My name is Charlie Spivey, and I am a Vietnam Veteran.

The Selective Service tried to draft me when I was in High school, but I flunked the Physical. I got called again after awhile, and headed off to Basic Training 6 days after graduating from High school. I’m pictured here at my First Duty Station, Cape Cod Canal, where I served from August 1965 to May 1966.

I was an engineer and worked down in the B-2 engine room with CGC Half Moon from 2/67 to 5/69. They called it an Oiler. I essentially kept tabs on the temperature of the engines and other things including the Reefer deck, where we had the Fridges and Freezers. I also had to go down the shaft alleys and check the shaft bearings and make sure they weren’t over heating and the Stuffing boxes where the shaft went out of the hull. I was in a Repair Locker during GQ, and on a Boarding team when we went to inspect boats for contraband. The long hours in a space that averages about 130 degrees could be pretty bad. I have never liked being in a place since, where that I could not see the sun light. I had one case where we had a deadline to get one of the mail engines back online and we worked around the clock for over 4 days in that heat. I only left to go to the bathroom and to eat. That was part of my Office.

The picture was taken just off the coast of Vietnam in August 1967. The coast was to my left about a 1/4 mile. I was in the Coast Guard from June 14,1965 to May 22, 1969. Another picture shows one of our many Gunfire Support Missions, probably In Song Ong Doc, Area 9, getting more ammunitions for that big gun. We went through a lot of that. One of the worst things for me, was when my leading P.O. (Petty Officer) had put in for re-enllistment. He left the ship in Bermuda in July ’68 and went back, this time with CG RON 1. He was KIA in March ’69 after getting caught in an ambush when boarding some boats.

I had lots of family members that served in the military service. One Uncle served in the Navy and was killed, when the ammunition ship he was on Blew up in the S. Pacific during WWII. There were four more uncles that were Navy Veterans from WWII with one re-enlisting and retiring from the Army after WWII. One of my uncles retired from the Navy with another uncle that was career Army and WIA on Pork Chop Hill during the Korean War and later WIA again in Vietnam with the 1sr Air Cav, Air Mobile. He was awarded the Bronze Star w/ V. My Dad was a Navy Vet of WWII and served in the South Pacific Theater. It was pretty much accepted that the males would enter the service. My Mom worked in the defense thing during the War as well. That is were she met my dad, as he was overseeing the work having to do with Aircraft parts. He was an Aviation Machinist Mate. Dad would have made it his career, but contracted TB and was medically discharged out. Both of my Brothers were Navy. My cousin’s Husband was Air Force and retired.

We got the Fireboat treatment when we entered the Harbor of N.Y. The American Legion Post on Staten Island had a Dinner for us which may have been partly for recruitment too. I didn’t have anybody to greet me when I arrived. I never had a problem until New Years Eve in ’68. I was out on Times Square and in Uniform and had a run in with a bunch of student protesters from one or more of the local Universities. For the most part, they just kept it vocal and maybe some spitting, but one decided he wanted to take it a bit further.

That didn’t go well for him.
~Charlie Spivey, Vietnam Veteran

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

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