Season 3, Ep. 3 - Interview with a Vietnam Vet: backpack full of rocks
Meet Buzzy. He is an Air Force Veteran who flew 212 combat missions as a navigator on B-52 bombers. He is also my yoga student and one of my favorite humans. Buzzy speaks honestly about the Vietnam war, the challenges that Veterans face, and what happens when you decide to do something radical in the face of depression and post-traumatic stress.
Here are links to some of the topics we discuss in the interview:
A video on my Veteran's yoga class - featuring Buzzy and Mike
RF-4 Phantom - Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft
Photos of B-52 bombers during Christmas bombings
Details of the Christmas bombings from History.com
Jack Fellows - he was a POW in the Hanoi Hilton, and wrote Buzzy a note saying that he saved his life. Fellows writes here about his time in captivity.
In-patient program at the Salem VA
My interview with Aryeh and Bandit- the podcast Buzzy mentions
Yoga is effective in treating symptoms of Gulf War illness: A randomized clinical trial
Expedition Balance - the Veteran organization I work with down in Texas. An excellent place to send donations!
Books on the Vietnam war:
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans by Wallace Terry
Father, Soldier, Son: Memoir of a Platoon Leader in Vietnam by Nathaniel Tripp