Below, you will find an
illustration of the Vietnam War told by the sons and daughters
of South Dakota as they lived it through personal experience,
heroic actions and tragic loss.
If you
find these graphic depictions of war and violence disturbing,
please click here.
The State of South Dakota will try to
direct you to counseling services in your area.
Thank you Governor Rounds and to
all the staff and volunteers who are working on the "Welcome
Home", and the Vietnam War Memorial Dedication, scheduled for
September 2006. It is very much appreciated.
Shortly after high school
graduation, at age 18, I was drafted. I was living on my
parents' farm near the little town of Seneca, South Dakota
located in western Faulk County.
Time goes by so quickly. There was
a time when 24 hours seemed like forever and a week could be
eternity.
1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment
4th Infantry Division
II Corps
Pleiku, Ban Me Thout, Kontum
Republic of South Vietnam
March, 1968 through March 1969
• Nick Roseland, Pierre, South
Dakota
I joined the Army because it
would pay for two years of college and then I would serve three
years of active duty. For a farm girl with three sisters it was
a great way to get a college education. I have never regretted
it.
I have wonderful memories of
working long 12-hour days, six days a week, with one weekend off
every 8 to 10 weeks. Everyone worked together, the chief nurse
would come and help pass out meal trays. Since it was a draft
army it was made up of everyone from every walk of life.
We worked hard and played hard.
I initially joined to help take
care of the soldiers who were hurt since they did not ask to be
there in the first place. My hope was an assignment in Vietnam
but we started pulling out forces so I was sent to Germany where
we received some of the wounded. Of course, the Cold war
was going on, too.
I still work as a Department of
the Army Civilian as a nurse in Germany and have now been
involved in assisting the soldiers in three wars and several
conflicts—as an Army Nurse during the Vietnam era, an elementary
school counselor for the 1st Gulf war and as a community health
nurse for the 2nd Gulf war. I hope this is the last.
I met my husband in Spain during
a four day pass I got after being promoted to Captain. After 28
years of marriage it was one of the best things that I “got out
of the army”. The other great things I received were my
education bachelor and masters degree.
Today’s army is different but so
many things stay the same, I love working for the military and
supporting our brave soldiers and their families.
•
Kathleen S Ackermann, APO, AE
I served with the 2/60 of the
9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta, south of Saigon; from
March 1968 to February 1969. This story is not about me, but a
soldier I only knew by his last name—Adams.
I believe he was from Texas.
In Vietnam, there were more KIA
in 1968 than any other year. Back in the United States, the
country was being divided by the war, with racial injustice and
prejudice, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby
Kennedy, and the riots of the Democratic National Convention in
Chicago. A year earlier, Muhammad Ali refused induction. It was
a difficult time on both sides of the Pacific.
Against that backdrop, American
soldiers of all races fought together. However, when not on a
mission, some soldiers tended to associate with those of their
own race. My experience was that soldiers of all races generally
got along with each other, and that personal issues between
soldiers did not necessarily follow racial lines. Nonetheless, I
recall instances of racial tension between white and black
soldiers in the 2/60th. This is where Adams comes in. He was
barely five feet tall. He was black and hung around with other
black soldiers in the battalion. Any time trouble seemed to be
brewing, he had a smile and wit and wisdom that would defuse
most any situation. When I heard Adams got killed I thought what
a waste—more
so than usual. I think Adams had a lot to offer had he lived.
• Dale Bertsch, Pierre, SD.
I joined the US Marine Corps in
1969; I just graduated from Freeman high school. There were two
from our 1969 graduation class who joined the Marines. Like all
new recruits in boot camp, you ask yourself, Why did I do this?
and How do I get out of this mess I got myself into? My parents
were against me joining the Armed Forces and especially the
Marines. For a while I thought they were correct. I learned to
accept my situation and to make the best of it. The training was
hard, but worth it. Because of this training, I was looking
forward to going to South Vietnam. The Vietnam War for me was
difficult but rewarding. My experience there has stayed with me
for the rest of my life. I believe I have come to terms with the
war and have used this in a positive manner. I am proud to have
served in Vietnam. There are very few Americans and very few
servicemen who have served in a combat zone and realized this
experience. Thank you.
• Allen J. Adrian, Sioux Falls, SD
I attended Army basic training,
AIT, then Officer Candidate School after graduation from SDSU. I
was accepted into flight school after OCS and trained in the
OV-1 Mohawk surveillance airplane, a twin-engine turbo prop
built by Grumman. The Mohawk conducted day and night low-level
surveillance missions with installed cameras and infrared
equipment. I flew missions in the I CORP region including the
DMZ, Ashau Valley, Ho Chi Minh trail, and also in Cambodia. One
well-remembered mission included photo recon of the Angkor Wat
temples in Cambodia which had fallen into Viet Cong hands. Due
to distance from our airfield, we had to fly to the Air Force
base in Ubon Thailand to refuel before returning to Vietnam.
Although my aircraft was hit several times, I was never shot
down during my two tours in Vietnam.
The Mohawk was retired from
active Army duty in 1996, but is still flying in several foreign
countries and with some American historic aircraft museums.
While stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington in 1969, I flew a
Mohawk cross-country and landed in Pierre and visited my folks
in Highmore. Watch for a Mohawk in the memorial dedication
flyover in 2006. That will be the second time a Mohawk has been
in Pierre. Thank you South Dakota for remembering the Vietnam
veterans.
• Rod D. Anderson, Pierre, SD
In Tay Ninh Province, III Corps,
RVN, we were doing an ARVN Infantry search operation on Nui Ba
Dinh (black mountain), and I (MACV advisor) was riding in a
UH-1D helicopter to bring in some supplies to our MACV infantry
advisors; we were preparing to leave off the mountain and were
just hovering when an enemy sniper opened up on us; the
trajectory of the bullet missed our M-60 door gunner and went
through our fuel tank and came out the other side, just missing
our other door gunner. We did an emergency landing in the
rice fields and then, after assessing our damage, flew to the
Tay Ninh base and switched helicopters. One of the pilots
was Dennis Vehee, a fellow SDSU ROTC graduate of mine.
•
Larry D Birger, Sr., Jamestown, ND
Serving in Vietnam was the
greatest experience of my life. I enlisted in the Air Force at
the age of 17 years, 11 months. I established many life-long
relationships with other airmen as well as some short-term
relationships with the Vietnamese children. Four of my friends
and I spent most every weekend at the beach, weather and other
circumstances permitting, taking food and beverages for these
children, some of which were orphans. When one or two of the
children would not show up at the beach, the other children
would tell us that they had died. When I left Vietnam, I gave
all of my clothing and boots to our house boy.
• David
S. Brandriet, Watertown, SD
It somehow
seems very strange to me that I am writing this for my husband
David. He should be the one writing about his experiences in
Vietnam, not me.
You see, my
husband died thirteen years ago. On April 19, 1993, he and
seven others died in the state aircraft while on a trip to save
one of South Dakota’s largest employers. Dave, Governor Mickelson, and fellow pilot Ron
Becker, along with five others died on that day in Iowa.
Dave would
be so excited about the upcoming celebration. He would want to
share this time with fellow Vietnam Veterans, in particular his
friend Jim Elkins from Watertown, SD, and his friends from the
VEVA (Vietnam Era Veterans Association) group here in Pierre.
It always
amazed me what Dave went through in Vietnam. He never talked a
lot about it to me, but I did learn a lot from his friends after
he died. Dave was a Huey helicopter pilot and was shot down and
wounded on May 31, 1969. Thanks to the blessings of God and
some fellow pilots who picked him and the others up that day, he
survived his tour in the war. At his own request, he stayed
in-country to recover from his wounds and finished his tour of
duty, though he could have come home.
After the
war, Dave came home to SD. We met in April 1971 and married in
December of 1971. Shortly after the birth of our first daughter
Kristi in 1973, he joined the SD Highway Patrol, moving us to
Pierre. After being in Pierre for a short time, the patrol
chose Dave to become the Highway Patrol pilot. He took flying
lessons to pilot the patrol plane, a Cessna 182. He loved his
job; flying around our beautiful state, all by himself in the
plane. After flying for some time, he was chosen to become
Governor Janklow’s bodyguard. That turned into a full-time job,
so he pretty much had to give up flying for the patrol. They
hired another pilot, with Dave being his supervisor and also
keeping his bodyguard position.
