I served with the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1970. I was drafted and then enlisted 6 days later. I was 32C20 and then went into PSYOPS training.

My stepfather, Major Paul L. Pollock US Army, who is pictured here with his medals, was Deputy Chief of Staff Military Intelligence Operations to the joint Chiefs of Staff from 1967 to 1970 and served in both Korea and Vietnam. He never talked about his wartime experiences. But he did talk to me the night before leaving for Basic about Korea. He showed me 50 black and white photos that were extremely graphic. The talk was simple. “This is war and this is what you will see” is what he said to me before destroying them after I went to Ft. Bragg. It was something that was very personal to him.

My service experience changed me in the respect of my finding out what I could do in spite of what I believed. My greatest fear was forgetting what the soldier went through and gave up. When leaving base, I was spat on and trash thrown at me anytime I was in uniform to the point where I kept a set of “civies” for travel. I was never out of the U.S. during my time, and my medical discharge came just 45 days before I was to report to Vietnam.

My brother, Clair F. McClintic did two tours in Vietnam with the 82nd Airborne and was with the military from 1967 to 1985. My sons Christopher and Eric McClintic served in the Navy. My daughter, Rebecca Garner was also in the Navy from 1996 to 2010 as an E6 Intruder Mechanic with two tours, one in Saudi Arabia during the No Fly in 2001 and one in a forward base in Iraq in 2009.

My stepfather and I used to lock horns over the politics of the day. He started a practice that only after I got much older I really understood. An argument would start over politics and then there would be a challenge thrown down “6 o’clock Friday” and he would walk away, which meant that we would sit across the table from each other and discuss the topic and you must have references in support of your point of view. The first few were only minutes long, but before long they would last hours. Friends would come to the house who were the Liberal of the Liberals and as long as you abided by the rules of open discussions, the house is neutral territory and there will be NO arguments, threats or raising of your voice and you will have references to support your point, no topic was off limits! We always had enlisted, non-coms and officers in the house and these were open discussions. GOD I miss those days as I have gotten older…

As for my art work. I started back again after putting down the brushes in 1974 and in 2011 did a charcoal rendering in honor of a friend, a former SEAL who is on the wall in Corranado who has many problems stemming from his experiences in Vietnam. The history behind this patch is that I designed it after a painting that I did for the family of a Vet who was KIA in 2011. I designed and ordered these patches and have given 100 out to veterans and their families and were met with a thank you and a few who broke into tears. These paintings were donated and distributed to three American Legion Posts.

I raise my glass and with many a tear to those who never came home and to those that came home but never left. Bless all those that serve past, present and future and may all your dreams come true, your nightmares fade away and life grant you the peace that you all deserve.
~ Allan L. McClintic, U.S. Army Veteran

We wish to thank Allan for sharing his story and family service with Comes A Soldier’s Whisper, where we are all connected.

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