Writing a memoir is an interesting undertaking. I find that even though I'm blurry on some descriptions and events that once I start the process I seem to be able to recall events from the depths of my subsconscious. It's really an exciting process, this search for placement in time and space. I think it's a good mental exercise also. I'm working on the scrap books my mother put together when I was in the service, and a lot of recalling is taking place with that.  

2/26/08   My military (1961-65) memoir is moving along pretty well, although I feel somewhat burdeoned by all the letters I wrote to my mother. I made a commitment to her when I joined the service by saying, "Yes, I'll write as often as I can." I kept that commitment to her and have the letters to prove it. I always kind of wondered why she saved them, especially after all these years. Well, I'm glad she did or I never would be able to reconstruct the details of my military experience, except from memory. I've been using the book "Words of the Vietnam War" by Gregory R Clark as my primary reference for the military operations and equipment I was exposed to and participated in. The letters will help in this endeavor by placing me in time and space. Our recent coding class will help with this project by allowing me to code the letters for location, attitude, experience. I have completed chapter two of my memoir which covered a six month period from Chicago to San Diego and am starting to work on the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps training and becoming a field trained Corpsman (medic). I hope to be able to identify some of the individuals in photographs, but that's not looking good. Well, research on! 

3/29/08   A site that I found to be most interesting for research in the Vietnam Era or the Vietnam War is The Vietnam Center and Archive at Texas Tech University. This donation driven site consists of over 2.7 million pages of scanned material covering virtually all areas of the war and the era. My interests in this site is to research what other corpsman (medics) were experiencing during this time frame that might correlate to a shared experience with my experiences from 1961-65. I uncovered some personal accounts that were interesting reads,and I plan to continue on with that research. The site can be found at http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/  Research on! 

4/18/08 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, "Whatever it Takes" is how the insignia reads, and that was the attitude of the Marines I served with from 1962-65. We were an amphibious force, ready for deployment on short notice, and trained to deployment by sea, air, or as a land assault ground force. We were trained to be the first in and first out, not an occupation force like the Marine Divisions. Our mission was predicated upon a quick response, with mobility and force. I read with interest the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines illustriuos history at http://www.globalsecurity/agency/usmc/1-4.htm where I searched for information about my old Battalion. I found compatible information at http://www.answers.com/topic/1stbattalion-4th-marines covering much the same information. I knew some of the history of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, from my memory bank, particularily the efforts during WWII. I was interested in what happened after I left for college under a 90 day early release in March 1965. My enlistment was to run through May 23, 1965. Interestingly enough, in May of 1965 the entire 4th Marine Regiment left for Vietnam where they remained for four years where they were recognized with the "Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm" for "outstanding bravery." I was curious as to whether I would have been held over for the extended duty had I still been there in May. I had an MOS of 8404 (Field Trained Medical Technician), the hottest occupational ranking in any combat situation. I was virtually indispensable, but somehow was released from active duty . When I got to college (Ball State) I met two Navy Corpsman who were also students. They had spent two years in the Navy and were released to the inactive reserve like I was. Within a few months, both of them were called back to active duty and send to Vietnam. Since they had only served two years of active duty, there was still some eligibility left, and the call-up took them right out of college. I was very apprehensive that the same fate might happen to me, especially since I had been so well trained with the Marines, and had the hot MOS. THe call never came, and I was grateful for that. I had enough on my plate, being a 22 year old Veteran and college freshman trying to make it on the GI bill.