A Minnesota PBS Initiative
1969 - 1970
After graduating from SSPaul HS in 1965, I went to what is now called a technical college to study electronics. I graduated from the college in June of 1968 after several deferments and went to work for the company I had set my goal as in the beginning. In January of 1969 I received my paperwork to report for a physical prior to being drafted.
My draft notice came in March of 1969 and I was to report for induction on April 1st, 1969 of all days.
After basic training at Ft. Campbell KY, I was then assigned to AIT at Ft. Polk LA which was for advanced infantry training. I had no other thoughts other than I was going to end up in Vietnam.
I had no other thoughts other than I was going to end up in Vietnam.
After a 21 day leave in August of 1969, I reported to Oakland Army Terminal and landed in Vietnam around the 1st of September. After some retraining in my recent state side combat training, I was assigned to Co A, 22nd Inf Regt, 25th Inf Division. At the time I had no idea or information about this companies performance in the field. My first Company Commander, Cpt John Gray, seemed to be a cautious person and took no chances. He left us in Dec of 1969 and was replaced by a gung ho new Captain who did take chances. He and I are now friends on Facebook.
It was about the first week of January 1970 that our Company made more contact every time we went out. We also sustained several KIA's and many wounded because of the lack of caution of the new commander.
February of 1970 was no different, much contact with the enemy, many fire fights, more wounded, and a grunt who I became close to as a friend was shot and killed by a sniper less than 50 feet from me. Later on in the month we went on missions in an area by the Cambodian border called the elephants ear. It was there on February 19th that I was slightly wounded from schrapnel the first time. That mission was called off and the slicks came and got us out of there.
After many years I found out that about 11 months before I went to Vietnam there was someone in Co B of the same unit I was in named Oliver Stone who produced the movie Platoon.
One day later we were back out there and this time it was much worse. We were part of a 6 company mission to locate and destroy the NVA. Instead we were ambushed 3 times that night resulting in 2 KIA's and 18 wounded. Myself and a number were medivac'd out that night which was a story in itself. The next day the mission was called off and the remaining grunts were choppered back to our base camp.
That night after preliminary medical treatment at the 45th Surgical Hospital in Tay Ninh, we were medivac'd to Tan Son Nhut Air Base where I under went surgery the next morning.
After about 10 days we were flown to Camp Zama Japan where 2 more surgeries took place before being flown back the world to Irwin Army Hospital Ft Riley KS. I went on a medical leave for 30 days and came back for 2 more surgeries to repair the damage down by the 3 bullets entering my right lower leg.
After 3 more medical leaves that summer and after spending 8 months in the hospitals, I went back to duty and was stationed at Camp McCoy WI for 6 months and left the service on March 31, 1971.
After many years I found out that about 11 months before I went to Vietnam there was someone in Co B of the same unit I was in named Oliver Stone who produced the movie Platoon.
Biographical Details
Submitted From: South St. Paul, MN
Primary Location During Vietnam: Tay Ninh Province, United States 
Story Subject: Military Service
Dates of Service: 1969 - 1971
Veteran Organization: VFW, Legion, VVA, Mil;itary Order of the Purple Heart, SSP Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, DAV
Unit: US Army
Specialty: 11B10
Story Themes: 45th Surgical Hospital, Cambodia, Camp McCoy, Camp Zama, Combat, Draft, Elephant's Ear, Firefight, Irwin Army Hospital, Japan, Medevac, Platoon, Surgery, Tay Ninh, WIA, Wounded in Action
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