Benjamin Randle and Adrianna Benson

00:05 I'm Adriana Benson. I am 46 years old today's date is September 9th 2016 where in Buffalo New York, and I'm the daughter of my dad Ben Randall and I'm Ben Randall. I'm 73 years of age. This is Friday, September 9th 2016, and we're in Buffalo, New York.

00:32 So Dad you were born and raised here in Buffalo and although you travel with the military and you went away to school. You stayed here to live and work and raise your family. I don't know if you remember but that one of our many dinner table conversations and I was talking about moving to California. You were adamant and told me no matter where you go in the world. You will always want to come back to Buffalo which wasn't true for me if it was true for you.

00:59 What do you love about living here? And why did you say It's a Small Town nature almost everybody knows everyone else in the area and I love the change of seasons and the friendliness of the people around here. It's a really really very warm outgoing and considerate area.

01:26 And of course my entire family came from this area a lot of relatives in the area and I'm very much a family type person.

01:39 Do you think coming back from the war and having grandma having had so many kids had anything to do with her? Well, probably so, you know, I'm the oldest of the plan by quite a long. Of time when you know the stories I've told about Grandma and Grandpa, you know with

02:02 Especially Grandpa wanting to have his little girl. And of course she was until you came along. She was certainly the apple of my eye that Mary has she was very very very special. I noted to my dad and also to to me, well one of the one of the funniest stories I was a young man. My next nearest sibling was 10 years younger than I am. His dad was in the service. I never saw my dad until I was three years of age.

02:39 Can I was away at college and ROTC? And this was basically my senior year.

02:45 And

02:47 Dad was bound and determined that he wanted to have a daughter.

02:53 And after five Boise after five boys and

02:58 He yeah what he was wearing a new mom was pregnant and I'll dad called up and I was just before an early Easter break and then we've had our girl and I'll course hours is almost as excited as my father was and at that time I was actually 21 so, you know, we're getting out of school this Friday. I'm going to shoot out right after drill.

03:26 So what up? I said John would it be okay if I stopped in at the hospital and tell Mom on the way home? It's all she loved it. Then. She loved it in the car right after girl. I was in my uniform.

03:41 Came screeching into the hospital jumped out of my card game running in and there's is Young nurse is probably about the same age as I am. So I'm here to see mrs. Randall and she looks up at me and she said oh, mr. Randall you have such a beautiful daughter and that's my sister.

03:59 What kind was Young when she had you and she always looked really young. She died six kids and grafted and I was overseas, you know what that particular time so I didn't see him for three years. He's right you had an interesting Journey dad right out of college wanted to go into the military if you wanted to be a naval officer. So we join the Navy 1937 and course. His name was Benjamin Randall also, thank God when he was originally born. His name was Laverne Benjamin had enough sense that when he went into the service changed it around. Otherwise you would be here today is over.

04:55 You know dad watch with the service the two families the Randalls on the crutches knew each other and mom was four years younger than Dad and of course, she really had a warm spot in her heart for Dad and she wrote awake to him while he was in the service and dad ended up being a Submariner and he was stationed out of a Hawaii and when you come back and one thing led to another and they were going to get married in June of 1942. So why you got back out of the service in June of 1941 came home. He was working and believe at curtiss-wright are Factory up in Niagara Falls and

05:42 Turn off the war broke out December 7th. Dad must have had an inkling that he was going to be drafted. So they move the date up. They got married December 20th and turn off dad got drafted shortly after in our New Year's Day. It was right in the middle of January and went up to Fort Niagara and then Mom followed him down, cuz his entire unit was made up of ex-military people. They didn't have to train them. So they move down to four decks. Mom lie down with them and then Dad was shipped out. They want to the Azores and from there. They invaded North Africa and while he was in North Africa and his unit was cut off at the Kaiser in past.

06:29 He was missing in action. So Mom got a

06:33 Literally a telegram saying it was missing at in action and presumed killed. So they started shipping back is tough. And of course as a young girl at that time, I think she was 8 months pregnant with me and I'll it was a real tough time for but I keep telling I told you kids several times today in the bathroom. Where were you and I miss you and be around here would not be here today.

