Page 89 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2022 - Online Magazine
P. 89
Army
VietnAm
In early January 1969, Mike and to Pleiku (Central Highlands Houston after Germany, but
his buddy headed to Ft. Lewis Region) headed for Da Nang. after my leave, I returned to
near Tacoma, Washington for One end of our barracks was Vietnam for another tour in
their flight out to Vietnam. blown up; fortunately, I was in January 1969. I had to fly in a
“We flew into Seattle and took the other end. I spent the night Class A uniform that time and
a bus to Ft. Lewis and headed in a bunker. I was assigned spent time in Chu Lai, Nah
back to Seattle to get a flight to Company B, 37th Signal Trang and at headquarters in
but got snowed in, so it was Battalion, which was the base Saigon. There were some really
back to Ft. Lewis, then back to communication center for the nice restaurants there, but it was
Seattle where we got snowed Americal Division. I was sent still dangerous. I was walking
in again! We finally got a flight to Chu Lai as a brand-new down the street once, and my
and landed in Kam Ranh Bay. Sergeant E-5. My last duty buddy pushed me up against
It was under a rocket attack station there was in Nah Trang, a wall just before a restaurant
at the time, so we had to slide a coastal base used to send exploded. My buddy said,
down the (emergency) chute troops for R&R.” ’Did you see that young boy
of the plane and run to the with the backpack walk into the
bus. I lost my shot records, Mike was stationed in restaurant? He was a suicide
so I had to take the required Frankfurt, Germany in June bomber.’ You could really tell
shots all over again. I was sick 1968. He guarded the post for you were in a combat zone at
for a few days. I was then sent 5 1/2 months there. “I came to night with all the rockets going
Lubbock Senior Link 89
