Dilts, Melvin R., SP5

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE ARMY.
Received my draft notice shortly after my 19th birthday. Talked to a recruiter and decided I wanted the Army to teach me a skill that was usable in the civilian market.

WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHERE DID YOU GO TO BASIC TRAINING AND WHAT UNITS, BASES OR SQUADRONS WERE YOU ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?

My Military Service Path

Basic training at Fort Dix, NJ

Advanced training at Ft Belvoir, VA.
Engineer Equipment Maintenance (Honor Graduate)
Engineer Equipment Repair (Honor Graduate)

Assigned to the newly reformed 15th Engineer Company at Ft Campbell KY. Our task was to hone our skills and get our equipment ready to deploy to Vietnam.

We accompanied our heavy equipment to Vietnam via troop/cargo ship. This was a 30 day journey from Seattle/Tacoma to Qui Nhon under less than wonderful conditions. Our company stayed in that port city for a few weeks to unload and assemble our equipment. We then traveled to Pleiku and finally to the Dak To airstrip where we set up base camp. Our mission was to set up and operate a rock crushing site, the product of which we used to repair/upgrade existing roads and create new roads where needed.

FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.
The 1968 TET Offensive. Specifically the mortaring of the Dak To airstrip next to our base camp.

The mortar rounds struck the two C130's that were offloading artillery ammo into the adjacent ammo dump. That started a chain reaction of explosions that lasted for nearly 24 hours. EVERYTHING in and around the ammo dump was completely destroyed (exploded or incinerated). All flammable objects in our camp that were above ground were reduced to ashes (tents, tires, any structures, some vehicles, etc). The ONLY thing that saved our personnel, and others, was the fact that many of us had chosen to dig underground bunkers some time before and were living in them at the time of the attack. Many other folks joined us in the bunkers when all the explosions started.

The aftermath was unreal. Ashes where there were structures. Ordinance on the ground everywhere. All personal possessions that were above ground.... ashes. the only things we had left were what was on our bodies and in the bunker. For a few days the only vehicles that could "safely" get to us, because of the unexploded ordinance, were tanks and APC's. It was C-rations and minimal supplies for quite a few days. You've heard of the "Dirty Dozen"? We were the "Dirty Company" as there were no facilities for showers or anything else for that matter.

WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
SFC Lynford Longey. He was rough, tough, knowledgeable and fair. If you did the best you could and tried hard he would stand behind you. if you were a slacker he rode your ass. Think "Gunnery Sgt Tom Highway" of the movie "Heartbreak Ridge". That was SFC Longey. He was a good man and a great leader and I felt like he was a friend.

Update 12/5/2013: Mr Longey died in May of 2010. I tremendously regret not finding him sooner and thanking him for the training and support he gave me when I was under his command. He was a great man and I will mourn his passing.