On Vietnam Veterans Day in 2021 I sent an email to my closest buddies from my tour in Vietnam:
I thought I’d write to all of you about something that has been on my mind this past year as we all had way too much time to contemplate ourselves and our experiences and our memories.
I have concluded that for all the suffering our generation endured through the Vietnam War, it was a gift to me in my life. It was the opening of curtains to parts of the world and life opportunities that very probably would have never been shown to me otherwise.
If there had been no war, I would have graduated from Louisiana Tech in 1969 with a BSEE after having done job interviews and secured a job, most probably in Houston or Dallas, as was very common in those days (and still is for La Tech engineering majors). Hard to say what it would have been, most probably in something related to information systems, since I had really loved the systems work I did for Boeing on Apollo program in the summer of ’68. I would not have pursued engineering design and construction. I had done that work for three summers at Ford Bacon and Davis, helping design chemical plants, power plants, gas compressor stations, etc. and knew that was not what I wanted for a career.
I don’t think any of my pledge class had job interviews. We all found a place in the military. In north Louisiana, if you had two arms, two legs and a head, you were 1-A after college.
Since my father had served in the Navy in WWII, that was the family tradition and I applied there. Had to go to Little Rock, nearest recruiting station for the Navy. I applied to be a line officer, wanting to command PT boats or destroyers like I saw in the movies. When the application was approved, the recruiter told me I was accepted for the CEC since I was 20/200 vision. I complained about missing being on a ship, and he told me how lucky I was. The Navy was only accepting for OCS college graduates with a certain grade point. Of the applicants, the Navy was taking only one of 27 that applied.
So in July of 1969 I drove to Newport, RI, to begin my adventure. For the next three years, it was one fascinating life experience after another: seeing much of the coasts of the US after having never been anywhere but 4 states; learning Naval skills, getting to know very sharp guys (except Wade) from all over the US, falling in love with several terrific young women, going to Southern California for CECOS and the fateful meeting with Pecos Pete, meeting another girl and her roommate, etc. 50% of the CEC was in Vietnam at any time, so I lobbied for the computer job in OICC, reasoning that they had to cool computers with air conditioning and keep them safe from saboteurs. I remember calling my mother and telling her I was going to Saigon and her saying she was going to call our congressman and complain, then telling her I volunteered for the job and her saying YOU DID WHAT?.
Then the fearful flight to Tan Son Nhat, being met by LTJG Jits Nakahara and a car and driver and thinking “This may not be so bad”. Meeting all the characters of OICC, then two weeks after arriving having two guys come to me after dinner at the Duc Sieu and saying “We’ve been watching you since you got here and we think you have the stuff to be a FART”. And the terrific things I learned in Saigon on the job, the incredible R&R trips with Wade and Ken, the duty in Bangkok, and the FARTS productions, etc.
Then a year of living in San Francisco with Wade and Loving and all the adventures of that year.
So the Navy allowed me to discover parts of the US (including Atlanta), see the exotic Far East and Australia, live in SF, discover my thespian skills and love of production and performance, fall in love several times, develop management and presentation skills, learn information systems, and experience a wonderful brotherhood at OICC, which endures to this day.
I have concluded my life has been so much more interesting and fulfilling due to the radical course change caused by the Vietnam War and my Naval service. So I was lucky. I didn’t get injured or killed in Vietnam and didn’t injure or kill anyone, and gained so much that has been valuable afterwards, including you guys (Wade with an *).
And, most importantly, I met my future wife during my time in Newport at OCS!
Long story, but I felt moved to share it. You are all a part of it and I genuinely appreciate all that you have contributed to my life.
Bravo Zulu,
George
