This collection includes oral history interviews conducted by Bates College students as writing projects for HUM246 and HUM390G, The United States in Vietnam, 1941-1975, taught by Christopher Beam.
See also, MF224 Maine Vietnam Veterans Oral History Project, 1999-2001, funded by the Maine Humanities Council.
Content Warning Libraries and archives collect materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. As a result, materials such as those presented here may reflect sexist, misogynistic, abusive, racist, or discriminatory attitudes, actions, or ethnic slurs that some may find disturbing, harmful, or difficult to view. Please exercise discretion.
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Charles Runnels, interviewed by Gary Waters, Part 1
Charles Runnels
Charles Runnels, interviewed by Gary Waters in Abbot, Maine on June 22, 1999. Runnels discusses growing up in Bethel, Maine and attending Gould Academy; being recruited to play football at UMaine but losing the offer due to a low SAT score; graduating on June 13, 1965, and going on active duty with the Marine Corps on August 30, 1965. He relates his experience meeting his new drill sergeant and wondering “when the bad stuff starts;” and taking comfort in the rule that “even if they do kill you they aren’t allowed to eat you…;” graduating as an infantry rifleman; and going through tactical training. Runnels tells of being assigned to the 1st MP [Military Police] Battalion; going through MP training in California; receiving physical training in a steam-filled hold aboard ship; landing off Red Beach at Danang; feeling the soles of his boots sticking to the hot steel of the ship’s deck; and the smell of Vietnam; the process of setting up the battalion base camp; the difficulty men faced adjusting to the climate, heavy work, and disrupted sleep cycles; staking “scud showers;” going on patrol near the Danang River and frequently being appointed to walk point. Runnels speaks extensively about reassignment of Charlie Company following Prairie One and being sent to occupy Hill 43 and the surrender of a group of North Vietnamese soldiers sick with typhus; the use of signal flares—green flares marking friendlies and red marking enemy troops; his feelings about the ARVN in comparison to “Montagnard” troops; being sent to Okinawa to refit; going to the Philippines; his experience in Operation Deckhouse IV and Operation Beacon Hill; and memories of the White House Bar. Text: 61 pp. transcript, 2 pp. administrative. Audio: mfc_na4506_01A&B, mfc_na4506_02A&B. Time: 02:19:28. Restrictions: No restrictions.
Listen:
Part 1: mfc_na4506_01A
Part 2: mfc_na4506_01B
Part 3: mfc_na4506_02A -
Charles Runnels, interviewed by Gary Waters, Part 2
Charles Runnels
Charles Runnels, interviewed by Gary Waters in Abbot, Maine on June 22, 1999. Runnels discusses growing up in Bethel, Maine and attending Gould Academy; being recruited to play football at UMaine but losing the offer due to a low SAT score; graduating on June 13, 1965, and going on active duty with the Marine Corps on August 30, 1965. He relates his experience meeting his new drill sergeant and wondering “when the bad stuff starts;” and taking comfort in the rule that “even if they do kill you they aren’t allowed to eat you…;” graduating as an infantry rifleman; and going through tactical training. Runnels tells of being assigned to the 1st MP [Military Police] Battalion; going through MP training in California; receiving physical training in a steam-filled hold aboard ship; landing off Red Beach at Danang; feeling the soles of his boots sticking to the hot steel of the ship’s deck; and the smell of Vietnam; the process of setting up the battalion base camp; the difficulty men faced adjusting to the climate, heavy work, and disrupted sleep cycles; staking “scud showers;” going on patrol near the Danang River and frequently being appointed to walk point. Runnels speaks extensively about reassignment of Charlie Company following Prairie One and being sent to occupy Hill 43 and the surrender of a group of North Vietnamese soldiers sick with typhus; the use of signal flares—green flares marking friendlies and red marking enemy troops; his feelings about the ARVN in comparison to “Montagnard” troops; being sent to Okinawa to refit; going to the Philippines; his experience in Operation Deckhouse IV and Operation Beacon Hill; and memories of the White House Bar. Text: 61 pp. transcript, 2 pp. administrative. Audio: mfc_na4506_01A&B, mfc_na4506_02A&B. Time: 02:19:28. Restrictions: No restrictions.
