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Page 8A THE BEACON September 2018
Editor ’ s Note- This is the second in a series about how diverse life was in the ‘ 60s when comparing small towns to big cities , east coast to the midwest , and even the west coast . While history books paint a consistent picture of the feel of society at that time , a few members of our community offered their memories of that time in their lives .
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Jim served with the Special Forces in Vietnam until he was badly wounded and returned to the USA for rehab . Jim knew what was going on back in the world with the protesters and felt sorry for them because they didn ’ t have a clue what they were protesting . Honorable soldiers were doing their jobs that their country had sent them to do . Jim had some choice words about the protesters and why he thought most of them were protesting . Most wouldn ’ t lift a hand if we were under attack in the USA but they sure like to enjoy the benefits . Most were Charlie Sierra , and if you ’ re former military , you can figure that out real quick .
After Jim was returned to Ft . Dix , NJ for extensive rehab , he remembers people from Atlantic City and Philadelphia coming to the area and throwing trash over the fence , cussing at troops , calling them many names , including baby killers , and telling them they deserved to
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TO THE MILITARY
die and not just be wounded . Their outbursts were tough to swallow , Jim knew what types of people the protesters were . He sure wouldn ’ t want to be in battle with any of them because they wouldn ’ t have your back .
Jim returned to civilian life and received his college degree from Indiana State University . He said he could only listen to so much ridicule from some mouthy college jocks before he let them know his military background . Being one never to back down , he left them with a few punches and bruises to remember him with .
PG Gentrup I served with the 25th Infantry Division at Cu Chi , Vietnam from August 1967 to August 1968 . The weather was very hot , humid , and dry or hot , humid , and very rainy because of the monsoon rains . I can remember landing in Vietnam . When I exited the plane , the smell was overbearing . I thought to myself , “ What have I gotten myself into ?”
I had left home and flew out of Cincinnati to Chicago , then on to San Francisco to report to Oakland , CA for deployment to Vietnam . I didn ’ t see any protesters at the airport , but after I met up with a buddy I had gone through training with , we had a night on the town . We were in civilian clothes and had let our hair grow out while being on leave time , so we pretty well fit in with the crowd . We heard several people talking about the war but didn ’ t reveal that we were soldiers on our way to Vietnam . I never heard anybody get loud or threatening , but the discussion showed their displeasure with what was going on to protest the war . I had just turned twenty on June 12 , but I was wise enough to leave it alone and worry about what was to come . While in Vietnam , we always heard about the protests at home and that some were violent . When I returned to the USA after my year in Vietnam , I was discharged at Oakland , CA and went to San Francisco to fly home . We were warned that the Democratic National Convention had just ended in Chicago and that riots and confrontations with the police occurred for many days . We were told to be alert . I was discharged on August 29 but didn ’ t get released until 6:00 AM on Friday , Aug . 30 . I arrived at the airport before daylight with two of my buddies from Vietnam . We were in uniform and very watchful . We saw
several signs in the area that protesters had been carrying . The protesters must have still been stoned from the night before , so we didn ’ t have to listen to them . Later on , I heard that San Francisco had many protesters . One friend of mine told me his group was punched , spit on , cussed , and called baby killers . I ’ m glad I never witnessed that except on TV later on .
I do remember while I was in Vietnam that we were on
PG Gentrup patrol one day when I got the news that Martin Luther King had been assassinated in Memphis , TN on April 4 , 1968 , which ten years later would be the birth date of my daughter , Kelli . The news was probably a day or two after the fact because news didn ’ t travel so fast like it does today . Many of my friends wrote to me about the violence in America and the assassination . Later on , I was helping secure a bridge over the Hoc Mon River when a lieutenant pulled in and told us about Bobby Kennedy being assassinated on June 5 , 1968 . I just couldn ’ t believe it after having gone through the assassination of John F . Kennedy . I wondered what kind of a country I would be going home to in less than three months . You could see the change in soldiers after the King tragedy and again after Kennedy was shot . It just wasn ’ t getting better at home , the morale of the troops was deeply affected .
When I returned home , I flew from California to Chicago which was still on high alert from the convention but , again , I didn ’ t witness any protesters . I saw many police officers in place for security . I suppose the protesters were still downtown causing real trouble . I landed at Indianapolis and was back home in Indiana where , for the most part , things were really quiet . I always watched the evening news with Walter Cronkite and was sometimes shocked to see what the protesters were doing and how violent their protests could become . I vividly remember watching TV when the Kent State tragedy unfolded in May of 1970 and couldn ’ t fathom that this could happen in the USA . I had moved on with my life and with starting a family , but I still supported our troops in Vietnam . I prayed that they would be safe and able to come home and live the American Dream like I was now doing .
My good friend and Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipient , Sgt . Sammy Davis , said it best when he told me and many students at programs I attended , “ You Can Protest the War but not the Warrior !” I believe that to be so true .
The Vietnam Veterans have evoked so much support for our troops today .
Patrick E . McClanahan I graduated from Moores Hill High School in 1968 and enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve during my junior year . During the summer months and once a month on weekends during the school year , I went to Naval Air Station Glenview , IL for boot camp and military training until I was called to active duty on August 19 , 1969 . I reported to San Francisco , CA and Treasure Island for deployment , then on to NAS Whidbey Island , Washington for firefighter school aboard ships . Next were my orders for Vietnam . I served as a Petty Officer 3rd class ( AZ-3 ) Aviation Administrator , keeping all logistics records of the Douglas A-3 Sky Warrior . During the Vietnam War , the A-3 ’ s were modified to KA- 3B tankers .
My first duty was KP- yes , all enlisted personnel had to work the mess hall duty firstand then on to duty stations , which included squadron flight control room , guard duty of aircraft on the flight deck and the flight logistics room . I served aboard two aircraft carriers during my active duty , USS Constellation CV- 64 ( a Kitty Hawk class supercarrier ) and its sister ship , the USS Kitty Hawk CV-63 . Both tours were to Vietnam . I was honorably discharged on August 21 , 1971 .
I never had any contact with the protesters when I was discharged , but I learned later on to be very cautious . After my discharge , I applied for my GI benefits for school . I headed off to Indiana State University with my wife , Sandy . The atmosphere was still very much anti-war as was the case on most college campuses , which made me watch what I said or did . I kept to myself about my involvement with the military . I was proud of my service but wanted to fit in and concentrate on my education . Three of my buddies were then in their junior year because I was behind due to my service , so I was the old guy in most classes . I worked hard , took extra classes , and graduated in three years . In 1974 I received my Bachelor of Science . I never considered getting involved with the protesters because I was preparing for life , and I knew my roots were very patriotic . I watched protests on the news , so I was acutely aware of what was happening in our country .
I am proud of my family ’ s military history . My dad was a Prisoner of War in World War II .
Many thanks to those who shared their thoughts on this tumultuous time in our history . Look for more stories about the ‘ 60s in future issues of The Beacon .
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