Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
3:26 | College wasn't in the picture, so Larry Taylor entered the draft in 1967. He only had one bit of trouble in training, but a DI's boot set him straight.
Keywords : Larry Taylor Greensboro IN Fort Benning Drill Instructor (DI) Tigerland Fort Polk Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) Vietnam
The first thing that he noticed was the heat. Larry Taylor was assigned to the 1st Air Cavalry, and while he was getting used to the steamy climate, he made his way to Camp Evans in northern South Vietnam. There wasn't a lot of contact, but there were a lot of booby traps.
The 1st Air Cavalry was moved to Khe San to help the Marines under siege. Larry Taylor saw two things there that he had never seen before, body bags and Marines cheering the Army.
When Larry Taylor arrived at a mountaintop overlooking the A Shau Valley, the choppers were shaking violently because they were at the upper limit of their maximum altitude. Larry Taylor recalls that flight and the action on the ground that claimed the life of a leader he respected.
The unit moved south after a relatively quiet time guarding an engineer unit. Larry Taylor noticed that the terrain around Quan Loi was different from where he'd been, with a lot of rubber plantations. His platoon was on on a short recon patrol when the young lieutenant decided to freelance a little, with nearly disastrous consequences. Part 1 of 2.
The platoon heard on the radio that they were on their own, relief couldn't break through. Larry Taylor and the others had walked into an area swarming with NVA. He didn't think his chances were good but an officer from another outfit named Barry McCaffrey came to their aid. Part 2 of 2.
Larry Taylor's radio operator was so good, the company commander took him for his own. One day he caught sight of the man walking over with a big smile. The news was what he'd been waiting to hear.
He was happy to be home, but it was tough. Larry Taylor knew he had a problem when he was unable to keep score at the bowling alley. Even if you were lucky enough to have no physical wounds, everyone who returned from Vietnam was profoundly affected. Reunions with the men from his unit were a big help to getting over the war.
What makes a good leader? Larry Taylor describes two individuals who made a difference for him during his tour of duty in Vietnam, Barry McCaffrey and Jerry Gast.
