Veteran Carl Johnson shares his realities of military service as Memorial Day approaches

by David M. Johnson

Memorial Day: from cemeteries awash with decorations, to parades with high school bands and veterans marching in uniform, to the fly-overs by National Guard fighter jets.    Originally celebrated May 30 and known as Decoration Day, this nation's government made it a national holiday beginning in 1971.
Memorial Day: a national holiday that is different than holidays such as the Fourth of July or Labor Day. It is different because it is exclusively for remembering and honoring those who lost their lives while serving in uniform during wartime.   From the American Revolution to Afghanistan, 239 years of engagements, both large and small, that witnessed the ultimate sacrifice of 1.2 million American lives.
Memorial Day: a day set aside as a national tribute to its citizens who did more than their duty of service for their country, it honors those countrymen who died to preserve and protect the freedoms, ideals and values that have been the hallmark treasured by millions of Americans for over 200 years.
As each Memorial Day comes and goes, the significance of this day appears to be losing the respect that it should demand.   Memorial Day is not just a day to remember and honor “dead soldiers.” It is a day of tribute to fellow countrymen who were fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, next door neighbors, friends and relatives one day, then marines, sailors, pilots and infantrymen the next, giving up the safety of home and hearth for the dangers of conflict which would cost them their lives.
Yet, Memorial Day seems to be becoming just another day where Americans have a day off from work, a three-day weekend. With video games and Hollywood, with the development of graphic CGI, the younger generation of this country does not or cannot connect that actual combat and service does happen and is not something staged.
This writer was asked by a Vietnam War veteran to write an article that would address to the public what actually happens, what actually is experienced by those who serve so the public has a better understanding of what veterans have done during their service for their country.
Some time ago, this writer's two teenage daughters were watching the movie "Saving Private Ryan" as part of a school assignment for one of his daughters, and they began to ask questions about the numerous scenes that were unsettling to them. They knew about their Uncle Carl, who had served in the Vietnam War, and were familiar with the story of their cousin, Russell Robinson of Harpers Ferry, who had given his life during the liberation of the American college students during the invasion of Grenada, but still wanted to know, “is this what it’s really about, is this stuff true?” when referring to what they had just viewed during the movie.
That Uncle Carl is Carl Johnson, the older brother of this writer who had experienced a great deal in Vietnam and has been involved with speaking engagements at numerous high schools and colleges.   It seemed only fitting that he would be able to answer the questions his nieces posed and be able to give an insight into “what it’s really about,” plus give a better understanding as to why Memorial Day is observed.
A format of direct questions followed by answers in Carl’s own words, word for word, was chosen for this article. It is hoped this presentation will, perhaps, give the “feel” of Carl sitting directly across from the reader and give that reader a stronger insight into the experiences of military service and the experience of war other than what is seen on television news or in the movies.

What does Memorial Day mean to you? What should it mean to others?
"For present and past service members, Memorial Day is a time for reflection. I look in the mirror and see a 66-year-old staring back at me. Then I look at photos of some of my buddies that were KIA (Killed In Action) and they are forever in my mind a 19- or 20-year-old that never got a chance to live a full life, experience grandchildren or just the ordinary everyday joys that the rest of us have enjoyed because of their sacrifice. I would say to everyone to stop what you are doing on Memorial Day, even if it is just for a couple of minutes, to say a prayer for these individuals."

It is difficult for those who have not served to understand how their fellow countrymen can serve in the military representing their country and are able to endure hardship and even the sacrifice of their lives. How would you answer those who have not served and are not able to comprehend military service?
"I was at a high school one time describing the rigors of combat and the teacher stopped the discussion to say, as she looked over the students, it was really hard for her to believe that today’s youth could actually do the things I was describing. This was before 9-11. As we all can look back and see, our young men and women stepped up to the plate and once again did what was asked of them and probably did it better than anyone thought possible."

