Jim's story of his military career

Dates of Service: 1966-1989; 1990-1991

Assignments/Locations: Vietnam, Ft. Wolters, TX, Murnau Germany. Thailand, Ft. Lee, VA, Fort Riley, KS (three Times), Panhandle State University, Heidelberg, Germany, Letterkenny Army Depot, Pennsylvania, Eastern Caribbean, Southwest Asia Theater of Operations

Military Specialty: Most of my army career was in logistics in supplying all sorts of material and in maintenance repairing and sustaining all equipment. When on exile from my trade, I taught ROTC for three years and was the command logistics briefer at Army HQ in Germany.
 

Positions Held: Platoon Leader, Company Commander, Petroleum Officer, Staff Officer, ROTC Instructor Depot Director, Commander of the 1st I.D. Materiel Management Center, Commanded a Log Base.
 

Awards: Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, 5 Meritorious services medals, some lesser achievement medals, and the usual I was there medals. To me my best award was Induction in the Order of St Barbara, the patron saint of the artillery after nomination by the Division Artillery, 1st I.D. for providing logistics support. Though unofficial I appreciate it over my official awards and one of the few non artillerymen to receive it..

My thoughts: I just graduated from college in May 66 when the selective service called and I ended up in the army. After 11 months of basic, infantry, and officers candidate school I found myself in Vietnam with the 228 Supply and Service company at Tay Ninh base camp at the outer most point of the Iron Triangle. The 228th was what is called an ash and trash unit. We handled and hauled supplies, fuel, rations, ran a bulk laundry, and recovered and prepared American KIA's to be sent to the Mortuary in Saigon. Each night about a fourth of us guarded part of the camp perimeter. After a year I was sent back to Ft Wolters, TX to spend the last few months of my required term of service. After a few days there I found I would do absolutely nothing so I extended to go to Germany. A year there and off to Thailand, to school, Ft Riley and the Big Red One, etc. I guess I drank the Kool-Aid because I began to enjoy the work, accomplishing things as a team, and a lot of wild and crazy times. Most of all I liked seeing results of what be accomplished. Fuel hauled miles through unfriendly territory, seeing B52's flying from Thailand every morning on jet fuel we had unloaded from ships, a Mechanized division tearing up Germany with fuel, ammo, and rations we provided, with tanks, trucks, and helicopters we helped maintained. Although not career enhancing as running coffee for a general at the pentagon, seeing those things every day was a greater reward for me. I learned that everyone on a team is invaluable no matter how seemingly menial their tasks might seem. I look back with admiration at the young soldiers of the 228th who were mostly draftees humping everyday in the dirt and the mud moving stuff to those who needed it. They made less than $200 per month with combat pay but never slacked off even when they sometimes felt unappreciated. I never served with better. The Army was good to me and for me. I was and am proud to have been a part of it.