TRANSCRIPTION
Were you drafted? Or did you join the military by choice?
I was called in for a physical and found out I was going to be drafted within 30 days so I joined a delayed program which they gave me an extension, 5 extra weeks.
How old were you?
21.
How did you first hear about the war?
I didn't pay too much attention to it because... I was having fun. And the war was the least of my worries.
Did you have any dreams that you wanted to do? Did you want to become something else?
No.
In your opinion, do you think the war was unnecessary?
Now? Or then?
Both.
Then, I didn't understand it. Now, I think there's too much politicians.
What was your position and duty while in the military?
I was a ranger. Seventh Ranger… search and destroy.
How long did you serve for?
3 years.
Anything learned?
The idea of life.
Which was?
Life is very precious.
Any Awards?
A couple, but it's not-- to me, they didn't mean anything. Do you wanna know them? What they are?
Sure!
The Ron-Star, R-COM, Air Medal, um… CIB and my ranger badge and my air-born wings. And there's the awards they give you for being in Vietnam.
Did you make any friends?
Yes.
Do you still keep in touch with them?
I lost them.
What was your day like in basic training?
Fun.
What kinds of things did you do?
Ran all the time. Learned how to disassemble an M-14. And learned to fire an M-14. Since our backgrounds lived in a small town we used to uh.. Fire weapons a lot. So it was kinda…
Did you write to anyone during the war?
Yes, my first wife. For a couple of months then I got a Dear John letter.
How long after the war did you meet aunt Chris?
2 years… a year and a half.
Did grandpa( your father) give you any advise?
Uh yes yes.. Whatever you do stick with it. And don't embarrass me.
What did you experience when you first arrived in Vietnam?
Scared. Hot. Short people.
How did you recover after the war?
I didn't. I started drinking about 6-7 months straight when I got back, everyday. I have post traumatic stress. Still have nightmares sometimes at night.
When you first arrived in Vietnam were you given a mission right away?
No. We were into 2 weeks of jungle training. What to expect, what to do, how to survive. 2 weeks. And then we got sent to our units.
Before the war, what did you do?
Car Club. Go to dances, have fun. They'd have suit up cars. Back then the big thing in San Antonio was car clubs. Who had the best cars, more speed and who had the best girls.
Did you or friends ever think about joining the military?
My friends? No, we never thought about it. We were just having a good time. Our life was having a good time. We were past that you can say. We didn't vision a war because the war started I think '62-'61. The war was just building up when we were in high school.
Do you have any precise memories from the war?
Yes I do. Some of my friends I used to talk to. Just talk about things. Back in the world. Called it 'back in the world' which was the states. And just sit down and relax and just talk. What we wanted to do, what were going to do… ya know just let it all out. We heard of the protests and such, and that made us happy. We were not the only ones who wanted this chaos to end.
Being the oldest, did you have to set an example?
No, because like I said I was disbarred from that town to move away. So I didn't see my siblings grew up. I didn't know how they grew up. At 16 I was on my own away from my family. So I didn't see none of my brothers or sister grow up. I was never close.
You wish you had?
Yes, I think. Well, yes I think so. There's a couple of years where my siblings and I… its lost. We never grew up together. I was the oldest and they were the youngest. Like your mother and I, we're about thirty years apart. Ten years of that is gone next time I saw her they had moved to San Antonio. And I was already in the military when I met her. Rekindle. And my oldest sister which is Ida she was in Bedmin. She came here and she married and went to California, and I didn't see her until 20 years later when she came back. I didn't see my sister Sydney, Sandra, um Santos--Ann we called her Ann or Esther grow up. I didn't seem them. I heard about them, but I never socialized with them. Never. I was too older. My brother Eddie I didn't see him grow up until he got to San Antonio and I started seeing him more; or David I didn't see grow up. I didn't see none of them really until they came back to move to San Antonio and I think that was middle '70s? I believe. That's '63-'62 I got to spend. So almost. That's right '66.
Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?
Too many good, young men died. For no reason. Yeah.