Listen:
Part 1: mfc_na4506_01A
Part 2: mfc_na4506_01B
Part 3: mfc_na4506_02A -
Charles Runnels, interviewed by Gary Waters, Part 3
Charles Runnels
Charles Runnels, interviewed by Gary Waters in Abbot, Maine on June 22, 1999. Runnels discusses growing up in Bethel, Maine and attending Gould Academy; being recruited to play football at UMaine but losing the offer due to a low SAT score; graduating on June 13, 1965, and going on active duty with the Marine Corps on August 30, 1965. He relates his experience meeting his new drill sergeant and wondering “when the bad stuff starts;” and taking comfort in the rule that “even if they do kill you they aren’t allowed to eat you…;” graduating as an infantry rifleman; and going through tactical training. Runnels tells of being assigned to the 1st MP [Military Police] Battalion; going through MP training in California; receiving physical training in a steam-filled hold aboard ship; landing off Red Beach at Danang; feeling the soles of his boots sticking to the hot steel of the ship’s deck; and the smell of Vietnam; the process of setting up the battalion base camp; the difficulty men faced adjusting to the climate, heavy work, and disrupted sleep cycles; staking “scud showers;” going on patrol near the Danang River and frequently being appointed to walk point. Runnels speaks extensively about reassignment of Charlie Company following Prairie One and being sent to occupy Hill 43 and the surrender of a group of North Vietnamese soldiers sick with typhus; the use of signal flares—green flares marking friendlies and red marking enemy troops; his feelings about the ARVN in comparison to “Montagnard” troops; being sent to Okinawa to refit; going to the Philippines; his experience in Operation Deckhouse IV and Operation Beacon Hill; and memories of the White House Bar. Text: 61 pp. transcript, 2 pp. administrative. Audio: mfc_na4506_01A&B, mfc_na4506_02A&B. Time: 02:19:28. Restrictions: No restrictions.
Listen:
Part 1: mfc_na4506_01A
Part 2: mfc_na4506_01B
Part 3: mfc_na4506_02A -
Tony Scucci, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier, Part 1
Tony Scucci
Tony Scucci, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier on July 1, 1999, at Mt. Vernon, Maine. Scucci discusses his early life in school and attending trade school where he studied auto mechanics for four years, graduating in 1966; being drafted into the Army in 1968; believing he would serve as a mechanic but being assigned to the infantry after completing his training. He explains his experience training at Fort Polk, Louisiana; using kerosene-filled tin cans to prevent cockroaches from crawling up the legs of the beds; the phases of belief he experienced leading up to his deployment; being assigned to the 9th Infantry Division north of Saigon then being moved to the Mekong Delta. He tells about his typical day-to-day experience being deployed for missions from Navy vessels that operated on the Mekong River and returning to the vessels every couple of weeks and limiting his personal combat equipment to two canteens, ammunition, his weapon and cigarettes; living like an animal; walking in the rice paddies because the dikes were unsafe; always being wet and carrying valued items—toilet paper, matches, cigarettes—in the band of his helmet to attempt to keep them dry. Scucci talks about arriving in Vietnam on his 20th birthday in March 1968, the heat and the smells, having no control in decision making, and the boredom of waiting to be assigned to a unit; ending up in Dong Tam. He explains that walking established paths and trails was unsafe because of booby traps; walking behind a villager on a path was the only assurance that a path was safe; types of booby traps; learning hyper vigilance and living in constant anxiety that remained with him for years. He describes C-rations food drops from helicopters and the ascribed value of certain rations compared to others—such as peanut butter, which could be burned to heat food—fellow soldiers descending into uncivilized, animalistic behavior fighting over limited rations to survive juxtaposed with standing in line, holding a tray in the chow line to receive hot food “and lots of it;” experiencing free-dried rations for the first time; using C-4 explosives to heat canned food one Thanksgiving. He speaks of having limited contact with Vietnamese civilians; enjoying seeing the children and giving them candy; recognizing the people lived a subsistence lifestyle; feeling conflicted about the lack of American respect for the Vietnamese culture; his feelings on being dragged “kicking and screaming into this whole thing” but being too young to know he had choices; the impact on his parents for not helping him identify those choices; his view of Vietnamese scouts assigned to his units and their lack of dependability. Scucci talks about the difference in the perception of danger between sailors stationed aboard ship and soldiers sleeping aboard ship between patrols when alarms sounded; slack discipline in the field; the “whole approach to combat was to…survive;” his leadership approach; leaving the service with “foot rot” but otherwise uninjured; returning home following the premature birth and subsequent death of his son; requesting reassignment stateside and training to become a drill sergeant to stay remain at Fort Dix; using the GI Bill to go to college; becoming involved in Vietnam Veterans Against the War then getting out of it; feeling he didn’t ‘fit in’ with Veteran groups or student groups; seeking social isolation; ending up going into Social Work. Text: 37 pp. transcript, 3 pp. administrative. Audio: mfc_na4501_01A & mfc_na4501_01B, mfc_na4501_02A. Time: 01:51:04. Restrictions: No restrictions