Whether it is a firefight or a pitched battle, how would you describe combat?
"There are three or four questions that always come up, and this is one of them. Total confusion is how best to describe it. You have an enemy out in front of you that you know is there and most of the time he is just like you, trying to keep from getting killed. Therefore, you often don't even see him. You have friends on your left and right firing at an invisible target, so you only have a small area that is your concern. You know a battle is going all around you but you have no idea how it is going at other places.
"The sounds and smells of combat stay with you for the rest of your life. Hearing your buddy in the next foxhole yelling for help after getting wounded and knowing you can't leave your position to help, all you can do is yell for a medic. Seeing the medic running forward to aid the wounded and then watching him get shot. Hearing yourself yelling that you are low on ammo and then seeing someone trying to get to you with more ammo and then watching them get shot. Hearing the enemy starting to fire mortars on your position, hearing them land and more guys getting wounded and yelling for help.
"Your mouth is so dry you can't spit but you can't stop to take a swig of water. And then there is the fear that is with you, never knowing when you were going to be the one yelling for help. This can go on for hours or even days. You never know until everything is over how many of your friends were wounded or killed."

When it comes to the matter of shooting at other humans, many times with the intent to kill, this is unsettling to many members of the public. How do you address this issue to those who have a moral dilemma with defending oneself or attacking others?
"When I first went out to a combat unit, it didn't take me very long to figure out that the only way I was going back home in a year was I was going to do things that I would never forget. I arrived in Vietnam April 1967. May 14, I was wounded the first time, after only being there 25 days. It was time for a little soul searching. While in the hospital, I wrote a letter to my parents, sent it to my friend, Lyle Mahoney, and told him to give it to my parents if and when I was killed. I then made up my mind that I was going home alive.
"All the training in the world never prepares you to take another person’s life. During a battle everyone was firing and people were dying, both the enemy and friendly. After it was over, you usually were not sure who had killed the enemy soldier. I had made up my mind between God and me that I would never do anything that I couldn't live with after I went home. War does not give you the right to kill anything and everyone. I never saw anyone who enjoyed killing, it was just the opposite, and most got sick to their stomach.
"When it came time that it was you or the other guy, it wasn't much of a decision. To give you an example that everyone wants to survive, we had a medic in Vietnam that was studying to be a priest before he dropped out and was drafted. He ended up being a real true-to-life hero without carrying a weapon. He saved many lives in February of 1968 (during the fighting of the Tet Offensive).  He never hesitated to answer the call of medic and in doing so was shot twice and suffered multiple fragmentation wounds that were so severe that he was sent back to the States. I tried to find him for 44 years. In 2012, I located him and we got together. One of the first things he told me was he wished that he had been carrying a pistol for protection."

Describe what it was like for an infantryman experiencing frontline duty and the duties other than combat.
"I'm often asked what the first memory of Vietnam is. That's an easy answer, the heat, mixed with the high humidity. It was probably our number-one enemy. The day in the life of an infantryman usually started at 6 a.m. You fixed your own cup of coffee in a used c-ration can heated over a piece of c-4 explosives taken from a claymore mine. You packed up your gear in an Alice pack. Depending on what you shared with your hooch mates, without figuring your ammo, water, frags and weapon, it would weigh in at around 40 pounds. With four to eight quarts of water, another eight to 16 pounds.
"Ammo could vary a lot, you carried everything you could get your hands on, around 10 to 12 pounds. Frags (hand grenades), four pounds. I carried an M-14 rifle that came in at 13 pounds plus a starlight scope that with the case was 15 pounds. So I carried around 90 pounds and I weighed 115 pounds. If your squad was picked to walk point that day, you could figure on a two-hour session of hacking your way through ten-feet high elephant grass in 100 degree heat and humidity.
"Depending on what your mission was, you were pretty sure you were going to be walking ten miles or more. Towards evening you were looking for a place to set up for the night. We always tried to pick the highest hill. So if you were on a hill of that valley, that would best resemble those that are on the Mississippi by Blackhawk Park. Once on top, a circle was formed depending on the size of how many men there were. A fox hole was dug every night big enough for four men. If there was a lot of brush in front of your foxhole, you would have to chop it all down far enough so somebody couldn't get close enough to throw a grenade at you.
"You set up a hooch and if you were lucky enough to have an air mattress that wouldn't go flat overnight, you blew that up. You fixed some c-rations to eat and then divided up the night in two-hour guard duty if there were four of you. If there were only two of you, it would be four hours with four hours of sleep. If your luck was really running bad, you could be picked to go on an op (outpost). Three guys would go out 200 to 300 hundred feet, stay there all night and they would be your first line of defense, kind of like committing suicide.
"You knew all your luck ran out if you were picked to go on a night ambush. Usually seven guys would leave after dark and go to a location that you would think the enemy would travel during darkness. It could be quite a distance from the rest of your outfit. This was all being done in the dark and you hoped that you didn't get ambushed on the way.
"You would set out claymore mines and trip flares and then hold your breath that only ten enemy or so would show up. When I was wounded the first time, the trip flares went off and the seven of us were looking at between 100 and 150 enemy soldiers. When the sun came up, you started the day all over again. It was seven days a week, no Sundays off like I was expecting when I first got to Vietnam."