Then the
state decided that it would nice if he could fly the plane the
governor flew on, since he always went along anyway. So he
learned to first fly the King Air, the plane Dave really loved
to fly. Then Governor Janklow traded the King Air for the MU-2,
the plane in which Dave died.
Dave
traveled all over the US, coming home and always having a story
to tell us, whether it was just a day trip or several days. The
girls and I always looked forward to his stories.
Then came
that day I’ll never forget. Dave had gone on a trip, flying
Governor Mickelson and others to Ohio. The day started out like
any other, but ended in a grief I’ll never forget. We have
survived his death, but we will never, ever forget him. We miss
him every day; I especially feel bad about all that he has
missed in these thirteen years he’s been gone—church
confirmation and high school graduation for Cathy, Kris and
Cathy’s college graduations, both of their weddings (and not
meeting both sons-in-law, who are great) and the births of our
two wonderful grandchildren, Ty David and Alyssa Kaye. What a
joy they would be to him.
I don’t
understand why he could survive Vietnam only to die in the
fields of Iowa. But I guess that’s not for me to know. I just
know we are very proud of his service to our country and we’re
glad that he and his fellow veterans are finally getting the
recognition they deserved years ago.
Mrs. David (Diane) Hansen
Kristi Hansen Turman
Cathy Hansen Stahl
• David
H. Hansen, Pierre, SD
Let us never forget our mistakes
of the past and let us never blame our servicemen and women for
the mistakes of a nation.
• David L. Braun, Pierre, SD
I Served with Commander Coastal
Surveillance Forces (CTF 115) River Flotilla One. Served in
Operation SEA FLOAT III. I was in-country October 1969 until
September 1970. While in Vietnam, my youngest daughter was born
just three weeks after my arrival. I saw her for the first time
when she was nine months old.
• Roger Brooks, Brandon,
SD
I will have to come back to this
with some stories and pics!
• Michael G. Castle, Sioux
Falls, SD
I went into the service with Ron
Jirsa from Mitchell, SD. We went to basic training together. He
went to Fort Sill, OK and I went to Fort Lewis, WA and we met up
again in Fort Lewis. He went to FDC and I ended up being a Medic
assigned to his Battery. We left for Vietnam together on the
USNS General John Pope. We landed in Vietnam together and served
our tour together and came home together. He went home to
Mitchell and I went home to Chamberlain. Its unusual for two men
to serve their whole Vietnam experience together from the same
area.
• Lawrence E. Clark, Sioux Falls, SD
In the 1960s, many young people
were called to serve their country. Many of our parents had been
veterans of WWII and their patriotism was reflected in the
family values and carried over in our thinking.
The idea that if our country
called us to serve, it was prevalent and unquestioned—and
we answered the call. I remember being a college student 18
years old, and reading in the newspaper that my high school
neighbor and friend, Roger Jensen, had been killed in Vietnam.
That is when I felt the call to duty, and volunteered for the
draft, late in 1968.
As the Vietnam War lingered on, and the
media exposure, political skepticism, and rallies for peace
impacted the soldiers and their thinking, it became difficult to
remain focused on duty and mission. Yet, we were soldiers,
young, and dedicated to serve. We saw a lot and learned a lot,
and I for one feel good that I served my country, and sad that
the outcome was what it was. I am proud to have served, and
remain a patriotic and proud American.
We don’t always agree with
decisions our leaders make, but we do have an obligation, again
today, to defend our country when called upon, without question.
Everyone, who has served, in Vietnam, or any other war, deserves
the respect of all citizens, for putting their life on the line
for freedom. Let no person ever take for granted what we have
here in America, and don’t forget that many have paid the
ultimate price in the past and many more continue to do so
today. Celebrate and appreciate your veterans, who gave what
they had to give for your freedom and the United States of
America.
Lastly, don’t ever let anyone,
like Jane Fonda, influence your thinking with her distorted and
wicked views and unpatriotic thinking. People like her are as
responsible for lost lives as the enemy themselves. As
Americans, when called to serve, we do so, and are proud of it.
We all would prefer peace to war, but there is a price for
peace, and it needs to be protected.
• Jerome K
Cleveland, Pierre, SD
Great interest and dedication
should be made to the wives of all of the veterans as they were
the ones who held the family together, paid the bills, raised
the children and provided more support than can ever be
expressed in 300 words or less. They really do need the
recognition for their individual efforts and sacrifices. THANKS
MOM!! YOU'RE THE BACKBONE OF THIS FAMILY!!
• Robert A.
Coates, Piedmont, SD
No story, just thought I was
doing the right thing and it was a way out of South Dakota. Now
years later I see it wasn’t the right thing and I’m glad I had
South Dakota to come back to.
• Kennedy E. David, Hot
Springs, SD
I was a Fuel Specialist while
serving in Taiwan. Tainan AB was a repair station for planes
that were shot up over Vietnam. I refueled countless planes that
were very badly bullet-riddled and needed to be repaired before
they could be airworthy again and be returned to action.
• Kenneth L Erlenbusch, Pierre, SD
A little bit of humor goes a
long way, but when it comes to cooking, my wife still will not
let me use C4 when I cook out! My platoon acted as engineers. We
were told to construct a base for artillery support. We did not
have axes or saws. We wrapped C4 around the trees and detonated
them and scrounged for any material we could get our hands on
but about an hour after we were finished we were eating C
Rations and the Army artillery people were eating steaks. Go
figure!!!
Horseshoe ambushes don’t look
too good, especially from the inside. Once, we had one company
of NVA firing on us and two more coming up the hill from each
side while we were sitting on or near buried land mines. It was
the Lord Jesus who spared my life that day.
• John A
Fette, Pierre, SD
This is a poem I wrote yesterday, about the Vietnam War
Soldiers – I was only a baby in the middle of the war, but
it still made an impact on my life. After viewing the
Vietnam War Memorial website yesterday, I went home and felt
inspired to write something, to let all of the veterans know
how much I care. I hope you enjoy reading this.
DEDICATION TO THE SOLDIERS
Where do I begin to say
How
very grateful I am
To
all the sons and daughters
Who
served in Vietnam
I
wasn’t even born
When it started in 1961
A
war that never seemed to end
Fourteen years from the time it had begun
As
a child of the seventies
I
didn’t know what the fighting was for
I’d
hear my parents talk about it
But
didn’t know it was a war
The
innocence of childhood
Kept me protected from the news
And
the protesters who voiced too loudly
That war wasn’t the thing to choose
I
didn’t know that in another country
My
cousins and uncles were in harm's way
Nor
did I know that many sons and daughters
Wouldn’t make it back home to the USA
It
wasn’t until I was older
And
listening to a teacher tell the story
Of
the soldiers who fought so hard
And
served with all their might and glory
No
one could really explain
Why
this war had to be
Or
why so many lost their lives
It
doesn’t make sense to me
All
I know is that I am honored
To
say these servicemen gave their all
When our country said “We need you”
And
duty came to call
The
draft was put in place
And
the young men stood in line
Not
knowing where they were headed
Or
when it would be their time
The
war itself has been over for years
But
you can still see the pain in their eyes
When they think about their friends who are gone
And
they look toward the heavenly skies
I’m
a mother of five sons
And
I can’t imagine the pain
Of
losing one of them to war
And
never seeing them again
Those of you who made it back
You
deserved so much more
And
I want to tell you from the bottom of my heart
Just what I think you stand for
Because of you, I am still free
And
other people in the world are too
You
did what your President asked
And
did what you were told to do
In
a way, I owe you so much more
Than I can ever give
Because of you, my sons learn about honor
Because of you, so many innocent people still live
I
honor you, I respect you
I
believe in you and I care
I
wish I could heal the wounds
That you endured over there.
I
can’t change the past
Or
bring back your dear friends
But
I can try to make America understand
That the war in your hearts didn’t end
You
still feel the sadness
And
I’m sure you feel the pain
Knowing that you can’t turn back time
And
bring your friends back again
All
we can do is move forward
And
remember those with pride
Who
fought with you all those years ago
And
served with dignity by your side
If
ever there was a greater honor
To
be seated on the thrones of Heaven
It
is for our sons and daughters,
The
proud, the brave and the never forgotten
Two Hundred and Seven….
•
Dena Marie Boyd-McCaskell, Pierre,
SD.
In my 13 month tour, I don’t
ever remember sleeping. I never intentionally sat or laid down
with the intent to sleep. If I did I might not hear “incoming”
or a “(deleted)” coming through the wire. But of course I
would nod off, one of my worst non-combat feelings during my
tour was when I woke up from a dream that I was back home in my
own bedroom in the comfort of my parents' house. It was so
incredibly real. Then I woke up staring at the beams in the roof
of the bunker we were set up in. God, that was such a low
desperate feeling that morning!
