Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Gary L. Villereal Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Branch of Service: Army
- Service Unit/Ship: 1st Cavalry Division; II Field Forces
- Location of Service: Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; III Corps, Vietnam; Phouc Vinh, Vietnam; Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam; Fire Support Base Buttons, Vietnam; Special Forces Camp Bu Dop, Vietnam; Song Be, Vietnam; Phuoc Luu, Vietnam; Duc Hue, Vietnam
- Highest Rank: Specialist Five
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/8428
A year out of high school in his native Michigan, Gary Villereal was living in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District in 1968 when he received his draft notice. He returned to Michigan and entered the Army, shipping out to Vietnam in May 1969. Despite a disabled foot, he persevered during training, even when offered a discharge by a medic. Eventually assigned to an isolated Special Forces camp on the Cambodian border, Villereal was knocked unconscious during a mortar attack, losing his hearing for a couple of days. This time, there was no getting out, as only the most gravely injured could be evacuated.
Interview / Recording
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PlayMemories of basic training; drill sergeant decked the biggest recruit to get them to come to attention; DIs befriended their own men but picked on men from other platoons; he had a bad foot, was offered a discharge, but determined to stay on. 00:02:52.7 - 00:06:33.1
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PlayArrival in country, strongest initial impression was of the men who had been there the longest: they were filthy and they didn't seem to acknowledge anyone else. 00:07:12.6 - 00:08:20.8
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PlayHis initial duties as a lead mortar radar operator; his first real combat situation: seeing a woman with a rifle pointed at him, not wanting to return fire; rules were that anyone in the wire surrounding their camp was in a free fire zone; a US soldier was found dead one morning in the wire, shot by a fellow GI. 00:08:36.4 - 00:11:52.8
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PlayAssigned to unit assigned to Special Forces camp Bu Dop; up to that point, he was not acclimated to Vietnam; under fire near Cambodian border; befriended by a black soldier who gave Villereal Delicious apples for his men and looked out for them. 00:12:17.3 - 00:16:34.9
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PlayChristmas cease fire broken by enemy; mortar fire killed a good friend; that event was a turning point for his attitude toward the war; grieving over his loss; getting angry with one of his men for getting wounded; knocked out by a mortar, losing his hearing; medics restricting evacuations. 00:16:40.0 - 00:21:37.9
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PlayNo one outside of his unit was important to him; shutting down after several friends were killed; when a newbie was slightly injured and overreacted to his wound, Villereal and his men didn't want to have anything to do with him. 00:28:43.0 - 00:30:52.3
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PlayLessons from the war: don't take anything for granted, nothing is insurmountable; he got a PhD. in spite of his barely graduating from high school; Vietnam vets are misunderstood, especially when it comes to suicidal thoughts. 00:49:13.8 - 00:52:12.7
More Resources
About this Item
Title
- Gary L. Villereal Collection
Names
- Cavazos, Alonzo
- University of Texas - Pan American
- Villereal, Gary L.
- Coder, Mary Jane
Home State
- Kentucky
Headings
- - Villereal, Gary L.
- - Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- Hispanic
Status
- veteran
Service History
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Branch of Service: Army
- Service Unit/Ship: 1st Cavalry Division; II Field Forces
- Location of Service: Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; III Corps, Vietnam; Phouc Vinh, Vietnam; Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam; Fire Support Base Buttons, Vietnam; Special Forces Camp Bu Dop, Vietnam; Song Be, Vietnam; Phuoc Luu, Vietnam; Duc Hue, Vietnam
- Highest Rank: Specialist Five
- Dates of Service: 1968-1970
- Entrance into Service: Drafted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: Digital Betacam [1 item] -- Digitized Copy (collected 2002-09-27)
- Photograph: Original photographic print [5 items] -- Photographs (collected 1969-1970)
- Video: Digital 8 [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2002-09-27; 2003)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/8428
Online Format
- image
- video
Additional Metadata Formats
IIIF Presentation Manifest
Part of
Physical Form
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Duc Hue, Vietnam
- Fire Support Base Buttons, Vietnam
- Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Fort Sill, Oklahoma
- III Corps, Vietnam
- Phouc Vinh, Vietnam
- Phuoc Luu, Vietnam
- Song Be, Vietnam
- Special Forces Camp Bu Dop, Vietnam
- Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam