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Catalog number: VIS 201.0789
In this interview, Don Akridge recalls his experiences serving in the Marine Corps in the United States during the Vietnam War era. He recalls enlisting in the Marines because he knew he would be drafted when he graduated high school in 1964. He describes his work as a mechanic and recalls difficulties getting the needed parts and tools to maintain the vehicles on which he worked. He describes living conditions while stationed at Camp Pendleton in California and visiting nearby Tijuana, Mexico. He reflects on the political unrest and social upheavals that were prevalent in the United States during his enlistment and an unpleasant experience with the occupants of a passing car while in a military convoy on the highway. He reflects on the war; how veterans were treated then and now; and his military service.