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An up close and personal interview with U.S. Army Veteran and Togetherweserved.com Member:
SP 4 Rodney L Dutton U.S. Army (1966-1969)
PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE ARMY?
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| My father and I in uniform |
My father served in the US Army during WWII, finishing up in Okiniwa. My maternal grandfather served in the US Army during WWI, driving an ammunition wagon in France and saw significant action during his service. Both received Honorable Discharges. I Also had a couple of uncles who served honorably as well. One was Army and one was Navy. It is a proud family tradition
In addition, I had been in community college for a year and didn't get a good vibe so I dropped out and enlisted in the Army.
WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?
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| My family who was waiting for my safe return and supported me. |
I elected to pursue the Signal Corp as it was one of the areas I showed aptitude in on my Army testing. After Basic Training I had some thoughts about changing to Drill Instructor School since I gained a lot of respect for my drill instructors and thought it would be great to teach new recruits myself. I opted to stay with Signal.
I left the Army after just short of my three year enlistment as an early out after serving in Vietnam for three tours. That was enough for me. I had my parents and siblings to return home to and of course my fiancé, who stood by me during this difficult time of separation. When I got out in August, I went back to College. The following June I married my soul mate. A year and a half later I got a job and we had our first child. This is the direction I wished to pursue, but I had no ill will toward the Army or my fellow soldiers.
IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH WERE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TO YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY.
Upon graduation from Signal School at Fort Gordon Ga on 5 May 67 as a 72B20 with a Secret Cryptographic clearance, I took the Ready Vietnam Training Course for one week, and then I was assigned to Nha Trang, Vietnam. I served my first tour of 12 months at the
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| Rodney ready for duty |
Stratcom facility. Anyone who was in-country will tell you anything can happen at any time. I was not assigned to a field combat unit, however during Tet 1968 all major Provincial Cities were attacked, including Nha Trang. that was the most dangerous time during that 12 months for me. This took place after the first few months at the Com Center when I had volunteered for assisting the Building Engineers in building an NCO wooden barracks. When that was finished I volunteered for Security Guard work attached to the 194th MP unit. I took several weapons training opportunities, walked the perimeter, went on convoys to Cam Rahn Bay, and stood guard in the towers. There was an M-60 machine gun in the tower, and we carried a .45 pistol. There was also a .45 Thompson machine gun and a sawed off shotgun that were not military issue, but our sergeant had procured them for our use. We could also carry a carbine which was much smaller, and easy to carry. Our M-14's and pistol were always in the guard tower with us. The other weapons were used at other guard posts, including the walking perimeter post.
Prior to the end of my 12 month tour, I extended my service in the Signal Corp in Vietnam, and returned after a 30 day leave to a different company, which was Satcom in Binh Tan, outside of the main base, between the mountains and the Air Force airfield, and continued to work as an SG. This was a much smaller unit with a front gate security tower with an M-60 machine gun and a rear bunker facing the water inlet from the South China Sea with a .50 Cal machine gun. Of course we always carried our M-14's and had access to flares to view the area beyond our perimeter. We had to travel to the main base for meals. We had bunks, showers and 'bathrooms' along with duty stations and a rec room with ping pong, and that's about it
From this post we had a closer look at the airbase and the issues they were having with attacks. A coordinated US military assault went into effect where Napalm was dropped on the mountains to uncover the caves where the Viet Cong and NVA were staging and making some assaults. That was followed up with strafing from Jets that flew over for a few days. We were popping flares from our guard positions to make sure there was no enemy close to our unit. We did take one hit, but it just destroyed a deuce and a half. Our signal receiver/sender unit had a cover over it and it had to be taken down in sections to repair holes several times. Spooky made runs over the sand field between us and the airport regularly while firing their weapons toward the ground. After the first six months I extended again for another six months which earned me an early our, so I was active for 2 years, 9 months and 16 days.
OF ALL YOUR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH ONE WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?
Fondest isn't a term I would use to describe any of my assignments or duty stations, but I guess Fort Gordon would be the best related to weather, ability to wear civilian clothes when off-duty, and things to do there. I used the bus system and went to movies, the
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| Bob Hope Show CRB 1967 |
library (many amenities like private rooms to play instruments, record tapes of music etc) and the gym. I learned to play handball there, which gave me an interest in racquetball later in civilian life. Didn't like the 3.2 beer though. The least favorite were the bases we went to during travel where the rules seemed arbitrarily tough. Police call was not my favorite activity. Hurry up and wait.
Although Vietnam was a combat zone, after a while I got used to it. And although travel was restricted and the nights were full of anxiety, what I did like was the more relaxed military atmosphere in regard to being spit shined and all of that military nonsense. That was one of the reasons for extending in Vietnam, I could not imagine working at a US military base with the rules and regulations after serving in a combat zone. Of course the extra R&R's and 30 (or so) days leave between tours was also an incentive. I went to Hawaii, Tokyo, and Sydney for a week during the active duty tours.
FROM YOUR ENTIRE SERVICE, INCLUDING COMBAT, DESCRIBE THE PERSONAL MEMORIES WHICH HAVE IMPACTED YOU MOST?
