt the most like crap after that one.” Jones is raising money for the Semper Fi Fund, the Top of the Towers foundation, and the
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Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes. He said he has raised about $125,000, though he could not give an exact number. “We have a lot of T-shirt money, so we have to add that in there,” he said. Jones was a combat engineer with the Marine Corps Reserves who deployed to Iraq in 2008 before his time in Afghanistan left him without legs above the knee. Many would take such a grievous injury as a reason to give up. Not Jones. His humor led him to do stand-up at a star-studded tour called “Comedy Warriors: The Road to Healing” and he made selfdeprecating jokes about how he had stepped in the wrong spot. After losing his legs in Afghanistan, he said, “I was
This publication is a compilation of stories from Stars and Stripes, the editorially independent newspaper authorized by the Department of Defense for members of the military community. The contents of Stars and Stripes are unofficial, and are not to be considered as the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, including the Defense Department or the military services. The U.S. Edition of Stars and Stripes is published jointly by Stars and Stripes and this newspaper. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the DOD or Stars and Stripes of the products or services advertised. Products or services advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron.
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Jones is greeted by a crowd of supporters as he prepares to run. going to stand and fight.” “I don’t run for anyone; I have never lost a close friend in either of those wars,” he said. “I’m trying to get the story out about a veteran who went over to Afghanistan, and something traumatic happened.” Jones hails from a small farm in Lovettsville, Va. He played baseball and soccer and attended Virginia Tech. He joined the Marine Corps Reserves in 2007, when action in Iraq and Afghanistan was very likely. He was assigned to Company B, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, in Roanoke, Va. Like most combat engineers, his deployed life was focused on the plague of soldiers and Marines throughout the wars: IEDs. He was injured trying to protect his fellow Marines from an invisible, deadly enemy. Jones has a bronze medal from the Paralympics for rowing and has biked over 5,000 miles “I have a different set of legs for each purpose, for each thing I want to do, like walk-
ing, I have legs for that; getting around the house, I have legs for that. Each kind of leg is designed for one thing and one thing only.” His different sets of legs, ranging from running shoes to slippers, are provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Jones says he is satisfied with the care he receives through the agency. “I go in, tell them what I need, and they get it for me.” Just after 1:30 p.m., Jones crossed the finish line, completing his odyssey in the name of other veterans. “I feel thankful for all this group of people around here supporting me. I feel thankful to live in a country that appreciates veterans so much. I feel thankful for living in a country where there are so many people that are willing to sacrifice everything for it, and I’m thankful for living in a country that is worth that sacrifice that people make.” carlson.stephen@stripes.com Twitter: @swcarlson1
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Sat Nov 18
5pm - 8pm Ann N. Johnson UNCF Jazz Festival
Paine College Featuring performances by Trey McLaughlin, Sean McDonald, Bethany Davis, Dean Brown (Macon), Ingrid Woode & Woode Tribe Orchestra (Cincinnati) and more. $25. Call 706821-8233 or visit paine.edu.
7pm Horowitz Piano Recital
Turner’s Keyboards Steinway & Sons Model D Horowitz Piano, CD 503, will be on display and used in performance at the store. Dr. Martin David Jones and Dr. Clara J. Park of Augusta University will perform. The evening will also feature refreshments and a presentation on Vladimir Horowitz’ life and work. The piano will remain at Turner’s Keyboards until Nov. 25; the public may make appointments to play on the piano. Call 706-736-4479 or email eric@turnerskeyboards.com.
8pm Harry Potter Pub Crawl
Augusta Common Come dressed in your finest Harry Potter garb to visit downtown Augusta’s bars and restaurants. The gathering for those 21 and up will begin at the Augusta Common. Several participating locations have special offers for those in costume.
Friday, November 17, 2017
Search “Augusta’s First Harry Potter Pub Crawl” on Facebook to find the event for more information.
Mon Nov 20
7:30pm Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk
AU’s Maxwell Theatre A Steampunk-inspired cycling show that’s part of the Lyceum Series. $18, general; $12, AU alum and military; $7, children, students, AU faculty and staff. Call 706-667-4100 or visit augusta.edu/maxwelltheatre/ schedule.
Tue Nov 21
4pm - 7pm Holiday Pop-Up Shop theClubhou.se theClubhou.se on Telfair Street will transform into a local market, featuring baked goods, canned items, fresh produce, handmade decorations, beauty and bath items, artwork, garden art and other gift items. Vendors may register for a 6-foot by 6-foot spot; Augusta Locally Grown and theClubhou. se members may register as vendors for $20 by Nov. 14 and $30 after. Nonmembers’ vendor registration is $30. Register online at cognitoforms.com/FieldBotanicals/ HolidayPopUpShopRegistration. Call 706-723-5782.
P E R S O N A L I N J U RY AT TO R N E YS AT W O R K F O R YO U www.nicholsonrevell.com Harry D. Revell
Sam G. Nicholson
George S. (Sam) Nicholson
Adam W. King
4137 Columbia Road Augusta, Georgia 30907 | (706) 722-8784
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