Show me an alley, show me a train. Show me a hobo who sleeps out in the rain. And I’ll show you a young man with many reasons why, there but for fortune, go you or I. ~Phil Ochs I had quite a few jobs when I was a kid, delivering newspapers, […]
No Peace We came home nearly forty years ago to a place that we didn’t know, and that didn’t know us. We tried our best to fit in, to go back in time, trying to return to who we were and what we had been just a few short years earlier. For most of us […]
We were castoffs and slaves, orphans and unwanteds and used-to-be princesses…and we were mighty. ~Lesley Livingston, The Valiant One of the many unfortunate by-products of war are orphans. The orphanages near our base at Phu Cat, Vietnam were visited by the base chaplains who brought sustenance in the way of food, clothing, and […]
Many people have asked about the characters of my books, The Kansas NCO and Back To The World, particularly during speaking engagements. All of the characters in the books are based upon real people, and exhibit characteristics from those people. Some are based more on fiction than on fact, others more on fact than fiction. […]
I have received many kind letters, notes, and emails regarding “The Kansas NCO”. This is one that is very special to me. Dear Joe I’m writing to tell you I very much liked your book The Kansas NCO. Right off the bat I got into the flow of it. I appreciate your racial inclusiveness. […]
http://www.pritzkermilitary.org/explore/library/online-catalog/view/oclc/895268042 The Kansas NCO is now on permanent display at the prestigious Pritzker Museum and Library in Chicago, Illinois.
Every war, every branch of the service, US and other countries, has probably had its “Kansas NCO”. Not necessarily something to be proud of, but a fact of military life, sometimes serving a useful purpose. Joe Campolo Jr., has turned this into a good read, while aligning it with the Vietnam War. An easy read […]
An extraordinary tale about a group of Air Force soldiers stationed at Phu Cat Air Force base in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Working out of a small warehouse on base, their main job was to provide goods and services to nearby bases, outposts and villager. Sometimes, they were tasked to ride security on convoys […]
I had a great time in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Vietnam Veteran Tribute hosted by “Lest We Forget”. I was honored to be a guest speaker, and also honored that many people picked up a copy of The Kansas NCO. It was a great program. On Friday afternoon a gentleman […]