Eckhart - REArmy Chinook Crewman

The Second WorldWar had ended six years before my birth so I grew up in a time and place whenall adults had witnessed or participated in the great victory over Japan,Germany and Italy. My father and most of my uncles had served in the enlistedranks, generally in support roles rather than combat, and they often talkedabout their experiences during the war. My dad was an Army cook and truckdriver and spent the war in the U.S. and Newfoundland. Although they becamerepetitive in time, my dads stories were interesting, normally funny and I wastaught, unintentionally, the military was a great thing to experience. Dad wasjust recalling the happier times of his young adulthood but to me, he wasgiving witness to the Army slogan I would later learn of Fun, Travel andAdventure. I played Army with my friends growing up, I was an avid JohnWayne fan and I never missed episodes of the Combat! television series so Iwas thoroughly indoctrinated by the time I graduated from high school.

After high school, my friend Brianand I were working as mechanics at an auto dealership. I had a few jobsafter high school and this was the most promising of the bunch but it was stilldrudgery for me. I knew everything I had done to this point in my life wastemporary but I wasnt really sure what I would consider permanent. I didnthave the money or desire to go to college and my father was encouraging me togo to an automotive trade school but that really didnt interest me either. Obviously, the Viet Nam war and the draft were major considerations for anycareer decision of an 18 year old male in 1969. Many of my friends had alreadyenlisted or been drafted so I think I was really just waiting for thegovernment to make a career choice for me.

During a particularly boring, hotsummer day at work, Brian and I decided to volunteer for the draft. We couldget our two years of military service behind us and be in a much betterposition to get on with our future; at least that was our rationalization. Wearrived at the draft board before noon the next day but the door was locked. As we tugged on the door and wondered aloud if they were at lunch, an Armysergeant in the next office asked if he could help us. We told him we came tovolunteer for the draft. Theyre closed today but will be back tomorrow, hesaid. As we turned to leave, the Army sergeant said, You know, fellas, if youvolunteer for the draft, youll go to Viet Nam and get killed.

How could we respond? He wassitting there in his uniform with stripes and ribbons and gold badges and brassbuttons he obviously knew what he was talking about. He then said, If yousign up for three years in the Army, you can do anything you want and youwont go to Viet Nam . What are you fellas doing now? We both said wewere mechanics and his one word response was Helicopters. He then explainedall the training we would get along with all the fun, travel and adventure theArmy was known for. We could go in under the buddy system and wouldbasically spend our time in the Army together, working on helicopters andhaving a great time with no worries about Viet Nam.

After a few minutes of discussion, Brianand I were convinced so we signed up for the three year enlistment. We didntsleep on it or talk it over with our folks it was, Screw it, lets doit. A decision making process I would repeat in the future with similarregrets. At that time, the nightly network news regularly featured film clipsof fighting in Viet Nam. They would show the us vs them KIA counts next tothe news announcer so getting killed in Viet Nam had a very real meaning tous. I didnt know anyone who had actually been killed in the war but I had abuddy who had dropped out of school and was in the infantry in Viet Nam when Brianand I enlisted. His letters didnt dwell on what he was doing but I could tellhe was in a shitty place, physically and emotionally. Avoiding a tour in VietNam as a draftee by adding an extra year of service by enlisting seemed like areasonable decision, but to my 18 year-old mind, that extra year did seem likean awfully long time.

After completing the paperwork, wewere given dates for physicals and asked if we would like to have a delayedentry of thirty days. Im not sure why the Army did that, probably to maketheir planning process easier, but it seemed like a good idea so we agreed. Afew days after signing up, we had our physicals and we both passed with noproblems.

After the thirty days, we arrivedat the induction center in downtown Cincinnati early in the morning ready andanxious to go. After checking in, we were told to strip down to ourundershorts and line up in front of an office for a final physical check-up. Iwas in line in front of Brian and, when it was my turn, entered the office tostand in front of an officer sitting behind a desk. He asked, Has anythingchanged since your last physical? I said, No and he told me to put on myclothes and go down the hall to the waiting area. It occurred to me that wecould have had that discussion with my clothes on but it was the first of manystrange things I was to experience over the next few years.

As I was sitting in the waitingroom with the other inductees, Brian opened the door, stuck in his head andsaid, See you later, man. They dont want me. For a second, I thought he wasfooling around but as he turned to leave, I jumped up and said Wait a minute! What do you mean they dont want you?! As we were walking down the hall, Brianexplained that he had a minor physical problem since birth and it had neverbothered him but the Army decided it disqualified him from service. Brian wasclearly disappointed. It had to be terribly disheartening to plan andanticipate such a momentous change in your life, only to be told, at the lastminute, that you werent physically fit for it. Obviously, the Army knew aboutBrians problem after our first physical a month ago but for some reason,decided not to tell Brian until the day we were to leave. Brian had burned afew bridges during the delayed entry period so his sudden change in plans was evenmore troubling than it should have been. Selfishly, I was less concerned with Briansdisappointment than I was about going into the Army on the Buddy Systemwithout a Buddy.