• Brian R. Gage, Sioux
Falls, SD
I spent approximately two years
with the Strategic Air Command at Fairchild AFB, Spokane, WA in
non-tact scheduling. I was then transferred to Clark AFB PI
where we formed the South East Asia Military Altitude
Reservation Facility in 1965. We coordinated the airspace for
nine countries for the mass movement of military aircraft as
well as the Arc Light Missions and the Blackbird missions in SE
Asia. Sixteen years after leaving the USAF, I joined the South
Dakota Air National Guard where I worked as a controller in the
command post and as the training NCO prior to my retirement in
1998.
• Greg C. Hall, Pierre, SD
If you can imagine the whole 7th
fleet in the South China Sea at one time it was quite
impressive. There were over 50-60 ships of all sizes in a very
small area waiting to see what was going to happen. On the
Dubuque, the ship I was on, the people coming out to the
ship in their little sanpans thought we were sinking because we
had the capabilities of blow ballast and lower the ship to take
other boats into our backside. I had pictures but they were
taken away for confidential purposes. (At least, that’s what
they told me.)
• Thomas A. Henle, Sioux Falls, SD
I was drafted from Gregory, SD
after five years of college and two years of teaching high
school in 1968. My training was taken at Fort Lewis, Washington
and Fort Benning, GA. I was sent to Vietnam in May 1969 and was
assigned to the Big Red One (mechanized) (A-2-2). Almost two
months to day after arriving in Vietnam I was injured in the
battle at Nui Ba Den (Black Virgin Mountain) on July 12, 1969.
After spending two weeks in Japan, I was sent home to
Fitzsimmons General Hospital in Denver. After spending nine
months for a fractured left femur at Fitzsimmons, I was
discharged from the Army on April 17, 1970. I am a very proud
50% DAV and am a life member of the DAV, VFW, and a member the
American Legion. I retired from the teaching profession in 2003
and we have made our home in Broken Bow, NE, since 1978.
• Dennis E Jones, Broken Bow, NE
I have NO STORIES But I have
something to say. When I got home in a medevac bus in
California, we were egged at the base front gate. To you, John
Q. America and Jane Fonda—thank
you for caring about my pain. 37 years ago and the pain never
goes away. I see you folks are doing well. Jane was put up for
'Woman of the Year'. I guess there must be payback in the next
life. I know I sound angry but I did find happiness before my
death though God and my children. SEMPER FI
• Tommy W.
Little Sr., Winner, S.D.
Veterans should recognize these
terms: Dung Lai (halt), Dua Tay Len Dau (put your hands on your
head), Xay Ben Phai (turn right), Xay Ben Trai (turn left), The
ACE OF SPADES (eternal damnation), and MPC (Military Payment
Certificates). P.S.. I have a copy of the Pacific Stars and
Stripes Volume 24, Number 31 with the headlines “VC HIT
SAIGON”. The ‘Tet Offensive’ began the day before, and all hell
broke loose. Cartoons in that edition included Blondie, whose
75th anniversary was 2005. My memories include Bob Hope and
Raquel Welsh (both during Christmas 1967); juicy bugs in my
salad at Cam Ranh Bay; Spooky (cool gunship); lots of youngsters
using drugs—they
just could not handle it; one of the first bevy of Huey Cobra
Gunships (totally awesome); Agent Orange; the horrible smells
in-country; eating a rat-meat sandwich in downtown Bien Hoa (it
tasted like a dried beef sandwich); our buds from down under
(Australians were our best friends); our company barber (who
tortured and killed our trusted Vietnamese helpers); and, most
of all, all those who looked to us to give South Vietnam their
own freedom and identity.
In retrospect, I do forgive all
those who spat upon me, and betrayed their country during a time
of war. I do not feel I was blind to the issues, accepting my
duties to my country, to my family, and to freedom. Those who
repudiated their duties to their county will have to live with
this, as will their progeny. As will I have to live with those
things I was asked to do for the United States. Thank you for
the gifts of AMERICA. Thank you for the gift of being born here.
Thank you for reading this far.
• Francis T. Logan,
Rapid City, SD
I was on duty in Korea when I
was sent TDY into Thailand to serve at Camp Friendship to help
maintain a Ghost Division. When regular troop replacements
reported, I was told that I could leave. Without a passport, I
was told that I could not go out through normal challenges. One
night about 9pm I was called to company headquarters. I
was told that there would be a plane at the dark end of the
runway warming its engines at 11pm, and its door would be open.
A friend took me to the area, I jumped the fence, boarded a C47
and we went out over Laos to Saigon where I caught an official
military flight back to Korea to finish my tour there.
•
Lawrence R. Madsen, Gettysburg, SD
I remember arriving in-country
late at night. When we stopped in front of the terminal, all
lights on the plane and the airport were turned off. We were in
total blackout so we weren’t an easy target for mortars and
rockets. We stepped from the plane and I will never forget the
experience. It was unbelievably hot and humid. I was never so
scared in my entire life. Twenty-two months later, I was on the
‘freedom bird’ and on my way home. I lost way too many friends
and comrades.
• Clarence S. Mardian, Sioux Falls, SD
Many young men grew up fast in
Vietnam. I was only one of them, and I made it back home. Many
didn’t. Friends were made very fast in Vietnam, and some of
those friends are now gone. To find friends from Vietnam is
often difficult, but recently I had the opportunity to meet the
man who save my life and never knew it. I was honored and
humbled to stand, again, in front of this man and say “Thank
you, Captain Hurley.” This was the first time I had seen this
man in over 35 years! The event was even more saddened by the
fact that it was at his father’s funeral. His father, too, was a
personal hero of mine.
When I arrived in Vietnam, I was
laughed at for being from Canton, SD. I knew that very few
people had even heard of South Dakota, let alone Canton. I
didn’t know that Jim Hurley (from Canton) had been their
Commanding Officer for the past six months, and he had often
talked about Canton and South Dakota. He took care of his men
and it really showed in their attitude. He had been transferred
to our forward fire base recently, but he was all everyone
talked about. They missed him. When I was sent to our forward
fire base, he met me at the chopper pad. The events that
occurred after we met are not important. What was important, was
the fact that I finally got to thank Captain James Hurley. It
completed and laid to rest many emotions that I still carried
inside. This might sound dumb, but I would like to publicly
thank Captain James Hurley for being in Vietnam and saving the
lives of many young men.
• Patrick J. Martin, Sioux
Falls, SD
I have a lot of stories and
memories of being on the USS Constellation and the short
time I was in DaNang, Vietnam.
• Larry V. Ollerich, Sioux
Falls, SD
Two memories:
#1......Bob Hope’s Christmas in
Cu Chi. A special thank you to Mr. Hope for bringing Christmas
to young servicemen away from home.
#2.....Seeing my Freedom Bird on
the tarmac waiting for me to board.
• Michael V. Olson,
Martin, SD
What I remember most about my
experiences in Vietnam was the 27-hour flight from Travis Air
Force Base and the blast of heat when the doors opened on the
plane. From then on it was one day at a time. Trust was the most
important. If someone directed you to go around another vehicle
without seeing any oncoming traffic, you went. Trust was
everywhere. The person who trusted you one day might have saved
your life the next.
Another thing I remember was
constantly being armed outside of the unit area. The shortage of
truck and M151 Jeep parts also sticks out in my mind. The most
sad part of my experience was losing two of my men to enemy
related events. I might add that upon arrival in Vietnam, it was
in November and very cold at night in the Central Highlands. I
remember several times waking up to find that a rat had crawled
up on top of my blanket and had nestled itself on my stomach for
warmth. Upon my waking, the rat would scurry away and I would be
wide awake all day long. I wish to thank the state of South
Dakota for offering this event.
• Wenton W. Peters,
Mitchell, SD
I was proud to have served my
country in Vietnam and elsewhere for more than 30 years. I was
honored to display the small South Dakota state flag that was
sent to me from the state Capitol while I was serving in
Vietnam. And I was pleased that the state legislature approved a
bonus for veterans of the Vietnam era.
• Calvin L.
Peterson, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
In July of 1969 I was sent to
Vietnam with a few days of special training to an area where
people died on a daily basis. I was promoted fast. I risked my
life on a daily basis and was told when I came home by my
favorite girl friend attending USD that she couldn’t be seen
with me by any of her university friends because what I did by
serving was wrong.
