1 50 1 https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/0a55ed086ce545d8fce337b4ad4fe441.pdf 30940dfb4580bec433fb3e698d8ae303 PDF Text Text Transcript of Oral History Interview with Frank Guy. March 8, 2010. Statesville, NC Will Dulin: We are at the Troutman and Associates Electrical Contractors Incorporated. My name is Will Dulin and I am interviewing Frank Guy for Dr. Judkin Browning's American Military History course at Appalachian State University. Where were you born and raised? Frank Guy: I was born in Statesville, North Carolina, Iredell County and I was raised here also, went to South Iredell High School and then was drafted into the Army. Dulin: Oh ok. I guess I should have started, when were you born? Guy: November 14, 1951. Dulin: Alright. And after high school, what did you do? Guy: I worked at a machine shop for approximately a year and then about 11 months after graduation I was drafted in to the U.S. Army. Dulin: Ok. So then you went into Vietnam? Guy: Right. I was sent to Fort Jackson for training ... basic training and also took my AIT ... advanced training ... AIT ... Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. And after that I was assigned to leave for Vietnam. Dulin: Ok. And what job were you assigned? Guy: I was in mortars .. .! was ... my MOS was 11C, which is a 81milimeter mortar. Dulin: Ok. And what was your rank starting in and out? Guy: I was of course I was an E1 when I went in and I achieved the rank of PVC and I was up for E4, but the orders never caught up with me before I was discharged. So I was discharged as a PFC ... Private First Class. Dulin: Oh ok. What about your boot camp training experience? How was that? Guy: That was at Fort Jackson. It was very hot, very arduous. Dulin: And then after that you were sent to Vietnam? Guy: I took advanced training at Fort Jackson also after boot camp, when I was assigned ... after boot camp you're assigned what you're going to do in the army, and that �was 11 ... They called it 11 Charlie, which was a 81 millimeter mortar, and I trained on it for 6 weeks, at Fort Jackson also. Then I was sent to Vietnam, after a leave at home. Dulin: What ... when you arrived in Vietnam ... What did you ... What were your first thoughts as far as that? Guy: My first thoughts was, Oh my God, I guess. [Dulin and Guy laugh] What have I got myself into. I stepped off the plane and it was like somebody throwing a very wet, hot, smelly blanket over ... over your whole being. It was extremely humid. I think the temperature was around 108 ... extremely humid, and the odor was almost ... overcame me. It was something I had never smelled before it was extremely offensive ... and ... first impression was not good. Dulin: Right. Lets see ... were you in any combat ... experiences. Guy: Yes. For the first three months, I was over there I was ... what they call, out in the bush. That was ... we would go out in a 12 man crew ... helicoptered out. .. choppered out, and ... we would land in a usually an abandoned rice patty, which was severed as the LZ ... your landing zone and .. .I was in ... one small fireflght and ... that would ... but I was in harm's way the whole ... for the first three or four ... well the whole time I was over there I was in harm's way, but the ftrst three ... three and a half months I was actually out on patrols and could've engaged the enemy at any time. Dulin: What ... do you have any memorable experiences ... that ... that stick out? Guy: Well yeah the memorable experience was on my like second mission out ... we were contacted by headquarters platoon, which was approximately a half a mile from our position. They said they were 3 Vietnamese, Vietcong ... headed down the creek toward us, and we set up a perimeter on that ... or line on that creek and as they approached, I was assistant gunner on the M60 machine gun, which meant I was laying in the only opening in the brush, and I held the ammunition up in my hands ... and when the ... the guy fired the ... our sergeant told us to just let the M60 ... mow them down more less is what he said. And when ... they pulled the trigger on the M60 machine gun it fired one round and jammed. And there I was laying in an opening ... and the Vietcong immediately swung around. I was the first one he seen, and my whole life flashed before my eyes as ... as .. .I just knew I was gonna die. And ... my buddy with opened up 3 M16s and mowed them down. We killed 2 of them and one of them run off and we never saw him again. Dulin: Right. Guy: That was my most memorable experience and my most terrifying experience all rolled into one. Dulin: And ... how ... how long were you over there? Guy: I was over there 8 and a half months. �Dulin: Eight and a half months? Guy: Mhmm. Dulin: Did you have any awards or medals or ... ? Guy: I got the Combat Infantry Badge, which ... cm ... which was in .. .isjust a letting you know that you were in combat. Dulin: Right. Guy: That's the Vietnam Campaign ribbon and that's ... that's what I got. Dulin: How did you stay in touch with your family while you were over there? Guy: By mail. Dulin: By mail? Guy: Mostly and ... we were ... when I was in the rear area ... sometimes I was allowed to call them ... made probably: .. probably a total of three phone calls· home. And of course there was 12 hours difference in the time so ... if I called them at noon it was midnight here. I found that out when I called in the afternoon from there and it was 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning here. Dulin: Right ... Did you ... were there ... were there any types of entertainment ... in Vietnam? Guy: Yes ... Very sparse ... very sparse. Some ofthe rear areas had ... EM clubs, which was the Enlisted Mens clubs, and they had ... they did their best to entertain us. They would have the Vietnamese locals had little rock bands. Dulin: Mhmm. Guy: You couldn't really understand what they were saying, but they made a noise and it was entertaining. We had ... when I was stationed in one place the Air Force Base was in close proximity and I enjoyed the chapel annex there. They had a nice chapel and they had a annex behind it, which was air conditioned ... had the pool tables and refreshments available and that was the ... the most enjoyable time I guess ... but that was ... that was short lived. Dulin: Did u keep any .. .like a personal diary or ... ? Guy: No I did not I regret that. I wish I hadda, but I did not. �Dulin: And do you remember ... when you were ... I guess when you were on the flight over back to the United States, as far as being discharged or ... being sent home. Do you remember that? Guy: I do. I remember it very vividly ... We left the Benwah air base and ... we left under small arms fue. Dulin: Mhmm. Guy: And the ... pilot. . .it was a commercial air liner. But I did not know a commercial air liner could do what it did .. .he ... he layed that thing over on its side and ... and ... pulled the nose up ... till it almost stalled ... and cause we were ... were under fue so. We left ... once we got the altitude I was very relieved. Dulin: Right. Guy: Very happy. Dulin: What were your ... I guess your parents or ... or siblings reactions when you came home? Guy: [Laughs] That's a funny story. I was ... as I said I didn't pull a full year. The tours then were a year and I come home in 8 and a half months and ... when I landed in . .. we ... we'd in processed out in Fort Dix, New Jersey and I did not know until that very moment that I would be getting out of the army. I figured I'd serve the rest of my 11 ... 