I entered Auburn in the Fall of 1967. I was there in 1968, 1969 and graduated in December of 1970. Most of the 50,000 men killed in Vietnam died during my time at Auburn.
I was protected from being drafted because my father had died because of a service-connected disability and I was his only surviving son. I could not be drafted and if I tried to volunteer, I would be turned down.
Many of my generation were not as lucky. The ones who served and survived were permanently scarred by their experience.
One of my sister’s friends was married to a guy who went to Vietnam. He was captain of a boat operating in the Mekong Delta. His boat received sniper fire. He did the thing they were told to never do. He left the boat and pursued the sniper. Another sniper was waiting in a tree for him. He was shot and killed.
Later in life I became friends with a guy who had served in Vietnam. He flew those single engine observation planes that flew over the rivers in the Mekong Delta. His job was to locate the enemy and call-in airstrikes on their positions. As with most of the guys who served in Vietnam, he didn’t talk about it much.
One time he told me about his experience. American personnel were warned to stay off the rivers in the Mekong Delta after dark. Anyone on the rivers after dark were considered to be the enemy. He talked about calling in strikes on boats after dark without knowing if they were the enemy or friendlies.
A few years ago, he killed himself. He had lost his wife to cancer and he had serious medical issues but I still believe some of his experiences from Vietnam contributed to his suicide.
All of my generation were affected by this war regardless of whether we served or felt guilty because we didn’t. Obviously, those who served suffered far more.
This is a time to thank those who have served or are serving now.
I was protected from being drafted because my father had died because of a service-connected disability and I was his only surviving son. I could not be drafted and if I tried to volunteer, I would be turned down.
Many of my generation were not as lucky. The ones who served and survived were permanently scarred by their experience.
One of my sister’s friends was married to a guy who went to Vietnam. He was captain of a boat operating in the Mekong Delta. His boat received sniper fire. He did the thing they were told to never do. He left the boat and pursued the sniper. Another sniper was waiting in a tree for him. He was shot and killed.
Later in life I became friends with a guy who had served in Vietnam. He flew those single engine observation planes that flew over the rivers in the Mekong Delta. His job was to locate the enemy and call-in airstrikes on their positions. As with most of the guys who served in Vietnam, he didn’t talk about it much.
One time he told me about his experience. American personnel were warned to stay off the rivers in the Mekong Delta after dark. Anyone on the rivers after dark were considered to be the enemy. He talked about calling in strikes on boats after dark without knowing if they were the enemy or friendlies.
A few years ago, he killed himself. He had lost his wife to cancer and he had serious medical issues but I still believe some of his experiences from Vietnam contributed to his suicide.
All of my generation were affected by this war regardless of whether we served or felt guilty because we didn’t. Obviously, those who served suffered far more.
This is a time to thank those who have served or are serving now.
