Section 1: Don Engel grew up in Springfield, Ohio, with one sister. His father, a business owner, had friends who served in World War II, but Don does not remember them discussing the war. Don does, however, have vivid memories of watching the 1952 television documentary series Victory at Sea about WWII. He adds that John Wayne was not an influence on his expectations of war because he knew that Wayne hadn’t served in the military and was more of “a caricature” of a soldier. Don enlisted in the Marines after two lackluster years at Ohio State University. 

Section 2: Don categorizes himself as a draft-motivated volunteer, having deferred the draft once and believing he would be drafted again. When he enlisted in the Marine Corps, he knew little about the services; looking back, he describes his time in the Marines as the best six years of his life. Boot camp was “tough as hell.” Don describes the rigors of basic training, from running a hundred yards carrying a “wounded” Marine to punishments like the “fat boy table” reserved for overweight recruits. He acknowledges that during boot camp, “every day you regret being there.” Yet, Don has no regrets today about choosing the Marines. He adds that when you come out of basic, “you are a Marine. They make you a Marine, both physically and mentally.” Don describes additional training, in which he learned how to catch birds for food and “tickle for fish.” The training also entailed being broken out of a hooch by Asian-American Marines and navigating the Sierras in six feet of snow with only a parachute and knife as supplies. Don did not expect to go to Vietnam. He opted to go to Hawaii for training as a helicopter pilot and expected to be there for three years; instead, he was stationed there for two years and then sent to Vietnam. At the time, he knew “probably less than nothing” about Vietnam.  

Section 3: Don discusses his role in Vietnam and the people he encountered in country. He knew from the start that the war would not be easy. Don describes two phases of duty that he carried out in country. First, he worked as a helicopter pilot based in the rear, running supplies to Marines in the field and ferrying wounded Marines to hospitals. His second role entailed working as a forward air controller embedded within a Marine battalion that carried the name “The Walking Dead.” This moniker was rumored to have come from Ho Chi Minh himself. In this role, Don ordered supplies to be delivered by aircraft and called in aircraft to evacuate the wounded. Reflecting on his time in country, Don addresses his interactions with Vietnamese people, namely his hooch’s mamasan, a Vietnamese woman nicknamed “Missy Leo,” who chewed betelnuts.  

Section 4: Don reflects on his interactions with Vietnamese people, as well as his harrowing helicopter crash in North Vietnam. Don spent most of his time with other Marines but remembers Vietnamese children being curious about Americans. He crashed three times while in country, twice in South Vietnam and once in North Vietnam. When he went down over North Vietnam, Don had been conducting reconnaissance along the Ho Chi Minh Trail 80 or 90 miles north of the DMZ. His wingman and crew chief were both killed. Don used his survival training to find his way back—on foot, over the course of a month—to South Vietnam. He evaded capture multiple times and finally made contact with US Marines south of the DMZ. 

Section 5: Don not only remembers seeing Agent Orange being sprayed, but also spent time immersed in Agent Orange-ridden terrain. He describes walking through areas that had been defoliated after being shot down over North Vietnam. As a result of his prolonged exposure, Don has dealt with 25 years of cancer and cancer treatment. 

Section 6: Don shares memories of friends he served with in Vietnam as well as recollections of fellow Marines who were killed or seriously wounded. Don affirms that despite being surrounded by devastating casualties, he never doubted that he would go home in one piece. He talks about two friends, Tom and Johnny. All three served together in Hawaii and received the same orders, shipping out to Vietnam at the same time. Don recounts Johnny’s tragic death in a mid-air collision with another American pilot and the family he left behind. Tom, who survived the war, lives in Indiana and, to this day, he and Don talk every few weeks. Finally, Don describes the worst thing he witnessed in Vietnam: working as a forward air controller, Don was sitting in a foxhole with two radio operators. A rocket landed in front of them, ending the life of the man on Don’s right and leaving the man on his left in a paraplegic condition. Don, remarkably, didn’t have a scratch.   

Section 7 : Don reminisces about coping mechanisms during wartime. He did not write letters often, but he did record tapes for his parents back home. When asked about his experiences with the PX, Don replied “What PX?” He never had access to a PX when in Vietnam, nor a PX catalogue. Despite this, Don was able to purchase Vietnamese souvenirs from Marble Mountain, Da Nang: bookends made from marble. He also discusses experiencing two R&Rs—the first being in Hawaii, the second in Bangkok. Don met up with an old girlfriend for his Hawaii R&R but spent his Bangkok R&R with a girlfriend he met there. 

Section 8: Don reflects on his life in the years after Vietnam. He briefly notes that the war adversely affected his relationship with his sister. Don attended DuPaul University in Chicago in the early 1970s before earning a law degree from Loyola University. He remarks that while he expected difficulties on campus as a Vietnam veteran, he had no problems. Finally, Don reflects on the few people with whom he has discussed the war—primarily members of the Armed Forces who served around the same time as him.

Section 9: Don has been to the wall in Washington, DC. He describes the experience as an emotional one. He comments on the wall’s history of controversy, especially given its appearance, which is not that of a stereotypical, “general on a white stallion” war monument. 

Section 10: Don has been back to Vietnam, albeit very briefly, on a cruise. He has repeatedly considered going back for longer, but plans have never materialized. His views on the war have changed over time. Don asserts that war is “stupid” and questions the reasons behind American involvement in Vietnam in the first place. In closing, Don discusses the film Coming Home (1978); he appreciates how it depicts the postwar struggles of Vietnam veterans.