I tried to join the VFW and the
guy behind the bar said he couldn’t stop me but it really wasn’t
a war. That must be why I only know of one person I killed. I
didn’t sign up until years later. I was asked to join the
American Legion in a small town, Wakonda, 20 miles, from my home
American Legion.
I was asked in the 1980s to join
the VFW by a friend and I did. When I was elected Commander I
was under pressure from a couple of World War II vets to the
point I resigned six months later. I stayed out of the VFW and
was then asked to come back because they needed Vietnam
veterans' support. They just couldn’t understand why they still
to this day have only two active Vietnam vets. I have since
served as Commander four straight terms and have been Senior
Vice Commander ever since.
I was appointed to State Special
Olympics Chairman and served for four years. A new state
commander came in and assigned a Korean Vet to help me. I
watched the income grow for four years. Suddenly I couldn’t be
trusted by myself. I became the only chairman with an assistant.
I resigned.
To this day I regret that I
didn’t go to Canada. They seem to have been better accepted.
I was put in for a second Bronze Star that I never received
after successfully being in charge of a four month long secret
classified mission just before I came home. I was offered the
chance to move to from E-5 to E-6. I didn’t and still don’t want
anything from anybody relating to my Vietnam High School Class
Trip. The only reason I am going to the dedication is because I
have been the Chairman of the Clay County Veterans' Memorial in
Vermillion for five years and probably will until I can’t go on.
• Leo F. Powell, Vermillion, SD
Still a member of the South
Dakota Air National Guard and will have completed 34 years in
December 2005. Currently hold the rank of Chief Master Sgt
(E-9).
• Bruce A. Swan, Sioux Falls, SD
Many people do not know that the
United States Coast Guard had a part in the Vietnam War. The
Coast Guard had both sea-going and shore-based units. I served
on a LORAN (LOng Range Aids to Navigation) monitor station near
Udorn, Thailand from August 1970 to August 1971. This station
was on the Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base. We were one of five
stations in the SE Asia chain. LORAN was the system of
navigation used by all the other services. Ours was the monitor
station that kept the other ones “on time and in tolerance”. My
job on the station was a LORAN and COMS watch stander. The
station had a crew of about 25-30 men. We worked hard and also
played hard. The friendships I made in Thailand during the War
were special; we were more than friends, we were family.
• Edward D. Timm, Elkton, SD
I was a combat engineer which
dealt with explosives such as booby traps, mine clearing and
blowing things up as ordered. I was involved in seven
counter-insurgent operations and countless search and destroy
missions. Many stories but will keep them to myself—some
things you don’t want to recall..
• Kenneth D. Trigg,
Pierre, SD
I served as the Senior Radio
Operator (O5B10) for the advisory team from October 11, 1971
until August 24, 1972. Chau Doc is on the Mekong River next to
the Cambodian border about 50 miles from Phnom Penh. We had six
advisory teams in the field assisting the Vietnamese Army when I
arrived in 1971, but only one team remained when I left in 1972.
I was given an honorable discharge on February 22,1973. I
reenlisted the Army in 1979 and retired as a MSG in 2000.
• Randal L. VonEhwegen, Vermillion, SD
Though I served in the Navy
during the Vietnam era, I returned to South Dakota and joined
the National Guard serving in the 147th FA in Aberdeen, Webster,
then in the Medical Clearing company in Winner, SD. In 1980, I
went back on active duty in the Army Reserve, and have retired
in Georgia. I sometimes miss South Dakota, and travel there
often. But my children, and grand children are in Georgia, thus
I am a misplaced “Dakotan”.
• Daniel L. Walker, Homer,
GA
Entered Vietnam with MCB 5 as a steelworker. Spent three
months in Tan An on a team as a welder. Then was attached
to Detail Mustang in the Delta at Cau Mau building a base for
the ARVN.
•
Jim Pelle, Ft.
Pierre, SD
I was drafted in 1967 after one year of college at Northern
State University. Did training in Seattle, WA, then Ft.
Sill, OK. Served in Vietnam in Army artillery, 175mm and 8
in. guns, at FSB Santa Barbara, also known as French Fort,
located about 10 km north of Tay Ninh City. Extended my
tour in-country so I could get out of service early.
Achieved Sgt. E5, MOS 13B40 artillery gunner. Arrived back
in "the world" in Oakland, CA, in June 1969. Please see my
photos and poems submitted to this website.
•
Larry Kleinschmidt,
Sunderland, Massachusetts
I was present
when Richard Rennolet was killed by the accidental explosion of
a white phosphorous grenade. His name is on the Vietnam Memorial
Wall located at the lake by the Capital. I think it is important
to note that some good young men and women died as the result of
accidents and friendly fire which are also part of the danger of
being in a war zone.
• Edward
Dvorak, Lakebay, Washington
After
graduation from high school in 1948, Deane was accepted into the
US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Shortly after his
commission as an Ensign in 1952, Aldern completed flight
training and took on the role of Naval Aviator in March of 1954.
He first served with Utility Squadron "Seven" and was later
transferred to Fighter Squadron "Ninety-Four" where he served
aboard the attack carriers USS Yorktown and USS Hornet
in the Pacific. Captain Aldern then returned to the Naval
Academy as an instructor in air navigation and military studies.
In
1961, Captain Aldern served as a flight deck officer on board
the USS Enterprise on an extended deployment during the
Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1964, he reported to Fighter Squadron
"One Hundred Seventy-Four" and then Fighter Squadron "Eleven"
before being assigned as operations officer of Air Wing "One"
aboard the USS Roosevelt in the Mediterranean. In 1966,
Captain Aldern became executive officer and commanding officer
of Fighter Squadron "One Hundred Ninety-One" aboard the USS
Ticonderoga, where he completed two combat tours in
Southeast Asia. After further training at the Air War College in
Alabama, Captain Aldern became the commander of Air Wing
"Nineteen" aboard the USS Oriskany.
• Donald
Aldern, San Diego, CA (Deceased)
I
served in Thailand at the end of the Vietnam War as a 2nd LT
assigned to the 432 Tactical Recon Wing at Udorn, Thailand (15
Jul 1973-30 Dec 1974). My duties were to provide
intelligence support and hostile threat briefings to RF-4E
Phantom reconnaissance aircrews flying photo recon missions over
Cambodia and Laos. In the fall of 1974, I provided the
initial intelligence briefings on the resupply and buildup of
North Vietnamese Army forces for the final invasion of the
Republic of South Vietnam in April 1975.
While
at Udorn, I also served as the Chief of the Intelligence
Training Branch, providing aircrew instruction on Evasion and
Escape techniques, air defense threats, and aircraft
recognition. In October 1973, I attended the USAF Jungle
Survival School at Clark AB in the Philippines. My final
career USAF assignment was as Director of Intelligence for the
28 Bomb Wing and 44 Strategic Missile Wing at Ellsworth AFB, SD.
I retired in 1992 as a Lt. Colonel.
•
Kenneth S. Moon,
Rapid City, SD
I
was a PC3 (postal clerk) and it was a huge job always getting
the mail to the shipmates, especially when we functioned in and
around Vietnam. The first time I went on shore to get the
mail was in Chu Lai and it was only a large area of sand.
In one year's time, I had the opportunity to go back to the same
base to get the mail and when I stepped on shore it was hard to
believe that this huge base had actually been built in so little
amount of time. Getting the mail in DaNang was a lot more
dangerous as we passed through danger zones to get to the base
to retrieve the mail then back to our ship. When we hauled
and delivered some gun boats to the mouth of the Saigon river,
I then realized the dire need for the people there to have these
gun boats to fight their cause.
•
Jon Dahlke, Rapid
City, SD
Not all days were bad in Lai Kai, Vietnam. There were some
good times had by some of the men. Like the time a few of
us decided we needed a little more beer, but how were we to get
to Saigon to get some. The answer came when the pilot of a
Huey said it was simple, we'll take the Huey. Sounds as
simple as taking you dad's car, right? So several of us
boarded the Huey and we flew to Saigon. We bought several
cases of beer and loaded them on the Huey, then we decided to
see some of the town. We found a hotel, the Mai Lin, I
think, where we enjoyed a hot shower, electricity, and a hot
meal. We then flew back to our camp. Did we get into
a little trouble??? Yes. Would we have done it
anyway?? Yes. If I could find the guys who were with me, I
would tell them: Thank you for helping make the war a lot more
bearable.
