The Vietnam War

My Graduating Class

The Vietnam War

I got my draft notice and immediately went and interviewed recruiting offices in my town. I talked first to the Army. Then the Marines. The Marine recruiter explained that the Army always prepares a plan of escape, but the Marines never do. The Marines always try to develop a plan when it is needed. Well, it seemed the best way to survive would be to have a plan of escape (or retreat.) A no brainer to me.

If you allowed yourself to be drafted, you would only need to serve for three years. But if you joined you would be required to serve four years. So, to make a long story short, I went and joined the Army. If one joined one could choose an MOS (job.) I was told there were openings in Infantry, Gunnery and Finance. I chose Finance (another no brainer to me.) I would wear the diamond shaped lapel pins of a Finance specialist.

Finance Pins, MOS 73C

Finance Specialist

It was not too long, and I was on my way to processing in Miami. We got some shots there and I watched as some of the biggest and "toughest" guys were kneeling and sitting on the floor, holding their foreheads, propped up by the wall looking like they were about to pass out.

Well, I made it through that with flying colors. No sweat.

During basic training I qualified for officer candidate school and turned it down. I had no thoughts of making the military a career.

When I was about to board the plane to Vietnam, I remember thinking "maybe I will discover what this is all about." Well after almost a year there I still had not figured it out. 

After many years I met a Filipina online and flew to Manila to meet her in person. We met at a shopping mall and hit it off very well. In a short time, against the advice of her friends and family, we were on a plane headed to Mindanao. I was seeking some adventure and she was happy to travel along. The U.S. State Department advised "use extreme caution" while on Mindanao. 

We stayed at hotels there for weeks. 

The Philippines seemed a lot like Vietnam.

We married and had three children. My wife and children are now U.S. citizens and we have flown back and forth between the Philippines and the U.S.A. several times. 

Jet lag is always a problem. But we overcome it by sleeping at weird hours until it is gone.

The guy in this video will shed some light on the situation in the Nam. In the city where I was the people were friendlier. Probably because it was known as The French Riviera of the Far East, a rest area for us and the "enemy." 

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This post will be expanded upon. Check back for more information about read about a former Vietnam veteran in the Philippines. Updated July 31, 2022.