Listen:
Part 1. mfc_na4501_01A
Part 2. mfc_na4501_01B
Part 3. mfc_na4501_02A -
Tony Scucci, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier, Part 2
Tony Scucci
Tony Scucci, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier on July 1, 1999, at Mt. Vernon, Maine. Scucci discusses his early life in school and attending trade school where he studied auto mechanics for four years, graduating in 1966; being drafted into the Army in 1968; believing he would serve as a mechanic but being assigned to the infantry after completing his training. He explains his experience training at Fort Polk, Louisiana; using kerosene-filled tin cans to prevent cockroaches from crawling up the legs of the beds; the phases of belief he experienced leading up to his deployment; being assigned to the 9th Infantry Division north of Saigon then being moved to the Mekong Delta. He tells about his typical day-to-day experience being deployed for missions from Navy vessels that operated on the Mekong River and returning to the vessels every couple of weeks and limiting his personal combat equipment to two canteens, ammunition, his weapon and cigarettes; living like an animal; walking in the rice paddies because the dikes were unsafe; always being wet and carrying valued items—toilet paper, matches, cigarettes—in the band of his helmet to attempt to keep them dry. Scucci talks about arriving in Vietnam on his 20th birthday in March 1968, the heat and the smells, having no control in decision making, and the boredom of waiting to be assigned to a unit; ending up in Dong Tam. He explains that walking established paths and trails was unsafe because of booby traps; walking behind a villager on a path was the only assurance that a path was safe; types of booby traps; learning hyper vigilance and living in constant anxiety that remained with him for years. He describes C-rations food drops from helicopters and the ascribed value of certain rations compared to others—such as peanut butter, which could be burned to heat food—fellow soldiers descending into uncivilized, animalistic behavior fighting over limited rations to survive juxtaposed with standing in line, holding a tray in the chow line to receive hot food “and lots of it;” experiencing free-dried rations for the first time; using C-4 explosives to heat canned food one Thanksgiving. He speaks of having limited contact with Vietnamese civilians; enjoying seeing the children and giving them candy; recognizing the people lived a subsistence lifestyle; feeling conflicted about the lack of American respect for the Vietnamese culture; his feelings on being dragged “kicking and screaming into this whole thing” but being too young to know he had choices; the impact on his parents for not helping him identify those choices; his view of Vietnamese scouts assigned to his units and their lack of dependability. Scucci talks about the difference in the perception of danger between sailors stationed aboard ship and soldiers sleeping aboard ship between patrols when alarms sounded; slack discipline in the field; the “whole approach to combat was to…survive;” his leadership approach; leaving the service with “foot rot” but otherwise uninjured; returning home following the premature birth and subsequent death of his son; requesting reassignment stateside and training to become a drill sergeant to stay remain at Fort Dix; using the GI Bill to go to college; becoming involved in Vietnam Veterans Against the War then getting out of it; feeling he didn’t ‘fit in’ with Veteran groups or student groups; seeking social isolation; ending up going into Social Work. Text: 37 pp. transcript, 3 pp. administrative. Audio: mfc_na4501_01A & mfc_na4501_01B, mfc_na4501_02A. Time: 01:51:04. Restrictions: No restrictions
Listen:
Part 1. mfc_na4501_01A
Part 2. mfc_na4501_01B
Part 3. mfc_na4501_02A -
Tony Scucci, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier, Part 3
Tony Scucci
Tony Scucci, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier on July 1, 1999, at Mt. Vernon, Maine. Scucci discusses his early life in school and attending trade school where he studied auto mechanics for four years, graduating in 1966; being drafted into the Army in 1968; believing he would serve as a mechanic but being assigned to the infantry after completing his training. He explains his experience training at Fort Polk, Louisiana; using kerosene-filled tin cans to prevent cockroaches from crawling up the legs of the beds; the phases of belief he experienced leading up to his deployment; being assigned to the 9th Infantry Division north of Saigon then being moved to the Mekong Delta. He tells about his typical day-to-day experience being deployed for missions from Navy vessels that operated on the Mekong River and returning to the vessels every couple of weeks and limiting his personal combat equipment to two canteens, ammunition, his weapon and cigarettes; living like an animal; walking in the rice paddies because the dikes were unsafe; always being wet and carrying valued items—toilet paper, matches, cigarettes—in the band of his helmet to attempt to keep them dry. Scucci talks about arriving in Vietnam on his 20th birthday in March 1968, the heat and the smells, having no control in decision making, and the boredom of waiting to be assigned to a unit; ending up in Dong Tam. He explains that walking established paths and trails was unsafe because of booby traps; walking behind a villager on a path was the only assurance that a path was safe; types of booby traps; learning hyper vigilance and living in constant anxiety that remained with him for years. He describes C-rations food drops from helicopters and the ascribed value of certain rations compared to others—such as peanut butter, which could be burned to heat food—fellow soldiers descending into uncivilized, animalistic behavior fighting over limited rations to survive juxtaposed with standing in line, holding a tray in the chow line to receive hot food “and lots of it;” experiencing free-dried rations for the first time; using C-4 explosives to heat canned food one Thanksgiving. He speaks of having limited contact with Vietnamese civilians; enjoying seeing the children and giving them candy; recognizing the people lived a subsistence lifestyle; feeling conflicted about the lack of American respect for the Vietnamese culture; his feelings on being dragged “kicking and screaming into this whole thing” but being too young to know he had choices; the impact on his parents for not helping him identify those choices; his view of Vietnamese scouts assigned to his units and their lack of dependability. Scucci talks about the difference in the perception of danger between sailors stationed aboard ship and soldiers sleeping aboard ship between patrols when alarms sounded; slack discipline in the field; the “whole approach to combat was to…survive;” his leadership approach; leaving the service with “foot rot” but otherwise uninjured; returning home following the premature birth and subsequent death of his son; requesting reassignment stateside and training to become a drill sergeant to stay remain at Fort Dix; using the GI Bill to go to college; becoming involved in Vietnam Veterans Against the War then getting out of it; feeling he didn’t ‘fit in’ with Veteran groups or student groups; seeking social isolation; ending up going into Social Work. Text: 37 pp. transcript, 3 pp. administrative. Audio: mfc_na4501_01A & mfc_na4501_01B, mfc_na4501_02A. Time: 01:51:04. Restrictions: No restrictions
Listen:
Part 1. mfc_na4501_01A
Part 2. mfc_na4501_01B
Part 3. mfc_na4501_02A -
Warren S. Smith, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Part 1
Warren S. Smith
Warren S. Smith, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Norridgewock, Maine, June 26, 1999. Smith briefly reviews his background as the son of an American World War II Veteran and English war bride, growing up in Skowhegan, Maine, knowing around age 13 that he would be entering the military after high school graduation, and enlisting in October 1962. Smith explains he attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama and had to go to the library too look up where Vietnam was located when he received his orders. He talks about being assigned to the 611th Transport Company in Vung Tao, flying helicopters for special forces and troop transports, flying into combat and coming under fire, ARVN soldiers living their entire lives at war, and being assigned to UTT Helicopter Company. He discusses his “John Wayne” attitude going in before watching friends killed and being shot himself and describes his experiences in combat. Smith tells of leaving the service in 1965 but feeling restless and unsettled and returning to Vietnam as a civilian chopper pilot in 1968, one day after the start of the TET offensive. He describes getting in trouble for not writing home after his mother sought Red Cross to find out if he was alive. He speaks about his perspective on protestors, the war, and American policy. Text: 36 pp. transcript, 3 pp. administrative. Audio: mfc_na4497_01A & mfc_na4497_01B, mfc_na4497_02A. Time: 01:50:03. Restrictions: No restrictions
Listen:
Part 1. mfc_na4497_01A
Part 2. mfc_na4497_01B
Part 3. mfc_na4497_02A -
Warren S. Smith, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Part 2
Warren S. Smith
Warren S. Smith, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Norridgewock, Maine, June 26, 1999. Smith briefly reviews his background as the son of an American World War II Veteran and English war bride, growing up in Skowhegan, Maine, knowing around age 13 that he would be entering the military after high school graduation, and enlisting in October 1962. Smith explains he attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama and had to go to the library too look up where Vietnam was located when he received his orders. He talks about being assigned to the 611th Transport Company in Vung Tao, flying helicopters for special forces and troop transports, flying into combat and coming under fire, ARVN soldiers living their entire lives at war, and being assigned to UTT Helicopter Company. He discusses his “John Wayne” attitude going in before watching friends killed and being shot himself and describes his experiences in combat. Smith tells of leaving the service in 1965 but feeling restless and unsettled and returning to Vietnam as a civilian chopper pilot in 1968, one day after the start of the TET offensive. He describes getting in trouble for not writing home after his mother sought Red Cross to find out if he was alive. He speaks about his perspective on protestors, the war, and American policy. Text: 36 pp. transcript, 3 pp. administrative. Audio: mfc_na4497_01A & mfc_na4497_01B, mfc_na4497_02A. Time: 01:50:03. Restrictions: No restrictions
