Vietnam At 50: Vietnam Veterans, please share your thoughts, stories, experiences, and memories with us here.

2015-05-29T17:29:30-04:00

This year brings with it a couple of milestone anniversaries for our Vietnam Veterans. It marks the 50th anniversary of the commencement of major combat operations in the Republic of Vietnam and all that came with it - the draft, the graduated escalation of force, and eventually protests at home. 1975 marks the conclusion of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, marked with the imagery of the panicked evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon.

Attached is a Stars & Stripes feature, with the stories of Vietnam Vets from across the nation. But I am interested in the stories of our Vietnam Vets here on RP, and I know many others would be eager and grateful to hear them as well!

My Experience

Stars and Stripes readers share their experiences from the Vietnam War.

Response by Sgt David G Duchesneau made May 29 at 2015 5:32 PM

2015-05-29T17:32:03-04:00

Read my book, UNIFORMS! From Parochial School to the VC-infested jungles of Vietnam, (69-70), http://www. uniformsthebook.com recounts my experiences. A true life story of discipline, commitment, dedication and survival. Uniforms captures the mood of an era. History of the Vietnam War through the eyes of a Marine Combat Veteran.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 29 at 2015 5:41 PM

2015-05-29T17:41:20-04:00

CSM Charles Hayden; CPT Jack Durish; Sgt David G Duchesneau; 1LT Sandy Annala; we would love to hear from you on this one!

Response by CPT Jack Durish made May 29 at 2015 10:03 PM

2015-05-29T22:03:06-04:00

Believe it or not... the antiwar activists are alive and well.

I just received an email from an author who is about to be published, a book castigating a particular aspect of the Vietnam War. He asked me for my mailing address so that he could send me a copy inasmuch as he quotes me, taking an experience that I related out of context to prove his point.

Sadly he didn't ask permission first otherwise I would have denied it.

I sincerely hope that his book is a commercial failure. Indeed, I find it hard to believe that there yet remains any interest in beating up on us (but we suspect otherwise, don't we?).

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jul 4 at 2015 3:12 PM

2015-07-04T15:12:55-04:00

I was around 10 and befriended two brothers at Clark AFB, Philippines. The war was winding down and the AF was conducting baby runs to rescue Vietnams babies. The community was abuzz with this operation to include poignant stories about the babies. One baby put her extra food in her diaper.

This endeavor struck the cord of being noble in the face of a tough war. The two brothers father flew his C-5s last mission to pick up babies in Vietnam. It was filled with babies and nurses when it took off. It never made it back Clark as it crashed soon after lift off.

Response by SSgt Terry P. made Jul 31 at 2015 7:24 AM

2015-07-31T07:24:34-04:00

Major Holland as a Vietnam veteran my own opinion is most returning veterans were subject to about the same actual experiences as any combat veteran --the main difference was they had no real debriefing period (mine consisted of 3 days in Okinawa) no fanfare or thank you,but were shoved back into a society that really didn't want them,mostly jobless and berfet of help from the VA if they asked (most would not) they managed the best they could. I for one am very glad to see the interest taken in our young returning Veterans today and still we aren't doing enough,Thank you,Sir

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 13 at 2015 2:29 PM

2015-08-13T14:29:53-04:00

I am not a Vietnam Vet, however I know that those who became POWs were locked up in horrible conditions. The Japanese made it a sport to kill prisoners, the VC made it a point to torture our POWs to the threshold of death, and backed off to let them recuperate and were seen by doctors. Their modus operandi was keeping them alive for more torture.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Oct 15 at 2015 8:22 PM

2015-10-15T20:22:49-04:00

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member It was very moving to see my little brother's name on the wall.

Response by Sgt Charles Abney made Nov 18 at 2015 11:15 AM

2015-11-18T11:15:12-05:00

I finally got a boarding pass from my First Sgt. (at Dong Ha) to proceed to Div. Headquarters for my records and orders to stateside for release from active duty. I guess it was assumed at Headquarters that I would reenlist for SSgt/or temp WO. I proceeded to DaNang after getting my records and orders from Division Headquarters, can not remember the name of the station south of the DMZ where 3rd Div. offices were located. sat around airport in DaNang for a few hours; finally boarded a plane for Okinawa. Processed all night, fitted, refitted for a travel greens uniform. Servicemen did not travel in jungle utilities in 1968.
Got to 29 palms, I think it was for release from active duty, on Saturday, same day I departed from Okinawa, about 16 hours later.
Was told to get civilian closes at the PX, and place uniforms into a goodwill type box in the squad bay we were furnished for stay, until Monday when we would begin processing as everything was closed for weekend. I told the junior NCO; that I would not throw my uniform away, as it was just recently fitted on Okinawa, and I planned to fly across the county in uniform for half price of what civilian clothes would cost.
Saturday morning brought a surprised visit from another much junior Marine, E-3, and the three Marines awaiting release with me were all senior to this E-3 that was telling us we were going on a work detail to clean offices. I told the much junior Marine that I would not be cleaning offices under the directions of much junior Marine. I did accompany the group and read some current newspapers and magazines while the E-1/E-2's cleaned offices.
I asked if there was any ribbons available for my new uniform? I was told to check at the PX. The PX stated that they had none. I traveled across country without any, and never was issued my expert rifle and pistol badges, or any ribbons. This was January 1968.

