Austin, E. Ray, MSG

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE ARMY.
What influenced my decision to join the military as a young man was seeing three of my older brothers in Military uniform looking sharp and proud, and knowing also that my dad had served in the U.S. Army during WWl. Dad joined the U.S. Army on November 25, 1919 at

14 of my family who have served, as of 2014.

Camp Zachary Taylor, KY. Completed three years of honorable service and was discharged at Fort Slocum, New York on November 29, 1922. One of my brothers, Ted, served in the Korean War. Another brother, Luke, served two tours of duty in Vietnam with the USAF, and retired with 20 years of service. Another brother, Billy, served 4 years in the U.S. Army with the 101st Airborne Division, back when they were on Jump Status.

I guess they set the stage for me. In my teenage years and prior to joining the Army in August 1964, my heroes and the ones I wanted to be like when I joined the Military were, besides my dad and brothers, Alvin C. York, and Audie Murphy. I am proud to have served my country in the United States Army for 26 years and I am equally proud that two of my three kids served in the Military. My son, Chris, served for 20 years in the U.S. Army before retiring, and one of my daughters, Shannon, served for 4 years in the U.S. Air Force. We have a long line of patriotic men and women in my family who have served honorably and I am very proud to be a part of that number.

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?
I started my Army Career with Basic Training (Aug/Oct 1964) at Fort Gordon Georgia, and then flew immediately to Fort Sill Oklahoma for my eight-weeks of A.I.T. before taking leave and going home to show off my new uniform. I'll admit, I was really 'Green' when it came to what

My Basic Training Portrait

the Army was going to be like for me, so green in fact that I thought my first three years I had signed up for, was going to be just like the 8 weeks of Basic Training I had just completed. I thought I had made a big mistake in joining up until I got to my A.I.T. and found out it wasn't so bad after all. After a few weeks of training at Fort Sill and taking a short leave, I flew to Germany for a two-year tour (Feb 1965/Feb 1967) with the 72nd Field Artillery Group located at Wertheim, Peden Barracks, Germany. After that, I returned to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for about six-months and then left the Army at the end of my three year enlistment (Aug 1967). I got married a week after discharge (Aug 67), had a son a year later (Jun 68), bounced from job to job and state to state and just couldn't get settled. I was missing something.

The Vietnam War was going strong and I wanted to be a part of it. In December of 1968, I decided I wanted to reenlist and go to Vietnam, and that's what I did. I visited my old Recruiter and signed up for another three years and volunteered for Vietnam. The Recruiter gave me a 30 day leave and money and orders for a plane ticket to Fort Lewis, Washington. After my leave, I flew to Ft. Lewis, WA in civilian clothes because that's all I had. After arriving there, in January 1969, I was issued all new Army clothing and after about 10 days I was on a plane for Vietnam, with a stopover in Hawaii and the Philippines before landing at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. I don't remember much about that trip after leaving Hawaii because somewhere along the way I got sick. I found out later it was called the Hong Kong Flu. After arriving in Vietnam I was drugged and given bed rest a few days then put on a bus, truck or plane, for Artillery Hill located at Pleiku. This was the headquarters location for the 1st Battalion, 92nd Field Artillery. After a few days there I was issued a weapon, gas mask and other items and put on a truck convoy for my new assignment location at Dak To which was about 75 miles north of Artillery Hill. A lot happened during that first year in Vietnam, I guess this is where I really became a man. After 12 months at Dak To, (Jan 1969/Jan 1970) in which I was promoted, and decorated for heroism, I flew to California thinking I would receive a hero's welcome upon return to the USA, but, to my surprise, just the opposite happened. I was met with protesters calling me a Baby Killer, and other names, and throwing things at us as we were bused from the Military Airport to the civilian airport so we could fly home. What a shock that was for all of us. Because while I was in Vietnam we got very little News of what was going on in the USA so I was shocked when I returned, and that shock will always be in my memory. After a short leave at home I was stationed, again, at Fort Sill, OK.

