1st Lt, Signal Corps, US Army 1968-1971
14 months in Vietnam 1970-1971
I was drafted right after college, went to Infantry OCS at the Benning School for Boys, but received a commission in the Signal Corps (probably saved my life). Had some US duty but it was so boring that I volunteered for duty in Vietnam. For me, Vietnam duty was not bad - it was better than duty in the United States. We worked long hours and six days per week but as long as you did your job, nobody messed with you.
I met my wife in Vietnam. She was a civilian working for Control Data on a computer contract. I always tell people that we met during a mortar attack when I jumped into a fox hole and fell on her, but the truth is much less prosaic - we met in the office.
Vietnam had a major impact on me - like many others of my generation, it was the defining event of my life. It expanded my view of the world and of the people in it. I loved the Orient: the food, the culture, the crazy traffic, the dirty streets. To this day, I have a strong affinity for the Orient.
I have so many stories about that time - my friends have gotten tired of hearing them. One of the great things about our marriage is that my wife and I share many of the same stories.
Mike