My name is Bill Graham, and I am a Vietnam Veteran.

Both of my grandfathers served in WWI. My father, William Everette Graham was a 101st Airborne paratrooper during WWII. His picture was captured on the front cover of Life Magazine.

This picture and others are on display with Operation Neptune in the Airborne Museum at Fayetteville, NC. My mom was a USO performer. My six uncles also served, four in the Army, one with the Merchant Marines and another with the Navy, who was killed when his ship, the USS Pringle was hit by two Kamikaze pilots and their 500 lb. bombs. My brothers Gerald and Tim also served. Gerald is a USAF Vietnam Veteran. Tim was a German language translator serving in Germany with the U.S. Army. He is a Vietnam Era Vet, as his service was during the last couple of years of Nam, but was not deployed there.

I was born in Goldsboro, NC in January of 1950 and was working part time with my dad at Graham & Sons Plumbing & Heating Contractors when enlisting with the military. I was in high school, and Vietnam was going pretty heavy. My best friend and I had already determined we would enlist together so we could pick our preferred branch. The Seabees were being promoted and advertised a great deal then, so I enlisted with the Seabees on 25 September 1968. After all, I felt it my patriotic duty to serve, and I was ready.
I will always remember the early days of boot camp; the first sound of revile, the first awkward formation, that first march to the mess hall, my first military haircut, being issued uniforms, and learning the Seabee customs and history. I felt I was exactly where I needed to be. Then it all came together with the swimming qualification, the drills, the structure, the discipline, the weaponry, the inspections, and learning the Seabee jargon, the life itself. I knew I belonged. I was deployed to Vietnam with MCB 133 Bravo Co., under joint command of 30th NCR/3rd Marine Division 1969 to 1970. Base camp was Camp Wilkinson Combat Base, Gia Le Vietnam. The areas of operations were Gia Le, Phu Bai, Hue, Dong Ha, and others just below the DMZ.

My first experience and point of reality that I was entering into a war zone was when the airline pilot announced that due to Da Nang being under attack, we were flying onto Cam Ranh Bay. My first action experience was when we received sniper fire from the mountain, followed by incoming mortars. We were installing equipment at a new Marine outpost when we were hit. We could not return fire from our position.
I lived each day with fear. The fear was that of being alone on perimeter duty or watch for hours at a time. Even though I knew I was not completely alone, as there were others pulling the same watch as me in other locations on the perimeter, and the bunkers were manned, my brothers were not physically or even visually at my side. It demanded that I stayed awake and alert, yet my mind would wonder about what was on the other side of the wire. Christmas Eve 1969 was a somber, lonely time for a 19-year old standing watch. I remained alert and ready. However, my mind became still for a few moments with thoughts of home, my parents, grandmother, brothers and sisters. I was trying to imagine the precise time of their joy and happiness as they celebrated Christmas. I recalled from memory the laughter, the love and the warmth of my family so many miles away on the other side of the world. I missed them so much, which brought fear to that lonely night, the fear that I might never have another Christmas with them. But then I was suddenly back in the moment, that moment of reality when you understand your duty, and you carry on, removing those thoughts and memories from my mind.

For many years I have suffered nightmares, anxiety and headaches. I developed medical issues one after another. I became compulsive in many things of my life. None of the doctors I had seen throughout the years could tell me or help me in any way. I had not related any of this to my Nam service. It just did not register. I lived many years until I met a new doctor. After being hospitalization with angina, I saw Dr. Howard Newell. He was my trusted physician for 20 years until he closed his practice. With Dr. Newell’s treatment, I realized my medical issues all these years were and are directly associated with Agent Orange. I also learned the psychological effects of PTSD from wartime service is a direct cause related to my nightmares and anxiety. With all this in my life, and the coping mechanisms I live with daily, it has made me a stronger man, better equipped to understand myself, and the mind set of my Brothers that came home unable to cope. My work now is in that area of dedication toward helping them.
In mid February 1970, my unit was one of the first called for early withdrawal by President Nixon. We departed Da Nang in battalion strength. It was a joyous time for all of us as we lifted off from Nam. It was a long flight, and the seating became uncomfortable for many of us. We found better comfort stretched out on the deck isles. I remember falling asleep while listening to the engines, and feeling the deck vibrations. It was good. When the actual date of full withdrawal came in 1975 as the official end to Our War, I was at home in Goldsboro NC, and married with 2 sons. The pullout was a betrayal to all our Brothers and Sisters that gave their lives. We had the war won, and gave it away!

It was a great day when Mom and Dad met me at RDU. It was the best day of my life. It was a trip filled with happiness and love. When we pulled into our driveway at home, my grandmother, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors met me. Grandma cooked all my favorite foods and we settled down for dinner. Mom told me she had a surprise for me, and led me to the living room. There stood the family Christmas tree all lit up, with all my gifts still under the tree. I had turned 20 years old in January, so all my birthday gifts were there as well. I realized then that my family had celebrated Christmas, and my birthday with me, even though I was not with them. I have never felt so much love as I did at that moment. I was home for Christmas! There were no community receptions at that time. It just wasn’t done.

A few years later, I was married with two small sons. I was invited to an event at Goldsboro High School. The event was an evangelistic speaker and welcome to Vietnam Veterans. His name is Dave Reaver, and he is a powerful speaker. Dave is Brown Water Navy, a Vietnam survivor, and a man of God. Other than the welcome home I received from my family, Dave was the first person to say those words “Welcome Home.”

I am still in touch with several of my Seabee Brothers that I had the privilege of serving with. They are all great and honorable men. Because of my service and my love for the Brotherhood, I have formed lasting friendships of many Brothers that I know personally having served with in Nam, those on stateside duty, and those I know by social media, but have yet to meet face to face.
~ Bill Graham, Seabee, Vietnam Veteran

We thank Bill for his service and for sharing his story with Comes A Soldier’s Whisper where we are all connected.

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