READ ON - AND SEE HOW IN ONE SMALL INDIVIDUAL CASE, JUST HOW IGNORANT THAT BUREAUCRATIC NIGHTMARE KNOWN AS THE 'DOD' (DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE) WAS, WHEN IT WASTED A GOOD TALENTED RESOURCE, AND THREW IT INTO THE 'WINDS OF WAR'.

IT ALL STARTED WHEN I WAS ABOUT 8 YEARS OLD AND MY MOTHER MADE ME TAKE PIANO LESSONS BECAUSE MY OLDER SISTER DID! AS IT TURNED OUT, I LEARNED TO PLAY WELL AND EVEN HAD MY OWN BAND IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE.

ANOTHER THING THE PIANO DID FOR ME WAS TO EXERCISE MY FINGERS SO I BECAME REALLY GOOD AT TYPING IN HIGH SCHOOL (91 WORDS A MINUTE). IN COLLEGE I WAS THE GUY IN THE DORM WHO WOULD TYPE YOUR TERM PAPER CHEAP - A CASE OF BEER WAS THE NORMAL PRICE!

IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER MY COLLEGE GRADUATION IN 1967 THAT I RECEIVED MY 'GREETINGS' LETTER FROM UNCLE SAM REQUESTING MY APPEARANCE AT FORT BENNING IN GEORGIA FOR A LITTLE BASIC TRAINING. ON THE THIRD DAY OF TRAINING THE COMPANY CLERK ROTATED (MEANING LEFT THE COMPANY) AND AS WE STOOD IN MORNING FORMATION (ALL 120 OF US) THE COMPANY COMMANDER ANNOUNCED THE CLERK'S DEPARTURE AND ASKED IF ANYONE COULD TYPE. WELL, AFTER A COUPLE DAYS OF BASIC TRAINING WITH ALL ITS 'PERKS' LIKE EARLY RISING, RUNNING, PUSHUPS, KP AND SWEET TALK FROM THE DRILL SERGEANTS, ABOUT 80 OF US RAISED OUR HANDS! WE WERE ORDERED TO LINE UP IN FRONT OF THE ORDERLY ROOM TO TAKE A TYPING TEST.

I WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LINE AND AS I GOT CLOSER I COULD SEE THE 4 OR 5 GUYS IN FRONT OF ME TAKING THE TEST. IT WAS EASY TO SEE THEY COULDN'T TYPE - THEY WERE USING THE OLD 'HUNT AND PECK' METHOD! WHEN IT WAS MY TURN, I FIGURED THE KEY MUST BE NOT TO MAKE ANY MISTAKES, SO I DIDN'T TRY TO TYPE FAST BUT JUST MADE SURE THERE WERE NO MISTAKES. WHEN I FINISHED I LOOKED UP AND THE COMPANY COMMANDER, THE FIRST SERGEANT AND TWO DRILL SERGEANTS WERE STANDING THERE WITH THEIR MOUTHS WIDE OPEN. THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYONE TYPE THAT FAST! I GOT THE JOB! THE FIRST SERGEANT YELLED OUT THE DOOR TO THE REST OF THE LINE THAT THEY WERE DISMISSED AND THEY COULD REPORT BACK TO DUTY.

THE FIRST SERGEANT WASN'T ALL THAT SHARP WITH HIS WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS, SO EVERY NOW AND THEN I WOULD MAKE SUGGESTIONS - LIKE USING A TWO SYLLABLE WORD! HE LIKED THAT! HE THEN ASKED ME IF I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND WHEN I TOLD HIM I HAD A COLLEGE DEGREE, HE WAS REALLY IMPRESSED AND ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO STAY RIGHT THERE AT FORT BENNING WITH HIM FOR MY TWO YEAR HITCH. I DIDN'T HAVE THE HEART TO REFUSE THAT OFFER - EASY DUTY, RIGHT NEAR ATLANTA, NOT TO MENTION THAT VIETNAM WAS REALLY HEATING UP. BUT THE PROBLEM WAS I NEVER RESPONDED TO THE MANY REQUESTS I RECEIVED FOR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, SUCH AS OCS AND NCO SCHOOLING (WHICH WITH MY DEGREE I WAS MORE THAN QUALIFIED FOR), BECAUSE YOU HAD TO SIGN UP FOR ADDITIONAL YEARS OF SERVICE FOR THEM. I WAS QUITE CONTENT WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE MY TWO YEAR MILITARY FUTURE AT FORT BENNING, PLUS THE IMMEDIATE BENEFITS OF NO RUNNING, NO KP, AND THE DRILL SERGEANTS LOVED ME BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE FIRST SERGEANT'S OFFICE! AS A MATTER OF FACT, I PUT ON 10 POUNDS DURING BASIC TRAINING. I BET THERE ARE NOT TOO MANY VETERANS OF ARMY BASIC TRAINING THAT CAN MAKE THAT STATEMENT!