Listen:
Part 1. mfc_na4497_01A
Part 2. mfc_na4497_01B
Part 3. mfc_na4497_02A -
Warren S. Smith, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Part 3
Warren S. Smith
Warren S. Smith, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Norridgewock, Maine, June 26, 1999. Smith briefly reviews his background as the son of an American World War II Veteran and English war bride, growing up in Skowhegan, Maine, knowing around age 13 that he would be entering the military after high school graduation, and enlisting in October 1962. Smith explains he attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama and had to go to the library too look up where Vietnam was located when he received his orders. He talks about being assigned to the 611th Transport Company in Vung Tao, flying helicopters for special forces and troop transports, flying into combat and coming under fire, ARVN soldiers living their entire lives at war, and being assigned to UTT Helicopter Company. He discusses his “John Wayne” attitude going in before watching friends killed and being shot himself and describes his experiences in combat. Smith tells of leaving the service in 1965 but feeling restless and unsettled and returning to Vietnam as a civilian chopper pilot in 1968, one day after the start of the TET offensive. He describes getting in trouble for not writing home after his mother sought Red Cross to find out if he was alive. He speaks about his perspective on protestors, the war, and American policy. Text: 36 pp. transcript, 3 pp. administrative. Audio: mfc_na4497_01A & mfc_na4497_01B, mfc_na4497_02A. Time: 01:50:03. Restrictions: No restrictions
Listen:
Part 1. mfc_na4497_01A
Part 2. mfc_na4497_01B
Part 3. mfc_na4497_02A -
Frank Soares III, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier, Part 1
Francis C. Soares III
Francis C. “Frank” Soares III, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier on June 22, 1999, in Augusta, Maine. Soares speaks about his early life; joining the U.S. Army in 1965; attending boot camp at Fort Dix; applying for Officer Candidate School and being accepted while in infantry training; wanting to go into Special Forces and ending up in helicopter training before having his orders changed to report back to Fort Knox, Kentucky to form the new 7th Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Regiment; becoming a cavalry scout using LOHs, light observation helicopters (OH6A); deploying to Vietnam as a squadron; the experience flying the squadron’s equipment across the U.S. and hitting bad weather in the Rocky Mountains. Soares recalls the day he discovered that the troop transport ship USNS Upshur he sailed on to Vietnam became TS State of Maine, the training ship of Maine Maritime Academy; and talks about his experience shipping out from Long Beach, California; offloading into landing craft that went ashore on a public beach at Vung Tau. He discusses the mystique of serving in a cavalry unit and the fact the unit’s first fatalities were two cooks who over pumped the gas stoves causing an explosion that resulted in fatal burns. Soares describes the work he did as a scout; the Widow’s Village at Long Linh; his memories of Duc Hoa; the first time (of six) he was shot down with an observer onboard and many personal combat anecdotes; becoming an attack pilot, and eventually becoming a platoon leader. He speaks about the qualities and flying abilities of different helicopters in combat; the Tet Offensive and being assigned as the Robin Hoods; knowing men who flew helicopters during the evacuation of the American embassy in Saigon; flying in the battle to retake Cholon, the Chinese sector of Saigon; protecting freighters coming up river from the South China Sea and Navy river boats; the difference between Army living conditions and Navy living conditions; how the song Walk Away, Renée by The Left Banke triggers flashbacks to being at a Navy base. Soares recalls a door gunner having a psychotic break and attempting to clear a jammed gun to kill the flight crew; his job as an attack pilot to draw fire without being shot down; discovering 400-500 North Vietnamese massing on the Cambodian side of the national boarder for an assault and calling in the coordinates to have artillery dropped; flying missions right up to the minute it was time for him to head to Bien Hoa to depart; and life after the war. Soares explains that “one of the most important jobs a soldier has to do…it’s their job to bring the boys home again and…back into society.” Text: 40 pp. transcript. Time: 01:50:51.
