Section 1: Richard Dittmar grew up in Salem, Missouri, in the Ozarks. A rural area, Salem was known for lumber and sawmills. Richard remembers growing up with the impression that the Army would “make a man out of you,” but also acknowledges that the military was one of the few options for him after graduating high school.

Section 2: Richard volunteered for the Army. He observes that in Salem, three avenues were open to men his age—attending college (if one’s family was rich), joining the military, or working at the sawmill. When Richard enlisted, he expected to go to Vietnam. His boot camp experience was not as bad as he expected, although he recalls worrying about certain physical challenges and notes that other trainees struggled.   

Section3: Richard arrived in Vietnam in January 1970. He discusses his first days in country, his combat experiences in a Sheridan tank, and the people in his unit. Richard was immediately put on guard duty after arriving and was told to watch out for enemy “sappers” attacking the walls. He expected to be on combat missions during the day and return to base at night; in reality, armor units went out in the field and did not return—save for R&R and occasional vehicle inspections—until the day they went home. Richard spent each night sleeping on a cot beside his tank; he spent his days “busting jungle.” Richard describes the jungle as “a solid wall.” His unit did daily reconnaissance, looking for vehicle trails and setting up mortar attacks. Richard remembers exchanging fire with the enemy within a Michelin rubber plantation in Cambodia, and he suggests that the US paid Michelin compensation for destroyed rubber trees. Richard shares that the people he served alongside were roughly 50% white, 40% Black, and 10% Hispanic. He emphasizes that while Black Power attire and drug use were visible, everyone he served with did their job in the field.

Section 4: Richard recalls interactions with Vietnamese language, people, and animals. He relays Vietnamese phrases meaning “very touched in the head” and “don’t shoot.” He notes that the Vietnamese people he served with were serious and hardworking; he contrasts them with American troops, adding “We had plenty of slackers.” Richard also shares vivid memories of animals in Vietnam, ranging from enormous cobras to his First Sergeant’s pet monkey. Men in his unit also had pet dogs, which rode in the tank with them, but typically bolted in the chaos of firefights.  

Section 5: Richard remembers tearing down jungle right after the US sprayed Agent Orange. He recalls getting splashed with the chemical and adds that the tank loader and commander would get soaked as Agent Orange fell from the foliage. He was told that Agent Orange won’t kill bugs and “won’t kill you.” He also discusses being sprayed with DDT and reiterates that Agent Orange was described as a “broad leaf” herbicide that wouldn’t even kill grass. He concludes by highlighting the effectiveness of Agent Orange; after a spray, the jungle looked like it was “coming down,” and one month later, it was “laying on the ground.”

Section 6 : Richard addresses the horrors of war and how men in his unit coped. He took many pictures during his tour but some of them were confiscated by the military as he was leaving Vietnam. The confiscated pictures were graphic, depicting carnage after battles. He recounts how people coped with the war, noting the prevalence of “juicers” (beer drinkers) and “headers” (weed smokers). Richard also delves into combat memories. His friend Larry Bushman was hit by an RPG during a firefight that lasted an hour or more. Based on the wreckage, Richard and his unit assumed Bushman, who left via medivac, had died. Approximately a decade ago, Richard finally learned that Bushman had survived.  

Section 7 : Richard shares memories, ranging from music he associates with his time in Vietnam to how he earned his Purple Heart. He recalls specific songs, including the Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” (1965), Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Ohio” (1970), and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” (1969). Richard then explains his involvement in the Cambodian Incursion on May 1, 1970, and posits that he may have been the first casualty of that campaign. About ten minutes after crossing the border into Cambodia, he was hit by a mine (a 500-pound “dud” American bomb that had been converted into an improvised explosive device). “The world came apart” as the mine flipped his tank upside down. He sustained numerous injuries, receiving treatment at a MASH hospital. Eager to get back into the field, he served the remainder of his tour, leaving in December 1970. 

Section 8: Richard discusses his life after military service. He spent a year in Germany before returning to the US in 1972. Back home, he had cousins who had become “rabid” in their antiwar sentiments. Richard notes that while “nobody wanted to be in Vietnam,” he did not know any veterans who considered themselves “antiwar.” Richard also tells a more recent story of searching his name in a Vietnam veterans archive; he located documents that list him as Killed In Action (KIA). He goes into detail about dog tag protocol at field hospitals that may have enabled a false KIA report.   

Section 9: Richard has visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC on two occasions. The first time, he and a buddy went together following a reunion; the second time, he attended the 40^th anniversary of the Wall. He believes that the memorial shows the scope of the war, but thinks that it should have been built during or shortly after the war itself. He adds that the memorial is fitting, and preferable to a statue of “one soldier up on a horse,” as was customary for earlier wars.  

Section 10: Richard has not been back to Vietnam but would visit if given the chance. In closing, he discusses his favorite cultural representation of the Vietnam War, which tells the story of an American POW who escaped and returned to the US.