I served between March 1965 to March 1969 and did my tour in Nam from October 1966 to June 5, 1967. This photo is when I graduated from boot camp. In this group photo which was taken just before we left the Chu Lia area, I’m the little guy second from the left holding my walking stick.

Our group was on the Chu Lia air base when the 196th started to move in as we prepared to move further north into the Que Son Valley, The Union operations. Union operations were considered the fifth worst battles of the Vietnam War. They changed me and anyone who fought in them. The Que Son Valley was where these operations took place and are replayed in my mind on a daily basis and probably will for the rest of my life. The 5th Marines were the most decorated unit in the Marine Corps during the war. I wrote a book, The Best of the Best, The Fighting 5th Marines Vietnam, over many years to try to understand my crazy life before, during and after Nam and the Marine Corps. As one review proclaimed, I was destined to be a Marine.

I was awarded the Silver Star for one day and night of many battles that went on for over a month. Acts of valor was a common trait among the Marines who fought in them. We were just trying to keep each other alive, not be Hero’s. I can give an idea of what that month was like for me. I started off the Union operations as a PFC – rifleman, and before they were over, I was Meritoriously promoted twice, first to L/Cpl. and given a fire team to run.

After the battle of May 12-13, I was promoted to Cpl. and given a squad to run. I was ready to run a fire team, but the squad, I wasn’t so sure about. The main reason I got these promotions was because our company Delta, 1/5 was nearly wiped out in the May battle and again in the June 2, 1967 while in the Union II battle. I did some crazy things in that battle too, but the witnesses of what I did that day and night were both killed latter on in the battle. Almost getting killed didn’t stop in Vietnam, and my book has all these additional situations in it.”

Once a Marine, always a Marine