Here you see Edwin Tingstrom in his office with a ball cap on the shelve with SGT on his. Why does he wear Captain on his other stuff?

The text of the Article from Simi Valley Acorn. Part 1 of 2 (article was so long we had to break it in two parts) “I have a profuse respect and admiration for all those who serve their country in the military, whether in time of war or time of peace,” says Ed Tingstrom, who himself is a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Vietnam War, before adding somberly, “and I think . . . our country is slowly losing the memory of those heroes.” It is that fear, coupled with his passion for history, that set the Simi Valley resident on a course 2½ years ago to write a book to record for posterity the history and accomplishments of a group of people that have long gone overlooked. Tingstrom’s tome, “Courage and Valor, Above and Beyond,” shares the stories of the 88 African Americans who have won the prestigious Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award, since its inception in 1862. Some may know about U.S. Army Sgt. William Harvey Carney, a former slave who became the first African American to earn the Medal of Honor for his actions at Fort Wagner in July 1863, a Civil War story made famous in the movie “Glory.” But most don’t know the stories or names of the other black MOH recipients or of the more than 100 other non-Caucasian winners. Frustrated by what is often left out of history textbooks, Tingstrom undertook the task to share with others those untold stories of courage, heroism and self-sacrifice. “When we honor veterans and our fallen warriors, it’s important to know that they came from all walks of life, from all social strata,” Tingstrom said, “and that they all did what they did because the vast majority of them believed in it.” Small-town boy to Green Beret Tingstrom grew up in the small Napa Valley town of Healdsburg. After graduating from high school, he had two choices: Work in the vineyards or enlist. He signed up for the Army in April 1965, joining the 5th Special Forces Group, or the Green Berets. At the end of that year, at the age of 18, he was shipped off to Vietnam. “It was a scary time,” he said. “When you take a small-town person and put them into something as large as war, it’s both terrifying and exhilarating. But the biggest emphasis is on terrifying.” During his 18-month tour, the soldier had several close calls, including a serious case of malaria. Once, a mortar round exploded just 35 feet from him, leaving the infantryman with shrapnel wounds, a concussion and the loss of hearing in his right ear. More devastating, though, was losing two high school buddies from back home. Tingstrom returned from Vietnam in May 1967 but was deployed six months later to Germany to serve on a special task force charged with drug enforcement. In June 1974, he left the Army, partly because he’d had enough and partly because of psychological issues that have plagued him since Vietnam. The hostile reception veterans received when they came home, plus the memories of war, made transitioning back to civilian life challenging. “The most difficult part was understanding the change in the people . . . and then trying to put behind the ghosts of Vietnam,” he said. “Because war is an assault upon the senses, and while it may be organized murder and mayhem, there are scars that are left upon the individuals who must participate and execute that war.” Although those ghosts still visit him today, he said he would do it all again, and believes most of his comrades feel the same because, like those MOH winners, “we believed in what we were doing.” From history buff to author Tingstrom has what his wife, Deirdre, jokingly calls a “legendary” passion for history, an obsession that formed in his childhood. But even then, it seemed “too vanilla,” “too white-washed,” and when he asked questions, he didn’t get answers. While attending UCLA after leaving the Army, that frustration reemerged. “When I went to college I had a few history courses and again the diversity which exists in history seemed neglected or left ou

