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An up close and personal interview with Army Veteran and TWS Member:
Captain (US Army Retired) Thomas Owens (1965-2001)
WHAT PERSUADED YOU TO JOIN THE ARMY?
As a baby-boomer, I had the example of those known as the "Greatest Generation" to try and emulate and like too many young men of that time, I'd grown bored with high school and wanted something more in my life. To my young mind, I thought the military might fill that need in my life.
The war in Vietnam was starting to claim more time on the nightly news and the terrible precedent of casualty counting kept us informed of the growing escalation of the US involvement and the resulting increase in US service members killed or wounded.
Wanting to serve in the military and aware of the possibility of going to war, I left high school behind and joined the United States Marine Corps on my seventeenth birthday. My birthday present came later that evening upon my arrival at Receiving Barracks in San Diego. To those who've experienced Receiving Barracks, no further explanation is necessary and to those who have never had that experience, no explanation can capture that experience. I did however earn my floor buffer pilot's wings that evening.
On that night, in that place, if anyone would have suggested I would spend 33 years in military service, we all would have had a big laugh.
BRIEFLY, WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH?
This is a terrific question! So few of us completed our military service in the manner or job in which we started. Cooks became machine gunners, mortar men became MP's and artillery gunners became air traffic controllers.
I began my military career in 1965 as a Marine Rifleman assigned to a Marine Rifle Squad. In 1966, I changed MOS's and became a military policeman and was assigned to an Army MP unit on Okinawa where I was lucky enough to work at an Armed Forces Police unit. By that time, I was a Corporal and was assigned as a field supervisor to the northern part of the island where mostly Marines were stationed.
Within a few months, I was reassigned to the 1st Marine Division Military Police Company and sent to Chu Lai, Vietnam. Town patrol, route security and POW/detainee processing were our major responsibilities when not involved in operations. I was nearing the end of my overseas tour and extended for another six months in-country almost assuring my 1st choice of assignment upon rotation back to the States. Fortunately, senior NCO's not only knew their jobs but actually did them and as a result, while serving in Vietnam, I tested for and earned my high school GED. In the spring of 1967, I was sent to the still forming 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton and was a Sergeant in the 5th Marine Division Military Police Company.
Shortly after my arrival at 5th MarDiv I was offered an opportunity to transfer to the Marine Barracks (Security) in Las Vegas, Nevada. A requirement of being stationed at the Marine Barracks was that one held a Top Secret security clearance. Once I was granted that clearance many other doors quickly opened and I spent most of 1968 at the Military Intelligence School at Ft. Holibird, MD. After graduation, with my new Intel School Diploma in hand, I was transferred to MCAS El Toro to await orders sending me back to WestPac. By this time I had made a decision to re-enlist.
When I arrived back in Vietnam in 1969 my unit sent me to the Vietnamese Language School and once school was finished I was assigned as the Intel Chief (S-2 Chief) for the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. I remained in Vietnam until the late spring, 1970 when I returned home. I became the S-2 Chief for a heavy helicopter squadron (HMH 363) and remained at MCAS Tustin until January 1971 when I received my final discharge from the Marine Corps.
I began working for the Los Angeles Police Department three days after my discharge in January 1971 but while I was on probationary status I considered re-enlisting in the Reserves since I was already a third of the way to military retirement. As soon as my police probationary period expired I joined the California ARNG and applied for their direct commissioning program.
While awaiting my direct appointment, the CA Guard sent me off to the 6th Army NCO School and Drill Sergeant School at Ft. Ord, CA. My bosses at the LAPD were not happy but to their credit, even to this day, the LAPD strongly supports their officers participating in Reserve military service.
Almost immediately upon returning from Ft. Ord, my direct appointment came down from on-high and I became a 2LT in the CA ARNG and was assigned out to the 160th INF as a platoon leader.
In less than eight years of military service I served in every position from rifleman to team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant, and finally platoon leader in five different MOS's, completed two extended tours in Vietnam, attended four military schools, obtained my GED, began college on the GI Bill, and completed the rigorous of the LAPD Academy - it was a busy time in my life!
Over the next 25 years, my career path continued to zig-zag as I went up (and down) the military rank structure. After retiring and a seven year break in service, I went back and served another four years, this time as an NCO - no small feat given seventeen years commissioned service. At the same time as I was adjusting to being an NCO again I was also adjusting to being back on active duty, this time at Ft. Meade, MD where I was the oldest student in the history of the basic broadcaster's course. One of my soldiers later produced a radio spot which aired on AFN which went something like: "Owens is living proof that recycling works."
During my final enlistment in the USAR (1995-2001), I was a broadcast NCO and spent almost three years of the four year enlistment on active duty including broadcaster's school, Bosnia and Central America. That tour convinced me that time had caught up with me and it was once again time to retire.
DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN COMBAT OPERATIONS?
During my service in Vietnam I participated in multiple operations and earned eight campaign stars on my Vietnam Service Medal. I was also awarded the USMC Combat Action Ribbon and three purple hearts.
