I first joined the Marine Corps right after high school in 1958. I was sent to Vietnam in June of 1967 after receiving 12 weeks of Vietnamese language training at Monterey, California.

I was assigned as a platoon leader to Alpha Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. I had 13 men in my platoon when I joined. My primary duties for the first six months were as a patrol leader. The last seven months I served as a reconnaissance company executive officer and later as a company commander. When I first joined the company we operated out of Phu Bai in the northern provinces of South Vietnam. After Tet in 1968 we moved to Quang Tri, about twenty miles south of the DMZ.

Our main mission was to conduct four or five day patrols in order to obtain information on the NVA and VC units within our area of responsibility. These patrols were usually lightly armed and consisted of from six to ten Marines and (often) a Navy Corpsman. Larry Vetter's Book "Never Without Heroes" is a good source of information about the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. 3rd Recon also has a web page at http://grunt.space.swri.edu/3recon.htm

I retired from the Marines in 1983. I currently work in San Antonio TX as an engineer. I have a wife and three sons (23, 21, 19).

I have answered some frequently asked questions about my tour in Vietnam here in my FAQ

I can be reached on email using this mailing form