It takes a special person like John E. Howard to take the solemnness of a funeral and to show honor at this level. I sure hope he relaxes a lot today he's earned it.

In 1967, fresh from a tour in Vietnam, I was assigned to command the honor rifle squad that fires the 21 gun salute at Military Funerals. I was a newbie Buck sergeant with only a total of 18 months in. We didn't do Arlington, but we were all over Maryland and Pennsylvania burying Vietnam casualties. There were 16 of us, counting my squad, 6 pallbearers, 1 bugler, and the staff sergeant in charge. WE were all crammed in a Checker limousine. That was hard duty 12 o and 12 off. I think that the Army was intent in punishing me for refusing to sign up for six more years. The day my two year commitment ended and I was able to walk away from Fort Meade as a civilian was the happiest day of my life.

@chadwickrogers43

11 ай бұрын

Welcome HOME and THANK YOU !!!!

one of the better videos in this series...and they are all great.....

What an intense life experience. Thank for your story. Thank for your service.

He really wanted to let us know he had it bad. You can really tell that job changed him in a negative way. Thank you for your service sir.

Thanks for serving in a thankless job, and taking care of those that didn't come home alive.

An unmentioned facet of the war , thanks for telling your story .

@larrycook3717

Жыл бұрын

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

@johnloy9760

11 ай бұрын

The most accurate description of military life from 66to70 that I have ever heard!

That's horrible how they treated those fellows doing the funeral service detail. I can see why some just went to Vietnam and took their chances. It sounds like those NCOs were psychopaths.

Respect. A really tough job. Thank you for your perspective.

Wow, now this is a fascinating interview, I'm surprised this guy didn't end up screwed up mentally after going through this torturous ritual day in and day out and not being able to show any emotion. At first I was going to skip this in search of a more action/ war based story, but this one really is worth watching

I could not have done what you did John. Thank you for your service.

@jimmyandkathyharrell

3 жыл бұрын

A Colonel is not flag rank. Thank you John

What a fantastic interview Thank you for your service

My takeaway: Mr. Howard repeats over & over "Died for WHAT?" Still wondering, I s'pose.

What an interesting and unusual perspective on this pointless and horrible war. Thank you for the interview and for your service Mr. Howard.

Thank you for your service and sacrifice

Seeing him get choked up about his dad brought tears to my eyes.

I can attest to his comment about Black funerals. In my experience, Black folks turn a funeral into a celebration of their loved ones lives and its beautiful. Some of the best food I've ever eaten too.

@virtuouswoman2924

Жыл бұрын

Black woman here.. you ain’t lying lol.

I was a member of the Third Herd, Headquarters Company, all of 1967, and then rotated to RVN all of 68, just in time for Tet Thanks for your service. Glad you made it back. FTA.

@neemtreebark

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your service. I pray for justice in this country. Many sociopaths in Washington DC.

I am a veteran from Sweden, Balkan, Liberia, Afghanistan, 4 years total. I seen most of these wonderful learning interviews. This is one of the best. Thank you sir. Best regards

@irenedemarco1354

Жыл бұрын

Thank You For Your Service... 💞✌️🙏

@tm2bow653

10 ай бұрын

Hi. What did you do in Sweden?

Great job Mr. Howard, Thank you

Thank you for sharing your experience, outstanding interview. Alan R.

Great interview!

I saw a documentary on tv about the Old Guard and what they had to do. The show didn't even scratch the surface on what all they did to look and perform perfectly. This was a very interesting interview.

Intensely interesting and moving. Thank you

Loved and appreciated all of these interviews, but this one in particular is my favorite.

I Love 2 hear dif views of dif jobs in the service,,,God bless em All

I was assigned to the Loring AFB Honor Guard. We took Honor Guard service very seriously. Our 21 gun salute was perfect. People dont understand the PTSD from this.

Very Informative.

Wow! What an amazing interview ! Hats off to this gentlemen!

Absolutely love these interviews.. Thank You Mr. Howard .. to all Vietnam veterans.. I Thank you for your sacrifice and service..

That stuff with the cigarette butt found in the toilet would never happen in Parris Island but the trash can and lights on at 3am to do pushups definately was a regular occurrence. We would never be smoking in the barracks in the Marines. I respect the hell that John went through in the Embassy Duty in the Army.

Thanks for your service

Fascinating account of a different kind of soldering. Rather him than me I think Vietnam was the easier route

Why r these poor guys being made to pay for their uniforms ? Boots ? and Laundry costs ? How wrong is that ?

