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Peter Casey, III
1969-1970
29th Civil Affairs Company
Military Assistance Command
Vietnam (MACV)
Hue, Vietnam
D.O.V.E. Fund member
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I served in Vietnam from Aug. 30, 1969 to Aug. 28, 1970. I was part of
the Military Advisory Command, Vietnam (MACV) and was assigned to the
29th Civil Affairs Company in Hue City. After a couple of months in Hue,
where I worked on getting rice to areas that had been cut-off by flooding
from the monsoon and working to improve conditions for the Vietnamese
Catholics that had fled the north and were in refugee camps around Hue,
I was sent to Phu Loc District (halfway between Hue and Danang) where I
was tasked with organizing various projects to improve the circumstances
of the hamlets and villages in that District. I also worked with the local
self-defense forces. I did projects such as introducing rabbit raising,
bringing in Japanese power tillers, distribution of school supplies, and
the building of small schools and dispensaries. It was frustrating work
since we had a very low priority for supplies such as cement, plywood, etc.
On June 10th, 1970, my compound was attacked and largely destroyed.
We had several badly wounded personnel and I was subsequently awarded the
Army Commendation Medal for Valor in risking myself to evacuate the wounded.
After the attack I was reassigned to our headquarters in Hue where I basically
performed administrative duties until my tour was up. My son, P.R., was born
while I was in Vietnam. I spent a lot of time driving in my Jeep all around
Thua Thien Province and was very taken by the beauty of the countryside.
I loved the tombs of the Emperors and the Hue Citadel (even though it was
heavily damaged from Tet). My former office and the MACV compound where I
once lived were just around the corner from the hotel where we stayed during
our recent visit. I was also impressed by the fortitude and solid character
of the people in the villages and was, of course, enchanted by the children.
I do not regret my service in Vietnam in any way as I think it taught me how
to be a man and set me on the right course for the rest of my life. Vietnam,
in retrospect, may have been a national mistake, but it was, nonetheless, a
noble effort.
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