•
Darold K. Richards,
Sisseton, SD
In
November 1999, I returned to Vietnam on a mission trip.
There I met a young woman Vietnamese interpreter who I struck up
a friendship with and we continued correspondence after
returning home. The following year I returned with my wife
again on the wheelchair mission. We reunited with the
young woman and she gave us what was supposed to be the remains
of an American soldier including one dog tag. After
returning home with these items we verified the dog tag as that
of an MIA. With the assistance of Argus Leader reporter
David Kranz and Sen. Tom Daschle the remains were identified
through DNA tests as being Luther Ritchey, Jr., a Marine from
Ohio, who was reported missing in October of 1963. In 2004
his remains were returned to his family in Ohio and buried with
full military honors. This was a very emotional and
gratifying experience after serving in Vietnam 33+ years ago.
•
Douglas Haugstad,
Sioux Falls, SD
Member Legion Post 22, Gillette Wyoming, Member of Honor Guard.
Would be honored to play Taps at this event.
•
Gary Rye, Gillette,
WY
Being in the Air Force was dramatically different, safer, and
far less stressful than for many other GI's. Since I
worked in administrative support functions, work weeks were 60
hours. I flew an "IBM Selectric" typewriter. Working
in Personnel did, however, have some interesting and satisfying
moments. The best was being able to schedule Air Force
personnel on their "freedom birds". The absolute worst
part of the job was being so far away from family and home.
Recalling other fun parts involves remembering the Saturday
night parties at the Tan San Nhut clinic. It was similar
to a modern MASH. The medical staff were outrageous and
outstanding and the "network" and cooperation of numerous
base-wide individuals combined with their influence and access
to resources allowed extensive partying. Those brief
escapes seemed to provide enough diversion to make it through
the next week. I obviously scheduled myself on the very
first "bird" available in my set departure month.
•
John Simpson, Pierre,
SD
I
was drafted, receiving my notice to report for a physical on
July 13, 1969 at the Sioux Falls post office. The very next
morning, I was standing at attention in Ft. Lewis, Washington.
Eight weeks later, I was flown to San Antonio, Texas, Fort Sam
Huston, where I spent ten weeks being trained as a medic. I
arrived in Vietnam on Dec. 13, 1969. I was sent to the 4th
infantry 3/12th to serve as a platoon medic on Dec. 20, 1969. I
spent all but three days in the jungle around Plecu in the
central highlands of Vietnam until after five months I was hit
with shrapnel from a R.P.G. I spent the next 5 months in
military hospitals. I was discharged on April 13,1971. Fast
trip! If you have to go to war, going as a medic is clearly a
great way to go.
•
Roger Andal, Brandon,
SD
The majority of my time in DaNang, Vietnam, I was assigned to
the Navy's Security, Intelligence, Investigation Unit involved
with the investigation and interdiction of activities as
directed by the Admiral. Those activities involved a wide
variety of opportunities ranging from drug use and trafficking,
to black market activities, self inflicted wounds, unexplained
shootings, AWOL and unusual disappearances, and anything else
that might have come up. It was a rather interesting
opportunity at the time.
•
Edward A. Parkhurst,
Sioux Falls, SD
I was in
Vietnam 1967 to 1969. I was there during the 1968 Tet Offensive.
For me, it is still hard to talk about it. My best friend was
killed at that time. His name was Michael Kolarov. He was from
Akron, Ohio. He was killed in Hua Nghia with the 101st Airborne.
He is on Panel 45W—Line
53 on the Wall in Washington DC. He was killed Sept. 6, 1968. I
guess I will have that with me until the day I die. To me, it's
important to tell his story rather than mine. I'm still here,
but he's not. Rest in peace, my friend.
•
Samuel Jack, Hurley,
SD
In December
1953, tired of school, I dropped out of the School of Mines in
Rapid City and enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps for a 3 year
“get away from school” tour. That didn’t work out as
the Marines sent me to a year of electronics maintenance school.
After school, I married my high school sweetheart and headed for
a 3 ˝ year tour at Cherry Point, NC. Liking it in the
Corps, I extended my enlistment 1 year then re-enlisted for six
more years. The Corps sent me back to school after which I
served my first overseas tour with MASS-2 in Japan. Upon
return, I was one of twelve enlisted Marines selected to attend
yet another school, this a factory school on an experimental
computerized air defense system. During the field testing
phase of this Marine Tactical Data System (MTDS) I was selected
to attend the Warrant Officer screening course which gave me an
advancement from SSGT to Warrant Officer in 1963. In 1965, I was
promoted to 2nLt.and two years later through 1st Lt.
to Captain. In 1968-69, I was assigned Maintenance Officer
duties on the MTDS on Monkey Mountain, Vietnam. After
returning to CONUS, a 2 year tour in NC was served before being
assigned to the USMC CommElectSchool in 29 Palms, CA.
During that
tour while serving as School Director for ElecMaintSchool, I was
promoted to Major. Retirement followed a year later in
August 1975. My attempt to avoid school failed me but I
had a very rewarding Marine Corps career because of my military
schooling. My marriage has thus far survived over 50 years and
we have raised two wonderful children. Semper Fi to all my
Marine friends!
• Gerald
D. Fabricius, Twentynine Palms, CA
Come With Me, My Brother
Come with me, my Brother; to the
past which seems so near;
The past of fallen soldiers and young men overwhelmed with fear;
Fear of loss and fear of death in a place so far from home;
Compelled us all to anger; at times you feel alone;
Come with me, my Brother; tell
me of your pain;
The jungle heat, the stench of blood and endless monsoon rain;
I want to know about your friends; the guy who died that day;
Talk about your demons in that place so far away;
Come with me, my Brother;
abandon the lonely road;
For 30 years, you’ve held it in, that very heavy load;
Our time is short; life is dear; Brother, why can’t you see;
That through your tears, I’m here to help and try to set you
free;
Come with me, my Brother; let’s
go and see our parade;
Of flags, of guns, of bands and such; of heroes we are made;
What’s done is done; our time has come; the War has finally
passed;
We’ll cry and hug and celebrate, our welcome home at last;
Come with me, my Brother;
passing to the light;
One thing to do before we go, knowing that it’s right;
He fought and died just as we; I only wish we knew;
How to heal our wounds with Charlie; for he’s our Brother too.
Come with me, my Brother.
John G. Moisan, Fort Pierre, SD
(US Army – 1LT Signal Corps - 1969-1971)
(For my friends Joe and John)
After
graduating from Washington high school in 1963, I attended
Augustana and Sioux Falls College working at John Morrell and
Company. I enlisted in May of 1965 in the Marines hoping
my best friend Paul Evans would join me. Unfortunately he
did and was killed in December of 1966. Camp Evans just
outside Quang Tri was named after him, this was an unheard of
honor in the Marines as he was an enlisted man.
I was sent to San Diego, CA for
boot camp and qualified for the Air Wing. Then I was sent
to Memphis, TN for aircraft maintenance training and stationed
at LTA in Santa Anna, CA for further training as a helicopter
crewman. HMM 165 was forming up with the new CH-46 Sea
Knight helicopters and I was a charter member. We got
orders to Vietnam in August 1966 and landed in DaNang September.
I flew as a gunner and crewmember while working in maintenance
control. We flew primarily around Chu Lai and DaNang with
frequent trips to Khesan and some special operations into Laos
and the Ho Chi Minh trail.
Luckily, I was not wounded but our
squadron took many casualties. I would meet Larry
Winterton who was later killed in a rocket attack. He was
from Sioux Falls also. After thirteen and a half months, I
received orders to Olathe, KS, where I worked as maintenance
supervisor on F-8 Crusaders. My commander was Col. Darrell
Bjorkland from Volga, SD. I returned to Sioux Falls
College getting a BA degree in 1972. In 1973, I joined the
SD Army National Guard and served in various positions in an
ordnance company, and combat engineer. I eventually was
promoted to Command Sergeant Major of the153rd
Combat Engineer Battalion in Huron, SD, and the 109th
Engineer Group in Rapid City. I retired in 1995 and at
that time was working as the Superintendent at the State
Veterans Home in Hot Springs. I retired from the State in
2001 and live in Rapid City where I stay involved in the
veterans' community spending winters in Mesa, AZ at our winter
residence.
• Loren
L. Murren, Rapid City, SD
The
Distinguished Flying Cross Award.