07:03 So I feel like you've come full circle in your life with work because you served four tours in Vietnam.

07:12 You didn't talk about it much when we were kids at all. But since he started the veterans program at D'Youville College, I think it's changed you a lot and it's been a great opportunity for you to work through some of that stuff and talk to the men and women who been through the same things you have.

07:31 Can you talk a little bit about this strange braids?

07:39 As you know in the Vietnam War was not very popular war and it was very similar in time and it got to keep in mind. It was only about 20 years after World War II we didn't have the technology that we have today. So we still wrote letters back and forth and they were censored we didn't have television. That was really valable. Was it home. Technology? I don't know technology like cell phones or you know, no internet no internet. So it what it was a different time and, bad changes everybody because you are exposed to things we see things you do things that go completely

08:29 Against are you worth?

08:31 Raised

08:33 So it's tough to talk about.

08:36 That stuff and I especially

08:41 Did somebody that I was going to have the same experience as you've had and I can remember growing up cuz we had a big family, you know, I had two sets of great-grandparents. I had to grandparents grandfather's all of them and fought in a war. My going rate for a father was in the Spanish-American War. Both of my grandfathers were in World War 1 and Dad course World War II great Uncle Bob serve in Korean War when we get the family together and I'll just typical in those days will your English German, you know that the women would go into after dinner. They will go and stay in the kitchen and the dining room the guys we're going to the kitchen and of course, I'll slow dudes would follow the guys.

09:35 And let me know I wish would have had a a tape recorder, you know, what to listen to the banner back and forth cuz they were all veterans and they would share their experiences.

09:51 Dad never talked to me about his experiences.

09:56 Is it is so hurt. So when I came?

10:03 T-shirt and a shirt

10:07 And I'm pretty sure that if you hadn't done that, I would have really had a hard time because it wasn't out of real Pleasant time to come home. Now that was during the 1960's on a caterpillar in 69 and a very very difficult time. To come home. Literally.

10:32 I was I was reconnaissance. So we were pretty much constantly in the field doing long range reconnaissance Patrols.

10:41 And I just coming back from a job Patrol north of the DMZ and literally about for 5 hours from that. We were on planes and flying back we came into San Francisco was Ashley Travis Air Force Base and then when we moved from there to Treasure Island, that's where those of us were being released. I was young officer at that time and we were being released from active duty and getting ready to go home while we had to wait for our our regular clothes when I mean regular clothes are dropped her class a uniform cuz all we had were RBD you spell dress uniforms and equipment that we brought back up and came back over with nothing personal at all in your personal things your dog tags cross Rosary, you know.

11:35 That's body. I knows nothing. I really personal it that you could take her would want to take with him. So we had to wait for that stuff to come up from our main base before we could get Liberty to go ashore and and

11:51 You know just reconnect now, you got to keep in mind at that time. I was 26 years of age. I was young. Randall your Randall boy. Yeah, you don't from a very early age put in sort of leadership roles, you know, and I was an officer and I was in charge of

12:11 Of man that were many times longer than I some of them were older than I by number of years and that's a tremendous responsibility because of the decisions you make have a direct impact on them and their family you make the wrong decision. It can have very dire consequences for not only yourself, but other people so when we came back, and we just wanted to reconnect

12:44 And I was with what we call at that time the real world American life. So what about two-and-a-half 3 days before a deer came up from our base. We are dressed in our our dress blues and we're real spiffy and you got to keep in mind that.

13:03 It's not like it is today. There were no women in the military, you know, it was the only women that were in there were nurses and they were very far and few between and I'll tell you a little story about that to basically we wanted to go out and have a couple of drinks are good and a good meal. C rations and don't meet a couple of young lady and you're still reconnect with the real world and I can still remember it was a Saturday morning got my first real paycheck.

