hmTv at HMTC Podcasts Ep 437: The Fog of War and Humanity with Richard Acritelli and guest Dennis Moran P4 on hmTv
The Fog of War and Humanity
Episode 437 – Dennis Moran (Part 4)
Host: Richard Acritelli
Guest: Dennis Moran
In Part 4 of this powerful series, Vietnam veteran Dennis Moran takes listeners deeper into his experiences during the Cambodian campaign of 1970. What begins as a recollection of a beautiful countryside quickly turns into a stark account of ambushes, unexploded bombs, airstrikes, and the constant uncertainty of jungle warfare. Dennis recounts being sent to destroy a massive live bomb, nights guarding artillery positions, accidental detonations, and the tense moment his platoon unknowingly allowed a suspected enemy collaborator to drive past their ambush site.
The conversation also explores the realities behind famous Vietnam War films. Dennis shares how closely Platoon and Forrest Gump captured the weather, the chaos, and the emotional strain soldiers endured, from monsoons and disease to the daily routines of survival in swamps and rice paddies. He describes the logistics networks along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the impact of B-52 bombings, and the strange normalcy soldiers developed while carrying explosives, Claymore mines, and rations on long patrols.
The episode becomes especially personal as Dennis recalls leaving Cambodia for R&R in Hawaii while learning his childhood friend had been catastrophically wounded in combat. The story culminates with his emotional visit to the Bronx VA Hospital after returning home, confronting the lasting human cost of the war.
Part 4 is a vivid and unfiltered portrait of combat, friendship, and survival, showing that war is remembered not only in battles, but in moments, decisions, and lives permanently changed.