Stories from Vietnam
Do you have a story to share? Please click here or call 660-582-8176 to set up an interview.
Every soldier leaves war with their own unique story and experiences. Highlighted below are a couple stories we have collected thus far. We hope to collect as many as possible though, so if you are a Vietnam vet and would like to share your story, please click or call the links above.
Leland LaRose
“We unknowingly...as infantry men and medics did not know and a lot of times we ended up in an DMZ where we weren’t supposed to be.”
Leland LaRose worked as a medic during Vietnam. He was deployed with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines. While in Vietnam, LaRose was sent to the front lines near the North Vietnam border. Along the border, LaRose encountered civilians, soldiers, and those who hid their true identity.
"We couldn’t tell the difference between the North Vietnam and the Southern Vietnamese."
Image from Veterans of Nodaway County at the NCHS.
Listen to Leland LaRose's interview here.
Marvin Harper
Drafted in 1969, Marvin Harper was faced with the stark reality of leaving for Vietnam. Harper drove trucks of all kinds during his time in the war. He valued the comradery of his fellow soldiers, and looked at the war as an opportunity.
“It’s gonna be another chapter in my life to see what I can learn and the people I can meet and see different cultures”
“You learned to know how everybody feels for you. Hey you are all over there in the same situation and it can happen at any time.”