Drafted 3/71.
Basic at Ft. Knox,
AIT at Ft. Bliss, air defense-Vulcan cannon crewman.
Assigned to Bitburg and Spangdahlem Air Bases until discharge 3/73.

I was in college with a "2S" student deferment when TET happened. May sound silly, but I thought maybe our guys in Vietnam could use some help. I went down to the draft board and volunteered. Three weeks later, late on a rainy night, that drill sergeant was yelling before the bus even rolled to a stop at Ft. Lewis, Washington. Did Basic at Ft. Lewis, then AIT/Armor at Ft. Knox, Ky. Then NCO school, promoted to Sgt. E-5, and was an assistant armor instructor at Ft. Knox for a few months before being sent to Vietnam. Early in '69 I arrived in the Central Highlands of Vietnam where I served as a Tank Commander for a year. Hit an IED/mine once and the crew and I were miraculously uninjured, and we got a new tank out of the deal. The only significant injury was my loader being shot through the leg. Fortunately missed the bone, and he was back out there with us in about three weeks.

Joined USAF '73. Basic at Lackland, tech school at Goodfellow, San Angelo, TX.
One of the best decisions I ever made.

U S A F 1966 - 1970

Basic Training at Amarillo AFB

I joined Air Force in '73.....basic at Lackland and Tech School at Wichita Falls, Tx.

USAF 68-72

San Antonio

Bob

Sep 1966 - Received Draft Notice 1st day classes started at UT Knoxville. Party'ed hard rest of term & flunked most everything
Jan 10 1967 - Arrived at Ft Campbell for Basic. Watched the first units of 101st leave for Viet Nam
Mar 1967 - Infantry AIT at Ft. Ord CA. Visited Haight-Ashbury & Fillmore Auditorium
Jul 1967 - Infantry OCS at Ft Benning, GA
Jan 1968 - Arrived at Ft Bragg as newly minted 2nd LT, assigned to 18th Airborne Corp. Spent 2 years at Ft Bragg & never went to Viet Nam.
Dec 23 1969 - 10 Day Early Out, loaded up my Honda 450 on my motorcycle trailer with 2 duffel bags full of stuff & headed home.
Jan 1970 - Back at UT Knoxville with all the other vets & women with mini-skirts.

Joined USAF 65-69

Lackland AFB for basic.

USAF 1969-1978, and 1986-2011. Basic at Lackland AFB

Joined the Navy in 1968, would have been drafted

May '71 commissioned 2LT Armor through ROTC did not go to Ft. Knox for officer basic until Feb '72. From there it was on to the 25th in sunny Hawaii as an anti-tank platoon leader. Talk about irony. (They had just moved their colors back from Viet Nam a few months earlier.) Stayed there until I was discharged from active duty in '74.

quote:

Originally posted by roustabout:
My wife is from near Gelnhausen. Smallish village called Kassel. Not the big city further north.

Elk
----------------
I liked the area a lot. It's very picturesque and I'd like to return there someday for a visit.

Things have changed a LOT since then, and not all the changes for the better. At least in my opinion. Still have family and friends there and they are lamenting the changes as well.

Wife does not want to go back to visit her family and friends, either. Not sure why, but suspect it is because the country has changed so much, especially since merkel got elected and continues to grow in influence.

Joined USAF June 1965. Viet Nam Dec.'67-Sept.'68.
Basic at Lackland. San Antonio Texas.

Did I join or get drafted?? Yes. 12/31/1964

Air Force because they promised me Air Rescue and Combat Medic Training. They kept their word.

Lackland AFB for basic

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mrmn50,

Joined the Navy in 69. Never got anywhere near Nam.
Rod

Army brat pup that witnessed some of the "welcome home". Deployed 5 times after 9/11 and was disgusted by the knob gobbling welcome home from apologetic cocksuckers that didn't have the nuts to fight this "popular war".

Any VSM displayed I make a point to welcome this warrior home, thank them for their service, and engage in conversation. Drafted or not you did your time in the barrel and are part of the foundation that supports our current warriors.

Gentleman, a heart felt THANK YOU for your service.

Current Active Duty Army.

Gentlemen, Thank you for the sacrifices you made.

IMHO my generation of veterans has been treated better because of folks like you.

Enlisted, Ft. Jackson, Ft Gordon, MP. (95B)

Thanks to all who replied to the survey. Thanks to all who served then and thanks to our current group of service men and women.

Though drafted during Vietnam I still consider my service to be life defining and changing. The GI bill put me through college and taught me self confidence and discipline. Some of my best memories and friends still.

Thanks to all who have served!

Joined the Air Force in Dec. '67, draft notice showed up 10 days later. Basic was at Amarillo AFB, Tx. Was in SEA from Dec. 68 to Dec. 69

This message has been edited. Last edited by: molachi,