Michael Lee Lanning - Tours of Duty: Vietnam War Stories

Acknowledgments

E very effort has been made to ensure the veracity of the stories included in this collection. Some are from my own experiences, most are from fellow veterans with whom I was acquainted before the war or met during or after the conflict. The few that are from veterans with whom I do not have a direct relationship came with the recommendations of men I completely trust.

Some readers may observe that the stories are heavy from the 199th Light Infantry Brigade. I make no apologies. The 199th was my unit in Vietnam and where I made many lasting friends who were the first to step forward offering their war stories.

Most of the included war stories were gathered by e-mail correspondence with the contributors. A few came via U.S. mail, telephone interviews, and face-to-face interviews. A number of veterans made no response at all to my request for war stories. A few wrote back saying no or no thanks. Others wrote saying they just did not feel comfortable discussing their participation in the war. One wrote, Sure I talk at times about my war stories, but as much as I hate to admit it, I really dont like to be reminded of some of them. Id just like to keep some of the things I witnessed and some I participated in to myself. Another sent me a war story only to write a couple of weeks later asking that I not include it. He said he just did not want to share it with just anyone.

Some admitted that they had never told anyone about some of their experiences. One vet wrote, My wife read my stories and cried.

Those who did respond often began with the same apologetic explanation, My memories of Vietnam are mostly mundanethe day-to-day life of a grunt that is only of interest to those who were there. As you know, much of a grunts life was boring and tedious.

Many veterans wrote saying that their tours were not likely of interestand then proceeded to tell riveting tales of combat or hilarious stories of passing time in Vietnam. One veteran began, For forty years, I tried to forget Vietnam and for the last two I have been trying to remember it.

Another veteran summed up his feelings writing, To me the Vietnam Vet was the twentieth-century equivalent of slavery. Forced to serve and hated when freed.

Still another wrote, Were not the Greatest Generation we are a part of the big mistake that everyone would like to forget.

As for telling the truth, one veteran wrote, The stories are as accurate as I can remember them. They have to be. I realize that there are other people out there who were also there and would recognize if I exaggerated.

I am sure that it was difficult mentally for some to remember and write about their wartime experiences. Some had physical impediments as well. One explained that his stories were in all lowercase letters because it is much faster when you can type with only one hand.

And finally, There is only one story about the Vietnam Warwe all just tell it differently.

Several veterans sent their journals or draft manuscripts of their combat experience offering the contents to be used anyway I saw fit. In one veterans papers was a description of burning villages, throwing hand grenades in bunkers, filling in the village well, and killing all the livestock. He added that only one living thing was spared, My policy was to never hurt a dog. Other vets called on the phone to tell me directly about their experiences. Some stories are ones that I recalled hearing around club bars, field bivouacs, or on long airplane rides to one military exercise or another.

It is also worthwhile to note that each person in a fight sees and experiences that event within their limited space of the battlefield. Two soldiers separated by only ten meters may see a battle entirely differently. Both of their stories are true.

Grateful acknowledgement is extended to the following men, who like their fellow veterans came forward to stand up for their country when lesser men hid behind draft exemptions or fled to Canada. The following individuals made this book possible and significantly contributed to what our armed forces and country are today: John Abernathy, John Allan, Al Allen, Ben Andrus, Frank Bonvillain, Jim Budde, Ray Burnard, Jim Butler, Mike Carothers, Ernie Chamberlain, Sam Chambers, Dan Cragg, Thomas Daly, Bruce Davies, Tom Dineen, Steve Edwards, Jim Fitter, Ron Fowler, Tony Geishauser, Jeff Grass, Tom Hargrove, R. Ren Hart, George Isleib, Mike Jackson, Jim Jardina, Jim Lanning, Bill Laurie, Roy Massey, Dale McJunkin, Jim McLeroy, Lamont Meaux, Kent Mills, Linda Moore-Lanning, Bill Morrow, Terrell Mullins, Vin Musgrave, Patrick ORegan, Larry Prater, Jim Price, Steve Price, Rick Renaud, Bill Richardson, Bob Rosenburgh, Lee Sanders, Leroy Shafer, David Sherman, Larry Sommers, Ben Swett, Randy Thorne, Ben Tindall, Ben Trail, Don Ulrich, Duncan Williams, Wayne Williams, Leigh Wilson, and James Wyatt.

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