Page 50 - Stand Down Vietnam

My youngest son is the head basketball coach at Bourbon
County High School. He can’t stand to see me in this
wheelchair. He tells me he would not have gone through
all the stuff I went through.

About two weeks before your tour is over, you become a
“short-timer” and get to stand down from all combat
missions. I spent most of that time just thinking

about catching that bird home. We flew from Vietnam to
McChord, Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington. We were
issued new clothing and I was sent to Fort Campbell.
From there I flew to Bluegrass Airport here in
Lexington.

I was wearing my uniform, when I saw the protestors, I
got heated, I got real heated. I tried to not pay
close attention to the protestors.

We were always busy on the farm, so I didn’t have time
to fool with the protestors or their music. Plus, when
I stayed with my grandmother, I didn’t get to listen to
any music.

I turned 21 in Vietnam; it was just another day. I
wrote back home and told my mother instead of being
home in a night club dodging beer bottles, I’m over
here dodging bullets.

My first day home from Vietnam, I asked my mother where
my mule was, I knew I’d be glad to see him. Working on
the farm wasn’t near as bad a being over there.

A few days later, I could hear mom in the kitchen
fixing my breakfast. While she was fixing my
breakfast, I told her I wanted to buy me a new car.