Page 92 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2025 - Online Magazine
P. 92
by Larry Williams
n the early 1960s, Martin V. in December 1965, after a 30-day two bandoliers of shells strapped
Rodriguez of Lubbock needed leave, we headed for Vietnam. around me. The M79 would shoot
Ito go to work much more than We stopped briefly in Hawaii but 40mm fragmentation grenades.
he needed to finish school. His stayed on the plane, then flew I was usually in the back of our
formal schooling ended after his straight to Pleiku, Vietnam. patrol but would be called up to
freshman year at Thompson Junior blow up a hooch (hut) or other
st
High School. His father, Reyes, “I was assigned to the 1 Cavalry, building. I don’t really remember
nd
th
worked for Lubbock Bag Company 2 Battalion, 12 Infantry at Camp my first firefight. I was so scared
manufacturing burlap bags for Radcliff near An Khe, along with that I just kept my head down and
cotton bales. His mother, Juanita, two of my buddies. We were the did my duty. We did a lot of ‘search
was a homemaker and also worked first group of replacements after and destroy’ missions. We were
for Ben E. Keith. After school, he their big firefight called Operation never told where we were going;
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went to work for Pepsi Cola and ‘Shiny Bayonet.’ The 2 Battalion we just followed orders. We spent
then Farm Pack Kitchens in the had air assaulted the Ia Drang an average of two to four weeks in
meat department. Valley, Landing Zone X-Ray. When the field. We couldn’t take a bath,
the campaign ended on November but we were always wet. Even our
According to Martin, “My work 25, the 1 Cavalry had lost 300 food got wet, and our feet were in
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ended in June 1965 when I was troops killed in action. the water so often that we would
drafted. I was sent to Fort Leonard get ‘jungle rot’ or ‘trench foot.’
Wood, MO for eight weeks of basic “We were sent out in the field the
training, then to Fort Ord, CA for very next morning (after arrival). I “I lost a lot of buddies in my year in
eight weeks of AIT (Advanced carried an M79 grenade launcher ‘Nam. We had a lot of Puerto Ricans
Infantry Training). After training, and a .45 Colt M1911 pistol with and Cubans in our unit. I could
92 Lubbock Senior Link
