My Dad had already retired by this time after 28 years in the ARMY in the end of 1969. He had fought in Italy from 1943 until the end and would find himself in another forgotten war (Officially Police Action.) in Korea and did an adviser tour in Vietnam before we were officially fighting there. He would make Sergeant Major (SGM) twice in his career and retired with the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSG) on his sleeve and an Honorable Discharge. The times were different and he was a tough ole hard drinking Mick and a real SOB but well respected by my "elders" who had served with him and fought along side him. He got his parades and like many others who served and fought in Vietnam this wasn't the case for Vietnam. He wanted to go back for a combat tour but unfortunately for him my Mom suffered... well lets just say the Army kept him in West Germany to take care of the family. His final tour would bring us stateside as a second attempt at a combat tour ended with the same result as the first. He felt the "kids" needed him and his more experienced buddies over there. Instead he would prepare them at Ft. Dix, NJ to become soldiers in eight weeks (At one point six weeks if I recall properly.) when it took 28 weeks in WWII. The only time he broke down was when once he spoke of all he'd seen and hoped my brother and I would never have to experience any of it. But the worst and the hardest thing was seeing the weekly list of the "kids" that were
WIA or
KIA he and his Asst. DI had put through boot camp over the 3 three years @ Ft. Dix. After my parents split up many years later he allowed me to stay with him in Va. after three years of pursuing what I thought I wanted to do with the rest of my life after moving to Chicago IL. The day I walked into the recruiters office in Williamsburg, Va. on 03/23/82 (MMSC/SS Alan Metzer) I volunteered for the Sub Service. When I later told my Dad I joined the military his first reaction was to ask if it was the Army and if it was he was going to kick my @#^% xxx! I told him I joined the Navy's Sub Service. What I saw in his eyes was total relief and a sense of pride and he finally told me "I had finally become a man" I was 23. That night and this last has always been with me and at times haunted me as well that a jungle in SE Asia could have such a hold on a man after everything else he went through. I feel as I got older I came to realize it was the
guilt of not being to help the "kids" in combat and just reading and hoping not too many of his "kids" would be on the weekly lists they sent to the DIs.
I see this 40th Anniversary today of our final departure as both a release, an opportunity to remember the old man and give homage to his "kids" that made it back and to remember those that didn't. I would like to thank all you Vietnam War Vets even you Aussies and New Zealanders and anyone else including the French that maybe we should've listened to and learned from. I hope you got your parade and if not look inward to your families-my grand-kids always provide me with one.
Some videos of your time in country to some songs that were popular then...
https://video.search.yahoo.com/video...t=mozilla&tt=b
https://video.search.yahoo.com/video...t=mozilla&tt=b
https://video.search.yahoo.com/video...&hsimp=yhs-002
https://video.search.yahoo.com/video...&hsimp=yhs-002
With all my respect and best wishes.
Regards,
Pat
40 years ago today we finally left .
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