First of all, I did not choose the Army, I was drafted in 1968. My father fought the Japanese in the Pacific in World War II and was discharged early because he had malaria. He went on to become a Massachusetts state trooper and had a very successful career.

Even though I was drafted, as were most troops in those days, I still took pride and did my best to be all all I could be. On the day I was sworn in at the Boston Army Base, the Marine Corps looked us over and said they would not draft any of us that day. That was the best news of the day. In basic training, we had a race, and I remember thinking as I ran as fast as I could that I was trying to win and be the best, even though I was drafted. I was trained as a combat engineer at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

When I arrived at my final destination in Phu Bai, Vietnam, the headquarters of the 45th Engineer Group needed someone who could type. In high school, I learned to type and was good at it, and I got the job. To this day I say that God made me take typing in high school, and in Vietnam it saved my life. Getting that job at HQ was the second best news of the day.

I stayed in Phu Bai for the year and attended the Bob Hope show at Camp Eagle on Christmas Day 1969, headquarters for the 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagles." They fought that famous battle called Hamburger Hill that year. Camp Eagle was the furthest north Bob Hope went in Vietnam. I have 200 slides and photos at https://pbase.com/wkane.

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