An Open Letter To Don Hall, From Someone Who Was There
January 20, 2006 · Print This Article
I don’t know why, but this morning I quick peeked in on the Wizbang website where Don has been waging an ongoing smear campaign against the men of F/58th LRP, and in particular Gary Linderer. There’s been a lot going on in there since I last visited and I was startled to see all the activity. Usually, I just post a quick bomb or two and forget about it for a few weeks. Well, there was a LOT of new stuff to read, and I was laughing out loud through most of it.
But the last letter, posted around midnight last night just about brought me to tears. It was written by a Vietnam veteran who was actually present at the battle of 20 November 1968, about which Don has written so many malicious lies and speculations. This veteran, John Reid, was also one of the soldiers that rescued the survivors of Team 24, under heavy enemy fire, after they were decimated on that hill in the Roung Roung valley. He KNOWS how it went down and he has tried, to no avail, to explain this to Don. It was pure happenstance that I saw this open letter to Don Hall, and I think it was meant to be, because I may not have revisited that thread at Wizbang for a few more weeks.
I am incredibly heartened by John’s letter, because once again it is a depiction of true brotherhood. John must know that he is now a very big target for Don Hall. John’s military service will be denigrated in public by Don, and he will be smeared - his motives questioned, his character maligned, and his honor trashed.
Please read John’s letter - it is gentle and it is fair - but make no mistake, it IS firm. John’s commitment to the truth and his desire to see healing is a tribute to him and to the men he served with.
Dear Don C. Hall: I’m contacting you through wizbang because you asked me not to contact you directly. Respecting your wishes I’m contacting you this way.
You and I have talked on the phone a couple of times. I was one of many witnesses(someone who was actually there) to the events of 20 Nov 68 involving Gary Linderer’s team from F-58th Inf LRRP, 101st Airborne Division. I’m not angry with you and wish you and your family no harm. Perplexed is the best word to describe my feelings about you. I’ve read your book “I Served” and I think you served your country well in Vietnam. I wasn’t there, so I’ll take you at your word. I’ve met some of the guys in your LRRP outfit and they verify your service.
What I can’t fathom is your unhealthy OBSESSION with Gary Linderer. I guess it has something to do with medals that he has and you don’t. I guess his success with book sales relative to the sales of your book “I Served” figures in as well. I’ve told you this on the phone but I’ll repeat it here publicly. I served four combat tours in Vietnam and all I got was a CIB, Airmedal, three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star without a/V. As I told you truthfully had I been more popular with my fellow soldiers I might have more medals but I don’t. Like you I used to think that was unfair.
As I told you I’ve changed my mind about medals for two reasons. First is reunions. You can have all the medals in the world but what really counts is getting together with the guys you actually served with and having their respect for what you did. No medal can take the place of that. Second is meeting WWII 101st veterans. Our Oregon chapter(Cascade chapter) of the 101st Airborne Brigade has members who jumped with the 101st at Normady and luckily made it all the way through to the end of the war in Austria. Most of them just have service medals and the bronze star given to everybody in the infantry in WWII Europe. Sure put my medals in perspective. I can’t claim to have done anything like jumping over German occupied France. Been in some hairy hot LZ’s in Nam but they just don’t compare.
I tried to reason with you on the phone and try to get you to have the same perspective on your military service. You didn’t want to listen. When I tried to tell you what really went down on 20 Nov 68 from the perspective of someone who was actually there you didn’t want to listen. The truth didn’t jibe with your fantasies coloured by your personnal dislike of Gary Linderer. Why can’t you be satisfied with your own service? You were in combat with a LRRP unit. That’s something to be proud of. Instead you drag this personnal vendetta against Linderer on and on.
As I told you on the phone I-Served with F-58th LRRPS 1968, BCo 101st Aviation as a doordunner on LRRP support,1968-69 E-Co 3-506th LRRPS 1969 and L Co 75th Rangers 1971. Everything in Gary Linderer’s books about those units when I_Served with them is true. Unlike you I was there. Like you I wasn’t a big hero, I just did my job. Why can’t you be satisfied with that?