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| Teamates |
The friendships that were forged were the most memorable. I had good friends in Basic, Signal School and in both of my Vietnam Signal locations (have recently reunited with one of my best friends from Satcom). Probably the best friendships that will likely last longer than the ones already listed are being formed in my post-military, job retirement years at the Canandaigua VA Gerofit Program and the DAV group where I am the most active of all the military associations to which I am a member.
Basic Training matured me and set me on the right path for my military experience and impacted my personal life afterward by teaching me that even though personal excellence is required for success, the only way to truly win is to be a team member.
WHAT ACHIEVEMENT(S) ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM YOUR MILITARY CAREER?
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| Stratcom Guard Tower |
The achievement rests in the fact that I volunteered to serve in the military. I did not go to Canada, or take a higher education exemption, or look to shirk my duty in any way. This is not a criticism of those who took alternate routes, just a statement about my own path which achieved what I thought was right for me. The awards I received do not reflect any spectacular achievements but each has meaning and I look at them in cumulative as having completed my assigned tasks and contributed to a larger cause.
OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES YOU RECEIVED, OR ANY OTHER MEMORABILIA, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH ARE THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
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| Keeping an eye on things. |
I still have several pieces of gear that we used as Security Guards but my most valued memorabilia is my Honorable Discharge. It is a source of pride within my family and when I applied to college or jobs, but mostly it is a symbol to myself and my sense of accomplishment.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
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| Guard |
Drill sergeants helped create a structured way of living that lasted a lifetime. Instructors at Signal School taught us what we need to know as 72B20's, and my teammates in all duty stations taught me the benefits of friendship and teamwork.
CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR SERVICE WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
There certainly was a good share of goofing on each other. I guess the most silly thing we did was to create a pyramid stacked on top of each other on all fours. Also we mimed the phrase see no evil, hear no evil, smell no evil. In future years
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| See no, Smell no, Hear no, Evil |
when I recalled those days and times it seemed that we were probably not unlike college guys, just in a whole different universe, and when we were done fooling around and taking a break from the war activities, we faced the reality that we were still in a combat zone.
it was important to us as we tried to maintain our sense of normalcy to be able to blow off a little steam during our off-duty hours. Once our group went to the beach and we stumbled into some South Korean guys who were also taking a beach break and although none of us understood the language, we all understood the wrestling matches that ensued.
A couple of other times we took a military bus down Beach Boulevard to the city of Nha Trang for some sight seeing. We went to the Buddah and walked the streets, shopping and watching them as they watched us. The first time was kind of eerie, but nothing happened so it was easier the second time. Once I bought a couple of Vietnamese artists oil painting and shipped them home. My parents hung them on their walls and today they hang in my home.
WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY?
When I left the military after just under 3 years, I went back to community college, and shortly thereafter got a part-time job which turned into a different full-time job at that same company. Forty-four and a half years later I retired from that company which is now named Constellation
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| The Love of My Life. |
Brands. When I started there it was a local winery that had just expanded to another small winery in a town close by. When I left, it was a 2 billion international alcohol beverage leader in the world, selling wines, spirits and beer.
I was fortunate to get in on the bottom of the growth of the company and eventually was the Director of Transportation with a 10 million dollar budget at one point, which was broken up a bit in the years leading up to my retirement to make it easier to manage with more people/departments. I am very thankful for the trust the company had in me and the great career. I enjoyed most of the time I was there. Now I am retired and doing some volunteer work and taking care of some of my bucket list times.
WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
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| Hanging out at the TAC Site. |
I hold memberships in American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans, Allegany County Vietnam Veterans Association, and Disabled American Veterans. I am somewhat active in DAV, serving local Vets at the VAMC in town etc. I continue my membership in the other organizations as support for them financially but do not take part in meetings etc. I keep in touch with their issues etc by reading the meeting notes and trade journals they publish. I enjoy assisting with the DAV activities.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER?
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| You take my picture, I take your picture |
It provided the format for my late teen years. I graduated high school at 17, tried college for a year and that just wasn't working for me so I dropped out after the second semester and joined the Army. I learned how much I could do, given training, both physically and mentally. The military experience helped me graduate from being a teen to being an adult. The survival skills and the processes learned in the Army translated pretty easily to a civilian job.
BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE ARMY?
My advice for those thinking about joining the military is to talk to as many people as you can through the various sources we have today to contact people to discuss what their experience is and how to make the best of your own experience. If possible talk to those
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| The Big Buddah |
who have or are serving in the same MOS that you are considering to gain first-hand knowledge so you are more certain that this is what you want to do. Do not just rely on recruiters descriptions. Consider OCS and Warrant Officer Training within your desired field.
Once you are in the military, get to know your leaders and what they expect and do it. Find out what needs to be done to get a promotion so you can maximize your military experience. Get to know your benefits while active and after you get out and do not feel shy about using them, you already paid for and earned them with your service! Reach out to help others who are considering military service, pay it forward.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.
 This is a great site. I have enjoyed putting it together and being supported by the TWS staff. I have used the Chat and offline service with great success.
I have made one new contact with a guy I served with almost 50 years ago. I like these self interview questions, they have brought out thoughts and memories from my military experience that may not have been activated without this prompting.
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TWS VOICES
TWS Voices are the personal stories of men and women who served in the US Military and convey how serving their Country has made a positive impact on their lives. If you would like to participate in a future edition of Voices, or know someone who might be interested, please contact TWS Voices HERE.
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