Listen:
Part 1: mfc_na4502_01A
Part 2: mfc_na4502_01B
Part 3: mfc_na4502_02A -
Frank Soares III, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier, Part 2
Francis C. Soares III
Francis C. “Frank” Soares III, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier on June 22, 1999, in Augusta, Maine. Soares speaks about his early life; joining the U.S. Army in 1965; attending boot camp at Fort Dix; applying for Officer Candidate School and being accepted while in infantry training; wanting to go into Special Forces and ending up in helicopter training before having his orders changed to report back to Fort Knox, Kentucky to form the new 7th Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Regiment; becoming a cavalry scout using LOHs, light observation helicopters (OH6A); deploying to Vietnam as a squadron; the experience flying the squadron’s equipment across the U.S. and hitting bad weather in the Rocky Mountains. Soares recalls the day he discovered that the troop transport ship USNS Upshur he sailed on to Vietnam became TS State of Maine, the training ship of Maine Maritime Academy; and talks about his experience shipping out from Long Beach, California; offloading into landing craft that went ashore on a public beach at Vung Tau. He discusses the mystique of serving in a cavalry unit and the fact the unit’s first fatalities were two cooks who over pumped the gas stoves causing an explosion that resulted in fatal burns. Soares describes the work he did as a scout; the Widow’s Village at Long Linh; his memories of Duc Hoa; the first time (of six) he was shot down with an observer onboard and many personal combat anecdotes; becoming an attack pilot, and eventually becoming a platoon leader. He speaks about the qualities and flying abilities of different helicopters in combat; the Tet Offensive and being assigned as the Robin Hoods; knowing men who flew helicopters during the evacuation of the American embassy in Saigon; flying in the battle to retake Cholon, the Chinese sector of Saigon; protecting freighters coming up river from the South China Sea and Navy river boats; the difference between Army living conditions and Navy living conditions; how the song Walk Away, Renée by The Left Banke triggers flashbacks to being at a Navy base. Soares recalls a door gunner having a psychotic break and attempting to clear a jammed gun to kill the flight crew; his job as an attack pilot to draw fire without being shot down; discovering 400-500 North Vietnamese massing on the Cambodian side of the national boarder for an assault and calling in the coordinates to have artillery dropped; flying missions right up to the minute it was time for him to head to Bien Hoa to depart; and life after the war. Soares explains that “one of the most important jobs a soldier has to do…it’s their job to bring the boys home again and…back into society.” Text: 40 pp. transcript. Time: 01:50:51.
Listen:
Part 1: mfc_na4502_01A
Part 2: mfc_na4502_01B
Part 3: mfc_na4502_02A -
Frank Soares III, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier, Part 3
Francis C. Soares III
Francis C. “Frank” Soares III, interviewed by Kellie Pelletier on June 22, 1999, in Augusta, Maine. Soares speaks about his early life; joining the U.S. Army in 1965; attending boot camp at Fort Dix; applying for Officer Candidate School and being accepted while in infantry training; wanting to go into Special Forces and ending up in helicopter training before having his orders changed to report back to Fort Knox, Kentucky to form the new 7th Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Regiment; becoming a cavalry scout using LOHs, light observation helicopters (OH6A); deploying to Vietnam as a squadron; the experience flying the squadron’s equipment across the U.S. and hitting bad weather in the Rocky Mountains. Soares recalls the day he discovered that the troop transport ship USNS Upshur he sailed on to Vietnam became TS State of Maine, the training ship of Maine Maritime Academy; and talks about his experience shipping out from Long Beach, California; offloading into landing craft that went ashore on a public beach at Vung Tau. He discusses the mystique of serving in a cavalry unit and the fact the unit’s first fatalities were two cooks who over pumped the gas stoves causing an explosion that resulted in fatal burns. Soares describes the work he did as a scout; the Widow’s Village at Long Linh; his memories of Duc Hoa; the first time (of six) he was shot down with an observer onboard and many personal combat anecdotes; becoming an attack pilot, and eventually becoming a platoon leader. He speaks about the qualities and flying abilities of different helicopters in combat; the Tet Offensive and being assigned as the Robin Hoods; knowing men who flew helicopters during the evacuation of the American embassy in Saigon; flying in the battle to retake Cholon, the Chinese sector of Saigon; protecting freighters coming up river from the South China Sea and Navy river boats; the difference between Army living conditions and Navy living conditions; how the song Walk Away, Renée by The Left Banke triggers flashbacks to being at a Navy base. Soares recalls a door gunner having a psychotic break and attempting to clear a jammed gun to kill the flight crew; his job as an attack pilot to draw fire without being shot down; discovering 400-500 North Vietnamese massing on the Cambodian side of the national boarder for an assault and calling in the coordinates to have artillery dropped; flying missions right up to the minute it was time for him to head to Bien Hoa to depart; and life after the war. Soares explains that “one of the most important jobs a soldier has to do…it’s their job to bring the boys home again and…back into society.” Text: 40 pp. transcript. Time: 01:50:51.
Listen:
Part 1: mfc_na4502_01A
Part 2: mfc_na4502_01B
Part 3: mfc_na4502_02A -
Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer, Part 1
Robert L. Towle
NA4503 Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer in Lewiston, Maine on July 7, 1999. Towle talks about entering the military before finishing high school at the suggestion of a judge who offering one of two options; going into basic training, advanced training, then jump school to prove himself; serving 20 months in the 82 Airborne stateside before being sent to the 509th 82nd Airborne Germany, then to the 25th Infantry in Vietnam. Towle speaks at length about his training experiences; being rendered “a non-person” within 90 minutes of reporting for basic training; compares enlistment with a jail sentence; life in training being “at the whim” of whoever happened to be in charge; and recounts his memories of his basic military training and how his socioeconomic and background attitude shaped his experience. Towle speaks about his pride graduating from jump school and how that accomplishment earned him benefits and status that other soldiers didn’t receive, particularly related to the uniform and the biggest thrill of his life being the moment he received his wings. He recalls being sent to Washington, D.C. to do riot control following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. carrying unloaded M14 rifles while civilian police shot at will; being forced to shoot a man who allegedly came at him with a machete while attempting to loot a liquor store and the emotional turmoil he experienced in the aftermath; being in Germany when the population was anti U.S. military; the power wielded by the military police. Towle discusses his ongoing fear of the Military Criminal Investigation Division and the lack of a statute of limitations for things “that happened over there that you can’t talk about,” including “Zippo raids” and mock VC villages. Towle talks about his work driving a resupply truck and using sandbags to protect the occupants from [improvised explosive devices], the emotional change he experienced between the shooting in Washington, D.C. and shooting men during combat; reaching the point he refused to return to duty and receiving a medical discharge; the psychological impact of losing patriotic idealism, facing the reality of war, and actively blocking social attachment; the Viet Cong’s guerrilla tactics as psychological warfare; post-traumatic stress; a fireworks display triggering a flashback; going to Togus for treatment; the negative impact of “John Wayne Syndrome” on Vietnam Veterans; the psychological impact of hypervigilance; the lack of military support for returning Vietnam Veterans; returning stateside with no money or ticket home; waiting in airports for days trying to catch a military flight home, “That was my thank you for a job well done.” Text: 42 pp. transcript. Time: 02:18:19.
Listen:
Part 1: mfc_na4503_01A
Part 2: mfc_na4503_01B
Part 3: mfc_na4503_02A -
Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer, Part 2
Robert L. Towle
NA4503 Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer in Lewiston, Maine on July 7, 1999. Towle talks about entering the military before finishing high school at the suggestion of a judge who offering one of two options; going into basic training, advanced training, then jump school to prove himself; serving 20 months in the 82 Airborne stateside before being sent to the 509th 82nd Airborne Germany, then to the 25th Infantry in Vietnam. Towle speaks at length about his training experiences; being rendered “a non-person” within 90 minutes of reporting for basic training; compares enlistment with a jail sentence; life in training being “at the whim” of whoever happened to be in charge; and recounts his memories of his basic military training and how his socioeconomic and background attitude shaped his experience. Towle speaks about his pride graduating from jump school and how that accomplishment earned him benefits and status that other soldiers didn’t receive, particularly related to the uniform and the biggest thrill of his life being the moment he received his wings. He recalls being sent to Washington, D.C. to do riot control following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. carrying unloaded M14 rifles while civilian police shot at will; being forced to shoot a man who allegedly came at him with a machete while attempting to loot a liquor store and the emotional turmoil he experienced in the aftermath; being in Germany when the population was anti U.S. military; the power wielded by the military police. Towle discusses his ongoing fear of the Military Criminal Investigation Division and the lack of a statute of limitations for things “that happened over there that you can’t talk about,” including “Zippo raids” and mock VC villages. Towle talks about his work driving a resupply truck and using sandbags to protect the occupants from [improvised explosive devices], the emotional change he experienced between the shooting in Washington, D.C. and shooting men during combat; reaching the point he refused to return to duty and receiving a medical discharge; the psychological impact of losing patriotic idealism, facing the reality of war, and actively blocking social attachment; the Viet Cong’s guerrilla tactics as psychological warfare; post-traumatic stress; a fireworks display triggering a flashback; going to Togus for treatment; the negative impact of “John Wayne Syndrome” on Vietnam Veterans; the psychological impact of hypervigilance; the lack of military support for returning Vietnam Veterans; returning stateside with no money or ticket home; waiting in airports for days trying to catch a military flight home, “That was my thank you for a job well done.” Text: 42 pp. transcript. Time: 02:18:19.
