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Catalog number: VIS 201.0794
In this interview, Mike Story recalls his experiences serving in the United States Army in the Vietnam War. He recalls his family, education, and reasons for choosing an Army infantry officer's commission. His first duty involved commanding men just returned from combat in Vietnam who had only a few months left in their enlistments. He recalls attending jungle survival school in Panama and being sent to Vietnam in 1970. He served as platoon leader on search and destroy missions in which they would spend 28 days in the field and four days in camp. He describes their living conditions and rules and regulations about what they could and couldn't do while in camp. He remembers losing six men on one of their missions, including his platoon medic who was killed in action. He recalls attending the medic's memorial service after returning from Vietnam and meeting the man's family. He describes his activities after returning from Vietnam and how helpful his wife and their close friends were in giving him the space he needed to reacclimate to civilian life. He reflects on his military service; what he learned about leadership; the quality of the men with whom he served; and war in general, particularly the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.