Life is sometimes reduced to a few choices. This autobiography is about a young American who decides to serve his country and ends up going to war. Being drafted or joining the military offered one a good chance to see Vietnam up close and personal, but becoming an officer offered an even better chance. The years of 1965, 1966, 1967, were dangerous years for young American men between the ages of 18 and 24. In 1966, the draft was expanded in some of the areas of the country to intakes twice a month. The policy was used mainly in the larger metropolitan areas of the country. Since I was already in the Army by then, it didn't affect me. By 1968 our involvement in Vietnam would reach 520,000 soldiers. I was 18 in 1966, single, not going to college and healthy. I was grist for the military mill. I was one of thousands of young men in the work force right after high school in the mid 1960's. The war in Viet Nam ended up causing over 400,000 casualties (dead and wounded). There were nearly 3 million men and women who served in Viet Nam, and 7 million total in the military during the era. I served as what was affectionately called a ground pounder, aka an infantryman, military occupational specialty (MOS) 11B. After graduating from OCS my MOS became a 1542 Small Infantry Unit Commander, later changed to 11A. That MOS put me in line to become a casualty. This book gives you a look at my life growing up in Michigan, and what my life was like after being wounded and returning home from Vietnam.
Life is sometimes reduced to a few choices. This autobiography is about a young American who decides to serve his country and ends up going to war. Being drafted or joining the military offered one a good chance to see Vietnam up close and personal, but becoming an officer offered an even better chance. The years of 1965, 1966, 1967, were dangerous years for young American men between the ages of 18 and 24. In 1966, the draft was expanded in some of the areas of the country to intakes twice a month. The policy was used mainly in the larger metropolitan areas of the country. Since I was already in the Army by then, it didn't affect me. By 1968 our involvement in Vietnam would reach 520,000 soldiers. I was 18 in 1966, single, not going to college and healthy. I was grist for the military mill. I was one of thousands of young men in the work force right after high school in the mid 1960's. The war in Viet Nam ended up causing over 400,000 casualties (dead and wounded). There were nearly 3 million men and women who served in Viet Nam, and 7 million total in the military during the era. I served as what was affectionately called a ground pounder, aka an infantryman, military occupational specialty (MOS) 11B. After graduating from OCS my MOS became a 1542 Small Infantry Unit Commander, later changed to 11A. That MOS put me in line to become a casualty. This book gives you a look at my life growing up in Michigan, and what my life was like after being wounded and returning home from Vietnam.
