I graduated from Chicago’s Mendel Catholic High School in June 1966.  Played football and basketball all the way through.  Vietnam was a million miles away from this 18 year olds life.

Kathy was my first love.  She was my sweetheart for life, so I thought.

I spent the summer working for the Chicago Tribune News Paper delivering the Trib as it was called, in bundles of 50 newspapers all over the City of Chicago.

I didn’t know what to do with my life.  Join the military was the answer from most of my friends.  Yes I thought, I could give my life a new start.  The services have courses I could take and once I’m out maybe I can fix jet engines and move on with a beautiful life.

This is how it all started.   Little did I know where my decision was going to take me.   Yes, I joined the Marine’s for 4 years.   I was told by my recruiter that if I joined for 4 years, I would certainly get all the training I could ever want.  The Vietnam War, don’t worry about that, we ARE the United States of America.  By the time you get out of boot camp it will probably be all over.  I took that hook, line and sinker.

13 MONTHS, 13 Chapters.  Hoping to give you the experience of what it was like to be a United States Marine in the middle of the most horrific battles of the war. Experience the Challenges, the humor, the adrenalin rushes of battle.  13 months with almost no leave and eventually feeling the hopelessness of never making it home alive.

It’s time for me to tell the stories for all to experience.

I will be blogging as I complete the stories and continue with many pictures of those times and my brother’s in arms.

I hope you all enjoy, “13 months” A Vietnam War Story.