You seem to think that Gary Linderer goes parading around as some big hero. Believe me he doesn’t. He is actually quite a modest person. He is respected at 101st Airborne LRRP/Ranger reunions because unlike you the guys who served with him know what he did. You don’t.
Today I bought your name as a domain on the internet. I’ll tell you why. Last summer I went to Operation Homecoming in Branson MO. Truthfully I went because the 101st LRRP/Ranger were having a reunion there too. Nobody spat on me when I came home from Vietnam. Most people treated me with respect. I got most of my jobs because I was a combat vet. A lot of guys had a negative experience. It was a joy to see those guys get there due in Branson last year. There were LRRPS and grunts and marine line doggies(who did more than their fair share of the fighting and the dying in Nam)REMFS in the 1st Logistical command who made sure we had the ammunition and support we needed to survive, nurses, medics and donut dollies. God love them all. It was a really positive experience. Some veterans confessed to me that it was a life changing, life affirming experience.
And yet here you are, trashing Gary Linderer who helped make it all possible, because of some personnal disagreement in which you felt slighted. If your attacks on Linderer keep just one veteran from going to Branson and having a positive experience, you have committed a MORTAL sin. Not a venial sin, Don but a MORTAL sin!
Give it a rest. Tell your story and the story of your LRRP company. It’s something to be justifiably proud of. Your machinations against Linderer just make you and the guys you SERVED with look bad. They don’t deserve that. Ever think that THEY SERVED is more important than I-Served?
I bought your name as a web address not because I want to bad mouth you. I don’t want to do that to any veteran who like you served honourably. But your attacks against Linderer and Operation Homecoming are undeserved. I know. I’m just one of dozens, even hundreds of veterans who served in 101st LRRP/Rangers or supporting units who were actually there for the events described in Gary Linderer’s books. We know he’s telling the truth. We had his back then and we have his back now.
This is not a threat it’s just a promise. If you keep up your undeserved attacks on Linderer and Operation Homecoming, I’m going to post the truth on donchall, DonCHall dot everything. I bought them all. I’m not going to attack you. I’m just going to state honestly that you weren’t there on 20 Nov 68 or on any day of Gary Linderer’s exemplary service in Vietnam. I’m going to list the contact information for myself and many others who chose to be listed who were actual witnesses to the events written about by Linderer. And with permissions I’m going to present your insane ramblings on this and many other websites. It doesn’t make you look good trust me.
I will do this only with reluctance. I think you served honourably in Vietnam and hope you tell your story and the story of those you served with. It’s a story that needs to be told. Leave Gary alone. Otherwise when you do business with agents in the media world, when they Google your name, they won’t hear about your honourable service. They just get the details of your unseemly (read insane) vendetta against Linderer. It may make them think about whether they want to have any dealings with you. Your call.
Yours sincerely: John L. Reid
D-1-503, 173d 67-68
F-58th Inf LRRP, 101st, 68
BCo 101st Aviation Bn, 68-69
E-3-506th LRRPS, 101st Abn Div, 69
D-3-503d, 173 Abn 1970
L Co 75th Rangers, 101st 1971
With the paperwork and witnesses to prove it!Posted by: John Reid at January 20, 2006 12:54 AM
Jealousy can take a normal, loving individual and turn them into a demon. It is too bad that someone who appears to have served honorably has let it go to his heart and turn it black. I pray that Don Hall will move beyond this issue and allow healing for himself and others to occur. In the end, Mr. Hall will accomplish nothing, but will leave his name associated with a very rotten odor. That is too bad, as all who wear a uniform and serve should be justifiably proud of their service and receive honor and thanks from those of us who were given their sacrifice. I hope he realizes that others are trying to help him and allow their kind, yes, KIND, attempts to heal his heart. I wish the best to all involved.