13:40 We went to the Bank of America in San Francisco and I cash my paycheck and you know, lots of things have changed so been out so I got some.

13:50 Folding money in there was some coins in it and I took a look at the coins and you know a couple of them looked a little weird so I can still remember walking over this bed marble table.

14:03 Standing there and I drop one and one plant the other one with blank. So I walk right back over to the same color of the cash. My check at said I think I got a slug as she just looked at me cuz I was in uniform I said.

14:20 You just got back then and then she explained to me that they gone in 1965 declared currency and he's a little things that you know people that you know work sort of.

14:33 Disengage from real life wooden are they laugh at you about but you're also is something really strange for how long how many years has gone out of country from early 1965 March of 65 and I didn't get back in country until 69 so over 40 months, so lots of things that changed and as you know, I'm a very staunch Catholics go to mass whenever our Padre would come up.

15:05 Are Padres with tulle up to our full are fob forward operating base periodically, maybe for a lucky once a month and date put the vast months on and they put the tablecloth over the hood of the Jeep when they say mass and it was in Latin right? I'm still in Latin then. Oh my God, you all well, so I wish you knew how to speak for years old. It was very familiar and very comforting and use the same no matter where you want. So right after we went to the bank and we were trying to go to the trolley cars and take a tour around and find a nice place to eat and have a few drinks.

15:56 So I want another word Renegade of us all together and we say I don't let stop in and just you know say thanks for getting back and coming back safely and soundly and so we walked into the Catholic church, and there was a mass going on cuz I was about Eleven on a Saturday and I walked in and we're all sitting there.

16:19 And I look around and priestess face and me and and I will not open it said Roman Catholic so we came out and we found out a little bit later. We're talkin one of the parishioners. They course they talk to us about Vatican Council II and all of a sudden were a whole bunch of Saints or no more sayings including Saint Christopher light.

16:50 Saint Michael was Tulare was the Warrior saying but St. Christopher been defrocked. So, you know, it was sort of a shattering blow.

17:00 So we have the trolley car and we went up top to Telegraph Hill and I can still remember that the little Pub it was called to Buena Vista and we walked in I've actually been there when I looked out that way. I was in the Buena Vista. I was to have vastly different experience all of them young girls.

17:27 We Were Young fellows and yeah, we just wanted to enjoy ourselves we walked in and we are all in uniform my God and the grief we put up when you came back to the wrong town at that time we experience

17:48 Oh sure. They really started calling all kinds of names wearing at us and you know you some terms that we weren't really very happy about including calling us baby killers and murderers and stuff like that. We didn't want to be engaged in anything. So we just started backing out until somebody spat at us and then somebody threw a punch and then

18:13 All heck broke out and Sarah Randall boy.

18:17 Well, we hackles we were we were combat troops. I was special forces and you know, we were

18:28 Rather

18:30 Cough

18:32 And it was quite brawl. It's the first and only time I ever got picked up by the MPS.

18:40 And we came back to our unit and as officers will call before I Captain's Mast to explain what happened. I have been promoted about a year before you notice on all three of Captain and

18:56 You know who our commanding officer looked at me and said Randall tell me what happened. So I started explaining and I started getting a little heated and you know it.

19:07 Is ice part of explaining it to Omni just calm down and I want you to tell me you did not dishonor the service did.

19:17 And I didn't know what it meant by and then I know my body sore under wears Prada said he means dummy did we win 08 peso sure. We're all still standing and there's a lot of them that are hard and then eating and he said to us when he was it got very sunburned. He dismissed it and he said I can understand your anger. It's not a happy time. You got just control yourself.

19:47 And he said dumb, you know, it's first time in my 30 years. He was a World War II veteran that I've ever had to tell anybody in my command to not go out with uniform. So we went back and waited for our our tickets. We didn't go out again, but then all of us five out of them eight of us we're going east and we all have the same flight through Chicago from Chicago to of them were dropped off during the other three of us. We're coming back to the Buffalo area and one was copping from Buffalo to New York City and anytime Binghamton.