While there for one year I went to school and changed jobs (MOS), and after seeing the conditions and shock of others who had returned from Vietnam and seeing what the protesters were doing to America, I reenlisted for Vietnam again. In my mind I thought, maybe I had not done enough to earn the respect of others, especially my family, whom I still feel like does not understand or care that much that I had volunteered for Vietnam, so I wanted to go back again, and this time I was going to do more to earn their respect. In my crazy mind-set at that time, I was thinking, I will do whatever it takes this time, to be recognized, I will try and earn the Medal of Honor or something as important, so that they (family and friends back home) will be proud of me, instead of calling me bad names and such. I really had a bad experience during that year after my first tour in Vietnam. Like I said, I was expecting to be welcomed home but, just the opposite happened. After I reenlisted in November 1970 to return to Vietnam, I flew to California, Hawaii, and then on to Saigon. From there I was bused a few miles north to the 12th Combat Aviation Group located at LZ Plantation, or Blackjack Pad we called it, between Long Binh and Bien Hoa, somewhere. The good Lord was looking out after me for sure, considering I was hoping and expecting to be assigned to an Infantry unit so I could do whatever it takes to earn another heroes medal, but, instead, on this tour I saw very little combat. I stayed there for a year (1971/1972) and then was assigned to the 194th Armored Brigade at Fort Knox, KY. I remained there for about two years (1972/1974), and went to Germany again. I was assigned to 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry at Schweinfurt.

While at Schweinfurt I was promoted to Staff Sergeant and was then reassigned to 1st Battalion, 26th TAB at Darmstadt and later Babenhausen. I left Germany in 1977 for Fort Campbell, KY and assigned to the 321st Artillery. A few months before I left for Korea, I was assigned as my Battalion Reenlistment NCO. I remained at Ft. Campbell until June 1979, then went to Camp Casey, Korea and was assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Infantry Division and worked as their Reenlistment NCO for a couple of months and then was assigned to the AG Company of 2nd ID and worked as Assistant Operations NCO at Division Reenlistment, under the control of SGM William Beaty. I left Korea in July 1980 and went back to Fort Campbell and was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry as the Battalion Reenlistment NCO until I went to school at Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN and reclassified to my new and last MOS, 00R Career Counselor, and then reassigned to 101st Airborne AG, with duty as 1st Infantry Brigade Senior Career Counselor. In Feb 1985, I was selected for a 2 year special assignment to the USAIC-TRADOC headquarters at Fort Monroe, VA. After there for two years (1985/1987) I was assigned as Brigade Senior Career Counselor for 7th Signal Brigade at Coleman Barracks, Mannheim, Germany. After that three year tour (1987/1990) I was reassigned to 1st Aviation Brigade Senior Career Counselor at Fort Ord, CA until my retirement in June 1991.

IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY?
On my first tour of duty in Vietnam (Jan 69/Jan 70), while assigned to the 1st Battalion 92nd Field Artillery as a Field Wireman, and stationed at a remote Fire Base (FSB-1) called DAK TO, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, I saw my share of hostile action both on

Montagnard village outside DAK TO, 1969.

the Firebase and a few times as Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) on patrol in the jungle in and around that area. My old Vietnam unit, 1/92nd Artillery, has a website that can explain some of the events with firsthand accounts: http://bravecannons.org/stories.html. My account: http://bravecannons.org/stories/HHB_RA_wayfb6_1.htm, but there are others. DAK TO was under siege for about 2 months while I was there in 1969, with a lot of incoming rockets, mortars, recoilless rifle fire and small arms fire. At least one night ground attack with Sappers sneaking through the perimeter wire that I can still remember. The Sappers got inside our perimeter and blew up a few bunkers and an armored vehicle as I recall. Most of the men that were killed at DAK TO were from the result of incoming hostile fire coming from the hills above us. I was decorated for heroism during that 2 month siege. Guess that was one of the proudest moments of my career.

