HN: Unlike most bloggers and talk show hosts, you're not easy to pigeonhole. In one blog on your Website you say, "Our World War II veterans are heroes, but our Vietnam Veterans are our heroes, too, and our country needs to say so, often." In another, written during the last presidential election, you wrote, "George W. Bush and his co-conspirators must be held accountable for their crimes in either a U.S. tribunal or an international tribunal or both." You express strong opinions, but they don't seem to toe any ideological line. Comments?
JA: I don't even know what liberal and conservative mean anymore. I'm pragmatic. Some people would think I'm a bleeding-heart liberal and others think I'm a right-wing nut case.
I believe in war but pick and choose your wars. Do it when you really need to do it.
HN: Given your background in law and law enforcement—you were a state prosecuting attorney in Arizona for 15 years and later a defense attorney—we have to ask: What's your take on the current immigration law controversy in Arizona?
JA: I think it's purely political. There is no immigration problem. I live in a rural area where there used to be a jalapeno field. I used to see trucks going out there, immigrants picking jalapenos in 120-degree heat. Our people aren't going to do that.
Our crime rate (in Arizona) is going down. Yes, there are immigration violations, but that is an administrative, not criminal, violation.
HN: Colonel, thanks for talking with HistoryNet. Anything you'd like to add in closing?
JA: I love this country and I'm concerned about where it's going because a lot of people are uninformed. They can't think critically. They often vote against their best interests. They need to put their religious and ethnic differences aside.
My religion is the Constitution. That's what I believe in, and a lot of people are trying to take it apart.
Click here to read Col. Abodeely's personal account of the week his platoon spent fighting their way through to Khe Sanh, Breaking the Siege at Khe Sanh, from the October 2010 Vietnam magazine.
To see a slideshow of displays in the Arizona Military Museum, see Peter Suciu's article, "Arizona Military Museum: More Than Cowboys in the Military History of the South West," on our partner site, ArmchairGeneral.com.
Gerald D. Swick is senior Web editor for HistoryNet.com, ArmchairGeneral.com, and GreatHistory.com.
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[...] Cavalry platoon to reach the firebase at Khe Sanh during the Vietnam War. To read an interview with Joseph Abodeely about Khe Sanh, the Arizona Military Museum and more, click the link. Help Armchair General by [...]
General Tolson's report said he ordered Colonel Lownds to send Marines to Hill 471. That is not inconsistent with what the article says. There just isn't as much detail.
1st.Bn. 9th Mar. Regt. 3rd Mar. Div was the Marine unit that attacked and held Hill 471 on April 4th for 2 days. On April 5th at 5am we were assaulted by a Bn. of NVA and fought them til 9am and kicked their ASS. You are insulting the spirits of brave Marines who later lost their lives on Hill 689 on April 16th—-get your facts straight.–Bill Rider,Sgt. 2nd plt. 1 Bn., 9th Mar. Regt.(WALKING DEAD)
Joe,
What is your e-mail. I have some interesting data about Vietnam that I think you may be interested in.
You Cav. guys did a bang up job of breaking the seige of Khe Sahn.
I was in Mech. infantry with the 25th Infantry Division during
Tet 1968. The action was fast and furious . I am now retired and busy !
Hope to hear from you soon
All the best
Regards,
Tom Foster
Marietta, Ga.
Tom: My email is joeabo@qwestoffice.net. Joe
Joe,
Thank you for the information and thank you for your service to our country.
The Marines were under siege until the 1st Air Calvary Division’s Operation Pegasus relieved them on April 8, 1968. They did not fight their way out of the siege (as some Marines claim) as they could not go up and down highway 9 until the airmobile infantry (augmented with some Marines and ARVNs) cleared the road to the Khe Sanh Fire Base. They had to be resupplied by the Air Force with LAPE methods. The Air Force had bombed the AO around KSFB with fantastic bomb tonnage, and the NVA were still there keeping the Marines from sending two companies per the contingency plan to aid Lang Vei Special Forces camp when it was attacked by NVA tanks. Air Force bombing did not drive the NVA away as some USAF proponents claim. If the NVA left before the 1st Air Cavalry conducted Operation Pegasus (because they “heard about it”)–when was that? And if they did–so much the better. The art of war is not defeating your enemy in a hundred battles–it is putting him in a position whereby he must capitulate. (Sun Tzu). Even the famous History Channel with its recent Vietnam series comments that the air force drove the NVA away so the 1st Cavalry Division could relieve KSFB. When did the Air Force drive them away because we were still fighting them in Operation Pegasus? USAF bombing was important, but not decisive. The 1st Air Cavalry "boots on the ground" are what drove the NVA away, cleared Route 9, and relieved the Marines from the siege at Khe Sanh Fire Base.
Thank you joe. had to be there for that to know the truth. and what you said was very right. we the cav ran the nva off. I was with D company 2/7th was the first to the wire that day. it was a mess up there.
Thanks joe
Terry
Terry: Thanks for the comment. We need to get more Cav guys to speak up. A lot of misinformation is our there. Some Marines say they were never even under siege or that THEY fought their way out or that there were no NVA left when we cleared Route 9 to the wire at Khe Sanh. I was second platoon leader of D company 2/7. Garry Owen.
Joe
Some of D company troopers are coming to florida in feb. will send you some pics of khe sanh later. I was in 3rd plt.D 2/7th. Lt. little was our Plt Leader. we are not trying to Insult anyone. our job in the cav was to releive troops that were pinned down or what ever. we kept the nva on the move as much as we could. lost some good men that day going into khe sanh. I will never forget them.
thanks joe
Terry
Terry: I remember Lt. Little. I thought he was a good officer. I often thought we had some friendly competition going, but he was a good officer. What ever happened to him? Did he stay in or go back to school like I did? If you can get email addresses of guys who were in 2nd platoon for Khe Sanh, I'd appreciate it. I know Captain Stevens is still around. I had RTOs named Snyder and Pee Wee. I'd like to know what happened to them.
Joe
Joe:
Terry sent me the link and mentioned that you had written about the Khe Sanh operation. I enjoyed reading the account. I certainly agree that there is a lot of misinformation running around. Yet I also realize that many of those that participated did not have the total picture–only their perspective as viewed from a small part of the action.
I was a medic in that mess–and one of my prouder moments was to be able to serve not only the guys in the 2nd of the 7th, but to also act as a Marine Corpsman taking care of those precious marines as well.
As you, I stayed in the active reserves (Air Force) and retired in 2000. I did tours in Desert Storm as well as flew alerts and missions to most parts of the world. My civilian career as a water engineer has allowed me to serve in projects in Asia, the South Pacific and of course here in my home state of California as well. As you well know Vietnam is a detail that has become part of each of us–and find myself drawn back to various locations in both North and South Vietnam on a regular basis.
It is certainly a pleasure to communicate with you! I had met Col Ron LIttle in 1988 as I remember he stayed in the military–and I believe he retired not too long after we met. I have not heard from him since. The other names are but memories—and I have not communicated with any except Lee Craig–I believe he was in the 2nd Plattoon and now lives in Redding Ca.; Ron Halvarson who lives in Chicago; Pat Nardi–lives in El Sobrante CA.; Sammy Johnson that lives in Florida; Steve Banko; –Terry and a few more that evade my memory at the moment.
Garry Owen and welcome back I agree with your statement of spurning the war—but not the warrior.
Let me know how to contact you and I will send you an email
Roger: Welcome home. I don't want to put my email on line, but Google me, call my office, leave your contact info, and I'll contact you to give you my info. Joe