Vietnam War Interview Forum

Guest

>>>1.what were your views on the war prior to fighting in it? and did anything particular motivate you to enlist?

My views came from years of the Cold War against Communism.  The nightly news showed the Communists to be brutal and very aggressive in South Vietnam.  Though I had no plans for a military career nor did I hate anyone, it seemed logical that someone should help these people stand up to the Communists.

>>>2.did you interact with the civilians of Vietnam often?

We stayed out in the jungle most of the time and interacted very little with civilians.

>>>3.what was your first thought when you arrived in Vietnam?

It was terribly hot for late November, naving just come from Ft. Lewis situated along the cost of Washington.  There was a definate musty smell that must be common in the tropics.  There were no sites or sounds of war in Ben Hoa, people seemed to be conducting business as if no war was going on at all.

>>>4.what was your first thought when you found out you were going home?

When we landed, we knew that in 365 days we'd be back at the sirport getting on a plan to go home - if we survived.  The required tour of duty was one year.  As individuals, we rotated in and out of units that stayed in Vietnam for several years.  

>>>5.did you carry any special items with you while in Vietnam? if so, what were they and why were the special to you?

My finacee gave me a gold ring and a silver dollar to remember her by.  Both were stollen while I was out in the jungle.

>>>6.do you have any good/happy memories while in Vietnam?

Not many.  I walked point for a combat infantry unit and lost a lot of friends.  Leaving Vietnam was about as good as it got.

>>>7.how would you like the future generations to remember the war and the people that served in it?

We did what our nation asked us to do.  We didn't run to Canada, go to jail or go underground with the hippies.  We had little influence on the politics of the war and I think most who fought there were disappointed that we abandoned the South Vietnamese.

>>>8.how did your experience in the war change your life after returning home?

I was very confused and angry.  Little that I learned growing up had any value in Vietnam.  Life wasn't precious, sacred or even fair.  It could be wasted for little to no reason at all.  The few good things I learned in Vietnam had no meaning back home.  Suffering together brought us close and we were committed to each other to the point of self sacrifice.  None of those things were required in the persuit of the American Dream back home.  It was every man for himself.  The war brought out the worst and the best in me.  I was shocked at the darkness in my own soal and disappointed in mankind for not doing better than Vietnam.

It has taken years of dealing the the symptoms of PTSD for me to find a relationship with Jesus Christ that allows me to see the bigger picture of life.  All those things that really troubled me drove me to find all that was right and good.  Nothing was wasted, God used everything for good.

>thank you for your time.