A Story for All Americans (Vietnam, Victims, and Veterans)

A Story for All Americans: Vietnam, Victims, and Veterans (formerly titled, Touched by the Dragon) details wartime accounts of average servicemen and women-some heroic, some frightening, some amusing, some nearly unbelievable. The work is a historical compendium of fascinating and compelling stories woven together in a theme format. What makes this book truly unique, however, is its absence of literary pretentiousness. Relating oral accounts, the veterans speak in a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact way. As seen through the eyes of the veterans, the stories include first-person experiences of infantry soldiers, a flight officer, a medic, a nurse, a combat engineer, an intelligence soldier, and various support personnel. Personalities emerge gradually as the veterans discuss their pre war days, their training and preparation for Vietnam, and their actual in-country experiences. The stories speak of fear and survival: the paranoia of not knowing who or where the enemy was; the bullets, rockets, and mortars that could mangle a body or snuff out a life in an instant; and going home with a CMH - not the Congressional Medal of Honor, but a Casket with Metal Handles. The veterans also speak of friendships and simple acts of kindness. But more importantly, they speak of healing-both physically and mentally Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 To the memory of......Page 6 CONTENTS......Page 8 PREFACE......Page 12 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 18 INTRODUCTION......Page 22 WHILE STILL A CIVILIAN......Page 24 THAT DREADED DRAFT NOTICE......Page 30 ENLISTING......Page 34 BASIC AND ADVANCED TRAINING......Page 40 OFFICER TRAINING......Page 54 VIETNAM, HERE I COME!......Page 56 SAYING GOOD-BYE......Page 64 THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND......Page 68 THE FRIENDLY SENDOFFS......Page 70 THE UNFRIENDLY SENDOFF......Page 72 LEAVING ON A JET PLANE—OR SHIP......Page 73 POPULATION, TOPOGRAPHY, AND CLIMATE......Page 84 THE SIGHTS......Page 89 THE SOUNDS......Page 94 THE SMELLS......Page 96 NEW AND GREEN......Page 98 MENTALLY UNPREPARED......Page 104 VIETNAMESE CULTURE AND CUSTOMS......Page 107 JUST DOING MY JOB......Page 114 INCOMING......Page 118 WHO’S THE ENEMY?......Page 122 FIRST EXPERIENCES IN COMBAT......Page 130 THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS......Page 142 FRIENDS......Page 146 BEER, CIGARETTES, AND OTHER VICES......Page 151 ENLISTED, NCO, AND OFFICERS’CLUBS......Page 158 SOME REALLY FOWLSTORIES......Page 161 A POTPOURRI OF OTHER TALES......Page 163 THE JOHN WAYNE STORIES......Page 166 REST AND RECREATION (R & R)......Page 167 PULLING GUARD DUTY......Page 178 GOING ON PATROL IN THE BUSH......Page 181 GOING ON A BOMBING RUN......Page 188 THE CRAZINESS OF IT ALL......Page 189 NEAR MISSES......Page 196 BEING WOUNDED......Page 204 TREATING THE WOUNDED......Page 218 EVADING THE ENEMY......Page 221 MISINFORMATION REACHES HOME......Page 223 FATIGUE AND ILLNESS......Page 225 HOMESICKNESS, LETTERS, AND “DEAR JOHNS”......Page 229 THE SHORT-TIMER’S ATTITUDE......Page 234 LET’S MAKE A DEAL......Page 240 DECORATED FOR VALOR......Page 241 GOING HOME (THE FREEDOM BIRD)......Page 245 THOUGHTS AND REGRETS......Page 251 THE GREETINGS......Page 256 TEN THE HEALING PROCESS......Page 264 THE PHYSICAL TRAUMA......Page 265 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SHOCK......Page 270 AN ELDERLY MOTHER REMEMBERS......Page 276 THE SPORTS CAR THAT WAS NOT TO BE......Page 280 “MOM, DO I HAVE TO GO?”