Activist, Musician, and Multi-War Combat Veteran

LZ Lambeau: Finally...

Learn more by visiting lzlambeau.org/

(DA NANG) - In 1971, a young soldier by the name of Lem Genovese received orders to serve in Vietnam. He did so honorably. He grew up quickly – perhaps too quickly, like so many of us during those turbulent times.

At 20 years of age, he experienced death first hand, perhaps more so than many of us – working with those who were KIA and WIA (killed in action and wounded in action). Lem Genovese, then of the 214th Combat Aviation Battalion, Vinh Long, Vietnam served proudly, as he knew the long and proud aviation history of those who served in that unit. “I busted my behind to not let those guys down that were flying every day facing all kinds of rounds from the VC and NVA” said Lem.

He went on to tell me “By about my third month In Country, I realized that a man would have to have been mainlining the philosophy that the US never makes mistakes to believe we could win that war, or that the manner in which it was being handled was successful through its political, ideological and military policies.”

“The media had soured on the war by 1970. Kent and Jackson State college campuses became battle sites that year. When I arrived in December of 1970, the consensus of the troops going there and stationed there was to get back to the States in one piece and not be so concerned about the "body count" or winning what was by then, a perceived "phased American withdrawal and 'Vietnamization' of the war,” said Lem.

He survived Vietnam, but not unscathed. The early signs of PTSD were being felt and eventually worsened as Lem continued to serve in yet another war. But as with most if not all of us, the doctors took one look at Lem and told him, “Welcome home son. You look OK to me.” Those very same words I heard at a VA hospital in New York.

After his active duty separation, Lem Genovese took advantage of the GI Bill and entered the University of Iowa in 1972. He became a member of the Veterans Association which was a chartered part of the National Association of Concerned Veterans. The NACV consisted of students, collegiate veterans affairs coordinators, professors who were veterans; lawyers like David Addlestone would attend their national conventions. “To learn as much as I could about the differences between the WW2 GI Bill and what we were handed as Vietnam era veterans, I attended those conventions from 1973 until the end of the decade,” Lem told me.

By the fall of 1972, Lem was helping the McGovern Campaign, and when Nixon won the re-election (Four more years!) a group of veterans picketed in front of the local GOP office. A rather overdressed group of smiling CREEP members walked proudly out of the office, and Lem told them: “Your man will either have a life threatening illness, resign or get impeached over what his crew did at the Watergate Hotel in DC. Enjoy your victory, but he will NOT serve out another full term." McGovern had visited the campus in October of 1972, and had reiterated a milder version of Lem’s comment a month later. Nixon did not serve out that term, and became the first American President who was forced to resign facing likely impeachment as a result of Watergate. Lem’s words were prophetic.

Lem Genovese’s senior thesis was a 150-page tome on "The VN Veteran In Contemporary Society". There are chapters on the financial impact of the WW2 GI Bill on the post war economy, its professional career improvements and the discrepancies the veterans of our generation faced. The term PTSD was not in wide use back in 1975, but “readjustment issues" were included in a separate chapter.

“The VN veteran In Contemporary Society" is still in the special collections department at the U of I. Writing that book started Lem’s lifelong passion as an advocate on behalf of veterans from the Indochina Era.

Lem shared the following with me, recalling the days of the early movement of the NACV:

“At the 1978 NACV convention in Baltimore, Maryland, I met Ron Kovic and Ron Bitzer. The then newly appointed Director of the Veterans Administration - Max Cleland was also in attendance and we used walkie-talkies to "kidnap" Max so he would be stuck in the same elevator with Ron Kovic. Kovic had wanted to meet Max since President Carter had appointed him and since the author of "Born On The 4th of July" was at the convention to support our legislation, we thought it was a perfect caper.

Ron Kovic was dutifully impressed with that little operation, and also liked my music. He was planning a "live-in" at California Senator Alan Cranston's office in downtown Los Angeles over the Veterans Day weekend in 1978. Somehow the airfare got worked out for round trip tickets to LA and there was yours truly, doing his thing with the local news media on behalf of VN Era vets, legislation on health care, counseling programs for PTSD (they opened the Vet Center chain in 1979) and improving the GI Bill.

There are opposing views about Ron Kovic, but in my book, he tried to get the job done to improve the lives of thousands of SE Asia War Game participants back then and deserves some credit for not quitting on us when it would have been easier to duck and hide.

Festivals in Springfield, Missouri, a symposium with authors like Al Santoli and John DelVecchio at the University of North Dakota - Grand Forks, the Dedication of the VN Vets Memorial in DC, the list goes on and on.”

Lem’s music career started when he was 18, playing the harmonica, bongos and percussion. At 21, he learned how to play the autoharp. At 23, the guitar. As Lem told me “I actually tried to start writing songs in Vietnam, but it took learning the guitar in Iowa City and being around guys like Greg Brown, Shadric Smith and reggae artist Tony Brown to hone the craft of writing.” Free guitar lessons and osmosis. Lem was to go on and become a formidable songwriter and musician. Unfortunately, his honesty and from-the-gut music was not as popular as that of the more famous musicians of the day.