20:25 And we were in The Bachelor officers quarters there and we just looked at one another when we got our tickets in our orders to go come home. We looked at one another we said I'll be down.

20:37 I'm not going to work right before.

20:40 Sale

20:44 I said nobody better say it and of course nobody nobody greater chords, you're not the size of our family and all their grandma was there you had a whole clan. Clan all my brothers and drankin here. We shared some stories and he told me I hard would be

21:15 Can I watch the UK that for a long time or you diagnosed part determine the PTSD he is within the last 4 years is a debilitating factor in a lot of mayura veterans got into addictions either drinking or drugs because of the problems with a face and dealing with it and it was a very very difficult.

21:48 Ward fight where we were for the most time I spent most of my time up in what was called iqor, but I did spend some time down what was called the wrong set specials on which one from Cape Vincent on the Mekong River up through Saigon and into Cambodia spirit speaker agent and it was for the flat where the upper part was very hilly down there and in the Bronx has specials on What's between 3/4 and 4 core area and it was pretty flat and it was mostly Guerrilla Fighters. They didn't have uniforms up and I Corps it was more traditional fighting you were fighting against North Vietnamese regulars. Most of the harder they action were small Unity action because we were a reconnaissance unit in our job was predominantly to find out

22:48 The enemy was identify what units we were facing by either taking prisoners or other things.

22:59 Or we were going to recover downed Pilots. We will go in to call call in gunfire support either from a fire base or 4Runner the coast from ship offshore are more to set up booby traps or to take out of piled on for take out of an ammunition dump that we would we actually operated inside of Laos and also in Cambodia cuz that's where the Ho Chi Minh trail was. So you count traffic in either call in an airstrike or you could take it out by using Seattle charges or stuff like that. So we were predominantly out.

23:42 And as far as I true sidepiece battle

23:46 I was at Khe sanh and that was very similar.

23:51 To what tracker Warfare was in World War II. It was a plateau surrounded by high ground and

24:02 We were surrounded by three. I believe those three full divisions of North Vietnamese regulars and we had a reinforced regiment.

24:11 Some Marvin troops Hennessy Beyond Atlanta. We were there for 77 days and you know

24:19 Our job was going to go out at times whenever we could get out and play with me by helicopter because they're going to placement Square behind the hills. So you couldn't get counter battery fire on them cuz you couldn't see the muzzle flashes. So somebody had to go out find out where they got their guns were then to call in either air support or gunfire from our base under their arms to take them out, but it was really just

24:51 Warfare like you would see on All Quiet on the Western Front or the Lost Battalion. That was very static Warfare where most of the other engagements that I was involved in or more asymmetrical and small-unit engagements. Got it there any less Fierce 4 or a troubling but it's a little bit more fluid when it's more like what happens today is a very much so we have rules of engagement you were giving up a set of rules when he won in country or what they call free. Fire zones and On free fire zones in a way. You can return fire. If you received it. They know the same thing with me though. So, you know American troops contrary to what some people

25:42 I'm sure it's the same way today say go out of their way to make sure that there's is few.

25:52 Non-combatant casualties as possible. There are times. It's can avoid that, you know call in an airstrike. You never know. What's going to be there at the same thing with an artillery strike, but they'll go out of their way, you know to provide cover for civilians part of the American Military Man and it is it's really aggravating when you hear comments about

26:25 Just blatantly not caring whether he kill us a reeling in her hand on a nice all over so that must be hard to hear and I think that's probably one of the things that's helped you the most because you can be there for the men and women.

26:40 Yeah, I know. It's cool that you're supporting not only are you giving them the opportunity to have a college education to do something different like you did but to really be able to understand them at a different level. What? Yeah, it's it's like everything all wars are basically the same. I mean it's different time different place but the same experiences and what triggers memories are beside sounds and smells that are unique to a battlefield experience. What's your biggest riggers from that?

