Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
2:23 | Ernest Banasau shares the connections between his military lineage and Native American roots.
Keywords : B-24 Native American U Boat Wheelus Air Force Base military family
Ernest Banasau's journey from college flunkie to combat-ready soldier takes him from Texas to Tigerland to Pleiku, and is filled with surprises, pranks, and colorful characters.
Bravo Company has been all but wiped out, and Ernest Banasau worries that he and his buddies will be sent in to replace them. Instead, he joins A Company, where he experiences his first enemy contact - in the form of a rice paddy machine gun ambush.
Banasau takes a premature R&R and forgets his malaria pills, extending his absence for longer than he had planned.
A swarm of aggressive bees launches an attack on Ernest Banasau's platoon, causing them to scatter and drop their gear. The furious Sergeant leads a small group of soldiers back to gather their lost gear.
11 frightening days in the Battle of Dak To, and the bloody fight for Hill 875. When a Marine F4 misses its target, a 500 pound bomb takes out an entire encampment of wounded GIs. The South Vietnamese Civilian Army prepares a Thanksgiving feast, but the meal does not sit well with the American palette.
Among the spoils of Hill 875, Banasau discovers the gruesome remains of the enemy. After witnessing the loss of so many GIs, he feels only satisfaction at the sight of NVA corpses. Nonetheless, a shell-shocked prisoner is mercifully evacuated from the smoldering wreckage.
A perpetually frightened soldier develops a unique approach to making it up the hill unscathed. Banasau shares tips on getting sleep as an RTO, including putting the scared GI to work for him.
Banasau returns to the base at Dak To, where he used his masterful scrounging skills to acquire alcohol for his team. An opportunity to attend a USO show is thwarted by enterprising base commandos.
Banasau and his team struggle with questionable orders from an inexperienced, egomaniacal company commander. Later, they come across what sounds like a massive army, and are forced to take cover... only to discover their ears have deceived them.
On patrol, Banasau's platoon steps into a firefight during the Tet Offensive, where he and 2 others are hit. He does his best to keep fighting until help can arrive. Part 1 of 2
Under heavy fire, choppers attempt to evacuate wounded GIs from Kontum. After one fatal crash, a dustoff chopper manages to lift Ernest Banasau to safety. Years later, Banasau meets the pilot who saved him, and learns how close he came to meeting a tragic fate. Part 2 of 2
Banasau makes the most of his time in recovery, including spending time in Japan with new American friends.
Ernest Banasau returns to Vietnam only to face an obstacle course of paperwork and bureaucracy. Making the best of things, he takes time to reconnect with his Air Force brat roots.
Banasau's team uncovers a clever diversion plotted by the enemy. He and fellow GIs are narrowly spared from friendly fire.
Back at the firebase, Banasau and his buddy receive some very unexpected news - they're going home. True to his nature, he uses his newfound leverage to mess with the higher ranks.
Banasau came home to a different country than the one he left, and figured out to adjust - while others were not so lucky. Years later, he took a journey to meet the family of a fallen brother, and offered words of comfort.
At the onset of Operation Desert Storm, Ernest Banasau is a Logistics Coordinator in Germany. He contacts the command to offer his services in the war effort, and is stationed in Turkey to play a coordinating role in Operation Provide Comfort, protecting Kurdish refugees from Saddam Hussein's army.