......Page 284 THEIR SPIRIT LIVES ON......Page 287 RETROSPECTIVES......Page 290 REFLECTIONS ON VIETNAM MEMORIALDAY—1988......Page 303 INTERESTING ENCOUNTERS......Page 306 EPILOG......Page 310 PERSONAL BRIEFS......Page 312 APPENDIX B......Page 317 GLOSSARY......Page 319 APPENDIX D......Page 325 BOOKS......Page 326 NEWSPAPERS......Page 328 OTHER TITLES OF INTEREST......Page 329 Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 To the memory of 6 CONTENTS 8 PREFACE 12 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 18 INTRODUCTION 22 ONE THE TRANSITION 24 WHILE STILL A CIVILIAN 24 THAT DREADED DRAFT NOTICE 30 ENLISTING 34 TWO YOUR ASS IS MINE! 40 BASIC AND ADVANCED TRAINING 40 OFFICER TRAINING 54 VIETNAM, HERE I COME! 56 THREE FINAL PREPARATIONS AND DEPARTURE 64 SAYING GOOD-BYE 64 THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND 68 THE FRIENDLY SENDOFFS 70 THE UNFRIENDLY SENDOFF 72 LEAVING ON A JET PLANE—OR SHIP 73 FOUR IN-COUNTRY 84 POPULATION, TOPOGRAPHY, AND CLIMATE 84 THE SIGHTS 89 THE SOUNDS 94 THE SMELLS 96 NEW AND GREEN 98 MENTALLY UNPREPARED 104 VIETNAMESE CULTURE AND CUSTOMS 107 FIVE THE WAR 114 JUST DOING MY JOB 114 INCOMING 118 WHO’S THE ENEMY? 122 FIRST EXPERIENCES IN COMBAT 130 THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS 142 SIX WAR IS NOT ALL BAD 146 FRIENDS 146 BEER, CIGARETTES, AND OTHER VICES 151 ENLISTED, NCO, AND OFFICERS’CLUBS 158 SOME REALLY FOWLSTORIES 161 A POTPOURRI OF OTHER TALES 163 THE JOHN WAYNE STORIES 166 REST AND RECREATION (R & R) 167 SEVEN NOWHERE TO HIDE 178 PULLING GUARD DUTY 178 GOING ON PATROL IN THE BUSH 181 GOING ON A BOMBING RUN 188 THE CRAZINESS OF IT ALL 189 NEAR MISSES 196 EIGHT MY GOD, WHY ME? 204 BEING WOUNDED 204 TREATING THE WOUNDED 218 EVADING THE ENEMY 221 MISINFORMATION REACHES HOME 223 FATIGUE AND ILLNESS 225 HOMESICKNESS, LETTERS, AND “DEAR JOHNS” 229 NINE BEING SHORT 234 THE SHORT-TIMER’S ATTITUDE 234 LET’S MAKE A DEAL 240 DECORATED FOR VALOR 241 GOING HOME (THE FREEDOM BIRD) 245 THOUGHTS AND REGRETS 251 THE GREETINGS 256 TEN THE HEALING PROCESS 264 THE PHYSICAL TRAUMA 265 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SHOCK 270 ELEVEN OUR FALLEN HEROES 276 AN ELDERLY MOTHER REMEMBERS 276 THE SPORTS CAR THAT WAS NOT TO BE 280 “MOM, DO I HAVE TO GO?” 284 FAMILIES MEET TO SHARE THEIR GRIEF 287 THEIR SPIRIT LIVES ON 287 TWELVE YEARS LATER 290 RETROSPECTIVES 290 REFLECTIONS ON VIETNAM MEMORIALDAY—1988 303 INTERESTING ENCOUNTERS 306 EPILOG 310 APPENDIX A 312 PERSONAL BRIEFS 312 APPENDIX B 317 GLOSSARY 319 APPENDIX D 325 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 326 INTERVIEWS & MEMOIRS 326 BOOKS 326 ENCYCLOPEDIAS 328 NEWSPAPERS 328 OTHER TITLES OF INTEREST 329 A Story for All Vietnam, Victims, and Veterans (formerly titled, Touched by the Dragon ) details wartime accounts of average servicemen and women some heroic, some frightening, some amusing, some nearly unbelievable. The work is a historical compendium of fascinating and compelling stories woven together in a theme format. What makes this book truly unique, however, is its absence of literary pretentiousness. Relating oral accounts, the veterans speak in a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact way. As seen through the eyes of the veterans, the stories include first-person experiences of infantry soldiers, a flight officer, a medic, a nurse, a combat engineer, an intelligence soldier, and various support personnel. Personalities emerge gradually as the veterans discuss their pre-war days, their training and preparation for Vietnam, and their actual in-country experiences. The stories speak of fear and the paranoia of not knowing who or where the enemy was; the bullets, rockets, and mortars that could mangle a body or snuff out a life in an instant; and going home with a CMH not the Congressional Medal of Honor, but a Casket with Metal Handles. The veterans also speak of friendships and simple acts of kindness. But more importantly, they speak of healing both physical and mental. This volume brings together a series of accounts, from ordinary servicemen and women, detailing their experiences of the Vietnam War. Some are heroic, some are frightening, while others verge from the amusing to the nigh on unbelievable.