27:14 Probably loud noises

27:17 You know and strangely enough. You probably don't notice it but for example if I cut myself shaving and there's a distinct smell. Blood very strong iron content to it. That will be one of my treasures and stuff like that. Those probably very loud noises.

27:46 When I first came back somebody coming up from behind me very quickly that I didn't hear or sense coming up behind touching me on the shoulder or he still sometimes have the startle response. So it it is that everybody you know, that that's been in that type of environment pretty much filled feels Sanchez.

28:16 Will you learn coping mechanisms to deal with them?

28:23 It takes time to bring it down in Atlanta and also hearing somebody that understands what you want through and I was very fortunate to know.

28:37 Billy and truthfully I probably be have become much more open and much more a communicative and a lot easier going. I don't hold things in as much as I did when I was just out actually for probably the first 20 years since I was just a very very very sweet understanding woman and we had developed an extremely close relationship where one would as we grow old together with the finished a lot of times the sentence of what the other ones who is very understanding and I would wake up sometimes at night.

29:24 You know sweats cold sweats have flashback. Sometimes couldn't even remember putting a charger awake, you know for because when we were out on patrol or maybe only 3 or 6 or 13 of you and you could be out for as much as a week and you slept back-to-back one would sleep either one would be on guard. You know, it's not real sleep though. Is it? Well, you get pretty fatigue and ask your brothers, even when we were hiking the Adirondacks your dad could sleep on rocks and Dad but yeah, you're so fatigued and the other person has got their back so

30:10 So now when you say your wife you're talking about Trish, so you're married to mom for almost 20 years or a little over and then you were married to Trish for almost that same amount of time right before she passed away. I definitely saw the change in you from her and that was over time and I think it was because of who she was.

30:34 Actually, what lessons did you learn about marriage both from Mom and from Trish not only about marriage but also about relationships cuz I feel like both of those experiences informed who you are as

30:47 Dad and as a parent as a worker, so I think it's at the key from my point of view comparing the two is

30:57 Certainly initially. The first thing that attracts you to another person is your image of what the ideal woman or mate for you. He happens to be and that sort of superficial that you know what the person looks like, you know, they having a cute smile and what's after him but heading gone through two marriages.

31:21 And we mom and you know, I got married very quickly after I got out of the service. I think it's critical that you have to look Beyond The Superficial are you have to be best friends first if a relationship is going to really work well had to get to know one another the quarks strengths and weaknesses, but you have to develop that Bond of true friendship.

31:50 Where you know you really rubble and and really enjoy.

31:57 Meeting your coming together. I mean little simple things like doing laundry together our Friday nights at the laundromat cuz I have washer and dryer never worked it in Truth, you know, we could we could be doing very simple mundane things and it was really a joy was just simply being together that that was special.

32:41 Communication answer key if you don't have communication and the problem of it with me is as a young person, you know, just just really married and having had rocks. Seuss's and trying to control those you try at least I did rightfully wrongfully probably I would internalize everything and I would keep quiet and be afraid to say something because I didn't want to hurt somebody's feelings. I didn't want to overreact.

33:16 And that didn't work and created a lot of problems. So communication is

33:25 Is very important. I think we have to keep in mind that you have to be a little circumspect and try to control your emotions on how you you, you know, actually explain your side of the situation, but you have to actually communicate with your feelings are cuz the other person then takes that as he he's mad at me or he doesn't want to talk to me or he's punishing me when you're really trying to in your own way prevent a problem and you know

33:58 That sweetheart ruched. You know, I brought that out you is very very very good communicators. You could explain herself in such a sweet caring way without a number for Dish at that little liars stop her but it was like a Flash and being was over and they should give you a hug. You know where I was always though. I got a hold it and I don't want to say that I will never forget the first time I saw her yell because she's so tiny and so happy all the time and when she blew up at you about something I was blown away. I remember saying I know my dad can give it as well as he can take it. So he must really love her and it was just really interesting to see how different your relationship was with her or is she

34:46 I just show up and she just look at me with those blue eyes. I get lost. My apologies. I'll ban, you know, the thing that drives me crazy is when you are silent, just tell me what you think. I took me awhile to get over there after done. It was such a catharsis when you have something it was like with Dad and I could sit down and tell him anything about what my fears and problems were and now he could walk me through it and Trish was the same way and I think I had a balancing influence then on her doing in the relationship. We were sort of the yin and yang and you know, I can honestly say each and every day we grew closer together.

