EP 20: What They Don't Tell You About Surviving Vietnam

In this episode, Vietnam veteran and writer Brian Delate shares stories he’s carried for decades: from being drafted at 19, to flying into Vietnam on a commercial airline, to unexpectedly becoming the armorer for a helicopter company responsible for millions of dollars in weapons and equipment. Brian talks about what they don’t tell you about Vietnam: the heat and the smell when you step off the plane, the pressure of leadership at a young age, the loyalty forged between soldiers, and the psychological weight that lingers long after the war ends. He reflects on boot camp at Fort Bragg, flying into Cam Ranh Bay, trying (and failing) as a door gunner, and eventually being trusted to run weapons and supplies in a combat zone, all while still a teenager. Beyond the battlefield, Brian shares how those experiences shaped his later life as an actor, writer, and advocate for veterans, and how storytelling became a way to process trauma, honor fallen friends, and help others feel less alone. This is a conversation about war, responsibility, memory, loyalty, and the things veterans are rarely asked but always remember. 🎖️ Thank you to Brian for trusting us with his story. Brian Delate: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0216507/ Guardianangelsfilm.com GUARDIAN ANGELS ~ reveals how the human angels on and of this world and those entities from another realm can guide and direct us. In 1973, a profound event in the form of a dream transformed Brian Delate’s life. Was it a close encounter? An Out-Of-Body experience? Or a visit from “The Great Beyond”? You decide. After having served in the Vietnam War, the path after coming home was destructive, but real-life guardian angels intervened to guide him in a life-affirming direction. The dream came later, but its impact on his thinking and behavior would be forever. Especially, with the aftermath of the war and the suicide ideation that followed. So, Guardian Angels contains a life-affirming message, which is about living. CHAPTERS: 00:00 – Introduction 02:15 – Drafted at 19 05:10 – Father’s WWII service & generational silence 08:30 – Avoiding the draft & running out of options 11:40 – Boot camp at Fort Bragg 18:50 – Flying to Vietnam on a commercial airline 22:10 – First moments in Vietnam: heat, smell, shock 25:40 – Assigned to a helicopter company & door gunner experience 32:10 – Becoming an armorer at 19 36:45 – Responsibility, danger, and accountability 41:30 – Perimeter patrols and nighttime listening posts 46:20 – Loss, loyalty, and delayed grief 52:10 – Coming home & the “bad year back” 56:40 – Storytelling, theater, and helping other veterans 1:01:30 – Reflections & closing thoughts