10-08-2017, 01:34 PM
My first memory is of Vietnam.
I was two or three years old sitting on the floor playing and listening to the tv. My mom was in the kitchen doing the dishes when I heard "Fighting broke out in Vietnam again today" and I looked up at the tv screen and saw soldiers crouched down behind a wall and they were taking turns moving forward. I remember there being smoke and seeing a boot sticking out from behind a wall. I walked into the kitchen to where my mom was and asked about what I saw. I don't remember what I asked but I remember my mom saying "There's nothing to worry about, it's far away from here."
I had three uncles and an aunt serve in Vietnam.
One uncle was the gunner on a helicopter.
One uncle was a medic and to this day will not go to a funeral. He can't look at a dead body.
One uncle was Marine Recon, did two tours. His first tour was to hunt down soldiers who were AWOL since he was only 17 years old and his second tour he was the demolition expert for his squad.
My Aunt was a nurse at China Beach.
They all never talked about their experience in Vietnam. The one uncle did tell me about the soldiers that he found that we're AWOL though. He said many were missing noses and ears from being eaten by rats and that they would rather endure living like that than to go back out into the jungle. He tried to talk me out of joining the service when I joined up, he said he done enough in the service that none of his nephews should ever need to.
I was two or three years old sitting on the floor playing and listening to the tv. My mom was in the kitchen doing the dishes when I heard "Fighting broke out in Vietnam again today" and I looked up at the tv screen and saw soldiers crouched down behind a wall and they were taking turns moving forward. I remember there being smoke and seeing a boot sticking out from behind a wall. I walked into the kitchen to where my mom was and asked about what I saw. I don't remember what I asked but I remember my mom saying "There's nothing to worry about, it's far away from here."
I had three uncles and an aunt serve in Vietnam.
One uncle was the gunner on a helicopter.
One uncle was a medic and to this day will not go to a funeral. He can't look at a dead body.
One uncle was Marine Recon, did two tours. His first tour was to hunt down soldiers who were AWOL since he was only 17 years old and his second tour he was the demolition expert for his squad.
My Aunt was a nurse at China Beach.
They all never talked about their experience in Vietnam. The one uncle did tell me about the soldiers that he found that we're AWOL though. He said many were missing noses and ears from being eaten by rats and that they would rather endure living like that than to go back out into the jungle. He tried to talk me out of joining the service when I joined up, he said he done enough in the service that none of his nephews should ever need to.