35:34 That's really the key to a successful marriage is the communication being one another's best friend and having that that that constant Continuum of a really sharing. I can't tell you how relaxed that was good. We be dry driving along and tile would be bouncing off in the back going down to Florida and you know, you're sitting there trying to concentrate on traffic, you know, you know, I am I'm in Bolivia. Sometimes y'all put the hand on the steering wheel and just having her put her hand on the back of your neck.

36:13 Hey.

36:16 No problem.

36:20 It definitely made me a much better.

36:24 More communicative person in my life and I hope that the job I'm doing I mean I should be retired but I don't have your next Max retirement is going to be a Walmart greeter Bring It On.

36:41 That that that was ability to have somebody come up and be able to talk to you.

36:48 I'm sure like, the old dudes in Rome that has the same experiences that they had and they feel very comfortable talking to me about it. It's not that I'm a mental health counselor or anything like that, but they shared experience and being able to explain how you dealt with bangs and that that is always the right way, but it's an open it when you can see that you've had an impact on them. And if they know your story, you know that I've been through a war and these poor young men and women that are going to serve as now. I know how hard it was for me and I was gone from you no problems for 4 years overseas these young kids are coming in and they're being deployed for 9 month.

37:37 And then maybe three three months before they are there tours over I get to leave to two weeks to leave back home.

37:46 I can't imagine the stress that puts those kids under because you're coming back to the real world, you're reconnecting with your family reconnecting with your friends. And then you know, you have to go back to that place a pain paying off for three months and that takes the edge off of of you and creates a danger in my mind. Anyways a word for me for yourself and for other people around because you trying to re-acclimate real quickly right back to that very intense situation where you're constantly on edge 24/7 and then they have that occur. I have some of my by young men and women I guess I can call them kids. That's cuz I feel like my kids are

38:31 That if he had four five six some seven tours like that some nine months some 12 months. So I'm for only 3 or 6 months, but it's being ripped from your home. And what I found is it's not only hard for the individual but it's equally hard for the family because the family and I reflect about what I told you about Grandma my mom.

38:59 They have to assume the family Dynamics changes when the one person goes away and they have to reconnect and then there's that tousled for when I was cutting grass while you were gone and I can do it her. It's that Platte jockeying for position again and trying to bring the family back together believe it or not. The families are veterans have been exposed to these types of exposures go through a form of PTSD. Also absolutely have to be aware of and we try to deal with a family's, you know, as well as our our Warriors in in re acclimating and providing the services and and points of contact where they can get help. With the VA Medical Center.

39:46 PA for a veterans loan or tax relief or a mental health counseling we taking kids to the emergency room with the VA and spat with him.

39:57 Until he been admitted because he had a breakdown. You know, it it's it's a way of giving back.

40:05 And hopefully

40:07 Telling those people that you can reactivate into the society and you can be successful and I'm not the greatest success in the world. But I've had a fairly decent life. I have seven beautiful children 11, soon-to-be 12 wonderful grandchildren and you know, I'm still working and I'm still out. I'm still contributing in some way.

40:35 To society or at least I feel that I'm giving back for what my country gave to me.

40:44 Well, I know that we're all proud of you on a final note. I really proud of you for how you have.

40:54 Chromecast or just grown out of church is passing the gift she gave you and your relationship with her has helped you overcome all of that and you are still able to function the dad that I grew up with whatever shut down and withdrawn and gone away and you didn't you are so engaged with your kids and your grandkids and you carry on and you're working full-time. So I know I'm proud of you and I know all my brothers are your grandkids love you. So you are accepting that way shortly love.