As mentioned before, I was an RTO a few times. When I went on my 1st Patrol we were loaded on trucks at DAK TO and driven in the direction of Ben Het, a Special Forces Camp about 8-9 miles from DAK TO. We stopped at a bridge before reaching Ben Het, and unloaded. I remember marching in file through this Montagnard village and wading through a small river stream then up the side of a mountain towards Fire Base 6. On the way up, it had to have been over 100 degrees. We stopped every few minutes to rest, breathe and drink water. This was my first patrol. We had a helicopter flying up ahead of us looking for any NVA or VC and I was in radio contact with this helicopter in case he spotted anything he would let us know. Sometime before reaching our objective, the pilot of the helicopter spotted what he described as a Platoon size element of NVA or VC coming down a trail towards us. The Lieutenant that I was carrying the radio for took the call and ordered everyone to move back into the jungle, off the trail. I was sure we were going to ambush the enemy patrol but, orders were that we had to try and get around them, and not make contact. There was about 40-50 of us. Me, the LT., a few others from our Battery, and the rest were from the 299th Engineer Company there at Dak To. We were told to make it around the enemy. So we had to move a little faster and man that sun and heat was kicking our butts. As we got closer to Fire Base 6, the men from up there started shooting Mortars and M-79s over our heads onto the enemy below us because by this time enemy had heard us moving and was tailing us. Anyway, the last I remember was the Fire Base 6 people were firing over our heads and we stopped for a breather and I flopped down on my back, pulled my Radio off, and when the LT said, Let's go, I stood up then passed out from heat exhaustion. He came to me, pulled down my pants, opened my shirt, and started giving me water to drink. He was asking me questions like, what's your name, where you from, etc, and all I remember was I was mumbling something so he called for the helicopter to set down on side of the hill in a small clearing (LZ) and get me out of there. The helicopter must have hovered just off the ground because I don't remember there being any LZ anywhere on that hill side. I was told later that a couple of the men dragged me down to where the helicopter was and strapped me in a seat and threw my web gear and weapon in with me.

I woke up in the Aid Station at Dak To from heat exhaustion. The sad part was, I was pissed because I had missed my first firefight and also some SOB stole my big Jim Bowie knife I had on my LBE. ha ha. The rest of our patrol made it to FSB 6 and got airlifted back to Dak To later. I also remember carrying that 45 Caliber Grease-Gun I had bought from some guy for $50. That was the last time I carried that heavy thing, because I sold that sucker when I got back. I was carrying it along with 4 full clips of 45 Caliber Ammo and the Radio. My load was heavy. The LT kept telling me to keep up and finally I let him carry my Burp-Gun so I could keep up in the heat. I remember those Rocket attacks at Dak To pretty well. When the 122mm rockets were hitting over in the Artillery Gun area, we on the other side of the Fire Base would peep out of our bunkers, and you could hear a "pop" then watch overhead and sometimes see the 122 fly overhead. We called them flying-telephone-poles.

OF ALL YOUR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?
About all of my 26 year career in the Army was good and memorable but, I would have to say my choice assignment was the two year special assignment I had as Senior Career Counselor at Fort Monroe, VA. There I got to work at Army Headquarters level TRADOC, and

My son Chris and me in Germany.

got to work with DA Civilians as well as Military, and have always felt blessed and honored to have been selected for that assignment. I was responsible for the management of USAIC-TRADOC Reenlistment programs at 16 Army Installations across the USA. I got to travel a lot during those two years to each of the Units. While assigned at USAIC-TRADOC, I was also honored to be one of the first enlisted soldiers on the Army's first "Installation of Excellence" inspection program.

Next best assignment would have to be my next assignment after leaving Fort Monroe, and that would be with the 7th Signal Brigade in Mannheim, Germany. There I was responsible for 19 Reenlistment programs scattered from Mannheim to Bremerhaven. Also, while in Germany, my son, who was stationed pretty close by and got to visit me a few times as seen in this picture when he made a surprise visit to my office at 7th Signal Brigade. My least favorite duty assignment I guess would have to be about a year in an Infantry company at Schweinfurt. I believe it was at Ledward Barracks, with one of the 3rd Infantry Division Companies. Hard charging, always preparing for war and we spent a lot of time training out in the field, like 2-3 weeks a month, plus, our commander was a hard core commander. He believed in keeping us physically fit. Almost like the Basic Training I was in where we did not walk, we ran most of the time. I will have to say that I was glad to be reassigned out of Infantry, but always look back on them and realized had I gone to war I would have appreciated all that training.

FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.

SP4 Haughland. SP4 Strike. SP4 Austin.

