| My military tour began with induction into the Army in March 1967. Basic training was provided at rustic Fort Leonard located deep in the Ozarks of Missouri. Advance training was provided at the Naval Base in Indian Head, Maryland where I was taught the latest techniques in rendering unexploded bombs safe. This not only taught me a new and exciting skill, but also provided me with an additional $55 a month. This along with my base pay of $90 per month, plus room, board and medical made for a rosy outlook on life. My first duty station after EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) school was Ft. Bragg, N.C. Here my stay was both boring and short. However, I was soon assigned to South Vietnam. In March 1968, I along with nine other members of my detachment, plus our two vehicles and equipment, boarded a C-130 at Pope AFB, N.C. for the journey to Vietnam. We made scheduled stops for fuel and sandwiches at San Francisco, the Islands of Hawaii, Wake, Guam, Philippines, and finally arriving at DaNang, South Vietnam on March 10, 1968. While in DaNang, I met up with Paul Eagleson from Olney who was stationed there with the Navy. We spent some time together and drank a few beers and consumed many steaks...or was that the other way around? Later our detachment was split up and I was transferred to the 25th Ord. Det. (EOD) in AnKhe. From there, my in-country travels began with visits to such exotic cities as Hue, Pha Bai, Dong Ha, and Quang Tri. My frequent flyer miles now began to increase tenfold, along with exposure to incoming 122mm rockets and 82mm mortar rounds. To apply my newly learned skills and justify the additional $55 a month, I became a regular visitor (much to my dismay) to such household names as Khe Sahn, Camp Evans, LZ Stud, LZ Peanuts, LZ Snapper, LZJane (or was that LZ Betty) etc. etc? Here, incoming rounds became the norm and riveting back to animal instincts became a way of life, ie: of the two-second warning whistle given from an incoming round, I could hit the ground and still have 1 3/4 seconds remaining. My last six months was spent in the central highlands of Vietnam at Camp Radcliff located near AnKhe. Again tourism was hampered greatly by the Viet Cong, but the country side was certainly more picturesque. Agent Orange was not used in this area, thus trees now had foliage and B-52 strikes (which eliminates trees altogether) were held in a minimum. In February 1969, I left Vietnam via C-141 medi-vac flight (compliments of a bad encounter with a land mine) with an overnight stop in Japan and a two-day visit in Alaska before arriving at Valley Forge General Hospital in Pennsylvania. On April 15, 1969, I was formally discharged. What did I learn from all this? A. You never get rich in the Army. Although I did make SP/5 which entitled me to $335 per month and NCO benefits, the war scene itself overshadowed these additional benefits. B. Those who promote war are usually not the ones who fight the war. C. War is Hell! Nobody wins--ask those who had to fight it! Would I do it all over again? Sure...It's the macho thing to do when you are in your 20's and feel immortal! Published in the November 11, 1994 Issue of Olney Daily Mail "Remember America's Veterans" |
| KERN: WAR IS HELL! NOBODY WINS |
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