Page 45 - Stand Down Vietnam

I was born and raised on a tobacco farm in Madison
County, Kentucky. The doctor came to our house to
deliver me. Most of the crop was grown on hillsides.
We used mules to farm the land. I plowed and broke the
ground for planting. I did whatever was needed to get
the job done. We were sharecroppers.

I graduated high school in 1964 and was drafted in

1966. When I turned eighteen, I had to register for
the draft. I remember on that day that I could just
feel that my number was going to come up, and sure
enough, it did.

I remember coming home one day and my mother said I had
gotten a letter from Uncle Sam. When I opened it, the
letter said “greetings”, you are hereby ordered to
report to such and such a place and bring a certain
amount of clothing, toothpaste and such. I told my mom
that it sounded like I was not going to be able to come
back home. I was right, I did not get to go back home.
I remember thinking: My numbers done come up. I was
living in Madison County, Kentucky when I was called to
active duty.

My basic training was eight weeks at Fort Campbell,
Kentucky. Immediately after being sworn in, we were
put on a bus and taken to Fort Campbell, Kentucky for
basic. When the bus doors opened a Drill Sergeant came

on board and said: “I’m your momma, I’m your daddy and
you’ll do as I say.” I thought: “Oh no, this is not
going to be good.”

Fort Campbell is where I decided that I wanted to be a
paratrooper. I saw those guys form the 101 Airborne
st
and knew that was me. That was what I wanted to
become. When I called home to tell my mom that I had
volunteered for airborne she thought I was crazy. I
told her that was what I wanted, and she didn’t like
it, but ok.