What’s a Fire Mission? Shooting cannons to destroy enemy forces, weapons, equipment, or property. In late 1965 and for most of 1966, Fire Missions were an integral part of my job description.

 

In 2007, a Humanitarian Mission became part of my life. Our primary goals were to provide medical assistance to very poor Vietnamese and, hopefully, heal psychological wounds on both sides through reconciliation.

 

Why go back to a place I hated so much at the end of my tour? The Nam was always deep within me but over the years I suppressed any serious thoughts about returning. The bad memories kept a firm commitment off my radar screen. The beauty and mystery of the exotic venue had grabbed me as a young man; a yearning to go back surfaced many times over the years. The challenge to find my friends escalated as I wrote the manuscript about my Marine Corps experiences. An Annapolis classmate and good friend, who had been in combat as a Marine officer, urged me to make the trip after his very positive revisit in 2003. Research on my book helped me stumble upon Vets With A Mission, an organization that sponsors annual trips to Da Nang, the location where I spent most of my wartime tour.

 

Going back to Nam in the fall of 2007—41 years later—with the medical mission team, against all odds I searched for the two Vietnamese friends with whom I had emotionally connected during the war. Many told me that my aspiration was beyond reach. Too many changes to the countryside had occurred over the long period of time. Furthermore, the population had exploded from 30 million up to 80 million people. Nevertheless, I found both of them! The adventure was a life-changing experience. The endeavor became a long-term therapy session for me; a healing mission filled with love, emotions, tears and spiritual growth. I made new friends, both American and Vietnamese. The widespread spirit of reconciliation within our dedicated team facilitated my conquest over war year resentments. The monkey was off my back; I was free of the Nam burden!

 

While writing my memoir, I felt obligated to share personal encounters with the military rules of engagement. The ROE incidents in my story are preposterous, yet true. In my opinion, exposing them at the ground level provides a valuable alert for a new generation of warriors. The rules of restriction in Nam had put all of us in jeopardy. Similar rules still plague American forces today. My episodes on Operation Hastings reveal the real power of the American military when fighting without limitations to WIN.

 

One unexpected conclusion I reached after careful analysis of my Vietnam tour was the realization that the most crucial combat training I received was the unrelenting four years of pressure at the Naval Academy. The professional artillery schools at Quantico, Virginia and Fort Sill, Oklahoma made me a deadly threat to the enemy, but life at Annapolis developed within me the deep-seated character necessary to survive the personal violence of war.

 

In the peaceful 2007 atmosphere, I watched a magnificent sunrise as I stood in the shallow water of the South China Sea; Monkey Mountain was one klick to the north and the Marble Mountains a short distance to the south. I was proud to be an American on the shores of this foreign, yet familiar land. Being greeted with a pleasant “Good Morning,” by so many Vietnamese on early morning walks through the sand on China Beach gave me a feeling of satisfaction that filled my heart. It confirmed that the hardships associated with my experiences in the world of Nam had been worth all the effort. Spiritual growth was the primary dividend. One of my wishes is that my memoir will bring relief to some of the Vietnam Vets still “trapped in the 60s.”