 So what were some of your motivations in joining the military? Quite frankly to this day I'm still not sure why I did that and I joined to be in the infantry. I actually asked for that. I still don't know why but I do it again. Anything in your upbringing that made you want to join the Army? Well basically my dad always kind of wanted me to join the military. The culture of our community was to go if you were asked to serve. We didn't have any war protesters, nobody fled to Canada to get away from it. We did what they asked us to do. Did you join thinking that you would eventually end up in Vietnam? I joined to go to Vietnam with the intent. I asked for that. When did you learn that you were going to Vietnam and what was your initial reaction? Oh I can't remember when I learned. I knew I was going to go. It was just a matter of what date. I felt that it would be a war and I didn't know what that meant and I just know that I was going to go over and I was going to try to do my best and do the best I knew how, do the best job I could. I said what's the chances of me being able to walk in if you're sleeping and traveling in there? I said 50-50. I said that's a lot better odds. And said nobody walks the point their last day in the field in Vietnam. I said I understand that sir but I'm doing it for a reason. So he said well I'm thinking about ordering you not to walk it and I said captain please don't do that. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't do that out of professional courtesy and let me do my thing it's going to work out fine. The combat came to you, you know what I'm saying is you're walking along somewhere and somebody else you know because you're searching and destroying you're not you know it's not a big army standing out in front and you're all marching towards them they're everywhere you know these guys are everywhere. It is often said that there are no atheists in the foxhole how accurate a statement do you think it is? Yeah, absolutely. Just to get to some larger questions about the first division itself did you find that there's a high level of camaraderie, esprit de corps? Yes, yes, very high, very high. We were I guess we were somewhat arrogant being with the big red one. I knew the longer I was with it the prouder I was. You try to look out for your buddies the guys you serve with and there are standard and usual tensions that happen but I think by and large we tended to look out for each other. What is the most important thing you learned from serving in Vietnam? As I said before if you want to do what you want to do you got to earn the right to do it personal discipline, attitude about teamwork, have being together with folks you got to rely on. I'll be a big red one till I die thank you for the interview and thank you for your service to the country. You're welcome.