Captain
Thomas George distinguished himself by extraordinary achievement
while participating in aerial flight as a C-130 pilot for the 21st
Tactical Squadron at Kontum, Republic of Vietnam, on 17 May
1972. On that date, Captain George flew an emergency night
resupply mission of critically-needed ammunition and supplies to
the besieged defenders of Kontum. In spite of heavy
antiaircraft fire and intense small arms activity, Captain
George was able to offload his cargo and safely evacuate two
dozen allied soldiers. The aircraft took ground fire on
takeoff and battle damage inspection after successful mission
termination showed ten hits. The professional competence,
aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Captain George
reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air
Force.
• Thomas
A. George, Federal Way, WA
I was assigned to Sioux
Falls, SD in April of 1972 as Liaison for the South Dakota Civil
Air Patrol.
After I
retired from the United States Air Force, I lived in Sioux
Falls, Montrose, Beresford and Mitchell and I worked in Sioux
Falls, Yankton, and Mitchell. I have lived in South Dakota
longer than I have lived anywhere and four of our six children
were born in Sioux Falls. I am now retired and loving
Mitchell, South Dakota.
• James
M. Hayes, Mitchell, South Dakota
I served
two voluntary tours with the 173rd Abn Bde (Sept) during the
“Battle for the Highlands” and the 1968 Tet Offensive. The
173rd Airborne Brigade was the most highly decorated combat unit
in the Vietnam War. The 173rd was General Westmoreland’s
“Fire Brigade” which was sent to all the “Hot Spots”.
•
Jerald K. Lytle, Fort
Thompson, SD
In 1987, our
family had a coming home party for my brother. I ordered
all his medals and our whole family was there. He was very
happy. As he looked at all the medals he asked how I did this.
So I told him it was a lot of hard work but worth every moment.
He cried and he and I became closer than ever.
My
brother-in-law, another Vietnam vet, attended and he made the
comment that he wished someone would do this for him too.
I know that he plans to attend this event, so please welcome him
home too. My brother died at age 50. I miss him
everyday, 24/7.
• Terry
Wayne Heminger
No stories. Very proud to have
served my state and country.
- Orvin L. Hughart, Sioux Falls, SD
Did not serve in Vietnam.
- Charles T. Humphrey, Pierre, SD
I joined the Marines in 1950 to
serve in Korea and remained in the military until 1959. In 1965
I joined the Navy SeaBee Reserves in Sioux Falls, SD. In 1968 I
went on active duty in Naval Construction Battalion MCB3. They
were already in Vietnam. Since I had been in the Marines, my
duty was to walk night combat patrols searching for Viet Cong. I
was also a Construction Mechanic. I retired from the Navy
SeaBees in April 1979.
I went on active duty because of
the "war protesters" at that time. I believe in this great
country and am a flag-carrying American! I'm 74 years old and
would still go to war to serve the country if they would let me.
- William P. Huntimer, Dell Rapids, SD
Most of my duty was providing
medical treatment for Marines coming back from Vietnam (Naval
Hospital Camp Pen). The most disturbing thing that happened
during my enlistment was hearing a Navy Corpsman belittling one
of these brave men. Needless to say, this only happened ONCE!
But, seeing the hurt in the eyes of that Marine has stayed with
me for all these years. Our service men and women did a hell of
job, we just didn't have a country (then) that recognized it.
I'm glad to see that we do now.
- Greg S. Ingemunson, Black Hawk, SD
Our Unit in the Fifth Marines
was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for being the first
full-size battalion in Vietnam. Our unit was the basis for the
movie named "Rumors of War."
- Paul B. Karst, Peever, SD
After the many years,
recollections of the sights, sounds and smells of certain
"events" in the Saigon District and IV Corps are as vivid and
clear as if it was this morning. I trust that the sacrifice of
everyone that the Vietnam Memorial dedication honors, including
the veterans' families at home and the countless unnamed
civilian casualties, will be remembered long after the event.
- Robert J. Kean, Pierre, SD
The mail going home was real
slow and my mom was praying for me and all the other men and
women over there. She asked the Lord to send her a robin to let
her know I would make it home. When my mom was finished praying,
she went to the window of our home. There in the yard were 30
robins. So now as I pray for the men and women at war. I ask the
Lord to touch each and every mother and father with kids there.
- Dennis L. Kearns, Sioux Falls,
SD
When I entered the Marine Corps,
I already had two sisters that were Marines. Karen and I were
stationed together at El Toro and Jan was already out and
married to a Marine. The three of us are all Paid Up For Life
members of Wm H Crippen Post #62 in Humboldt, South Dakota, even
though none of us live in Humboldt. We are all proud Marines.
- Judy Ann Klima, Saint Charles, Illinois
My Army story is not one of
heroics or valor but one that may ring true for many veterans,
especially women. When I joined, women were trained separately
from men and were not sent to combat areas, except for nurses
and a few other exceptions. Like many young people, I could not
wait to leave home and prove myself. After basic training and
AIT, I was assigned as a medic to Valley Forge Army Hospital in
Pennsylvania. I worked in an orthopedic ward and almost all of
our patients had been wounded in Vietnam. I changed thousands of
dressings, hung traction, rolled skin grafts, did pre-op and
post-op care. I also folded probably tons of laundry, emptied
urinals, took TPR's, made beds and listened...listened to the
moans and sometimes screams of men in pain, listened to them
talk about family back home, listened to their fears of what
would be their future and listened to the joy of hearing they
were going home. It was hard work, it was sometimes
heartbreaking work, but most of all, it was rewarding work.
I still think of that time in my life and wonder what happened
to my patients. I hope that I eased their pain a little because
it was the most responsible and rewarding job I have ever had,
and I tried my best to be good at it.
- Patricia A. Kroupa, Sioux Falls, SD
As I remember back, I had no
fear or idea of the real world. All I knew was trust in everyone
I was around. We lived together 24 hours a day and lived as one.
Oh, what a black-out in my life. I was discharged at Travis AFB
and told to put my civilian cloths on (for fear of trouble) and
go home. I went to Aberdeen and applied for a job with AT&T
because they were hiring. They asked me a few questions and then
asked if I had just returned home from Vietnam. I said yes, and
the man quickly told me, "We are not hiring Vietnam vets." So my
new life began....
- Dennis L. Lau, Weston, MO
I was on duty in Korea when I
was sent TDY into Thailand to serve at Camp Friendship to help
maintain a Ghost Division. When regular troop replacements
reported, I was told that I could leave. Without a passport, I
was told that I could not go out through normal challenges. One
night about 9pm I was called to company headquarters, I was told
that there would be a plane at the dark end of the runway
warming its engines at 11pm, the door would be open. A friend
took me to the area, I jumped the fence, boarded a C47 and we
went out over Laos to Saigon where I caught an official military
flight back to Korea to finish my tour there.
- Lawrence R. Madsen, Gettysburg, SD
I am a retired career USAF
officer, having served for over 30 years. I was in Vietnam from
November 1969 through October 1970. I was assigned to the 8th
Aerial Port Squadron at Tan Son Nhut AB, near Saigon. My duties
involved supervision of the load crews for all tactical airlift
originating and terminating at TSN during my 12 hour shift for
around 600 flights daily. This was a dangerous and demanding
duty, operating in often very difficult weather conditions,
heat, and rain, where oppressive humidity was the norm, and
often in blackout conditions on what was, at the time, the
world's busiest airfield. We were occasionally fired on by 122mm
rockets and large mortars. One of my duties was to insure all
human remains returned from the fields of battle via airlift to
TSN for processing at the US Army Mortuary at TSN were
expeditiously handled. These remains were usually in a body bag
or wrapped in a rubber "poncho", neither of which were barriers
to the blood, gore and smell of recently killed humans. I helped
handle over 2,000 such remains during my tour. I also flew five
combat missions in 0-1E Bird Dog reconnaissance aircraft over
the Ho Chi Minh Trail in the spring of 1970, flying with Walt
and Pterodactyl Forward Air Controllers (FACS) out of Ghia Nhia
in the Central Highlands. Two South Dakotans killed in the
Vietnam War were my close personal friends; Captain Chuck Lane
from Tabor was my classmate at Yankton College and 1st
Lieutenant Bob "Chomp" Lewis from Pierre was my childhood friend
and classmate at Northern State College.
- Lawrence R. Mayes, Rapid City, SD
I spent my entire time in
Southeast Asia as a field artillery fire support
officer/coordinator in a daily combat environment with infantry
units at platoon, company, battalion & brigade levels. In that
capacity, I had the fortune of working very closely with many
wonderful people who still influence my life even today. I owe
my very life to many who were not as fortunate as me. Six of the
commanders I worked directly with became four-star generals.
