Section 1: Gene Sullivan recounts growing up in New Jersey, unrealistic representations of war in Hollywood movies from childhood, and joining the Army on March 8, 1965, the day American troops stepped ashore at Da Nang.

Section 2: Gene volunteered for the military on the recommendation of his father, attended jump school after basic training, and served in Alaska before deploying to Vietnam. At the time of enlisting, he had “no clue” where Vietnam was.  

Section 3: Gene remembers Vietnam “smelled like a wet dog.” He expected Vietnamese people to be appreciative for being “saved” from communism; instead, children as young as five begged for food and others sold their siblings for prostitution. Gene became a member of the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP).  

Section 4: Recalling his time in country, Gene describes Vietnamese people as honorable while also noting the country’s extreme poverty. He talks about encounters in the field with scorpions, snakes, and tigers, as well as LRRP’s use of wildlife sounds to detect enemy presence. Finally, Gene recounts dramatic brushes with the Viet Cong, including a close call with a VC in which he went undetected thanks to camouflage.  

Section 5: Gene recalls seeing the effects of Agent Orange.  

Section 6 : Gene reflects on amenities, friendships and scenery in Vietnam. He remembers ice being a precious commodity and LRRPs receiving special treatment—bags of ice they used for an improvised fridge. Gene discusses a friend he served with not only in Vietnam but also in Alaska and remained close with after the war.  

Section 7 : Gene discusses various aspects of his service, including writing letters home and surviving in the field. He wrote to “anybody who would write back”; after getting his ear pierced as part of his unit and sending a photo home, his mom responded by sending a tube of lipstick. In a more serious vein, Gene relives realities as a LRRP, including wearing black pajamas to blend in from a distance with Vietnamese people, carrying as many as 14 canteens at a time, taking pills to prevent from defecating, and urinating while laying on the ground to avoid the noise of a splash.   

Section 8: Gene addresses life after Vietnam, including ways he changed and what happened to other service members post-Vietnam. He mentions a lack of interest in going hunting having faced the most dangerous animal—man. He talks about a man who he initially met as a company commander stateside who, after Vietnam, received a “cushy” ROTC assignment in a midwestern town—Kent State University. Today, Gene thinks the Vietnam War was unnecessary and notes that it is difficult to talk about the war, especially to people who aren’t Vietnam veterans.

Section 9: Gene has been to the memorial l in DC and has seen the names of friends on the wall. He discusses the Wall’s design and how visitors respond to it, connecting its somber tone to the World War II cemetery in Normandy. 

Section 10: In this final section, Gene talks about his plans to return to Vietnam in the near future and what he expects from the trip.