OF COURSE LISTENING AND READING THE NEWS ABOUT THE INCREASING CASUALTIES IN VIETNAM, IT WAS KIND OF OBVIOUS WHERE ONE NEED WAS. SURE ENOUGH - I RECEIVED MY ORDERS TO GO TO FORT POLK, LA. FOR A.I.T. (ADVANCED INFANTRY TRAINING) WITH A CLASSIFICATION OR M.O.S (MILITARY OCCUPATION SPECIALIST) OF 11C WHICH IS A MORTARMAN.

I SOON LEARNED THAT FORT POLK WAS STRICTLY VIETNAM ORIENTED AND THAT ALMOST EVERYONE WHO WENT THROUGH A.I.T. AT FORT POLK WENT TO VIETNAM. KNOWING THAT IT SURE APPEARED THAT I WAS ON MY WAY TO VIETNAM, THE ONLY GOOD NEWS WAS THAT I WASN'T CLASSIFIED AT 11B WHICH IS INFANTRY AND I WOULDN'T BE OUT IN A LINE PLATOON IN THE FIELD, BUT RATHER IN THE REAR GETTING FIRE MISSIONS FOR MY MORTAR.

AT FORT POLK, I STUDIED REALLY HARD (MUCH HARDER THAT I EVER DID IN ALL MY YEARS OF COLLEGE) AND I SCORED 98 OUT OF 100 ON THE FINAL MORTARMAN'S TEST - ONE OF THE HIGHEST TEST SCORES THE INSTRUCTOR TOLD ME HE HAD EVER SEEN AND I RECEIVED THE CLASSIFICATION OF 'EXPERT' MORTARMAN.

MY ORDERS CAME AND IT WAS NO SURPRISE THAT I WAS OFF TO VIETNAM - BUT WITH A LITTLE LESS ANXIETY KNOWING THAT AT LEAST I WOULDN'T BE OUT IN THE JUNGLE GETTING SHOT AT.

WE LANDED IN VIETNAM AT CAM RANH BAY. THIS WAS A LARGE SPRAWLING AIR FORCE BASE WITH ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES GOING ON. THERE WAS EVEN A NICE CLUB THERE WITH A DINING ROOM AND A LOUNGE WITH ENTERTAINMENT. THIS WAS JUST LIKE THE STATES AND I THOUGHT VIETNAM WASN'T GOING TO BE THAT BAD AFTER ALL. BUT THINGS WERE ABOUT TO CHANGE!

THE NEXT DAY WE WERE ASSIGNED TO DIFFERENT UNITS. I WENT TO THE 'FIRST CAV'. I WAS PUT ON A HELICOPTER AND FLOWN NORTH, LANDING IN THE A SHAU VALLEY WHERE THERE WERE PEOPLE SHOOTING AT US AS WE LANDED. (I LEARNED LATER THAT IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE 'TET' OFFENSIVE). WHEN THINGS CALMED DOWN, I REPORTED TO THE COMPANY COMMANDER GIVING MY NAME, RANK AND SERIAL NUMBER. I ALSO ADDED THAT I WAS A MORTARMAN!

"WELL," SAID THE COMMANDER. "THE MORTAR PLATOON IS FULL - GO SEE SQUAD LEADER RODRIGUEZ OVER THERE AND HE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU." SO I WENT OVER TO RODRIGUEZ AND HE TOLD ME TO STICK AROUND WE WOULD BE MOVING OUT IN ABOUT AN HOUR.

I WAS NOW IN WHAT WAS CALLED A 'LINE' PLATOON WHICH ARE THE GUYS WHO BEAT THE BUSH AND CRAWL THRUGH THE JUNGLE LOOKING FOR 'CHARLIE' (A NAME GIVEN TO THE VIET CONG, AND THE NORTH VIETNAM REGULAR ARMY SOLDIERS). THERE WERE 8 MEN IN A SQUAD AND WE MOVED OUT IN WHAT WAS CALLED A 'FAN FASHION' WITH THREE POINT MEN AND THE REST FOLLOWING.