I would have to say my two tours of duty in Vietnam, and, the distinct honor of serving in the greatest Military machine in the world, the United States Army. And last but not least, the people I served with over the years. Made a lot of friends and visited a lot of places. I believe I once counted that I had been in over 15 countries, and almost all of the States in the USA. I would never have traveled like that had I not joined the Military. Got a lot to be thankful for, and I am very proud to have served my country in the United States Army.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM YOUR MILITARY CAREER?
Although not the highest award I earned, but no doubt my proudest one. Award of the Army Commendation Medal with 'V' Device for Heroism, Republic of South Vietnam:

Private First Class Elmer R. Austin distinguished himself by exceptional heroism in the Republic of Vietnam on 12 May 1969, while serving

Gail and I at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

in the Communications Section with the 1st Battalion, 92nd Artillery located at Dak To. On that date, Dak To experienced numerous attacks from hostile enemy rockets, mortars, and recoilless rifles. As the rounds from the enemy weapons began to impact in the area, Private Austin voluntarily exposed himself to the enemy in order to observe their firing positions. Without regard for his personal safety, he left the relative security of the communications bunker and while moving under fire, he made his way to an observation post. His accurate observation of the flashes from the enemy weapons enabled him to report the azimuths from which the enemy fires were coming. Although not trained as an artillery observer, Private Austin performed the duties as an observer with exceptional professionalism while under fire. He was instrumental in calling in and directing medium artillery fire and destroying the enemy weapons thereby saving the lives of himself, and his fellow soldiers. He remained at his position until the Fire Mission was completed. Private Austin courage, fortitude, and complete disregard for his personal safety were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Military Service, and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

I was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, four times, on four different occasions, that I am very proud of, as well as all the other medals, awards, trophies, plaques, certificates, etc. I have had a good and rewarding career and I have but one piece of advice.I would love to see America start the Draft back again, so everyone can have a chance to serve our country, even for only 2-3 years, then maybe they will appreciate America, Again.

OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES YOU RECEIVED, OR OTHER MEMORABILIA, WHICH ONE IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?

Receiving 1st of 4 Meritorious Service Medals.

The medal I cherish most is the Army Commendation Medal with 'V' Device for Heroism I received in Vietnam in 1969. I suppose because at my young age and the fact that someone was recognizing me for something really important, although at the time I didn't see it that way because I was just doing what everyone else was doing, my job, and trying to stay alive.

WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?

Class Leader, Reenlistment School.

Wow, that's hard to narrow down because there were so many good soldiers that had an influence on me and that I admired and looked up to. If I had to name a few I would have to say: SGM Brian Picerno, 1SG Jesse W. France, my son, SFC Chris Austin, and others but I can't remember all of their names.

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?

Me and Chris at his Airborne graduation.

Well, there are a lot of those times but one that I keep smiling about is depicted in this photo. I went to Fort Benning, GA in 1986 to watch my son, Chris, graduate from Airborne School and pin on his Airborne Wings. Anyway, the Instructors allowed me to walk onto the Drop Zone to take pictures, and I was hoping to get some shots of Chris as he jumped from the plane and land close by. Well, when I looked up, there were hundreds of parachutes coming down at me and I had no idea which one was Chris, so I picked one out and pretended it was him.

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?

Salesman at Radio Shack in CA

After I retired in 1991, I worked part-time for a few months as a Salesman at different Radio Shack stores from California to Virginia. After that I settled in Tennessee and started my own Photography business and worked for about 10 years as a Professional Photographer doing weddings and other type photography. After that I worked for a Funeral Home doing different jobs until I finally decided to retire for good, about 2013. Presently, I do very little except try to make the best of time reading, traveling, and computers.

WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
Twice elected Commander of the American Legion Post 136, a proud member of the American Legion Honor Guard, and a member of the National Rifle Association.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER? WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE SERVICE?
Joining the Army when I did was the smartest thing I could have ever done with my life. The Army taught me more than I'll ever use as a civilian but there are things that I learned then, that I still use today, and I owe that to the things I was taught and the schools I attended. I never would have done half the things I have done had I not been for Army life. I consider myself still a professional in almost anything I do, and that has helped me in my civilian life more than I can speak of. Little things like, turning off light switches and water faucets when not in use. That would seem silly to most people but I consider it a great idea and I see the reasoning behind it now. Another thing is: The 5 P's. Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. If everyone used that, things would be better for them and everyone else.

BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE ARMY?
Respect authority and do as you are told. One day you will be in their position and will demand the same from your subordinates. There is so much disrespect in this world today, is another reason I am glad I made the Army my life.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.

TWS and The US Army

I have located people I served with, and I couldn't find them any other way; Google.com, etc.

*J*