I have decided to embark on a journey to tell a story. This story consists of snippets of my memory and began in February 1970 when I got a letter from the U.S. government that began with the words 'Greetings'. Every man, or should I say boy, at that time knew what that meant, you were just being drafted.
It started on March 2, 1970 in the government offices in Los Angeles, California where I was assigned to the U.S. Army. We boarded buses for the trip up the coast to Fort Ord. After 8 weeks of basic training it was off to Fort Knox, KY for armor training. My U.S. Army job would be that of a tank crewmember. After the 8 weeks of training at Fort Know we all eagerly anticipated our assignment to a permanent unit. Some guys would go to Germany and some to Vietnam. My assignment was to Vietnam. After a short 2 week leave I was off to Vietnam on July 26, 1970.
Once in Vietnam I was assigned to Charlie Company 5th Battalion, 46th Infantry, 198th Light Infantry Brigade as a grunt and shipped up to Chu Lai. After a few weeks of in country training I was sent out to the field for the first time on August 10, 1970. I spend 6 months with Charlie company and went from a rifleman in a platoon to the Battalion RTO for the company commander. I was in the right place at the right time and after the 6 months got to go back to the rear and work for a chaplain. Most of the guys spent their entire year tour in the field so I was counting my blessings.
I don't recall the exact amount of time that I spent as a Chaplains assistant but my time there ended when trained chaplains assistants were sent over from 'the world'. At that time I was transfered to the battalion supply room and worked as a supply clerk. Then on July 12, 1971 I received order to report to E Troop, 1st/1st Cav, a combat armor unit.
Since my training was armor and since the U.S. was not sending more troops to Vietnam and since they needed replacements out in the field I was picked to be one of those replacements. I was then assigned to a Sheridan tank as the loader and headed back out to the field. I was not with E troop for on August 8, 1971 I was seriously wounded by an exploding RPG, rocket propelled grenade.
I don't know where this story will take me, and anyone wishing to follow. I took lots of pictures while in Vietnam and as the pictures trigger memories I will record them. I'll try to be somewhat organized but it is likely the pictures will not be chronological. My memory if very poor and sometime I question the accuracy but they are what I have left of that experience and I will share them with you. It will take time to do this project and if you're interested check back from time to time.
This started out to be a story about Vietnam and my memories of that experience. But after starting the project I decided to go back to the beginning and start with my induction into the Army. 24 Mar 2006)
:: Induction ::
I graduated from high school in 1968. The Vietnam War was featured every night on the news. War protests were happening all over the country including at some local colleges in Southern California. I went to some of those protests more as an observer than as a participant. The war machine was actively sweeping up boys 18 and older to serve in the military. My plans did not include the military and the one way to avoid the war was to go to college with a 2-S deferment.
All of the boys registered with the Selective Service at age 18 and received a classification. The classifications ranged from 1-A, fully elegible, to 4-F, physically unfit. 2-S was somewhere in the middle and indicated that you were a student and as long as you maintained that status you were 'safe'.
The Army experience begins with the Reception Center. Normally you think of a reception center as a nice place with cookies and coffee to welcome you to where your are. In the Army this is not the case. It is the first of many steps to convert you from a civilian to a soldier.
After the Reception Center you go to your basic training unit. This is where the real fun is and that ride lasts for 8 weeks.
As you might expect, I didn't think about taking my camera to basic training. If I had there is little doubt that it would have been taken away. I was not going on a vacation you know. So some of the images will be empty and other images will not relate to the memories.
Advanced Individual Training, otherwise known as AIT, was to be held at Fort Knox in Kentucky. The fun began on 26 April 1970. I had no time to waste going from Basic training to AIT, like just two days.
Three of us from basic, Danny Sampson, Tom Gordon and I, were going to Ft. Knox and all three of us would end up in Vietnam. Tom and I were from the same city in California, Santa Ana. Danny and I would even end up in the same company in Vietnam.
Along with housing the gold supply for the country, Ft. Knox is the armor training center for the Army. While still strict the trainees had much more freedom in AIT than we had in Basic training. There was a commissary and theater on the base and off base passes were available, although I never left the base during my time.