@zackbreaux6539

2 ай бұрын

You still do to this day

Very interesting!

@Lunatic4Bizcas

7 жыл бұрын

I concur.

Fascinating perspective.

No wonder they weren't allowed to have ammunition.

My favorite interview

I understand that this man never went to Vietnam due to the suggestion that he should ask to be assigned to the old guard. Very proud of the fact that he served in that capacity and had the gumption/willpower to do as he was trained to do which was to honor our dead and bury them with dignity. In some ways he was treated worse than the regular soldiers due to what he calls "the pettiness". I also really agree with what was said about the political war thing. Have seen that in several other videos.

High-end coffins are historically lead-lined to help prevent degradation of the remains. Not sure why this wasn't explained to Mr. Howard?

@martinh1437

3 жыл бұрын

tax payers money to.

@peterlyons8793

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the information.

Plus, now I know, there was a sound effect involved, when americans were "disappeared" in to Vietnam. The sound effect 1:00:40 if you are interested. If you hear that sound, you really have to learn speak Vietnamese, I guess...

My favorite interview from the Vietnam series

Every job is important... this would have been so sad, so horrific... no joy in any of the work.... Thank You For Your Service.... 💞✌️🙏

Pure truth without decoration

Incredible.

Tough stuff

When he was describing the dressing procedure with the chin up and lowering while the light duty soldier held out the pants, I couldn't help but break out laughing. It must have been a funny site to see.

Lead lining prevents monitoring for foreign substances. Ding!

"Gardens of Stone" is the movie Mr. Howard refers to. Buy or rent.

Fighting for freedom in vietnam was like fornicating to protect virginity.......

I couldn't have done it. I would have told them to shove it and quit and gone to Nam. I did 22 years including 1969 in Viet Nam, so I know whereof I speak and am not just bullshitting.

This is nuts!!!!

Cool man

I could be wrong, but weren't the lead lined coffins to save the bodies of our soldiers from receiving additional shots as they were flown out?

@nunyaz6798

2 жыл бұрын

To make the dope that was getting shipped in less likely to be detected

What they asked them to do was so difficult. A kind of daily psychological torture.

The man has a point of sorts

@MrJohn-pd9vf

4 жыл бұрын

This is pure BS ... this guy has a screw lose. He sure contradicted him self a lot and said things that were absolutely a fabrication.

@elwyrick

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrJohn-pd9vf Sorry . . . a year late. What did he fabricate?

Thanks John.

Preach

Two full souls put on. In uk we call that double tapt on drill boots

Ill never understand the mistreatment of young men that you expect to respect, obey and protect you.

He has one thing wrong, It wasn't the USS Oriskany it was the USS Forrestal. I was in Danang from 66' to 68 but was home on leave between my two tours. I was told when I got back in country that our crew removed some of the bodies at the deep water piers. Don't know if that's true because one article says the docked in the Philippines. One of my high school buddies was one of the unidentified that's buried in Arlington. I volunteered for both my tours. I'm been paying for that my entire adult life and didn't know why until 2015 when I was diagnosed with PTSD. If I had known that before I went I would have still sucked it up and suited up. I just don't understand why people say "I wish I had gone to VietNam". If he didn't go he didn't volunteer, end of story. When veterans that I meet tell me they didn't go to VietNam I tell them that's a good thing. And I tell them at least you went in the military and served your country. Oh, and I think the 'Old Guard' has to sign a contract that allows no drinking or television. Just say'in. Welcome home to all my brothers and RIP to those no longer with us.

Holy smokes. Only reason I can think of for use of led-lined caskets is to contain the chemicals a soldier was exposed to?

Am I the only one that thinks this bloke looks like a super villian

@chairlesnicol672

11 ай бұрын

JAMES HERMES Looks suspiciously like one of the jewel thieves in Reservoir Dogs! ( Lawrence Tierney, as Joe Cabot) he was the boss of Mr Pink, Mr Brown etc!

I don't know why anyone wouldn't believe him... I couldn't make up that kind of detail. ~ Gardens Of Stone ~

Very lucky man ,, I bet there are over 53,000 service men that would had loved that job if they could speak today

@packrat76

Жыл бұрын

Are you kidding??? The shit they put them through?? Why do you think some guys took their chances and went to Vietnam instead.

Right

What's that at 7:36? Smoke, steam, dust from his mouth?

@networkinc.6825

5 жыл бұрын

Crazy,,i saw that

@tyroniousyrownshoolacez2347

5 жыл бұрын

Hero steam? Saw that too.

