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Dan Gregg
US Army
Cu Chi, Vietnam
1968-1969
3rd Squadron,
4th Armored Calvary Battalion,
25th Infantry Division
D.O.V.E. Fund member since 2010
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I was drafted into the Army out of college in November of 1968. I had just turned
21 and thought I had eluded the whole Vietnam experience. After basic training at
Ft. Knox, KY, I was sent to the Armor School in Ft. Hood, TX for AIT where the Army
decided that I would be a "tanker".
In Vietnam, I served with the HQ company of an armored cavalry outfit with the 25th
Infantry Division in Cu Chi, 40 miles northwest of Saigon. We often recovered battle
damaged tanks and APC's stuck in rice paddies. We also ran convoy security on Hwy 1
and assisted "straight leg" infantry units on missions around Dau Tieng in Tay Ninh
province along the Cambodian border. In July of 1970, my tour in Vietnam was over
and I took advantage of a new Army policy for draftees. I was given an "early out"
and allowed to ETS upon my return to Oakland, CA. I was officially out of the Army.
What a sweet plane ride to Michigan that was!
Grateful to be home with body intact, I tried to forget about Vietnam, but it would not
be easy....I had left Vietnam....but Vietnam had not left me. Like being plagued with a
low-grade fever and not knowing how to treat it, for years I plodded through a few jobs,
two marriages and silently struggled with thoughts of Vietnam every day, hoping it would
eventually fade away. Then came the first Gulf war and the TV images again took hold.
I knew that I would have to go back, face the fears and begin the healing, but I also
wanted to give something back to those that had lost so much. Then I heard about the
veterans in Toledo and made the call. The D.O.V.E Fund was the perfect way for me to
return in a meaningful, helpful way. From horrible memories of destruction 40 year ago
to the smiles of children in their new classrooms, I can now put the bad memories in
their place by making new ones. I have learned to love the Vietnamese people, embrace
their rich culture and respect their commitment to education. This is the way to
think about Vietnam.
For those veterans who are struggling with painful memories of Vietnam, I urge you to
contact the D.O.V.E. Fund and tell us your story. Talk to us about returning to Vietnam
and maybe visiting your old base or district.. There are veterans on every trip who will
share their stories and help you remember a new Vietnam.
Gregg and his wife, Board Member, Linda McConville, reside in Ft. Myers, Florida
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