I don't recall much of my time at Ft. Knox but this time I did have a camera and I did take alot of pictures
I had two weeks of freedom before I would depart for Oakland and then on the Vietnam.
I was not happy with the thought of going to Vietnam. Not only was the war very unpopular I frankly didn't want to get hurt or killed. I contemplated two thoughts during those two weeks.
One option was to desert and go to Canada. I had thought about this option even before being inducted but I took a chance that I would not have to go to Vietnam. Now that Vietnam was my destiny the thought of Canada crept back into my mind. To many other men, including my dad, served honorably for their country and did what their country had asked. It was the act of a coward and very unpatriotic to escape to Canada so that option quickly disappeared.
The second thought was to get busted. I had started smoking marijuana shortly before entering the army. I drank beer and smoked so pot was not so strange. I really likes pot over beer anyway so it was something I picked up real fast. Besides it was somewhat of a rebelious thing to do. So I thought about getting busted for pot, while on leave. I guess I was a little uncaution about my marijuana smoking during that time but I knew that this was not the right dirrection for me either.
So in the end I have a wonderful two weeks back home in Santa Ana and bravely set off for my adventure in Vietnam.
I would really like to know about your time in Vietnam. Were you ever afraid? Do you remember any specific places that you had to fight? Did you meet any interesting people? What was the highlight of your time there? What did you do for intertainment? What was sleeping like? What did you eat? How often did you eat? Did you ever become ill? Do you know anyone who became ill? When you got home, did you support the war or would you rather it cease? How did your family feel?
Sorry about so many questions. War is portrayed a certain way in movies, I'm really curious if they're actually that way in real life. Thanks.
Emma Allison
13-May-2010 16:48
I would really like to know about your time in Vietnam. Were you ever afraid? Do you remember any specific places that you had to fight? Did you meet any interesting people? What was the highlight of your time there? What did you do for intertainment? What was sleeping like? What did you eat? How often did you eat? Did you ever become ill? Do you know anyone who became ill? When you got home, did you support the war or would you rather it cease? How did your family feel?
Sorry about so many questions. War is portrayed a certain way in movies, I'm really curious if they're actually that way in real life. Thanks.
Bob Peterson
31-Jan-2010 21:55
Enjoyed reading about your experiences. Joined the Air Force in Oct 69 to escape the Army and arrived Basic Training Halloween night. What a treat. :-) Got pipelined into communications because of exceptional hearing and ended up in Cam Rahn Bay as a member of a Tactical Air Control Party attached to a Korean (ROKS) Brigade in II Corps. I was based in Ninh Hoa about 40 klicks north Nha trang and on my second tour with the ROKS at Phu Hiep near Tuy Hoa. Had some excitement humping a radio and calling in air support for the ROKS, but was lucky and came home in one piece.
Carol Mantel
16-Jan-2010 15:02
Roger - this is a great story.....I'm going to send it to my brother Rob (also in Nam). He has also written his story and it occurs to me that there must be an online group of Nam vets somewhere.
Charl Opperman
10-Jul-2009 19:45
I am a Namibian and found somthing on a trip to Vietnam that defently belonged to a amarican soldier, there is an discruption on it. CUCHL. I would like to know what this stands for.
SMJ
19-May-2009 10:46
Thanks for your story. I was in Chu Lai in 1970 as part of the Naval Support Activity at the time. Occasionally, I look up others who share part of my experience.....
Garret Mathews
17-Nov-2007 04:09
Check out my just published "Defending My Bunk Against All Comers, Sir!" about 1971 boot camp following four free-and-easy years of college. Go to www.zonepress.com and click on the fiction icon.
Thanks. Garret Mathews
I was scared to death. I thought the drill sergeants were going to kill me.
Shanna
28-Apr-2007 19:24
Roger, I dont know how often you check your comments, but I will give you a request and hope you reply. My name is Shanna, and I am a student, right now we are covering the Vietnam war and I have to wright an essay by tomarrow. I was wondering if you could tell me how you your thoughts on the war, why you felt we were there, if we belonged over there. The was was to prevent the growth of communisism, I want to know what it really was about, and how you felt about the reactions form the civilians in the states while you were in over seas.
