I came from a military family with my farther serving in the Army in World War II and the Korean Conflict completing his career at Fort Bragg, NC in 1961.  So I have always been attuned to serving in the military.  Unfortunately for me I was wild and dropped out of high school twice and was living in San Francisco on the street.  It did not take me long to realize I had made a mistake and I went into the nearest recruiters office in downtown San Francisco in 1966 with the idea of getting my life straight.  I approached the Air Force and they said no because I had not graduated from high school.  I then approached the Marine Corps and the recruiter asked me what I had to offer the Marine Corps and not knowing what to say, I just said, my body.  He looked me up and down (I was 6’2” & 170 lbs) and he said come back when you have more.  I then went to the Army and I told them I wanted to be a medic and he said no they were filled up with medics but offered me a job as a military policeman.  I decided that may be for me since I had often thought I might like police work or being a fireman.  I joined the Army that same day.  I tell this story because I have found there are many different reasons for joining the military and my story is not that uncommon.  A young man looking for a start in life and thinking the military may be that right move.

BRIEFLY, WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH IN THE SERVICE? 

I joined the Army in December 1966 with basic training at Fort Lewis, Washington followed by Military Police school at Fort Gordon, Georgia.  I shipped off to Vietnam in 1968 and was assigned to the 194th MP Co on Pr’Line Mountain outside of Dalat for several months.  My unit was an MP company in name only as it was mostly made up of infantry and Special Forces personnel supporting clandestine operations along the Ho Chi Min trail.  I functioned as an Infantryman.  Coming back from a patrol one day I was told by the CO that all MP’s had to be reassigned to the 18th MP Brigade and six of us left immediately.  Reassigned to the 557th MP Co at Long Binh near Bin Hoa I was thrust into the traditional MP role of law enforcement and town patrol in and around Bin Hoa.  On 22 February 1969 at 0200 Tet Offensive started for the second time (first time was January 1968).  I was trapped downtown Bin Hoa for several days as my platoon fought from the Provost Marshal’s Office rooftop as VC and NVA forces attacked our area.  I departed Vietnam in late 1969 and returned to Vietnam on 1 February 1971 and was assigned to the 560th MP Co (Convoy Escort), also the most decorated MP Co in the US Army.  After 7 years as an MP I decided to become a Special Agent with the US Army Criminal Investigations Command.  I applied for the position and was accepted in 1975.  I then specialized in polygraph by applying for the position in 1983, once I became a Warrant Officer (1981).  I finished my career on 31 March 1987 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN COMBAT OPERATIONS?

Yes, in the general sense that I was in country in Vietnam as specific operations were on-going, just starting or just ending.  I received credit for Tet 1968, Tet 69, various consolidations, winter, spring, and summer operations.  The Army calls them campaigns and I received 6 campaign stars.  The type of job as an MP was always fluid between convoy escort, traditional law enforcement and in my case my brief stint as an infantryman so I was always in support of some operation.

[Editor's Note: CW2 Mungle was awarded the Silver Star for actions in Vietnam on 12 June 1971. See official Award Description opposite.]

FROM YOUR ENTIRE SERVICE CAREER WHAT PARTICULAR MEMORY STANDS OUT?

That is a tough question. Influences come from many directions and not all at once that builds on memories. The closeness you develop with other soldiers that turn into lifetime friends. This is something I have yet to discover in the civilian world. After 40 years I am still in contact with many friends I made in the Army. When you share the life of a soldier in combat and peace time through the many hard times we all have faced this creates a bond that holds friends together. You just do not have this in the civilian world and I have been told by those that have never served in the military they are envious of those kinds of relationships.

WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERSON FROM YOUR SERVICE STANDS OUT AS THE ONE WHO HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU...AND WHY?

That is easy to answer; I actually have two for the same reasons. First would be my Drill Sergeant, Staff Sergeant Bonilla. When he found out I was a high school dropout he pulled me out of formation and took me over to the education center and told me I had to take the GED test. I did and passed. That was the start. I started thinking about education. When I was assigned to the Presidio of San Francisco in 1968 just prior to going to Vietnam I saw an opportunity to get my regular High School Diploma from the same school I had dropped out of. I successfully completed High School and felt better about it. The second person was a Staff Sergeant, the Platoon Sergeant I had while on assignment to Okinawa, Japan in 1972. Unfortunately I do not recall his name because as I was coming in he was departing. However, what he did for me was nothing short of fantastic. When I reported in he asked me what I was doing to improve myself through education. I said I was thinking of college but could not afford to pay for courses. He reached into his pocket and gave me $100 and told me to go to the education center and sign up for college course. I did and I started down the road to a college education. Of course I repaid the money and he disappeared. I owe him more than money. I went on and obtained a Bachelors degree and then a Master of Arts degree.

WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER THE SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?

After retiring from the Army in 1987, I went to work for DODIG Defense Criminal Investigative Service as a Special Agent/Polygraph Examiner. In July 2001, I went to work for the Central Intelligence Agency as a Security Officer/Polygraph Examiner and ended up in Iraq in 2003. Then in 2004 I went to work for the Defense Intelligence Agency, as a Special Agent/Polygraph Examiner and found myself in Afghanistan and Iraq on multiple tours. In July 2008 I went to work for the US Customs and Border Protection, Office of Internal Affairs, Seattle Field Office, as a Special Agent/Polygraph Examiner and I will retire here as soon as I stop having fun. From the jungles of Vietnam, to the sands of Iraq, to the mountains of Afghanistan, to the rain forests of Madagascar I have been places and done things I thought I would never do and all because of my chosen career in the Army.

HOW HAS SERVING THE ARMED FORCES INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND CAREER?

I used the Army as a building foundation to my career and life. I started off with no experience or education to speak of and no sense of who I was. What I learned in the Army was discipline, team work, initiative, and learned to be a self starter and take responsibility. The Army allowed me to grow as an individual and to mature into a responsible person with a sense of purpose and goals. “You have to take a chance to have a chance” has been my personal motto and this has served me well over the years. What I learned in the Army has never once left me.

HOW HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU TO MAINTAIN A BOND WITH THE SERVICE AND THOSE WITH YOU SERVED WITH?

This website has been fantastic and allowed me to communicate with friends easily and to locate some lost ones. TWS is indeed a very useful service that benefits all of us and I am thankful for that.