hmTv at HMTC Podcasts Ep 446: The Fog of War and Humanity with Richard Acritelli and guest Mike Williams P2 on hmTv
hmTv | Humanity Matters Series
Episode 446 – The Fog of War and Humanity (Part 2)
Host: Richard Acritelli
Guest: Mike Williams
In Part 2 of his story, Air Force veteran Mike Williams moves from stateside service into the reality of the Vietnam War in Southeast Asia.
After building a life with his young wife while stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Mike receives orders sending him to Ubon Air Base in Thailand, near the Laotian border. What follows is culture shock, a 26-hour journey across the Pacific, and an immediate immersion into the heat, disease outbreaks, and operational intensity of a forward air base supporting combat operations over the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Mike describes the demanding pace of 12-hour shifts keeping F-4 fighters and AC-130 gunships mission-ready, the little-known use of early laser-guided bombs and trail sensors, and the constant awareness that even a base outside Vietnam was still a combat zone. He recounts enemy sapper attacks on the base, working under aircraft while gunfire erupted around him, and the reality that every service member on the installation was a target.
He also shares a sobering chapter many veterans recognize: exposure to Agent Orange. Sprayed regularly around the base perimeter for defoliation, the chemical left lasting health effects and a long struggle for recognition and care after the war.
This episode reveals the hidden side of the air war in Southeast Asia and the enduring physical and emotional impact carried home by those who served.