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Leo Hill

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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. (4:54)

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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. (4:13)

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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. (5:12)

Harold Barber

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Harold Barber was only fifteen years old when he enlisted in the Marines with the help of his mother. At Parris Island, the dentist deduced that he was not old enough to be there but he didn't blow the whistle. Boot camp was tough but there was a good reason for that. (9:55)

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After a short time on a smaller island, Harold Barber joined the rest of the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal. The initial invasion had been largely unopposed but the Japanese were pouring back in and their Navy relentlessly shelled American positions. (7:16)

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When Harold Barber saw combat on Guadalcanal, he became very appreciative of his thorough Marine training in firing and movement. He was never really scared but he was hungry and thirsty. When the Army's Americal Division joined the battle, their new M-1 rifles held more bullets per clip and this confused the Japanese who had been up against the Springfield rifle used by the Marines. (7:54)

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The worst thing on Guadalcanal was the stealth of the Japanese fighters. Harold Barber recalls how they could be on top of you before you knew it. They were devious, too, and liked to pretend they were going to surrender. (4:31)

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He was tired but everybody was tired. He was thirsty but everybody was thirsty. He was hungry but everybody was hungry. Harold Barber describes the conditions on Guadalcanal during his time there. He also has something to say about the way war movies present death on the battlefield. (5:49)

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After Guadalcanal, Harold Barber went to Australia for refitting and more training. The next fight was at Cape Gloucester, where he was not on the front line but still faced naval artillery fire and air raids (4:27)

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Harold Barber was lucky during the landing at Cape Gloucester. There was no enemy fire but that didn't last. It was a tough fight and movement was difficult because of the terrain. His friend George White was wounded in the fierce battle for Hill 660. Part 1 of 2. (10:39)