Page 78 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2017- Online Magazine

WORLD WAR II

Doug Foster Veteran Doug Foster and
the Healing Wall

by Larry A. Williams
Veterans Liaison Co-Chair, Texas South Plains Honor Flight Board

graduated in 1961, in a class of Operation Shenandoah I and then
33, from Hermleigh High School, Shenandoah II, also called the Battle
followed by continuing education of Ong Thanh.
at Texas Tech from 1961 to 1965; he On October 16, 1967, Doug’s unit
remarked that he really regretted was led on point by a Viet Cong
not finishing. He met and married defector. The point man was killed
Belinda on December 13, 1963. very shortly, and a firefight broke
While working at Volker Furniture out. Doug saw men hit all around
& Floor Covering in Lubbock, he him. He said he knew an attack
received his draft notice in October was imminent as he “could always
of 1965 but wasn’t called up until smell the marijuana that the Viet
October, 1966. He added that Cong snipers were smoking up
he and “33 other men from the in the trees.” While running for
Hermleigh area were called up and cover, Doug landed at the base of
sent to basic training at Ft. Bliss, a tree and looked up just in time to
Texas.” Like him, several of the men see a sniper dropping a small hand
were older and were married. He grenade that the men called a “half
was sent on to Ft. Polk, Louisiana pint”. He said that, “while these
for infantry training and was on grenades did damage, had it been
oug Foster had heard about the list for OCS (Officer Candidate an American grenade, I wouldn’t
the Texas South Plains School) due to his college education. be around to tell the story.” Hit in
DHonor Flight from some After two or three months of waiting several places by shrapnel, Doug
veterans in Snyder who had gone on for the school to start, he told his was airlifted to the hospital in
the trip. Doug, a Vietnam veteran, commanding officer to “go ahead Bien Hua where he spent a week
didn’t think he was eligible because and send me on to Vietnam.” recovering. He and other wounded
he felt like it was mostly for WWII men were then “sent to the seaside
and Korean War vets. However, he Doug was assigned to the 2nd resort Vung Tao to recover from our
finally applied in 2014 and received Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry wounds, as it was felt that the sea
the call in September, 2016 that they Division - the famed Big Red 1 unit
“had a spot for him on the flight.” It - and left from Travis AFB on June
was still a difficult decision for Doug 13, 1967, landing in Saigon. His first
as he had never been to Washington, assignment was to go out on night
D.C. and wasn’t sure how he would patrol. On only his third night out,
react to the Vietnam Wall. For him, his unit got into an ambush, and
it was more difficult than most three enemies were killed. Doug
as he probably lost more buddies was an M60 Machine Gunner and
than many others in the war, fellow was soon in charge of three other
soldiers whose names are etched on gunners. During one ambush, he
the long black wall. ran out of ammunition and asked
his ammo bearer, Joe B. Crutcher,
Douglas Glenn Foster was born on for more; ironically, he found out
March 9, 1943, in Roscoe, Texas to Crutcher was carrying the boxes
Glenn and Golda Foster. Glenn empty for a lighter load - not a good
and his wife were farmers near spot to be in! After several patrols
Hermleigh, Texas, and Doug and firefights, Doug and his unit,
grew up doing farm work. He based out of Lai Khe, were part of

78 Lubbock Senior Link