EVEN MARINES CRY 2
Who I am does not matter. It is what I am that counts. I grew up in this area and have traveled far. Back in May of 1964,at the age of 17,I took a test in Putnam to join the U.S.Marines. Having passed, I took a bus to Hartford to be sworn in. By February of 1965 I was in a regimental landing team, aboard a ship on my way from San Diego to (?).When we stopped in Hawaii,I went to visit the U.S.S.Arizona Memorial and I cried. I felt something that just made me cry we left and went to Okinawa for training for Vietnam.
By late July, I was on a LST bound for Vietnam. We landed in Chu Lai, August 16,1965, and hit the beach at night, just like in the movies I used to watch when I was a kid, but I wasn't a kid anymore, I was now 18.Less than one day there I went on one of the first operations (Starlite).
I was a radio operator for a forward observation team of combat Marines (or mud Marines as on T.V.) I had a mortar shell land one foot in front of me. It was a dud, so I just got splashed with mud from the rice patty When I had just one month left on my tour, and after 8 major operations, I asked "Let me go to the rear where it was safer and load ammo on trucks for my artillery battery". I went back and settled in. They had built up living quarters, put in electricity and a club to drink in that had its own juke box. The biggest hardship they had was maybe warm beer or the same movie twice.
On my way out we had a "Thank You GOD" service at Da Nang airport, before flying on a C-124 to Okinawa. We then had a clearance search before leaving for home. We left Okinawa at 6 AM Monday on a Braniff 707,and landed in Hawaii at 10PM Sunday night(the night before we left Okinawa).Then we flew back to the mainland and arrived in El Toro, Calif. at 5:45AM that same Monday. Sure beats the three months going by ship!
I went to live in New York City and got a job putting in and maintaining the rails on the subways. I kept this job for 10 yrs. then on my way to work one night in April of 1982 some driver made a left turn in front of me. When I came to it was June, so I had missed the month of May that year. I went back to work one year later (June 1983) after having to learn to use my right hand again and to walk with the aid of a cane. This lasted until November 1983 when I was forced to transfer, becoming a railroad clerk, spending 8 hours a night
2A
in a token booth. I tried this for two years, then resigned. The house I had lived in for 7 years was sold. My apartment became illegal and I faced eviction. So I packed up all we could and headed back here to Connecticut, at the end of November 1985
When we got up here we put our belongings in storage. Then we were out on the street. My Wife and children were crying in Davis Park, among the very Christmas decorations that, back in 1962,I had helped collect the money to put up. I rode up to my Uncle's place and when I talked to Him, I started to cry myself. We just wanted a place to get warm for a little while. He said He had a 16 foot trailer on the hill, where we could stay until we found something. At least we had a place that was warm and dry. We watched a 1 1/2 inch T.V. until a long time friend of mine lent us a 13 inch, mainly for the kids.
I tried all summer to get a place up here to live and work, but with no luck. I went to the Town Hall for help. I know they did not mean it the way I took it, but they asked me why I had come there for help In my mind I had represented Killingly when I went to Vietnam. As a resident, I had started a drive safely campaign, with the State Police, at Killingly High School back when it was on Broad St. I walked many miles, back then, to disc jockey dances at St.James gym on Friday nights. I helped, with the Boy Scouts, to collect money for the Davis Park Christmas decorations.
So in December 1985,I spent Christmas in a 16 foot trailer with my Wife and two little girls thinking back 20 yrs to when I sat back-to-back with another Marine in the warm rain. We sang Christmas carols while on radio watch in a rice patty I am down now, but not out. I have never been out, never needed drugs to make it. I was in KMS the other day to use the phone because I had none. Over the loudspeaker, they said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang My Country 'Tis of Thee. I started to cry again! I even cry when I read what I've written here. So I guess even Marines CRY
Never Give Up!
NOTE: Written March 1987 In Journal Transcript March 9,1987 and Vietnow Mag.