@Animusapertus

5 жыл бұрын

people here saying he was BS. He was literally blowing smoke

@andreahighsides7756

4 жыл бұрын

You can make condensed vapor like that by highly pressuring the air in your mouth and compressing it. Its difficult to do

@tonyannicelli9365

4 жыл бұрын

Man ; that duty sounds about as bad as Vietnam.

Wow, this one was one of the more interesting interviews. I almost didn't listen to it.

Minced no words, shows total respect and honor to the fallen. Still speaks to the BS if the generals and political trash. Do not forget sec of def is a political appointee, not elected, not even military as a rule.

Bird shit on his hat & he got blamed for that...?????

58000, not 48000

I live in tampa

What this dude describes is insanity and shows complete disrespect for the dead.

I know a Viet Nam vet who looks a lot like this fellow, except Charlie's head was twice as big! Charlie has lost his wits and does not know me any more.

Those coffins were full of heroin….. unfortunately Thank you sir for your service…. a thankless job, you sir are a strong spirited man

that sounds worse than vietnam outside the dying part

Six years ago he said the White House would be easy to take over. I guess he had a point.

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it sounds like this job he did was a never ending nightmare. I'm pretty sure id have rather been in Vietnam.

Upper bunk is cooler ? Really ? Heat rises ...Its always warmer at the top of a room than the bottom ...wat is this geezer talking about ? Why is he calling the dead vets - Shmucks ? Thats not right ...even if u disagree with the war .. the grunts didnt get to choose to go out there ....

Women 6 men 58,000. Let that sink in

@tm2bow653

10 ай бұрын

That's called toxic masculinity

This guy a liberal

@30:30 chicken huh 😏 what about watermelon and sugar water. 😏 🤦🏿

They brought drugs back in them coffins

What BS! Was in the Old Guard and most of what he said is an exaggeration to say the least. Probably the most plush job a 11B could have been assigned during the Vietnam war.

@themoore5509

4 жыл бұрын

Fred Ivey everybody has something of a BS matter. Good story even if it’s BS.

@jamalydude

3 жыл бұрын

When did you serve

@jacobsladder6715

3 жыл бұрын

If you see videos of the guard of today.. same thing.. no time to yourself all brass/polish and guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier 24 hours a day 7 days a week.. it takes along time to get ready.

@stevebutler812

3 жыл бұрын

He is intelligent enough to know it was a stupid way to do burials. Yet, mentally challenged people thrive on never-changing, dull, repetitive, non-complex routines where no thinking is required. Thus, you thrived.

Wait, wait. How could you have "drank beer" or "played volleyball" with anyone, after telling us you worked 24/7? Not easy duty by any means, but it still beats the hell out of being in COMBAT!

This guy is complaining about burying guys from overseas..I have some ideas about how long he would have lasted in a fire fight..

@manhalen7046

3 жыл бұрын

He's not complaining about burying them, donkey.

I will not go to his funeral 🇺🇸

@manhalen7046

3 жыл бұрын

Oh damn, I'm sure he and his family will be highly disappointed.

@chairlesnicol672

11 ай бұрын

BROWNSPOT Good then we shouldnt let him live any longer!

Calling bs…..in the Old Guard, you cannot drink any alcohol and you promise to not drink any even after you’re discharged.

@tm2bow653

10 ай бұрын

Maybe not then

I view this series of videos as racist...A lot of black and brown folks served...They are not represented...What gives with you people...I was a hospital corpsman ‘66 - ‘68...Note: I’m white...

@stevebutler812

3 жыл бұрын

These are interviews of VETS who live in Montana, where the rate of black and brown people is very low. Plus, they had to volunteer to be interviewed. Not everyone is as racist as you appear to be.

Anyone who dies for a political war (Vietnam) is a fool and gets what they deserve. "What if they called for a war and no one showed up"

This is the only one I’ve seen I dislike.

Had to bail. Can’t stand the annoying lip smacking.

Liked this intervies until the 21 gun salute. Only dignitaries get that, enlisted get 3. Many thats why you only heard 3? Done watching this BS interview honestly at this point!

@randyreddig5239

3 жыл бұрын

My dad had a 21 gun salute... He was regular enlisted.. Served in WWII, Korea & Vietnam... Passed in 2010....

@robertromano4824

3 жыл бұрын

I can’t believe you put this pos in your podcast!

@manhalen7046

3 жыл бұрын

Nice job making yourself look like a turd Daniel.

This is one of the worst stories. Complaining about the job he had. He didn't even see combat didn't get shot at guys full of bs.