What Hollywood productions would best illustrate what happens in combat, which would help visualize battle other than John Wayne movies?
"Even though I served in Vietnam, I thought "Saving Private Ryan," a story about World War II, really depicted what combat and the mass confusion that combat is all about. The only thing missing was the smell, the smell of blood and cordite. The one thing that really hit home in this movie was when the one guy took a bullet through the helmet. I had the same experience with better results.   We made a beach assault as depicted in the movie. The big difference was when the boat ramp dropped, we didn't get shot at.
"Another movie I liked, because it was about the 1st Calvary Division, the division I served with, was "We Were Soldiers". The reason I liked that movie was it showed how we replaced the boats with helicopters. Dropping in out of the sky with the helicopter taking fire, knowing you had to get out of it, usually in an open field, left a lot to be desired. They were called hot landing zones. We would make as high as four or five in a day until we found somebody dumb enough to shoot at us."

What is a hero? Does the moment make the individual or does the individual make the moment?
"I have a group of guys that are my heroes. To me, a hero is an ordinary guy, doing something so dangerous that it could easily get him killed. He's not thinking of himself but knowing his buddies depend on him. That group is the combat medics and navy corpsmen. I'm going to mention two of them by name that live in Waukon. The first is Jim Rush, who served two tours in Vietnam as a navy corpsman and was severely wounded attempting to get to a wounded comrade. The other is Bill Campbell, an army medic. I have been around both of these gentlemen when they have had reunions with fellow veterans they served with. There is a three-letter word that they are called, by their peers, with the utmost respect, and that word is 'Doc'."

There are individuals who believe that serving in the military does not make them special, that those who serve should not be regarded any more different than a farmer, teacher or everyday housewife. Is military service and those who participate in military service special?
"I've had this statement thrown at me in a negative tone. What flashed through my mind was if I have to explain it to that individual, it isn't worth my time. The first thing is veterans don't think they are better than anyone else. Their service to their country has been recognized and rewarded by those outside the veteran community. I believe Abe Lincoln said it best, "to take care of those who have borne the brunt of battle". Leading up to and towards the end of the war in Vietnam we had a military draft. Not everyone got drafted, but those that had no plans to enter the military had their lives interrupted for two years. Some people can say that was unfair. Others enlisted for three years or more.
"During World War II, military veterans went sometimes for five or six years, never seeing their homes or loved ones. I have had people throw it at me that present day service people have volunteered to join, so what do we owe them? We should all (especially the complainers) thank our lucky stars that we have had enough high caliber young men and women that want to serve this great country. To the complainers I say, if you can pass all the tests to serve our country, jump in if you think they are getting such a good deal. Finally, the few perks that veterans get after service is just a small thank you and, in my opinion, justly deserved.

You have been able to discuss your combat experiences. There are veterans that refuse to talk about those experiences.   Some people believe that those individuals that are willing to talk about those experiences are either glory hounds and or "full of it."  How do you answer that?
"Each combat veteran handles his or her experiences differently. For some it is just too painful to remember. I can understand fully their reasons to avoid the subject. For the last 30 years I have made it my mission to try and tell the story of the Vietnam Veteran. I, for one, have stories that I still will not talk about. I hope most people that either leave a talk that I have given or an article that I have written, come away with a clearer understanding of a Vietnam Veteran.
"When you see articles and magazine covers from the 70's that were totally fabricated to portray Vietnam Veterans in a bad light, you can understand my mission. One magazine cover on 'MAD' has always made my blood boil. It depicts a returning 'Nam Veteran leading a parade carrying a hypodermic needle and the caption reads "When Johnny Comes Marching Home". It really can't get much lower than that."

