Keith William Nolan - Into Cambodia

For Vila Mary Elisabet Anderson Nolan, April Denise Ball Reese,
Mary Celeste Anderson, Barbara Lynn Calhoun, and Holly Oeltjen

I finally did manage to put the war behind me, and there are two people who I must mention: my wife, who patiently brought me back home, and my friend, Tom. Tom, another member of the 1st Cav, lost the use of his legs due to injuries from combat. Tom never uttered a bitter word about the war and the country which sent him. Tom died last year due to complications from his wounds. Tom taught me to put the bitterness and hate aside. I often get caught up in the hassle of daily life, but if I can get a quiet moment and think of Tom and the quality of his life, I can again put things in proper perspective. The best of Tom Lipp will always live within me and his memory will live as long as I have the breath to tell of him. Tom was one of the best we had.

Robert T. Pullen

Sergeant; D Company, 5th Battalion,
7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division;

Vietnam and Cambodia, 1969-70

I didn't have too bad a time over there, I don't guess. Was wounded four times, received two Purple Hearts. Twice I stayed in the field when I was wounded because they weren't severe enough to be sent to the rear and we were so short of manpower that they felt like they needed to keep me in the field. I was married just before I was inducted into the Army. I have one son by my first wife who was born while I was in Vietnam. Our marriage lasted about a month after I got out of the Army. It seems I was having problems dealing with Vietnam. We just couldn't work things out. It's kind of strange, I didn't talk about Vietnam so my second wife knew me for a long time before she realized I was a Vietnam vet. It's not that I was ashamed of being in Vietnam, but the majority of the people out there just don't understand and would call you woman and child killers and it wasn't worth the aggravation to try to explain to them because they didn't seem to want to understand. So for years I've more or less hid the fact that I was a Vietnam veteran, which made it even worse for me to deal with because I was proud of the fact that I had done my duty. I didn't go to Canada. Although I didn't understand why we were in Vietnam, it was my duty to serve and I was proud of that, but it's hard to be proud of something when the general public does not respect you or hold you in the same light they do other veterans. We need to break out of our shell and become publicly proud of the service that we did render, instead of just being proud within and trying to hide the fact without. My second son is by my second wife. My oldest is seventeen now and my youngest is twelve, and they are starting to show a little interest in my experiences in Vietnam so it makes it a little easier for me now to talk about it, but not a whole lot easier. Still, I think it ended up being a very good experience for me as far as how I live my life. I appreciate the value that I put on life now.

N. Dallas Tinsley

Specialist Fourth Class; C Company,
1st Battalion (Mechanized), 5th Infantry,
25th Infantry Division;

Vietnam and Cambodia, 1970

In Nam I felt as close to those guys as brothers. I was just one of those guys that was there and we weren't looking for medals or a pat on the back, just to do a job the way it had to be done. No real choice. They played the cards dealt to them the only way they couldsometimes with disregard for themselves to help and protect others, not just to attack an enemy. I love those guys. When the captain told me he was taking me out of the field, at first I really didn't want to leave my buddies. I was afraid for them as much as for myself. But when I was on that helicopter, back to base, I was real happy. I felt like a thousand pounds had just been taken off my body. I always had the feeling I wasn't going to leave Vietnam alive. For the first time I had the feeling I was going to make it. I sat off the edge of the chopper looking at the ground. I almost felt like the war was over. It was for me, if only this helicopter doesn't crash, I remember thinking. I had a lot of close calls walking point. A couple of times they should not have missed. I was never very religious, but I left Vietnam with a feeling I was not supposed to die. I feel the Lord had a purpose for my life and I don't know what it was or maybe is. Perhaps it was to have my two daughters. Maybe someday one of them will be president. If asked about Nam, I like to talk about my buddies. It makes me glow to think about or talk about them. At work if you say, Hey buddy, the response is, I have no buddies.

Dennis K. Walker

Sergeant; D Company, 6th Battalion,
31st Infantry, 3d Brigade (Separate),
9th Infantry Division;

Vietnam and Cambodia, 1969-70