In this issue you'll meet "The Fortunate Son" • Discover a Cold War Thriller series • Find how "The Body Keeps the Score" • Romp around with four saucy Southern Noir authors • Explore Exorcism • And learn ways to Counter Hate with Kindness
Listen to the podcast on Inkandescent Radio
In honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day 2026
March 29 has been the official date of National Vietnam War Veterans Day since March 29, 1973, when the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) was disbanded, and the last U.S. combat troops departed the Republic of Vietnam. The last unit to leave was the Special Guard, MACV’s Infantry Security Force.
April 2026: Ep12 Tim’s Travails — Tim interviews two heroes in honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day, March 29, 2026
March 29, 2026 — It’s National Vietnam War Veterans Day today, and proud “Army Brat,” IP attorney, and author Timothy Trainer interviews two Vietnam vets Monico Rodriguez and Josue Silva, for the April episode of his podcast/video show.
Tim’s Topic: Shining a light on American heroes
Meet our guests:
- Monico Rodriguez: In Vietnam, served in Company A, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Vietnam Sept-Dec 1965)
- Josue Silva: In Vietnam, served in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division (Vietnam Oct. ’68-August ’69)
About National Vietnam War Veterans Day: March 29 has been the official date of National Vietnam War Veterans Day since March 29, 1973, when the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) was disbanded, and the last U.S. combat troops departed the Republic of Vietnam. The last unit to leave was the Special Guard, MACV’s Infantry Security Force.
- On March 29, 2012: President Barack Obama proclaimed: ” I call upon all Americans to observe thisriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that commemorate the 50- day with appropyear anniversary of the Vietnam War.”
- On December 26, 2016: The Vietnam Veterans Day Coalition of States Council presented a letter to President-elect Donald Trump and Congressional leadership outlining the history and timeline of the cause to establish March 29 as Vietnam War Veterans Day and requesting that it be one of the first pieces of legislation passed and signed into law during the 115th Congress. Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017. This act officially recognizes March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
- Learn more here.
The Fortunate Son
About The Fortunate Son: Timothy Trainer’s 2017 book, The Fortunate Son, recounts the parallel lives of an army brat and a group of Vietnam veterans who intersect decades after the war.
“The veterans open up to me, the army brat, perhaps in a way they never have with their own families,” explains Tim. “Through my father, Top, their First Sergeant, we have a common link. Over the years, we’ve gotten to know each other. They begin to understand the sacrifices of an army family. But, more importantly, they want me to understand how our family’s sacrifice and my father’s tour of duty in Vietnam with them, in the jungles, gave them confidence to believe they would make it home alive.”
The Fortunate Son is not about a single battle or a single soldier’s tour of duty. You will meet us, learn something about us, and get a glimpse of our lives during the war years. You’ll find out why half a century after that tour of duty ended, we remain bound together. If you’ve ever been in the military or part of a military family, you’ll know that we all are bound together. For those who find the military to be foreign and unknown, our story may help you to understand why it binds so many together.
Fourteen of these soldiers have shared their stories. Their stories describe two life transitions—first from civilian teenagers or young men to combat grunts trying to stay alive in the jungle—and then back to stateside life. What happens between these transitions, as they slog through the jungle day by day paints their portrait of Top, my father. Now, I appreciate why they remain bound together half a century after their tour ended. Their stories are an unexpected gift that bestows new insight to me on my father. So, as you read and “listen” to these soldiers’ stories, both what they say and how they describe Top, you understand why I’ve learned that I am The Fortunate Son. Click here to buy The Fortunate Son.
Photos of Tim by AnnaGibbs.com
About Tim’s Travails: In this podcast/video sereis, IP attorney and author Tim Trainer introduce us to experts around the country who have insight into the law, international trade, and more, to help us better understand our world in 2025 and beyond.
Tim, himself, fits the bill for he worked for three decades for the US government and private law firms focusing on international trade, and has developed a deep understanding of global economics and politics.
Writing books is his passion. The author of seven books as of 2025, he has penned several non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2020. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff. Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2017, Pendulum Over the Pacific was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains. In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection. In December 2024, he followed it with The China Factor.
Stay tuned for more episodes of Tim’s Travails on InkandescentRadio.com and Inkandescent.tv.
Log in regularly for new blog entries and other information on Tim’s website, TimothyTrainer.com.