Sgt. Charles M. Abney
USMC

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Feb 8 at 2016 5:02 PM

2016-02-08T17:02:03-05:00

I remember Vietnam as the place where I found out that I was capable of doing things that a year earlier would be impossible ,but only for my training at Fort Lewis and the men in my company.the jungle the unbearable weight of my rucksack the leeches malaria ,loss of guys from wounds and death I only survived because of the man on my right and my left but isn't that always been the way,such good men

Response by Sharee L Marie made Apr 25 at 2016 11:34 AM

2016-04-25T11:34:30-04:00

I wish that my dad was still here to tell his stories. Even more, I wish he would have shared them with me. Believe it or not, when I lost him on September 30, 2014, I knew little to nothing about his service and it hadn't occurred to me until he got sick the year prior to wonder. But outside of a few comments while he was delirious from infection that caused his 2 amputations, he never said much. I think that he saw it as seeking praise and that wasn't the kind of man my dad was. I would give it all to have him back to ask him the bajillion questions that I have but I can't so I'm turning to you here at RP for help. I'm trying to find anyone and everyone who served with my dad. I want to know the man that made me before he did. I didn't go to the military like he wanted so forgive me if I sound like an idiot describing where he was stationed etc. But here is what I know....
SSG Charles Hudson
Army-MP-Special Forces-Ranger-Airborne
Fought in Vietnam- MACV 91 Binh Duong from 07/67-10/68(I believe that he was at the tet offensive) He was sent to Ft. Benning in Oct.
He worked for Hoover is some capacity at some point.
Fought in Korea- I don't know much about his time there.
AFCENT- Germany Netherlands
NCO 142nd MP CO Korea 74-75
988th MP CO Fort Benning
Over 200 jumps over enemy territory
5x purple heart recipient
Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Bronze Star, Recieved some form of Silver Star as the result of the unit he was in.
Stationed in Korea Japan France Italy Germany at different times.
Married a french national, dated a Korean or Japanese woman for a long time.

If you served with him, knew him, hell even heard of him I am begging you to share your stories with me!!!! I feel like he was a complete stranger after finding all of this out and I had known him for 30 years. I am not, REPEAT NOT, looking for any type of censorship. I've seen his war photos, I know about his drinking, his bad habit for chasing tail, and I know that kids generally don't know about their parents shenanigans. I am not one of those kids. Nothing that anyone could tell me would change the way that I feel about my dad because the man he was made me the person I am and no one or nothing can take that from me. Thank you if you took the time to read that whole schpeil and GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU FOR THE SACRAFICES YOU HAVE MADE FOR THIS COUNTRY. YOU ALL WILL GO TO HEAVEN FOR YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN TO HELL.

Response by AB Timothy Ursch made Mar 10 at 2022 12:02 AM

2022-03-10T00:02:32-05:00

My Dad was drafted in 1969 and didn't return until January of 1971. He was with the 4th ID, 374th RRC. I am his eldest son; born in 1967. My Dad never talked about his service other than saying that his MOS was clerk typist. I now know that he was in the Army Security Agency and they all had the same MOS. He turned 24 in Vietnam. His return to civilian life was very hard on him. He washed his memories down with Scotch. He died at 62 from a heart attack. The year previous he lost a lung to cancer.
Some time after he died, his widow sent me all his paperwork and medals from his service. I researched his service and then everything made sense. I felt very humbled and sad that I didn't reconcile with him before he died. I'm very proud of his Bronze Star and two ARCOM with oak leaf clusters. I'm a Air Force veteran because he kicked me out of the house three weeks after graduation from high school. I was 17 and pissed. It made me grow up and be a responsible adult. I had to wait for a year (delayed entry program) to leave for basic training at Lackland. After my service, I was able to go to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and get two bachelor degrees. He had two years of college before Vietnam. In 1974, he completed his bachelor degree at SIUE. Now I'm 54 and visiting the VA regularly. He never used the VA. He suffered in silence.
I miss you Dad.
Tim