IF MEMORY SERVES ME IT WAS ABOUT THE FOURTH OR FIFTH DAY IN THE FIELD WHEN TWO OF THE POINT MEN WERE KILLED. I REMEMBER RODRIGUEZ COMING UP TO ME AND TELLING ME I WAS GOING 'ON POINT'. ALL I EVER HEARD BACK IN THE STATES WAS IF YOU GET TO VIETNAM, DON'T GO ON POINT. SO I TRIED TO CONVINCE RODRIGUEZ WHY I SHOULDN'T BE THERE. I TOLD HIM I HAD NO TRAINING IN JUNGLE WARFARE - OR ANY WARFARE FOR THAT MATTER - I WAS A CLERK TYPIST (91 WORDS A MINUTE) AND AN EXPERT MORTARMAN!

"OH", HE SAID. "DON'T WORRY, THE 'RAT' (THE REMAINING POINT MAN) WILL TEACH YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW."

SO THEN I SAID, "WHAT ABOUT THESE OTHER GUYS IN THE SQUAD - THEY MUST BE MORE QUALIFIED THAN ME." HIS ANSWER WAS, "THEY ARE TOO 'SHORT'," WHICH MEANS THEIR TOUR IN COUNTRY WAS NEARING AN END AND THE POLICY (LEARNED THE HARD WAY I'M SURE) WAS NOT TO PUT THEM ON POINT BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE THINKING ABOUT HOME AND MISS BOOBY TRAPS AND TRIP WIRES, ETC. SO I TRIED ONE MORE THING. "LOOK AT THE SIZE OF ME" (6'3" - 240 LBS), I SAID. "HOW CAN I GET THROUGH THIS THICK JUNGLE?" AND HIS ANSWER WAS, "I WANT YOU TO TAKE BUGG'S (ONE OF THE DEAD POINT MEN) MACHETE AND YOU'LL MAKE A GOOD HOLE FOR US TO FOLLOW!"

WITH THAT ANSWER I KNEW I WAS IN TROUBLE! I LAID DOWN THAT NIGHT UNDER MY PONCHO - IT WAS THE MONSOON SEASON AND IT WAS POURING - LAYING THERE IN THE MUD WITH CREEPY LITTLE CREATURES CRAWLING OVER YOU, TERRIBLY TIRED AND UNCOMFORTABLE - BUT MOST OF ALL SCARED - THINKING OF WHAT LAY AHEAD FOR ME, I ALMOST CRIED. HOW COULD I HAVE COME FROM A CLERK TYPIST IN A NICE AIR CONDITIONED OFFICE AT FORT BENNING, GEORGIA, TO 'ON POINT' IN VIETNAM IN WHAT SEEMED LIKE OVERNIGHT.

I LASTED ABOUT 7 MONTHS ON POINT AND THOSE MONTHS IN VIETNAM WERE EXTREMELY BUSY. THE TET OFFENSIVE WAS AN ALL OUT PUSH BY THE NORTH VIETNAMESE INTO SOUTH VIETNAM - AND THE A SHAU VALLEY WAS LOCATED IN I CORP RIGHT NEAR THE 'DMZ'. I AM TRULY THANKFUL FOR ONE THING AND THAT IS I NEVER CAUSED

ANY DEATHS OR INJURIES TO ANY MEMBERS OF MY SQUAD. THE REASON I MENTION THIS IS BECAUSE 'CHARLIE' WAS PRETTY SNEAKY - HE WOULD SET UP SOME BOOBY TRAPS S0 THAT WHEN THE MAN ON POINT MISSED A TRIP WIRE AND SET IT OFF, THE EXPLOSION WOULD BE 7 TO 10 YARDS BEHIND HIM WHERE THE MAIN BODY OF THE SQUAD WAS, THEREBY GETTING THE MAXIMUM EFFECT OF THE DEVICE. THE FEAR OF THIS HAPPENING WAS ALWAYS - AND I MEAN ALWAYS - ON YOUR MIND.

ON JUNE 6, 1968, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A 'FIRE FIGHT' AND I WAS IN A FOXHOLE NEXT TO THE 'RTO' (RADIO TELEPHONE OPERATOR) WHEN I HEARD THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF BOBBY KENNEDY'S SHOOTING. THE LAST THING I REMEMBER WAS FEELING THE GROUND SHAKE WITH INCOMING MORTAR ROUNDS.