The text of the Article from Simi Valley Acorn part 2 of 2 (end of article) The demands of work and family crept in and he didn’t have time to focus on his love of history. But in retirement over the past three years, he’s taken every history class offered at Moorpark College. One African American history class, led by Professor Ranford Hopkins, “lit the spark” for him to finally put pen to paper: A semester-long project culminating with an essay ultimately turned into his book. “He discovered some African Americans had received the Medal of Honor and he had some difficulty researching it and began to think this is an area he’d like to work more in,” said Hopkins, longtime chair of the history department. Tingstrom’s extensive research process included scouring documents from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the National Archives, Library of Congress and the Smithsonian to compile citations and, for some, extensive profiles of each honoree. “He had persistence, he had passion, he had commitment, he had smarts for the project and I couldn’t be more proud to know that one of our students has produced such a product,” Hopkins said. For their encouragement, Tingstrom dedicated the book to his teacher and his wife. Deirdre said she is proud of her husband for following through on a longtime dream and putting together a work that truly fills a void. “There’s a scarcity of positive information in any one place about the African American role in history,” said Deirdre, who is black. “It’s important for young people to know the importance of their own ethnic group within the framework of the building of this country, and sometimes that gets lost.” Hopkins agreed. “His book is very original,” he said. “It adds to the historical literature on African American and American military history.” At the beginning of his manuscript, Tingstrom challenges the reader to consider the fact that African Americans have fought and died for the nation even when they were enslaved, disenfranchised, beaten or worse, and treated like third-class citizens. Why, he asks, would they be willing to give up their life for a country that treated them so? He thinks it has something to do with pride and hope. “Hope that they could show people through their actions that they were just as good, just as capable, as anyone else.” Tingstrom’s book is published by Xlibris, a self-publishing site, and can be ordered online at www.xlibris.com.

The text of the entire article From LA Daily News. He's mention near the bottom: Every Memorial Day for the last several years, Vietnam War veteran Phil Roberts, 71, puts on his uniform and participates in a solemn tradition to honor those who have given their lives for their country. The retired naval serviceman rings a bell after the names of the fallen are read at Lancaster Cemetery, the sound symbolizing the end of a journey. “I feel this is the least I can do to honor them,” he said. For Lee Ann Smith, 45, this Memorial Day will be particularly poignant. Her son, Sgt. Andrew R. Tobin, died in Kandahar last August, shot by an Afghan police officer. “It’s very hard,” she said, weeping. “Our children died because of hate, because of politics and war, and it’s really important to me that they be remembered for their sacrifice.” Smith, who lives in Encino, sounded bitter about how the event has been commercialized, with non-stop ads about Memorial Day sales at shopping malls. “My son and others have died for this country, and we have forgotten that our first job here is to be patriots,” she said. Army National Guard Sfc. Todd Barton, 45, plans to spend Memorial Day with his family, whom he missed most of last year while he was serving in Iraq. “We’re just going to hang out and barbecue and relax,” he said. “It’ll be nice to spend time together.” Barton, who lives in Newhall, considers himself fortunate to have been able to return home. “I know quite a few people who haven’t made it back,” he said. “I have friends who are in Afghanistan, and I’m hoping they all get home safely.” Sue Pollard, 56, had two sons go off to war, but only one of them came home. Army Specialist Justin Pollard was killed by friendly fire in 2003, soon after the invasion of Iraq. He had just turned 21. The young man had joined the military within hours of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and his mother hopes his patriotism will never be taken for granted. “These people in the military – the one serving now and the ones who have been killed – they are the ones that have made this country so great,” the Foothill Ranch resident said. “As Americans, we need to fly our flag high and fly it daily, and we need to let other countries know that we are proud of where we live and what we stand for,” she added. Marine Cpl. J.D. Kennedy, 29, lost one of his former drill sergeants in Iraq. He now works for Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), helping veterans and their families, as well as the families of fallen soldiers, avail of benefits. He hopes people will come up to them and express gratitude for their sacrifice. “A simple `Thank you’ goes a long way,” said Kennedy, who lives in Santa Clarita. “Remember how veterans were treated when they returned home from Vietnam? We should not let that happen again to any of our soldiers who comes back from war.” Ed Tingstrom, 65, served in the Army Special Forces during the Vietnam War. Every Memorial Day and Veterans Day, and also during funerals for members of the military, he and other volunteers comprise a color guard and march with the American flag. The names of two of Tingstrom’s friends are inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., and he thinks about them every day and hopes others will honor their service and sacrifice. “People need to understand that the brave men and women who took up arms in defense of the country were there because they needed to give something back to America for all the freedoms that they have enjoyed.” “They were there because they believed in America.” Vets, share your stories Earlier this month, the Los Angeles News Group and other Digital First Media newspapers across the country launched “American Homecomings,” a project that chronicles the lives of returning veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. American Homecomings’ goal is to examine how soldiers are reclaiming their lives and how America treats its heroes.

Not a Captain. Not Airborne. Not Special Forces.

No Special Forces assignments

No Special Forces assignments