Document Type

Oral History

Interviewee name

Robert Railton

Interviewer

Marija Randall

Interview date

6-14-2003

Interview location

Winship Green Nursing Center, Bath, Maine

Time

00:32:57

Files

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Abstract

Robert Railton, interviewed by Marija Randall at Winship Green Nursing Center, Bath, Maine on June 14, 2003. Railton provides short responses to questions from the interviewer about his early life, growing up in Middletown, New Jersey; his father’s suicide; his family's history of serving in the military; working as a mechanic; and his limited knowledge of the war in Vietnam, but enlisting rather than waiting to be drafted believing he had a better chance at surviving if he enlisted. Railton enlisted in the Marines and served as a mechanic with the 3rd Marine Division. Railton speaks about the difficulty telling the enemy apart from civilians, knowing Viet Cong soldiers were in the city, knowing some Vietnamese wanted the Americans to leave. Arriving in Da Nang, Railton immediately went to work as a mechanic repairing truck and tanks, wanting to do a good job so no one driving one of his vehicles got killed. Text: 19 pp. transcript. Audio: mfc_na4464_01A, mfc_na4464_01B, mfc_na4464_02A. Time: 01:03:55.

Listen:

Part 1. mfc_na4464_01A
Part 2. mfc_na4464_01B
Part 3. mfc_na4464_02A

Disciplines

Military History | Oral History | United States History

Birth date

October 24, 1947

Location

Newark, Essex County, New Jersey

Death date

September 23, 2006

Location

Bath, Sagadahoc, Maine

Nation of origin

United States

Home state/Territory

New Jersey

Gender

Male

Ethnicity

European-American

Occupation

Mechanic

Branch of service

U.S. Marine Corps

Service Unit

3rd Marine Division

Dates of service

May 11, 1966-May 2, 1968

Date of entry

May 11, 1966

Service entry

Enlisted

Location of Service

Da Nang, Vietnam

Wars & Conflicts

Vietnam War

Battles & Engagements

Tet Offensive, 1968

Entry Rank

E-1 Private

Highest Rank

E-3 Lance Corporal

Exit Rank

E-3 Lance Corporal

Names

Ngô Đình Diệm; Madame Nu

Locations

Middletown, N.J.; Newark; Korea; Parris Island, South Carolina; Da Nang, Vietnam; Huế, Vietnam, China Beach

Headings

Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Collection name

Maine Vietnam Veterans Oral History Project

Collection number

MF224

Item number

NA4464

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Robert Railton, interviewed by Marija Randall, Part 1

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