Vietnam War History Group Interview Project by Alex van Ravenswaay

What do you recall about the time when the Vietnam War started? How old were you? What do you remember about what was going on in the country and your community when you were growing up during the 1950s and 1960s?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:49:02 UTC

I recall just about everything from the war like it was yesterday. One day I was at my job and the next day I was getting my uniform and getting a buzz cut. All I knew was that one half of Korea was bad and want to take over the rest of Korea and the US said no. I was 20, I had just turned 3 days ago.

In what ways, if any, did the Vietnam War touch your life when the conflict was going on? Did you feel distanced from it or did you feel as it had a strong presence in your life?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:49:15 UTC

it showed me how fortunate we are compared to the rest of the world. But I was very proud and honored to be able to have serve my country.

How did your family respond to your decision to enlist or to you being drafted? Were you married when you went to Vietnam? If so how did your wife react to your decision?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:49:34 UTC

My family was very scared for me and my safety. My father was proud of me and told me I would do great things. My mother begged me not to go and tried to hold on to me so that I would not leave. I was engaged to a girl before the war and when I got back we got married.

Did you join the military and go to the Vietnam War? Were you drafted or did you enlist voluntarily? What was the date of your enlistment or the date you were drafted? How old were you? How long were you in the military?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:49:35 UTC

I was drafted and I did go off to Vietnam. I was in Vietnam for two years. I was an EMT. I took wounds soldiers from the front lines but to our base. I was enlisted in August 15, 1968.

Why do you think the US was involved in Vietnam and Southeast Asia?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:49:44 UTC

Because they knew that is communism had spread to the rest of Korea. Then communism would have spread to all of Asia.

What was a typical day like for you in Vietnam? Describe the base in which you lived. What were your living conditions like? Housing, food, etc. Was there anything you missed about home? What did you miss the most?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:49:57 UTC

A typical day was long and difficult. Most of the time, we woke up at 5, and some weeks, we had a patrol for 2-3 days. The base where we lived was dirty, and people were always coming in and out. We also had a medical unit there, and they were always noisy. I miss nothing about the camp, but I do miss my squad mates, who I was very close too.

How did you feel about fighting against communism and the communists? Did you feel they were a big threat to the United States? What did the military say about them?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:50:04 UTC

Originally, I was very excited about fighting against Communism. However, with further experience, and after seeing what war does, I think that we should only go to war in the most dire circumstances, like in WWII. Now, I don’t think they are as big a threat, but the military continually says that they are a major issue.

2.Where were you when the Tet Offensive happened? How did you feel about this?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:50:14 UTC

I had to fly in to medevac some troops from the first engagement of the Tet Offensive. We could only afford to send two helicopters, and the rest of the medical team and I were shocked at how many casualties there were. We were scared, to be honest.

How did you feel about the anti-war demonstrations back in the United States? Did any of your family members participate in the demonstrations?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:50:36 UTC

I was very against them before I left, but looking back on it when in Vietnam, I realized that I didn’t mind them, and that I could see why people would not want to go to the war. Some of my cousins participated

Have you ever been involved in an anti-war demonstration? When, where, and why?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:50:36 UTC

No, I never participated in anti-war demonstrations

What role do you believe the media had in fueling the anti-war demonstrations because of increased press coverage of the war?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:50:40 UTC

I believe that the media helped the demonstrations. The images and footage were all fuel for the fire.

Do you believe the media was an advantage or a hindrance to the war effort?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:50:48 UTC

I think the media was good to keep the public informed about where they were sending us.

How were you treated by the community and your family when you returned to the US?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:50:59 UTC

I wasn’t treated the way I thought I would be. When vets came home from WWII, there were parades and kids looked at you like you were a hero. But when I came back from Vietnam, people acted like I was some sort of disease. They called our service a crime and told us all to burn our medals. It was nothing like what I expected.

What do you think and feel about US involvement in the Vietnam War? In other countries?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:51:08 UTC

Looking back, I feel like the U.S. wasted a lot of lives on a conflict that wasn’t ours in the first place. Though I am proud of our service, I think that the U.S. needs to stop and think before they become involved in another foreign conflict.

Do you suffer any disabilities because of the Vietnam War?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:51:16 UTC

I have had PTSD since returning from the war.

Was it difficult for you to adjust to life in the US when you came back? Please explain.

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:51:24 UTC

It was very hard to adjust to life back at home. I married my wife a year after coming home, and I’ve raised a family since then. But things like finding a job were hard. Especially when so many vets were going any jobs they could get. It was hard to interact with my family at times too, especially when they had no idea what I had seen.

How did the war affect your life?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:51:31 UTC

The war has shaped my life in many ways, good and bad. Obviously I have to deal with my PTSD day to day, but without the war, who knows if I would have had the same friend or family I have now.

Have you ever been diagnosed or treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? How are you coping? How did your family feel about your condition?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:51:40 UTC

Yes, I still struggle with the anxiety and the night terrors. It’s been hard, really hard with my family. I’ve had to withdraw myself from their lives a bit when I couldn’t handle the panic attacks. I couldn’t sleep in the same bed as my wife for two years after the war because of my night terrors. But my family has always been there to support me.

If you had a second chance, would you change anything about your Vietnam experience?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:51:46 UTC

I would have saved more people. So many of those men didn’t deserve to die.

1. From your real-life experience, is there a story about the war that hasn’t been told or that hasn’t been told accurately? How do you think your experience differs from veterans of World War II and the Korean War?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:51:57 UTC

The world just doesn’t understand how hard it was for us to deal with the aftermath. In WWII and Korea, vets were treated as heroes. Today, vets are seen as brave and honorable. But during Vietnam, the few that respected our service couldn’t understand how hard this war was. The rest of the country treated us as monsters. That is what nobody remembers about Vietnam- how hard it was to come home.

*How old where you when you where drafted?

amvanraven — 2015-03-03 18:54:27 UTC

I was 20 when I got drafted.

Do you believe that foreign policy today has been impacted by the Vietnam War? If so, how?

vierhellerg — 2015-03-03 18:55:45 UTC

I think we were reluctant for the foreign policies already established in the United States to change and be impacted.

3. What was the biggest challenge for you during and after the war?

keuscher12 — 2015-03-03 18:56:08 UTC

For me it was missing my family, friends, my sister Sarah, and missing my girl, Annie.

4. What were your feelings when you got drafted? Were you proud or scared or both?

keuscher12 — 2015-03-03 18:58:55 UTC

I was proud to serve my country, but I do not like violence and war and was scared to go into battle.

5.* How did your friends and family respond or react to the different news reports? Did you talk about the war often?

2015-03-03 19:01:27 UTC

My family was just happy they didn't hear my name on the radio every night when they announced the fallen soldiers, my friends I think were the same way, but they were more cheering me on and wishing me luck.

We didn't talk about the war often though, during the war, I would write to my loved ones telling them about my day and what happened in the dining hall, nothing about the war. I developed PTSD after the war and would have flashbacks, and talking about the war would trigger them.