You have served a tour of duty during the Vietnam War and participated in the horrific fighting during the '68 Tet Offensive. Describe the reception you received when you arrived state side after your tour. What reception and or respect did you receive from World War II and Korean War veterans?
"I wish I could say everything was wine and roses when I returned home. I never expected a homecoming parade. I might be in the minority, but I find it kind of disingenuous when someone comes up to me after I have been home for 45 years, and they say 'welcome home'. I do appreciate it when someone tells me 'Thank you for your service'.
"I have found Korean War vets were much more accepting of me than World War II vets. It could have been we had a little more in common. I was ordered by a World War II veteran to leave a veterans club because he didn't consider me a veteran. I also know that The Veterans of Foreign Wars thought the same thing about World War II female veterans, and they weren't allowed to join until the '80s. I think most of the problems were because of the bad press written about Vietnam Veterans."

Most Vietnam War vets were drafted, but you volunteered.  Why?
"Well first, college was not in my future plans. I figured with Vietnam heating up in 1966 I was probably going to get drafted. I had my two grandfathers that served during World War I and I was very proud of their service. As a farm boy from Iowa I figured the only way I was going to see even part of the world was by going into the Army. So, I volunteered for the draft and my name went straight to the top, I was 18 years old and in super good shape, so all the training was a breeze. I have never regretted doing it."

Does it bother you that the Vietnam War is labeled today as the war America lost? During each succeeding Memorial Day and other similar events are you witnessing more respect for that service during the Vietnam War?
"The headlines should have always read 'Walter Cronkite Lost the War in Vietnam'. I don't know where he was getting his information from after Tet in '68, but it was totally wrong and I have no respect for the man. I'm not going to go into it anymore, but every Vietnam Veteran can hold their heads up high for the job they did in Vietnam. When you have politicians telling you how to fight a war, it's lost before it ever starts. I have seen more respect given to Vietnam Veterans, but as a whole, all veterans seem to be respected more."

There has been the media exposure of the problems of the Arizona VA hospitals. Members of both political parties have been using veteran benefit programs plus benefits and pay to our service personnel as political footballs.   Serving as not only the local VFW Post Quartermaster but the State of Iowa VFW Commander, you had the opportunity to witness how the system works and how veterans are treated. How did you address those problems and how should these problems be addressed today?
"First, let me say 99% of the employees at the VA Hospitals are some of the most dedicated people I know. When I was State Commander I made a walk though at the Iowa City VA hospital. I left my phone number throughout the hospital telling the staff to contact me about any problems, especially life threatening problems. Anything divulged was to be held in confidence. It didn't take long for some major problems to come to light. I had no power to change anything, but I found out I had a direct line to the new cabinet level post and at the other end of the phone line was a man that these directors at these VA hospitals did not want to fool with.
"After notifying Lane Evans of Illinois, Dave Nagle, and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, a hearing was held in Iowa City and things changed fast. Both parties worked together with the Director of the Veterans Affairs in D.C.   I can say without a doubt, if you have a weak director at your hospital, bad things will happen."

Finally, what observation or insight would you like to share during this Memorial Day observation?
"Even though we have a very small percentage of our population that have been bearing the brunt of the wars that we have been suffering through, it is gratifying to see the general population step up and help the disabled veterans coming home, plus helping the families. Most, if not all, are through donations of time and money. I don't know if we have ever seen this before in our nation’s history. Previously, you could only expect this kind of help through the federal government. Now working hand-in-hand, veterans and their families have more tools to get their lives back on track."

Carl Johnson entered the Army in 1966 and served in Vietnam from April 1967 to April 1968. A member of the First Cavalry Division, an air mobile unit, he experienced a wide array of duties - point man for his unit during the many excursions into the jungle, tunnel rat (armed with a sidearm and flashlight, he would snake through the underground tunnels dug by the enemy), sniper, and squad leader.
Johnson earned several decorations, including the Silver Star (the third highest decoration given by this nation after the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross), the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the Air Medal, plus the Combat Infantry Badge. Johnson served some time recuperating from injuries in Vietnam after returning state side and being discharged from the Army in late 1968.
Becoming active in the VFW, performing duties with the local post in Waukon, Carl was appointed as the State Commander for 1990-1991. He became active with the POW/MIA issue, keeping watch over the Veterans Administration and any legislative duties that concerned veterans. Carl worked for the Postal Service and is now retired, enjoying family, including his many grandchildren, with his wife, Julie, as they live in rural Waukon.