I WOKE UP 8 WEEKS LATER ON THE HOSPITAL SHIP 'SANCTUARY' WHICH FLOATED OFF THE COAST OF VIETNAM AT THAT TIME. I WAS VERY LUCKY I WOKE UP WHEN I DID, BECAUSE THE DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT WITH THE PARTICULAR TYPE OF COMA I WAS IN, IN ANOTHER WEEK OR SO, ALL THE BRAIN CELLS WOULD HAVE STARTED TO DIE AND IF I EVER DID COME OUT OF IT, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A VEGETATIVE STATE.

I HAD BEEN HIT IN THE HEAD WITH SHRAPNEL FROM A MORTAR ROUND AND IT LEFT ME PARALYZED ON MY LEFT SIDE. WHENEVER I TELL SOMEONE WHAT HAPPENED TO ME, I ALWAYS ADD THAT THE PARALYSIS IS THE 'BAD' NEWS. THE GOOD NEWS IS MY NAME IS NOT ON THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL KNOWN AS THE 'WALL' LOCATED IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THERE ARE SOME 58,000 + NAMES OF SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN VIETNAM ON THAT WALL, AND I'M SURE EACH ONE OF THEM HAS A BEAUTIFUL STORY TO TELL. MAYBE SOME DAY WHEN WE ARE CALLED BY THE SUPREME COMMANDER OF US ALL, WE WILL HEAR THOSE STORIES.

THE IRONY OF MY STORY IS - IT WAS A MORTAR THAT GOT ME - 'ME', AN EXPERT MORTARMAN.

SIGNED,

D. THOMAS BURNS AKA 'THE “GREEN MOUNTAIN CANTOR”'
(THAT'S ANOTHER STORY)

ONE LAST THOUGHT -

AS I READ MY STORY OVER, I CONSIDERED TAKING OUT MY OPENING REMARKS ON THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MISLEAD THE READER. WHEN I WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AND RETURNED HOME, I MUST ADMIT I WASN'T VERY HAPPY WITH THE MILITARY OR THE GOVERNMENT FOR THAT MATTER. THE COUNTRY WAS IN TURMOIL WITH THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT AND THE RETURNING VETERANS WERE NOT WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO RETURN TO MY PARENT'S HOME IN THE SMALL TOWN IN VERMONT WHERE I GREW UP. IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE TO ADJUST TO THE MANY CHALLENGES A HANDICAPPED PERSON FACES IN LIFE. BUT I DID IT - WITH THE HELP OF GOD, MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND THE VETERAN'S ADMINISTRATION. YES, I SAID VETERANS' ADMINISTRATION, EVEN THOUGH POSITIVE COMMENTS TOWARD THE VA ARE PRESENTLY NOT IN VOGUE.

THE VA HAS BEEN AND STILL IS A LIFE SAVER FOR ME, AND I HAVE NOTHING BUT GOOD TO SAY ABOUT THE VA AND ALSO WALTER REED HOSPITAL, (THE NOW “INFAMOUS” WALTER REED), AND I SAY THAT AFTER HAVING SPENT 10 DAYS THERE LAST YEAR. UNDERGOING EXTENSIVE TESTING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF PARALYZING ANXIETY ATTACKS I WAS HAVING. THEIR MAIN CONCERN WAS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE SHRAPNEL LEFT IN MY HEAD MIGHT BE MOVING. BUT THAT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE TRUE ( THANK GOD ) IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER ( PTSD )—I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS—BUT APPARENTLY 9-11 AND THE WAR BROUGHT IT OUT. JUST WHAT I NEEDED—ANOTHER PRESENT FROM VIETNAM TO GO ALONG WITH THE PROSTATE CANCER CAUSED BY AGENT ORANGE THEY DISCOVERED TWO YEARS AGO. THE GOOD NEWS IS BOTH CONDITIONS ARE BEING TREATED AND I AM DOING WELL. LET ME SAY THAT WE LIVE IN A GREAT COUNTRY AND ALTHOUGH WE ARE IN A TURMOIL AGAIN OVER A WAR - I HOPE AND PRAY WE DON'T LOSE THIS ONE BECAUSE I FEAR THE POTENTIAL FOR DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES HERE IN THE STATES WOULD RESULT, AND THE 58,000 + AMERICAN LIVES LOST IN VIETNAM WOULD PALE TO WHAT COULD HAPPEN HERE. AND THAT'S ENOUGH SAID ON THAT SUBJECT.

TO END ON A POSITIVE NOTE, LET ME SAY THAT I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN, PROUD TO BE A VETERAN, AND EQUALLY AS PROUD TO BE A MEMEMBER OF THE 'MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART'.