However, Lem Genovese’s music is outstanding, it’s healing and most of all and it’s honest. To listen to such a genuine American tunesmith is truly an honor and a privilege. Music was and is a bi-product of Lem’s advocacy, progressing during his years at the University of Iowa and continuing to this day.

By 1987, it seemed that there was little interest in Lem’s music. He was now 37 years old, and the same friend of his who had interested Lem in becoming involved in Veteran’s affairs at the U of I suggested he shave his beard and join the Iowa National Guard’s Reserve Hospital Unit at Fort Des Moines. Lem once again took advantage of his education benefits, learned medical technology, and became an Army Medic. As a result of a lack of gainful employment, a failed relationship, the desire to improve and not just talk about the conditions at the local Reserve Hospital, Lem began his “new” 17 year stint with the US Army.

After 3 years of medical training, Lem volunteered for duty with “Operation Desert Shield”. According to Lem: “My Desert Storm unit traveled further, completed more missions, and treated more Iraqi EPW than any other US Army medical unit in theater. We were among the first Army units to have a Scud missile fired at us while at the Khobar Towers and one of the very first Patriot missile hits disintegrated the Scud right over our building. The debris bounced off the roof and walls where we stayed. We slept in full MOPP 4 mode for three nights in a row.

After that, I cornered our Company commander and reminded him that the safest place in a combat zone is closer to the front, not on the receiving end of long range enemy artillery and missiles. After that quick exchange, the next morning, my platoon sergeant pulled me out of morning formation after all the announcements and assignments were made and said: " Lem, you're an old soldier... you know better than to go over everyone's head to talk to the CO about making a move to a phase line closer to the front! Having said that as your platoon sergeant, you should also know as a fellow NCO... THANK YOU, man. You made the right call... We'll be out of here as soon as someone at battalion or brigade level approves it. Yankee Medic, you've got more guts than just about any buck sergeant I've ever met in my career." We shook hands, smiled and carried on with the day's business as if nothing had happened.

Lem went on to say: “My qualifying for the Combat Medic Badge with the 209th Med in Desert Storm is the second greatest achievement of my Army career. Marrying my pen pal from that zone will ALWAYS be number one!” Lem retired from the Army in 2005.

Lem Genovese’s music career spans decades. He has performed in small and large venues alike, written very powerful songs, has recorded with famous musicians and has his own label. His 12 string acoustic guitar instrumental, "Elegy For the Fallen", written for Gold Star Families who have lost a loved one in military service, has been selected as part of the film score and soundtrack for the independent documentary "Patrol Base Jaker".

The film has its world premier this month at the GI Film Festival in Washington, DC. It chronicles the tour of duty in Afghanistan of the 1/5 Marines. "Elegy" was also included in the CD compilation "11-11-09" produced by the website MusicForTroops.com. That CD is available as a free download to all military personnel serving in Iraq & Afghanistan. See the following links for more information:

patrolbasejaker.com/

musicfortroops.com/

When Lem first learned of LZ Lambeau and the purpose it was to serve, he immediately contacted them for inclusion. Lem did not seek fame or fortune and as always, was willing to dedicate his time for the family of veterans. No reply was ever received. Then 2 weeks ago, as Lem was ready to admit defeat, the call came – Lem Genovese would perform at LZ Lambeau. It ain’t over ‘till it’s over.

As the New York Times best-selling author, and infantry veteran of the Vietnam War, Al Santoli stated: “Lem Genovese sings with the voice of experience. He puts into his music the SOUL of Vietnam Veterans."

Lem will perform on the main stage of LZ Lambeau on Sunday, May 23rd starting at 12:00PM.

Today Lem is writing his memoirs about his military career, his musical career which includes some of the significant veteran’s events that he performed in, the stories behind the songs he has written and recorded on CDs. His second CD is a four decade compilation of his original material, titled "Acoustic Journal".

Lem Genovese is a patriotic American; he is a veteran of war and a veteran of our movement. Lem cares for his fellow vet and their families in such a way that he provides a powerful example for the rest of us. Lem is a doer. The word “can’t” is not in his vocabulary when it comes to his fellow veteran. His role as a combat medic was heroic. His role as a musician and activist is historical. I am very proud and honored to know Lem Genovese. Mr. Lem Genovese is my very good friend, role model and one of my heroes.

Please attend LZ Lambeau if you can. Show your support for all of us. Some have said, the LZ is too little too late. I say, better late than never.

You can learn more about Lem Genovese and his great music at: yankeemedicrecords.com/home.html

Details of LZ Lambeau can be found at: lzlambeau.org/

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Chuck Palazzo is a Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran, the Interim Editor for Agent Orange, and a longtime Vietnam Veterans Against the War Member. Chuck Palazzo has spent years since the war studying the impacts and effects of Agent Orange, a defoliant chemical sprayed by the U.S. govt. on the jungles of Vietnam. He says Dioxins have been re-discovered to cause all sorts of damage to humans. These include Heart Disease, Parkinsonism, Diabetes etcetera. Dioxins are already known to produce serious birth defects and a variety of cancers. The chemical is still sold in Third World Countries and causing the same problems.

We at Salem-News.com welcome Chuck aboard and look forward to sharing more of his stories with our readers in the future.