Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
4:58 | School wasn't working out for him so Leo Hill went to the recruiter's office where he saw a brochure about paratroopers. This is what I want. The recruiter said you're in.
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Don't get married until I get back from Vietnam. That's what Leo Hill told the girl he saw on his last day stateside. When he got to Vietnam, on his very first day in the jungle, they put him on point. As he slashed away with his machete, he got firsthand knowledge of the insect life in Vietnam.
He'd been in the Army for a while but, in Vietnam, he was the new guy. Leo Hill was back in the rear during a big firefight and most of his platoon was wiped out. When he returned, the Captain said you are the new platoon sergeant.
They were going to help out a unit that was hit bad. Leo Hill was the point man and as he crawled up Hill 875, his biggest worry was being shot by the guys he was there to help. He got to the top and did his best to comfort the wounded. The next day, they assaulted the enemy position. It did not go well. Part 1 of 2.
Three men were wounded by the mortar shell. Leo Hill was hit in the neck by shrapnel but the other two were worse. One had both legs hit and the other was bloody from head to toe. Part 2 of 2.
The unit had already had one devastating friendly fire incident and they nearly had another. Leo Hill was in a foxhole in the triple canopy jungle when a Phantom let loose a bomb that hit a tall tree then careened straight towards him.
The platoon had lost so many men that they were made a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol team. Their job was to use stealth to locate the enemy and call in the larger force to engage. Leo Hill was with them, silently moving through the night when, suddenly, a column of 30 NVA crossed their path.
Coming home was difficult for Leo Hill. First there were the protestors at the airport. Then there was the woman who rejected him when she found out he served in Vietnam. This caused him to begin keeping his service a secret.
It was very gratifying. When eighteen year old Leo Hill was field promoted to platoon sergeant, the more seasoned men in the platoon accepted him in that role. Vietnam was tough. It was a life without beds or showers and, surprisingly, with a lot of boredom.
