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After high school didn't know what I wanted to do. Started getting into some trouble and me and my dad had a heart to heart talk to which I went down to the draft board to volunteer for the draft the next day. I didn't want to enlist into the military because of how much time you had to sign up for.
Eventually was sent to Nam. Was assigned to a grunt unit and carried the M-79 for 3 months, then eventually the under/over version (M-16 on top, M-79 on bottom) for 3 months. As for firefights saw light fighting. After being in-country for 6mo I was the senior guy in my outfit and was asked if I wanted to see Bob Hope or be assigned to a MP outfit on Christmas Eve. I chose the MP job with hesitation due to the comradeship with my unit but chose the MP job because my dad asked me to promise him to take a rear job if I was offered one. Came home from Nam on emergency leave due to my brother being killed in a car crash. As I was a short timer with a couple of months left in my tour of duty I was reassigned to stateside duty. I wanted to go back to Nam to finish my time in the Army but was told the only way for me to go back to Nam was to re-enlist since I was going to be discharged early. Re-enlisting wasn't in my plans.
After Nam I was sent to Ft. Knox to serve as a MP for 3mo. to which the Army was true to their word that they were giving me an early discharge from the Army. In total I spent a total of 1yr-9mo.
After the military I got a job and was engaged for a short time but it didn't work out. It was probably best we didn't marry for I was going thru some personal issues with Nam and alcohol. I have wondered thru the years how life has treated Carol which I believe she has done well for herself. She was very creative in art. Even tried going to college but I just couldn't sit in the classroom.
As for work I mostly worked in the oil industry. Just like college I couldn't stay in one spot. Started working at Texaco after I was discharged from the Army, then worked for the City of Long Beach for the Gas Dept. a few years. Moved on to Arco for 13 yrs. Eventually walked off that job and was unemployed for years until I received a phone call out of the blue from a company that had contracts with the oil platforms off of Seal Beach which eventually led to a job. Worked with a great bunch of guys that took care of me. Would work a week on and have a week off. Went to work with a smile and left work with a smile.
Was involved with a Nam veterans group for a short period of time. This group spearheaded the Vietnam Memorial that is at Houghton Park in Long Beach. While being a participant with this group getting the memorial built I met Dixie. After a few months of dating we went to Washington, DC to visit and see the Wall. One night laying in bed we were talking about our moms and realized that they had both worked at Woodruff Community Hospital and were friends. We've been together for 20 plus years now.
Being involved with that veteran group I got tight with a few of the members which were very helpful in me filing a service connected disability with the VA. I believed I wouldn't be service connected but they pushed me to file. They knew something about me that I couldn't or wouldn't see in myself but they saw something in me that would service connect me with a disability. I eventually received a 100% service connection. I'm very grateful for their help and pushing me to file. When I did file the VA lost my paper work and told me I had to refile within a time limit. I wasn't going to refile until one of my vet friends found out that the VA lost my claim. He told the other vets who had helped me and they once again pushed me to refile the claim. I would've never refiled the claim if they had not intervened. It was they that helped me the most, many years after Nam. For they are truly my brothers.
I've had my pit falls in life as everyone else but I've been fortunate with the help I have received from my vet friends. Been clean and sober for 36 years....Life is good today.
