Page 71 - Stand Down Vietnam

We stopped off in Guam and Wake Island, and finally
Hawaii. After a couple of days, I caught a flight into
Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California. I then
caught a civilian flight home.

I was in Vietnam for a little over twenty months in
total. The first time was about five weeks, the second
time was thirteen months, and the final time was five

months (a full tour). Because the Marines only consider
a full six months as having served in-country. I was
given credit for one tour of duty in Vietnam.
My next assignment was with the 4 Marine Aircraft
th
Wing, Naval Air Station, Glenview, Illinois. We were
in Glenview for about a year and a half, then the unit
was sent to New Orleans.

We spent three years in New Orleans. During my first
six months in New Orleans, I was a training NCO. After
that, and for the remainder of that tour I was the
Operations Chief.

During that assignment, I had a run-in with a Colonel.
Our interaction could have been career-ending for me.
But, as luck would have it, I was rescued from his

authoritarian personality and reassigned to the G4. I
was up for the E9 Board and figured I’d lost that
chance. But I made it and that Colonel was booted out
of the Corps.