Section 1: Gerald Eubank was born in New York City and grew up in Roanoke, Virginia. He attended Virginia Military Institute from 1957 to 1961.

Section 2: After attending ROTC while in college, Gerald joined the Army in 1961. His unit deployed to Vietnam in November 1966. Gerald knew little about Vietnam before deploying but had some familiarity with Southeast Asia having previously served in South Korea.  

Section 3: In Vietnam, Gerald worked with the Air Force, assisting with Operation Ranch Hand. He was also part of the Army’s early forays into the Mekong Delta. He describes the men he served with as “average Joes” and recalls American women working as nurses.

Section 4: Gerald discusses a range of experiences in Vietnam, including his pets—a snake and a monkey—and being fired on by the Viet Cong.    

Section 5: Gerald recalls encounters with Agent Orange and notes its use to clear the triple canopy of the jungle. He references his own exposure to Agent Orange and subsequent battle with skin cancers, observing, “that’s probably why I go to the dermatologist a lot.”

Section 6 : Gerald has few positive memories of his time in country. He notes that he and others “drank a lot” to cope with the war. He does not recall having friends in the war zone, nor does he have positive reflections on the country itself, noting that during his time in Vietnam, “I don’t think I saw anything beautiful.”

Section 7 : Gerald recalls various connections between Vietnam and life back home, including writing letters to his wife, purchasing a “diamond Omega ladies’ wristwatch” for her, attending a Bob Hope USO show, and bringing home a Viet Cong flag. He also goes into detail about one instance where he surveyed substantial damage to the VC after a B-52 strike.  

Section 8: Gerald discusses his life after Vietnam. He rarely talked about the war with his family and notes that he continued to drink. He earned a Master’s degree from Pepperdine University before retiring from the military at the rank of colonel in 1989. In 1990, Gerald saw psychiatrists at the VA and underwent treatment for PTSD. He continues to go once a month to see a therapist.  

Section 9: Gerald Eubank describes visiting the Wall in DC. He characterizes the experience of visiting as a Vietnam veteran as “tough” but thinks the wall is “beautiful.” 

Section 10: In this final section, Gerald reflects on representations of the Vietnam War, highlighting the John Wayne film The Green Berets (1968) and the Barry Sadler song, “Ballad of the Green Berets” (1966).