Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
4:24 | After being sent to Okinawa, Franklin Mendez found it strange that he and his battalion were never prepared for the war that would follow their time there. Once arriving to Vietnam, they had to adapt to the new circumstances, for better or for worse.
Keywords : Amtrac battalion Marines company trust Vietnam deployment enlistment men's club reconnaissance demeanor
Growing up in Texas in a military extended family, Franklin Mendez found himself enlisting in the Marine Corps when he was 18. Training at Fort Pendleton was a good experience for him, where he learned all the intricacies of AMTRAC operation.
Moving inland, Franklin Mendez and his battalion are clearing perimeter as they go. Trying to pass the time, he spotted something peculiar going on in a village down the hill. While in a hostile fire zone, they were left without their rifles and had to depend on luck to get through the situation.
Early Christmas morning, Franklin Mendez and his battalion loaded up to head to sea from Okinawa. Seeing the size of the Navy fleet he was in, he started to realize that it wasn't just a training exercise and that they were heading somewhere with a purpose.
Spending more time inland, Franklin Mendez and his battalion were needed at a village nearby. Pulling up, they had the dicey task of picking up two KIAs amid hostile fire.