At the end of my career I did a tour in Bosnia as a peacekeeper and finished up with a short tour in Central America in support of the Hurricane Mitch disaster relief mission.
FROM YOUR ENTIRE SERVICE CAREER WHAT PARTICULAR MEMORY STANDS OUT?
In a career full of memories, two are the most profound.
First, the memory of feeling utter despair and deep anger at losing a brother-in-arms in a combat operation, knowing that it  was my call that sent that Marine into harm's way on that operation. It's a feeling that is only surpassed by the feelings a parent endures upon the loss of a child. It's like the smell of death that never leaves one's nose. It's there, it will always be there and one can only learn to live with it.
Second in my memory closet is the memory of reporting-in at Ft. Meade in 1996 for the Basic Broadcaster's Course. Like in the old days, I reported-in in my Class A uniform. I'm told that is now an old custom, not much in use anymore. As one can imagine, my 25 year career was reflected on my uniform in what I call the mobile resume. Simply said, my Class A uniform was evidence of an old school soldier.
Remembering most Army basic schools are AIT's, the ever-present Drill Sergeants flocked to their office to confer about what to do with this old timer now in their charge. After a lengthy meeting, I was summoned before the Senior Drill Sergeant and asked to allow him to view my 201 file which I was still carrying.
He sat at his desk, going through the file page by page. After a 25 year career, one's 201 file looks like a Tom Clancy novel. After what seemed like an hour, he sat the file down upon his desk and asked me, "OK, so what are we going to do with you?" He had a pained look on his face. I replied, "We'll work it out!"
With a few exceptions, the four months that followed were not unpleasant. As one might expect, I stood out in a crowd because I wasn't just out of high school or college. This old tire showed its' wear and on the occasional Friday when we were required to wear Class A uniforms there was always a few who stared or pointed or both. I'm told that to this day, there is still the occasional story told of my time at Ft. Meade.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERSON FROM YOUR SERVICE STANDS OUT AS THE ONE WHO HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU...AND WHY?
My contact with this person lasted less than thirty minutes but his generosity, courtesy and compassion will stay with me ‘till I'm gone. I don't even know his name, never did, but his single act of kindness toward me stands him tall in my personal "Hall of Heroes."
He was the staff dentist, a retired Air Force Colonel, at the hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany. He drew the short straw in my medical processing going into Bosnia in 1997.
As I entered the examining room, fresh from the States and unsure of what we would find upon our arrival in Bosnia, he instructed me to sit in the dental chair. My dental file lay open on the small table-like desk near where he was standing. He stood there for a moment, apparently reviewing my dental file (now a critical part of every deployment). "So, Captain," he said, "seems from your file you've been around for awhile." "Sir," I replied, "My file is a little outdated," I replied. I'm no longer a Captain; I'm now an NCO - a retread. I should get that file fixed," I said.
Then this kind old guy stopped, laid down his instrument, walked in front of me and said, "You earned that title in another time and in this room, where I'm in charge, you're still Captain Owens. I don't care what you presently wear on your collar." I'd been out of retirement over a year, in a job and unit with which I had no previous experience and my age showed like a neon light.
This wonderful man gained nothing from his kindness yet made this old soldier feel, well, like my presence there - at that time and in that place - had meaning. I knew Bosnia would be a snap.
WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER THE SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?
I remained active in the Army Reserve throughout my law enforcement career. In 1988, I started my own business as an insurance investigator, doing insurance defense work. That led to other types of investigation and subsequently into major criminal defense (homicides, serial robbers and other scoundrels). The criminal defense work led to civil rights consulting and ultimately to major civil rights matters like Rodney King and other well known persons and cases. At the same time, I tried my hand as a writer, publishing several magazine and news paper articles and a book, published in 1994 by a New York City publisher. I'm now fully retired but still write from time to time.
HOW HAS SERVING THE ARMED FORCES INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND CAREER?
My military career, beginning with my years in the Marine Corps, helped me achieve goals I never could have envisioned in 1964. Through my military service, I've traveled the world and met some of the finest men and women this country has to offer.
The military (Marines and Army) gave me the skills and courage to attempt things I would not have otherwise attempted. The many jobs, assignments, schools and supervisory challenges I faced over the years provided me experiences that when I try and share to this day, people look at me with disbelief. Yet, I was in those places, saw those things and met those people and today, I'm the better for it.
HOW HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU TO MAINTAIN A BOND WITH THE SERVICE AND THOSE WITH YOU SERVED WITH?
Even as a (retired and modest) world-class investigator, finding people from 45 years ago who were significant to me was all but impossible. TogetherWeServed.com has provided a means of not only re-establishing some of those contacts but in a little-spoken of side benefit called ‘Also There,' provides in many cases photos of brothers and sisters whose names one could no longer recall.
The various forums make for fun and entertaining reading and on occasion, even provoke thought. Mentoring opportunities abound. I'm pleased to be a member of TogetherWeServed.com and I congratulate the Site Developers and Admin team for a terrific on-going effort.
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Captain (US Army Retired) Thomas Owens
Scout Sniper Section
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