My name is John Gus Hassler, and I am a proud Vietnam Veteran having served in Chu Lai, 1965 to 1966.

My father, grandfather and another brother all worked in the defense industry at the Brooklyn Navy Yard repairing war ships. The family would speak about their war
experience on occasion. My older brother and uncle served in the U.S. Navy as well.

I was trained as a Heavy Equipment operator at the U.S. Navy school in Port Humneme, California, best school in the Nation to train people.
I served in the U.S. Navy for four years as an active SeaBee and was in Chu Lai in 1965 to 1966. The group picture was taken in North Africa in 1963 with me and some other Seabees at Kenetra Morocco in Port Lyautey.

There was nothing I didn’t like about the military . On occasion my wife of 48 years would hear me say “Best Time of My Life” and she would take offense to that. But my kids and grandkids like hear the stories. As far as the war itself went with no end in sight, our country becoming divided and the culture of our great society was was coming apart, I changed.

Coming home from Viet Nam in 1966 wasn’t as upsetting as the later years. The mood and the culture was changing with drugs , lawlessness , racial divide and the anti-war movement were separating everyone. By the time we got home, it was a mess back in the states. I had thought we were going to need a military coup to make things right again. It didn’t happen then, but to me it looks like that could happen now.

After Kent State, I didn’t know where we were heading and I never encouraged my kids to join the military after that. But I never discouraged them either..
~John Gus Hassler, Vietnam Veteran

We are very grateful to John for sharing his personal story and invite you to share your family military service here as well.
God Bless all who serve and keep us safe.

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