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Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer, Part 3
Robert L. Towle
NA4503 Robert L. “Bob” Towle, interviewed by John J. Springer in Lewiston, Maine on July 7, 1999. Towle talks about entering the military before finishing high school at the suggestion of a judge who offering one of two options; going into basic training, advanced training, then jump school to prove himself; serving 20 months in the 82 Airborne stateside before being sent to the 509th 82nd Airborne Germany, then to the 25th Infantry in Vietnam. Towle speaks at length about his training experiences; being rendered “a non-person” within 90 minutes of reporting for basic training; compares enlistment with a jail sentence; life in training being “at the whim” of whoever happened to be in charge; and recounts his memories of his basic military training and how his socioeconomic and background attitude shaped his experience. Towle speaks about his pride graduating from jump school and how that accomplishment earned him benefits and status that other soldiers didn’t receive, particularly related to the uniform and the biggest thrill of his life being the moment he received his wings. He recalls being sent to Washington, D.C. to do riot control following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. carrying unloaded M14 rifles while civilian police shot at will; being forced to shoot a man who allegedly came at him with a machete while attempting to loot a liquor store and the emotional turmoil he experienced in the aftermath; being in Germany when the population was anti U.S. military; the power wielded by the military police. Towle discusses his ongoing fear of the Military Criminal Investigation Division and the lack of a statute of limitations for things “that happened over there that you can’t talk about,” including “Zippo raids” and mock VC villages. Towle talks about his work driving a resupply truck and using sandbags to protect the occupants from [improvised explosive devices], the emotional change he experienced between the shooting in Washington, D.C. and shooting men during combat; reaching the point he refused to return to duty and receiving a medical discharge; the psychological impact of losing patriotic idealism, facing the reality of war, and actively blocking social attachment; the Viet Cong’s guerrilla tactics as psychological warfare; post-traumatic stress; a fireworks display triggering a flashback; going to Togus for treatment; the negative impact of “John Wayne Syndrome” on Vietnam Veterans; the psychological impact of hypervigilance; the lack of military support for returning Vietnam Veterans; returning stateside with no money or ticket home; waiting in airports for days trying to catch a military flight home, “That was my thank you for a job well done.” Text: 42 pp. transcript. Time: 02:18:19.
Listen:
Part 1: mfc_na4503_01A
Part 2: mfc_na4503_01B
Part 3: mfc_na4503_02A -
Leroy D. “Roy” Zarucchi, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Part 1
Roy Zarucchi
Leroy D. “Roy” Zarucchi, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr. at Troy, Maine on July 10, 1999. Zarucchi talks about his background growing up in an Oakland, California household where Italian was his first language, his view of the military, the draft, and "cannon fodder," his first job teaching English and Latin after graduating from college and facing the news that a pending salary increase would be conversely proportional to his low wages, making the decision to enter Air Force officer training school. He discusses basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, opting to go into navigator training, being assigned to Dow Air Force Base in Bangor. He talks about being assigned to the 609th Composite Air Commando Squadron in Thailand where he served as a bombardier and navigator. He reflects on witnessing death in a detached way from the air and flying 163 night missions. Text: 39 pp. transcript, 2 pp. administrative. Total time: 02:09:50
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Leroy D. “Roy” Zarucchi, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Part 2
Roy Zarucchi
Leroy D. “Roy” Zarucchi, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr. at Troy, Maine on July 10, 1999. Zarucchi talks about his background growing up in an Oakland, California household where Italian was his first language, his view of the military, the draft, and "cannon fodder," his first job teaching English and Latin after graduating from college and facing the news that a pending salary increase would be conversely proportional to his low wages, making the decision to enter Air Force officer training school. He discusses basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, opting to go into navigator training, being assigned to Dow Air Force Base in Bangor. He talks about being assigned to the 609th Composite Air Commando Squadron in Thailand where he served as a bombardier and navigator. He reflects on witnessing death in a detached way from the air and flying 163 night missions. Text: 39 pp. transcript, 2 pp. administrative. Total time: 02:09:50
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Part 1: mfc_na4473_01A
Part 2: mfc_na4473_01B
Part 3: mfc_na4473_02A -
Leroy D. “Roy” Zarucchi, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr., Part 3
Roy Zarucchi
Leroy D. “Roy” Zarucchi, interviewed by Stephen D. Rees, Jr. at Troy, Maine on July 10, 1999. Zarucchi talks about his background growing up in an Oakland, California household where Italian was his first language, his view of the military, the draft, and "cannon fodder," his first job teaching English and Latin after graduating from college and facing the news that a pending salary increase would be conversely proportional to his low wages, making the decision to enter Air Force officer training school. He discusses basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, opting to go into navigator training, being assigned to Dow Air Force Base in Bangor. He talks about being assigned to the 609th Composite Air Commando Squadron in Thailand where he served as a bombardier and navigator. He reflects on witnessing death in a detached way from the air and flying 163 night missions. Text: 39 pp. transcript, 2 pp. administrative. Total time: 02:09:50
Listen
Part 1: mfc_na4473_01A
Part 2: mfc_na4473_01B
Part 3: mfc_na4473_02A