had just completed a physical for the draft when I was told that I would be called soon to go into the Army. Immediately I asked if I could go and enlist in the Marine Corps. The gentleman replied back to me, "you can join anything that you want". So thats exactly what I did. I went straight to the Marine recruiters office and signed up for four years in the Marine Corps. Well actually I thought I was signing up for four years but the recruiter misunderstood me and put two years on my contract. I swore in that same day and on October 24th, 1968, I was on my way to wonderful Parris Island for ten of the most trying weeks that I had ever spent in my entire life. On 27 December 1968, the day that I graduated from boot camp, was one of the happiest days of my life. It was the day that I thought would never come. This was a most triumphant time in my life. I had achieved the impossible. How could this be because a few weeks earlier someone surely had me convinced that I wasn't going to make it. I believed I wasn't good enough and I didn't have what it takes, little did I know at the time that those DI's that slapped me around at times, called me every name that was in the book and then some, was only playing mind games with me that was preparing me to go into a place that would make an impression upon me that would stay with me probably throughout the remainder of my life! The next stage of duty was at the Infantry Training Regiment (ITR) in Camp Gieger, North Carolina, even though the training was equally as hard, the atmosphere had a much different tone to it than Parris Island's which mostly messed with a mans head to clear out all traces of civilian life that had come into there with the individual. I had made a lot of friends while there and these friends would go with me throughout my enlistment. Most of us got seperated because of a difference in our MOS or different duty stations. After the things that we had been through together it never occured to us that we would ever forget each others names or what we looked liked, and really there is times that I actually think I can see their faces in my mind and I really beleive that I do. At this time in my life I have forgotten a lot of names but I just get my ole graduation book out and refresh my memory from time to time. Well another part of my training was over and I was on my way to another place that was even much more different than the others. I think the reason for that was because it was getting me closer and closer to the reality of what was to come! Finally I got to go home for what I felt was a well deserved 20 day leave. I got to strutt around in front of all the girls in my pretty new uniform, but it didn't seem to have the inpact on them that I thought it would. Leave went by very fast and I was having a hard time with that because by now I had already received orders to go to Camp Pendelton, California for staging training to prepare us for duty somewhere in Vietnam. I can remember how hard it was to say last goodbyes to my family, people that I had never been away from for any period of time in my whole life. I knew I was going to have to get used to the fact that I wasn't going to see them for at least a year. I stepped on that plane and I don't even think I looked back! It was goodbye West Virginia and Good Morning Vietnam!!!! My first trip to California and I wasn't going to enjoy much of it at all. I was put in 4th Replacement Company were troops were staged to replace the many combat seasoned Marines that wanted to come home!!! Staging training was very rigorous training with a lot of high mountains to climb, that was one time for sure that I was glad that I was raised in the mountains of good ole West Virginia. I really beleive that my mountain climbing experience got me through good ole Los Pogas. Los Pogas was a part of Camp Pendelton and what I think was the worst part! During my time at Pendelton I met a great friend even though I can't remember his name I will never forget his face. We went a lot of places together. He went with me just about everytime that I went to Oceanside which was a small town outside of Camp Pendelton. We talked a lot about different things, especially Vietnam wondering what it was going to be like over there. He told me that he was from Beckley, West Virginia which was about 70 or 80 miles from my hometown, but had been living close to Hillsville, Virginia or the other way around I can't remember which. How wonderful it would be just to be able to remember that boys name. Anyway when staging training was over we were on our way to the Marine Corps Air Station in El Toro, Ca., to make one of the longest flights of my life! We had a short stay in Okinawa and then on to DaNang, RVN. I can remember that first sight of Vietnam. It was truly scary. We flew around in the air for what seemed like 30 to 45 minutes before it was safe enough to land. When the plane finally landed they herded us out like a bunch of cattle onto a truck with the longest bed that I had ever seen. One main issue that I have talked about with other fellow Vietnam Veterans is the fact that they sent us from DaNang to our duty places which seemed like it took all day before they ever issued us a rifle or ammunition! The Regiment and Battalion that I was assigned to was 3/1, at that time the battalion was in the same place with regiment I remember the area being called the Sand Dunes and it was located somewhere between Hill 37 and Hill 55. It must had been a temporary holding area because there was