10 and a half... II months in the United States .... and a guy looked at my ... looked at my records and he looked back up at me and he looked back down at records ... said I am not believing this ... this is a biggest drop out ofthe army, said by Guy you're going home ... [Laughs] And he ... then he asked me ifl wanted to ... keep processing out or ifl wanted to get a bunk for the night ... and this I'd already been up at that time for about three days without any sleep, and I said lets keep processing ... cause I was afraid they'd find out their mistake ... [Laughs] ... Dulin: Mhmm Guy: ... and I'd be reassigned to a base here in the United States so .. .I was very surprised. I called home, told my daddy, and he didn't believe me. He thought I'd done something wrong, messed up ... Dulin: Mhmm. Guy: .. .I was getting kicked out of the army, not .. .trying to swear .. .I swore to him that it wasn't. He ... his reaction was ... my family was relief and jubilation. Dulin: Right. �Guy: Very Happy. Dulin: After .. . after that ... did you ... want tomake ... career out of the military? Guy: Absolutely not. Dulin: Not. Guy: [Laughs] No. On hindsight I wish maybe I hadda but .. .at that time in my life absolutely not. I was wantin to get home and get back on with my life. Dulin: Let' s see ... How .. .How did your service experience affect your view on the military or your life in general? Guy: . .. My .. .if affected my view on the military in a .. .I think a positive way. I know what at this time in my life I know what these soldiers are going through and all the conflicts around the world now .. . and it .. . it gave me a great appreciation for the military for ... for the fighting man and ... and it made my grow up. My .. .my military experience .. .I went in as a high school kid and I come out as a man. And .. .I do not regret it. I would do it again but .. . as I stated earlier, I was drafted: I didnot volunteer, but .. .I never had any thoughts other than to go and serve my country and do it and do it to the best of my ability. Dulin: Is there anything else you would like to say? Guy: .. .Just that .. .I' m proud of my service. I'm proud I did it. I was drafted... but I fulfilled my service and as I said I would do it again. And . . .I just .. .it .. .it bothers me when . .. bothered me greatly that we were not welcomed home with open arms. Vietnam era veterans are ...were looked down upon and that really bothered me a lot in my early years, but I've learned .. . and to .. .I've overcame that and ... the ROTC at West Iredell High School had ... had honored the veterans 2 or 3 years ago ... and that's the first time, after I returned home from Vietnam, that I received any thanks or any honor from any organization and that meant a lot to me. And .. .I just think the Vietnam veterans ... they ... they earned and need as much respect as any other veterans have .. .have been awarded and . .. the Vietnam Wall come through here. I went and seen it. The traveling wall. .. and it sent ... sent chills up my back. I seen some buddies names on there and I just feeLthat I'm one of the very very fortunate ones. I made it back with all my. parts and pieces in tact and the real heroes are the ones that didn' t return and gave their life and I just feel very thankful to God that 1.. .I returned in one piece. Dulin: Well thank you for the interview. Guy: Well you' re .welcome. Thank you for interviewing me. � https://omeka-test.library.appstate.edu/files/original/410fc99a45bea93058f7ebd1eb8369bd.mp3 e04f8171fffb03455b623d7b1199ea55 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Appalachian State University American Military History Course Veterans Oral History Project Description An account of the resource Each semester, the students of the American Military History Course at Appalachian State University conduct interviews with military veterans and record their military experiences in order to create an archive of oral history interviews that are publicly accessible to researchers. The oral histories are permanently available in the Appalachian State University Special Collections. The project is supervised by Dr. Judkin Browning, Associate Professor of History at Appalachian State University and all interviews are transcribed by the student interviewers. Copyright Notice: Copyright for the Veterans Oral History Project’s audio and transcripts is held by Appalachian State University. These materials are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Veterans Oral History Project, University Archives and Records, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC). Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed. Guy, Frank Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview. Dulin, Will Interview Date 3/8/10 Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 0:14:19 File name 2013_063_Guy_FrankW_interview 2013_063_Guy_Frank_transcript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Interview with Frank Guy, 8 March 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dulin, Will Guy, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a title="UA.5018. American Military History Course Records" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/167" target="_blank">UA.5018. American Military History Course Records</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright for the Veterans Oral History Project's audio and transcripts is held by Appalachian State University. These materials are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 5 pages Language A language of the resource English English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Subject The topic of the resource Guy, Frank Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Veterans Personal narratives, American United States Interviews Description An account of the resource Frank Guy was drafted during the Vietnam War and served 8 and a half months. He was in direct combat and had a couple of near-death experiences. He got out of his service surprisingly early, and he was relieved and had no desire to stay in the military or make a career out of it. Despite that, he values his time in the military and says he would not trade the experience for anything. He wishes the Vietnam veterans had been welcomed more warmly when the returned to the States. Air Force Benwah Fort Jackson mortar Vietnam