- David R. Morgan, Huron, SD
Could help out if you need it.
Curt
- Curtiss J. Nehlich, Dupree, SD
It was Christmas Eve, 1969, Camp
Love, Vietnam just south and west of DaNang. The War Gods had
essentially called a "time out." The officers of my battalion
were gathered in a rather safe structure made from granite stone
and mortar which was appropriately called the "Officers Club."
On this night, we were kicking back, drinking beer and being
entertained by a USO sponsored band from the Philippines. The
three gals and two guys slaughtered the Christmas carols we knew
and remembered but we all joined in, never-the-less, in a
surrealistic celebration of Christmas Eve. Weapons, helmets and
flak jackets were hung on the pegs in the wall by the door and
the evening was transitioning to a pleasant state of melancholy.
All of a sudden the familiar sounds of M-16 and M-60 machine gun
fire broke out in the northern sector (my sector) of our
compound. The officers scrambled for their weapons and gear and
returned to their respective sectors of the defensive perimeter.
I'm sure the Filipino band hit the deck, but I didn't turn back
to check. By the time I reached my company's position, the sky
was lit up like the 4th of July. Flares hung in the sky
everywhere. Tracer rounds streaked out over our wire into the
valley between our compound and the FLC compound a half-mile
away. My Battalion S-3 was shouting over the radio asking where
the fire was coming from. Nobody knew. All of the fire seemed to
originate from our side of the barbed wire and no fire was being
returned. "Cease Fire, Cease Fire!" was relayed to every fox
hole and every bunker until only the hiss of the remaining
flares in the sky could be heard. A call out for a report of
casualties was made. No casualties.
"Who started firing, first?"
No response.
"What the hell were we firing
at?"
No response.
"Why in hell were we firing our
weapons?"
A humble voice from a yet-to-be
determined foxhole finally replied: "'Cause it's Christmas,
sir."
- Monty K. Nereim, San Diego, CA
The Vietnam experience was both
good and bad! I've seen many people suffer the horrors of war,
yet at the same time, I made life-long friends. We as SeaBees
were largely made up of skilled building tradesmen that did a
lot of construction work that still is in use today, such as
bridges, airports, roads, powerlines, railways and water
systems. We were lucky in that much of our service in Vietnam
was a contribution both to the U.S. Military and to the people
of Vietnam.
- John North, Huron, S D
H.C. Nupen was awarded his first
Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement during
the Tet Offensive of 1968. On Feb. 1st, Nupen was in Ban Me
Thuot during the enemy invasion. He was able, along with another
gunship, to lift-off and see that an entire city block,
containing 125 Marines, was completely surrounded and was sure
to be overrun. With extremely accurate rocket launches and
repeated mini-gun passes, through heavy automatic weapons fire,
Nupen and the second gunship were able to drive the enemy from
the area and were given full credit for saving the lives of the
U.S. Marines.
Nupen's second Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded while
flying in support of a long range reconnaissance patrol. The
patrol came under heavy attack by hostile forces. Nupen didn't
realize that the mini-guns were malfunctioning until in full
attack position. Despite the malfunction, he flew in over the
enemy making it look like he was going to fire and drew the
attack towards him. These dry firing passes diverted the
attention of the enemy away from the patrol. Learning that the
hostile force was within 100 meters of the troops, Nupen made a
highly accurate rocket pass that disorganized the hostiles and
allowed another helicopter to rescue the patrol.
Nupen completed over 1500 sorties, including assisting in a
rescue of a downed F-100 pilot in Cambodia. In 1971, the Nupen
brothers initiated a memorial scholarship fund at SDSU honoring
the school's graduates killed in Vietnam. This scholarship is
still in existence today.
- Harlan C. Nupen
My South Vietnamese friends had
next to nothing in material goods, but enjoyed life and loved
their families and friends. I'm happy that we were able to help
them, but they already had the most important things in life.
- Steven J. Ogden, Louisville, TN
I have a lot of stories and
memories of being on the USS Constellation and the short
time I was in DaNang, Vietnam.
- Larry V. Ollerich, Sioux Falls, SD
I learned about the June 9, 1972
Rapid City flood when my unit (the 560th MP company) received
the June 12th edition of the Stars and Stripes. One of
the guys who knew I was from Rapid City brought me a copy right
away. Since my family lived next to Rapid Creek, I immediately
sought help from my Commanding Officer to find out if my family
was okay. The Red Cross in DaNang was notified by my unit, and
two days later they relayed the message that my family had lost
their home, but survived the flood by clinging to the roof of
our house. I wanted to go home to help, but we were in the
middle of the Eastertide offensive and no one was going
anywhere. Later in August 1972, when I returned home, I was
dismayed to see all the damage in Rapid City. Looking back on
this, I sometimes wonder if I cheated death by being in Vietnam.
- Gary N. Overby, Tracy, CA
These memories are still hard
today: Mud, mosquitoes, red ants, hot temps, humidity, rain,
mud, sweat and more mud.
- Thomas L. Reecy, Dell Rapids, SD
I will never forget that day in
February 1968 that the Army car pulled up in our driveway. Three
weeks prior, we had been notified that Dave was missing in
action. The Army was there to tell my parents the news they had
dreaded: Dave had been killed. As long as I live, I will never
forget the grief my parents suffered over the loss of their son.
They taught my brothers, sisters and I to honor and respect the
sacrifice of the American soldiers and their families. My family
and I are very proud of Dave and all veterans that answered
their call to duty and served this great country of ours. You
will never be forgotten.
- David L. Rickels, Graham, TX
I worked the entire four years
after tech school at Scott Air Force Base-Military Airlift
Command hospital. Scott also happened to be the TB control
center of the AF. I trained as a 902, to work beside the RNs. I
worked in the labor and delivery, ob/gyn , and for a short time
in the family practice clinic.
As a 902, we could apply for flight status and go on the flights
supplied by our base. Our unit was part of the Operation Baby
lift at the end of the war. At MAC headquarters, we had a very
large runway to accommodate some of the larger planes. Some
tincluded the C5 Starlifters, C130s, and,
towards the end of my stay,
Harriers, which while living on
base, we definitely knew when they landed and taken off. Scott
has a large hospital, and it wasn't unusual at that time to
deliver up to 12 babies in 24 hours. Midway through my years, we
were assigned one of the AF's neonatologists in our nursery.
Needless to say, we got a lot of problem pregnancies and dealt
with a lot of very small, critical newborns. The smallest
newborn I assisted with was 1 lb. 2 oz at birth. I thank God
everyday for my own healthy children. The oldest, Jamie, was
born at Scott.(After getting out of the service, I had Buck,
Sammie, and later Zane. I still think about these years and the
experiences (yes, we saw the Thunderbirds every year). I still
use the "chain of command", can still tell military time, have a
memorized social security number, and still use my medical
training (even on the ranch animals). After having a TB test
every six months for four years, still to this day, I react to
the standard TB test.
- Dawn A Rinehart, Highmore, SD
SSG Schaffer died in 2003 from
illnesses related to Agent Orange.
- Dennis D. Schaffer
We arrived in Vietnam in the
middle of the night and the aircraft shut off all its lights.
Upon disembarking from the plane, we were instantly under a
mortar attack. We were instructed to get low and run for the
bunkers besides the runway. That night, I heard rockets,
mortars, gunship fire, and jet aircraft taking off and landing.
Flares lit up the night sky. I was scared to death. I was sure I
would die my first night there.
After my one year in Vietnam,
the flight out was such a relief. There was total silence on
that plane until the pilot announced we were out of Vietnam air
space. Then there was a roar and applause. Yes, that night and
others I will never forget.
- Harlan (Harley) J. Schmidt , Tehachapi, California
I had the honor of being a pilot
of a Huey helicopter, the old B and C model gunships, and the
H-model. We flew the two corps area in the Central Highlands. I
spent one tour from Apr 1970 to Apr 1971. It was the period of
"Vietnamization" where we got to train Vietnamese pilots. Very
interesting. I saw much in that short year, but only a few
occasions seem to have remained with me over the years. We were
covering a convoy one day, the trucks were going one way and
Vietnamese refugees were headed the other way. Everything they
owned was on their backs or on their bicycles. I suppose either
the Viet Cong or the Americans had torched their village. The
image of all those poor souls going down the road has stuck in
my memory. Another occasion was when the Koreans were involved
in combat. A sister helicopter was hauling back dead bodies from
the combat area and unloading them at the little landing zone
where we were. Rigor mortis had already taken place and the
bodies were in different positions. They simply pulled them off
the helicopter onto the ground. It was a stark reminder that
there were actually people losing life.
