Page 139 - Stand Down Vietnam

Every now and then I’d listen to a couple of songs my
parents didn’t like. My parents didn't care for the
Rolling Stones’ song Satisfaction, or Get Off My Cloud,
that type of thing.

In August 1967, I joined the U.S. Army; I went through
the ritual and became a well-trained and indoctrinated
soldier. I had concerns about what was to come. My
eyes reveal uncertainty and resolve. A closer look
discloses trepidation. Army Values and The Soldier’s
Creed would become my foundation for the next Twenty-
two years and beyond. The pledge to support and defend
was and continues to be profound.

I was maybe sixteen when I first realized there was a
place called Vietnam and we had a war going on. We

would watch the evening news on our black-and-white
television; Walter Cronkite, Huntley-Brinkley, and some
of those guys.