Section 1: Doug Allen discusses growing up in Maine before moving to Florida as a teenager. His father served in World War II as a crew chief in the Pacific before Doug was born. Doug remembers both of his parents working and recalls that they had high expectations for him. 

Section 2: Doug volunteered for the Army after failing a course during his first semester of college. He was motivated by the belief that enlisting would provide better GI Bill benefits compared to being drafted. He emotionally recalls his dad seeing him off and shaking his hand before basic training. While Doug found basic training “pretty easy” owing to his Eagle Scout training, he adds that boot camp prepared him “not at all” for Vietnam. He notes that he was least prepared for the reality that there was a 50/50 chance he might die. 

Section 3: Doug deployed to Vietnam in December 1966. He vividly remembers enjoying his flight on an Air Force plane. Doug had a week to get acclimated, during which he took his fatigues to a Vietnamese tailor. Until he was injured in May 1967, Doug was a fireteam leader involved in both day and night patrols. In addition, his unit went on weekly helicopter operations in which they dropped into hot landing zones. He recalls serving with people of all races, including a buddy who was Chinese American, as well as soldiers who were Jewish, Hispanic, and Black. He notes that while Army life obscured economic background, soldiers talked about whether they had been drafted or enlisted, and some men in his unit were vocal about not wanting to be in Vietnam. He also highlights women in the warzone, namely Vietnamese women who did work around basecamp, such as digging ditches and doing soldiers’ laundry. 

Section 4: Doug details some of his interactions with Vietnamese people and culture. He explains that, contrary to perceptions that American soldiers wreaked havoc on Vietnamese children, in an area where he was stationed, Vietnamese children were able to re-start school after his division moved in. Doug notes that Vietnamese people he met knew limited English, and that children would say things like “Number 1” or “Number 10” GI. Doug adds that he learned how to count in Vietnamese as well as the Vietnamese phrase for “hurry up.” 

Section 5: Doug repeatedly encountered Agent Orange in the area around his base. He describes the stark contrast in the environment where Agent Orange had been sprayed, as thick jungle turned into “desert.” Doug recounts one instance when he walked through an area as it started to rain something that didn’t seem like water.  He believes the “rain” was actually Agent Orange.   

Section 6 : Doug addresses adversity in Vietnam, discussing how he became a fire team leader after a squad was wiped out. He also remembers difficulties getting necessary equipment, including machine gunners who didn’t have the materials to clean their weapons.   

Section 7 : Doug shares additional examples of privation and tragedy in Vietnam. He recalls having few amenities (such as radios) in his unit, lack of access to the PX, and the feeling that his unit was an “orphan” because of how the 199^th Light Infantry Brigade was “farmed out” to different infantries. Doug then tells two horrific stories in detail. While on night patrol, Doug’s unit got word that another group was pinned down and needed backup. His unit rushed to the firefight, and Doug and his men pulled anyone they could from the mud and loaded them onto a helicopter. Doug then recounts how he was injured. His unit was in a fortified position when an enemy unit attacked their bunker, injuring nearly everyone. Doug was forced to play dead while the enemy troops  searched his body for valuables. After being loaded onto a helicopter, his next memory was waking up in a field hospital.     

Section 8: Doug discusses hardships in the years after he left the military. Determined to use the GI Bill, he describes earning his Bachelor’s degree over a ten-year period while working as “difficult.” He then emphasizes that he had PTSD for decades but didn’t realize it. Doug saw the Travelling Vietnam Memorial Wall in Kentucky and was overwhelmed by it. Having decided to go to the VA for mental health services, he started out on three separate days, turning back twice but making it on the third day. This was in 2014, nearly 50 years after his discharge. Doug questions why the VA didn’t reach out more proactively to combat veterans. Today, he is in touch with some of the men he served with, but he underlines the heavy cost that Vietnam exacted on them all.  

Section 9: Doug reflects on the Wall in DC, noting that he was overwhelmed when he visited and affirming that it is a fitting memorial. 

Section 10: In this final section, Doug Allen considers the Vietnam War’s continued presence in his life. He underlines the toll of PTSD, recounting a trip to Disney World when he struggled with a re-creation of Asian terrain that included palm trees and rivers. In closing, Doug notes that he has seen several Vietnam War films but cautions that they cannot capture the horror of war.