One of my crew chiefs was wounded on a mission that I was also
involved in. He managed to live for several weeks. I visited him
several times in the hospital at Quin Honh. I took him some
letters one day, but he was unable to read them. He asked me to
read them. I remember that large quonset building filled with
guys that were not expected to make it. Paul Nolen died the day
I left Vietnam.
Vietnam was a very beautiful
country. We actually had good times too. We saved lives as well
as took lives. It was much better when we could save them. The
task, it seems, is to remember the good times and not dwell on
the bad times. Sometimes we manage to do that. Other times we
are not that successful at not remembering the bad.
- Darwin L. Schmiedt, Woonsocket, SD
In 1968, after being discharged,
I entered and stayed at the VA Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD for
about three months as a patient. I was told at that time that I
was their first Vietnam veteran.
- Earl R. Schultz, Aberdeen, SD
I attended three years of
college after high school and maintained 2-S status. I took a
job in Spearfish, SD and received my notice to take a physical
within 30 days. 30 days later, I received my DRAFT NOTICE.
All my friends were enlisting in the Navy or Air Force. I said
two years would not be too long, and let myself get drafted. I
was sent to Fort Lewis, WA for basic training and then to Fort
McClellan, Alabama for Infantry Training, My buddies talked me
into requesting Jump School in Ft. Benning, GA. I then got
orders for Vietnam (it then seemed like a bad dream) until I
returned to Ft. Lewis and received an early out because my time
remaining in active service was less than five months. I did not
get called up for reserves and did not have any contact with the
Army until I received my discharge.
I did not look back on my
experience or talk about it until I attended a Vietnam veterans'
reunion in Ft. Collins, Colorado. I have since attended The
Society of the 173d Airborne reunions in Tucson, AZ and
Rochester, MN. The City of Rochester gave us a real "Welcome
Home" celebration that really made me feel like that year in
Vietnam was something I should be proud of. I went back to
college when I got out in 1969 and did not feel comfortable with
the protests and demonstrations, but accepted the freedom that
those people had to express their views. When I was drafted, I
believed we should be patriotic and do our duty.
Today, I have two sons that are
of draft age and I hope to Hell they do not get drafted! I think
it is time for this nation to take care of business at home and
get rid of the war mongers that want to fight for oil. The
National Guard should be at home to deal with the hurricanes,
tornados, earthquakes and the flu crisis that faces this nation.
- Rickford A. Schumann, Pierre, SD
Our duty on both ships was to
deliver Marines and their supplies to the shores of Vietnam.
Then, most of the time, we would sit off the shore for days and
then go pick up what was left. The Marines were always glad to
see us and were glad to get hot food and a warm shower.
- Keith M. Senska, Woonsocket, SD
I was Life Support Supervisor at
NKP Thailand. Our mission was rescuing downed pilots. We
had A-1 Sky Raider Aircraft and Jolly Green Giant Helicopters.
- Tom M. Sherman, Sisseton, SD
I entered the Navy in Omaha, NE
then went to San Diego, CA for boot camp. After that, I went to
Memphis, TN for electronics schooling. Then I was sent to the
USS Ranger and worked on the A-6 Intruder as a module repair
technician. I was part of four cruises on the ship. We usually
stayed on station for four weeks, then went to port for about
six days. We flew combat missions about 12 hours a day and our
shop worked 12 hour shifts, night and day.
- Lee B. Squires, Clear Lake, SD
My Military Story
John M. Sweet
US56566417
24 July 1968 - 10 July 1970
Service in Vietnam 12 July 1969 - 10 July 1970
My first encounter with the US
Army was after I graduated from high school in 1964 and was
called for my first physical. This routine continued for the
next four years. During the first two years at Dakota Wesleyan
University, the secretary for the local draft board, Sylvia
Krick, told me that as long as I had a 2.0 GPA that my deferment
would stay in place. Then in 1967, the routine changed and I was
told they were giving four years of deferment for college and
that would be it.
It seems there were a whole lot of guys with 2.00000001 GPA's
who were in their 5th, 6th,.... years of college. I graduated
from DWU on Sunday, June 2, 1968. I went home on Monday, and on
Tuesday my dad and I drove over to De Smet to see what Sylvia
had to say. She told me that if I didn't have my draft notice by
a week from Thursday I wouldn't go in until August. I received
the notice a week from Thursday and was told to report on 23
July 1968.
I had made up my mind long ago that I was going to take the
draft, get in my two years, then get out and on with life. No
regular Army for me. This proved to be a dangerous decision. I
learned later that I was lacking in wisdom.
Growing up in rural South Dakota
with a strong deference for authority and a patriotic spirit
that was instilled by participating in the Cub Scouts and the
Boy Scouts, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance each day in
school, and by attending the American Legion Memorial Day
Programs, the thought of going to Canada or even voicing
objection to the war was not even considered. If the
Commander-in-Chief, Richard Nixon, said that "if Vietnam falls,
there will be a domino effect all across Asia" who was I to
question such wisdom? So off I went, naive about the
possibilities that existed.
Even at Dakota Wesleyan
University, home of the liberal Democratic nominee for
President, George McGovern, there was not any dissent. McGovern
brought his views to campus, but they were not accepted there or
anyplace else, except Massachusetts—the only state he carried in
the election. So, on 24 July 1968, I went to Sioux Falls and
joined a bunch of other guys for the plane trip to Fort Lewis,
Washington for Basic Combat Infantry Training. Morale among this
group wasn't particularly high, to say the least. The one person
I knew when I got there was Richard Rasmussen, another hometown
boy. His stint didn't last long. I met one guy, Chuck Gorman,
who had just graduated from college that spring and knew some of
my friends at South Dakota State University. Our friendship
lasted until tragedy struck later.
At the beginning of basic training, we went through a place
called Classification and Assignment. Here they reviewed all
your test scores, education, experience, etc. in order to
determine your Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) and how your
skills and abilities could best serve Uncle Sam. When I reached
the final station, the guy told me, "With your test scores and
education I don't know where you will be placed but it won't be
infantry." That was good enough for me because by then we had
learned that infantry was not the place to be.
After several weeks, my friend
Richard Rasmussen was having big-time difficulty with the
physical training aspects of Basic. He was born with a foot
problem which hampered his athletic career all through school.
Why the induction center in Sioux Falls didn't catch it during
his normal physical can be attributed to two things: One, Uncle
needed anyone he could get, no matter their physical condition.
Two, Richard really wanted to join the Army and gain from the
experience, so he didn't call attention to the problem. Richard
was sent home, much to his chagrin. The rest of us were jealous.
At about week seven of basic training, our orders came down. My
primary MOS was 11C40 - infantry mortars and my secondary MOS
was 11B40 - rifleman. Every time we marched by the
Classification and Assignment Building I wanted to go in and
strangle that guy who had told me otherwise. What was really
depressing was that there would be 12 more weeks of combat
training in an Advanced Infantry Training Company right there at
Fort Lewis. I didn't see how I could take 12 more weeks of this
stuff.
At the beginning of AIT, another
friend from home had been drafted. Bob Whites was a high school
friend that I kept in contact with during college. He was in a
basic training company at Fort Lewis and I was able to visit him
in his barracks on several occasions. I felt bad for anyone who
was going through this with a wife at home, as Bob was.
During AIT, I signed up for a
Non-Commissioned Officer Candidate Course at Ft. Benning, GA.
Anything to delay the inevitable assignment to Vietnam. This was
a new fast track program to get people trained to lead 81" and
4.1" mortar squads. Upon graduation, you earned the rank of E-5
(buck sergeant).
On December 13, 1968, I picked up Chuck Gorman (in a blizzard)
in Tyndall, SD and we drove to Columbus, GA. We were placed in a
casual company because our cycle wasn't starting until January.
In the casual company we pulled KP and guard duty. We could
either have off Christmas or the week after. Since I had just
been home, I recruited two Basic and AIT buddies, Andy Cappelli
and Chris Nelson from the San Francisco area, and we took off
for Miami Beach on December 26. We had a great week in Florida
during the Orange Bowl festivities. I visited my cousin, Dave
Knight, who was going to graduate school at the University of
Miami,
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