Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
5:21 | When Gene McCandless got to his assignment at Cua Viet, up near the DMZ, he was greeted by a ferocious artillery barrage. He was certain the next one would hit the back of his head as he headed for the bunker. He was just seventeen and had slipped through the cracks to make it into the war zone.
Keywords : Gene McCandless amphibious tractor (Amtrac) Vietnam Qua Viet artillery fire Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) helmet bunker Okinawa supply
Gene McCandless listened to the war stories of his older relatives and, when he came of age, he heard the bugle. After his single mother passed away, he sought out his father to sign the papers so he could join the Marines when he was seventeen.
After basic and infantry training, Marine recruit Gene McCandless was assigned to Amtracs. The amphibious tractors could ferry troops from ship to shore as well as travel on land to support the infantry. When he got to the staging battalion for final training before deployment, they found out he was still seventeen.
When the door to the airliner opened in Da Nang, the heat was overwhelming. Young Marine Gene McCandless was in an Amtrac unit and he began an eventful journey north to get to his unit. Along the way, he jumped out of a rolling C-130 and hitched a ride on a Navy river patrol boat.
Gene McCandless had been shipped out of the war zone to Okinawa to await his eighteenth birthday. When he got back, he was sent to Marble Mountain, where he was reunited with his buddies from the Amtrac unit. His job was to transport Marines around their area of operation and support them with supplies and logistics.
For Amtrac crewman Gene McCandless, the worst thing in Vietnam was the bugs. The flies and mosquitoes were relentless. There were plenty of rats, too. When he wasn't dealing with the wildlife, he had a variety of assignments, including the relocation of villagers. (Caution: strong language)
Amtrac crewman Gene McCandless had to spend some time in the rear when his eardrums were perforated by some live fire. When he resumed his duties, he was part of a detail that went to pull a sunk Amtrac out of a river. It sounds simple but it turned into quite an adventure. Part 1 of 2.
It was precise. Amtrac crewman Gene McCandless watched the artillery called in by his commander silence the VC fire from the other riverbank. At the same time, another Marine was firing away on a machine gun that was bootlegged off a helicopter. Don't ask. Part 2 of 2.
Once he was promoted to Corporal, Gene McCandless was able to become a crew chief, responsible for his own Amtrac. He had a good crew, although something did happen to the vehicle while he was away on leave. Later, he worked with some Korean Marines, which was a great experience.
Once, Gene McCandless hitched a ride into Da Nang with two Air Force officers who took him to lunch on their air base. Real plates! The Amtrac crewman was not used to such luxury. He had to check his weapon, also something that he was not used to.
After a year and a half in Vietnam, an office assignment for the rest of his enlistment was a bit of a letdown. Gene McCandless couldn't even get find comfort off base. Members of the military were being shunned.
At the time, Gene McCandless felt that going to fight in Vietnam was the right thing to do. Now, he isn't so sure but he has good memories of his time in the Marine Corps. It was a positive influence on his life.