another unit in there with us and it was in the process of moving out and going back aboard ship. I'm only guessing but I think the unit that was moving out was the 27th Marines. It was in the last part of August or the first part of September of 1969. Well after reaching the sand dunes I was given my first rifle and ammo and I was assigned to H&S company 81mm Mortar Platoon, then a few weeks later we moved out to Hill 37. Well going back to the Sand dunes and my assignment to H&S Co. It wasn't the first place that they assigned me. Do you remember back a little ways when I told you about my friend that I became close too in California, well we were both being assigned to Kilo or Lima Company I can't quite remember which, when a gentleman (company clerk) popped his head from the H&S company hooch and asked if there were any 0341's<81mm Mortarmen) in the group. Well my hand was the first to go up along with another Marine by the name of Rodriguez, and we were assigned to the 81 mortar Plt. At that time my friend whose MOS was 0311 (rifleman) stayed with the rifle Company. There was only a few more times that I ever saw him again which I will tell you more about further along in the story. Well, I finally got settled in with my platoon, and brother I mean these were a great bunch of guys. They certainly took care of my young hide. There was Cpl. Bell who become a great friend of mine. I was on Cpl. Bells gun crew and he was a very professional individual and a credit to the Marine Corps. I remember that I didn't get a lot of care packages from home but I was always priviledged to his. Cpl Bell's girlfriend Judy who later became his wife sent him a lot of great things. L/Cpl Gibbons, there was another great guy, he was from Pineville, Ky., not far from my Dads hometown. We got along just fine! Then there was Cpl Johnson who was from Houston Texas. I remember all the great times that we had singing together, but he had a much greater voice than mine. Then there was L/Cpl Coffield*Merry Hill NC, PFC Gerdes*Florence KY, PFC Wakefield*Cincinnati Oh, L/Cpl Stolz*Cabell Co WV, PFC Peterson Bennally*Gallup NM, L/Cpl Johnson*Jackson MISS, Pfc Benito Flores*Brownsville TX, Pfc Rodriguez*Tucson AZ, L/Cpl Rodriguez*Chicago IL, Cpl Howard*Bucks Harbor Maine, Sgt Tracy*Oakland Ca., and this one I have been saving for last because every detail that I got put on whether it be guard duty, guarding prisoners, or burning the toilets, ole L/Cpl Harrison was with me. His hometown was close to Charlotte NC, he was a real friend and southern gentleman. These were in my opinion the greatest Marines that ever lived and I miss them all. Even though we all saw a glimpse of hell together we all tried very hard to keep everybodys' spirits up, and we did even during the trying of times. Being an 81mm Mortar crewman was a very demanding job. When someone needed our support they had to have it quick, and believe me that was the way they got it whether it be high explosive ammo or Illumination they got it fast. Our guns were situated in places like Hill 22, Hill 55, Ga noi,Island, and Charlie Ridge, a lot of lives were lost in these places but will never be forgotten. Hill 37 also saw a lot of action. It seems that the enemy harrassed us there around the clock. I can only remember one nite through the whole thing that we didn't get hit by the enemy and that was on New years Eve. I even think things broke out then before the nite was through. But I am thankful for a great bunch of guys who unselfishly looked out for everyone elses welfare. Thank you Marine Corps for training us to be that way!!! Well before I close this story up I have to tell you about a tragedy that happen only about a month or two after I got there. My friend that I went through Staging Battalion with, and had gotten seperated from when they put him in a rifle company and me in the mortar Plt. He had communicated with me only a few times since then. I began to miss him, so while on guard duty with someone from his company, I decided to ask about him. Thats when I found out that he had been killed by another Marine. I was told that this person had done it intentionally. I had a hard time dealing with that. My friend was a fine person, had no bad habits and was always good to everybody. I still to this day have a hard time dealing with it. What makes matters even worse is the fact that I can't remember his name. I knew it only as far back as 10 years ago. I've tried really hard to remember it but I can't. Maybe I never will but old friend one thing that you can count on your memory will always be alive in my heart and Semper Fi wherever you are!!! I know that I will be ending this story leaving a lot of events out. There are so many things that has erased from my memory because of a service related illness called PTSD. I am home now but I don't think that I ever really left that place. I carry a lot of guilt around with me constantly, because I got to come back and a lot of others didn't. At this time I am totally and permanently 100% service connected disabled and it looks as if I am going to have to live with that war for the rest of my life!! I have a great support group that I attend weekly. A great bunch of veterans attend this group with me. I am glad that for a little while I got the opportunity to help defend the greatest country on earth, The United States of America, and believe me I would gladly do it again. I am also thankful that I got to be part of the greatest fighting force in the world "The United States Marine Corps".