I was drafted in March 1969 and sent to Ft. Benning, GA for basic training. Upon graduation, I was sent directly to Ft. Polk, LA for Infantry training. I was held over for a few weeks to help train the new recruits. I was given two weeks leave and sent to Vietnam.  On 27 Sep 69, I arrived in Cam Rahn Bay Vietnam and was sent north to Chu Lai to serve with the Americal Division (23rd Infantry). The Americal had three Infantry Brigades; 11th, 196th, and the 198th. I was selected to serve in the B-3-1 11th. The 11th was based at Duc Pho; however our area of operation was the Quang Ngai Provence. Quang Ngai had both NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and VC (Viet Cong); but the main problem was the boobie-traps. Many were wounded and/or KIA'd by the boobie-traps. On 28 May 70, I was walking point on a small patrol in the Horseshoe Area when the third man back (Arturo Lopez) stepped on a boobie-trap, which cost him his life. I was wounded and the second man back (Franklyn Barney) was also wounded. Both of our wounds were severe enough for us to be taken from the field and subsequently retire from the military. As a result of my wounds, I spent  time in a hospital in Chu Lai Vietnam, Cam Rahn Bay Vietnam, Camp Drake Japan, and Ft. Belvoir, VA.

Thirty years later, after having a routine physical, I was told that my Liver functions were abnormal. It was later determined that the Liver damage was a result of the blood I  received in Vietnam during the treatment of wounds.  In 1998, I was placed on a Liver Transplant list, and received a Liver Transplant on 19 Dec 2000 at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC.