Vietnam War Interview Forum

Guest

>Could you give me your Name, Grade, and Branch

Dave Wright, E-5. Army

>1. What time were you sent to Vietnam?

Nov. '68

>2. What were you feeling when you traveled to Vietnam?

Scared of the unknowns - what job would I be doing, how might I react to desperate situations, would I become a casualty, would I act like a coward or a hero?

No one talked about those kinds of feelings on the plane.  We tried to stay light hearted.

>3. What was your role in Vietnam, and what you carried on a daily basis?

I was assigned to a combat infantry unit and had the job of point man for about ten months.  I carried an M-16, ammo, a claymore mine, grenades, some ammo for the M-60 machine gun, C rations, water, and a light poncho liner to sleep in.

>4. Did you have a lucky charm that you carried with you?

I didn't really believe in luck.  I was a Christian and believed what ever happened was up to God.

>5. By the end of your experience in Vietnam, what type of relationship did you have with the men in your company?

We laughed and cried, lived and died together 24/7 for months at a time.  Because of the circumstances, our relationships were like nothing back home.  We were tuned to one another to instantly act as a unit in the face of any threat.  We were fully committed to help one another stay alive long enough to go home.

>6. What was the scariest moment of the war for you?

Walking up front was terrifying.  Fire fights were chaotic and terrifying.  Blowing an ambush on the enemy was scary because there was little control once the shooting started.  Lying along a trail at night waiting to ambush the enemy scared me.  Walking into an ambush was pandimonium.  The thought of loosing myself in the terror and horror, not being able to come home to a normal life scared me.

>7. How were you received in the villages in Vietnam?

Some were polite and seemed to appreciate our presence while others were fearful and hid themselves.  Most of the kids would flock around us asking for food, candy or cigerettes.

>8. In your spare time, what did you do?

Most of our spare time was spent in small fire bases out in the jungle.  There were no bars, liquer, movies, games, PX or girls.  We could read/write letters, eat, sleep, play cards, listen to radio Vietnam.  We'd smoke and joke trying to forget about the last mission and prepare ourselves to go out for the next.

>9. What type of reaction did you get from the people at home when you returned and could you compare it to the reaction you get now when you tell people you served in Vietnam?

Vietnam was no a politically correct subject unless you were a protestor back then.  Most people didn't want to know what it was like for us.  There was no way for them to identify with our experiences and "normal" life wasn't impacted by the war.  We were ignored or ridiculed for not fighting hard enough to win the war, or we were all labeled baby killers and craized drug addicts.

Today people accept Vietnam Veterans much better.

>10. Have you returned to Vietnam, and if yes, what did you feel?

No, my wife would like us to go back to bring some closeure for all the loss I felt.

>Please reply by Nov. 5.

>Thank you for your time and thank you for serving your country.