RETURNING TO AMERICA
(30 Years Later)

Viet Nam:

Thirty years ago on April 29, 1975 the final evacuation of personnel took place. They were airlifted from the United States Embassy in Viet Nam and returned to the "Land of the Big PX," back home to America. It was over.

There'd be no more climbing the mountains of the Highlands and wading through the rice deltas of the Central Coast. Going home meant no more battles for the Mekong Delta, Quang Ngai, Ap Bac and Bong Son Plain and no more Tet, Central Highland and Delta Offensives.

At last, U.S. soldiers could put behind them the chill of flying in open helicopters, battling the North Vietnamese Army for control of places like Rocket Ridge between Tan Canh and Kontum, striding through towns in the northern Binh Dinh Province on the coast and fighting the Viet Cong guerrillas in savage jungles.

Because Viet Nam was where every breath might be the last, to go home was a sigh of relief with optimism and desire for life returning to some semblance of normalcy uppermost in every soldier's mind. But, America was divided on the subject of the Viet Nam War and there were many civilians who were calling it the "Viet Nam tragedy," declaring it had destroyed that country, squandered our resources and wasted the lives of so many of America's young men.

Could these returning soldiers finally turn off years of fear and would there be nightmares about the assaults, terrorist activities, and the death encountered? Finally, the men who fought so gallantly were coming home, but what did that mean?

John Stringer:

Instead of waiting to be drafted into the Army, in an attempt to control his destiny and hoping to avoid being sent to a war that was being waged in a country with names of towns that were barely pronounceable: Quang Duc, Phu Bon, Da Nang, Gia Dinh, John Stringer, still a teenager in 1969, enlisted in the Navy.

"The first place I ended up in late 1969 was Viet Nam," Stringer said. In fact, he was assigned to a warship and found himself in combat situations in 1969, 1970 and again in 1971.

"Military life was stressful, especially when in combat," he remembers. "I went from operating in a robotic stage, performing duties and following orders, to coming back to civilian life. There was a period of adjustment. My nerves were frazzled for awhile."

He said his marriage was strained at first, but the marriage survived. "We waded through it and I'm still married to the same girl," he laughed.

There was one occurrence that was particularly troublesome and stands out in Stringer's memory. He said when he landed in San Francisco en route to Travis Air Force Base, his group encountered an assemblage of anti-war protesters. They called the returning soldiers "Baby killers" and several of the demonstrators spat on them.

"I ignored them," Stringer said. "They didn't have a clue."

He said he knew he and his fellow soldiers had made a sacrifice and at first no one seemed to care. "I did feel bitter at times," he admitted, but fortunately for Stringer, the California incident was the only really negative experience he was subjected to once he was stateside. When he returned to his hometown of Bastrop he said no one gave him a hard time.

"All in all, it was a rewarding experience - fighting for my country. I matured in the service. I had been a 19 year old with no real direction in life," he said. "Once back home I went to college at Northeast under the G.I. Bill. I was a little older than my fellow students but they were indifferent to my having been in Viet Nam." Stringer is now the executive director of the Tensas Basin Levee District.

"Last year on Veteran's Day," he said, "a lady called me up and said she appreciated what I had done."

Derl Johnson:

"I came back slowly," said Derl Johnson. "I wasn't just thrown into society."

Johnson said he was granted a 30 day leave home where he was greeted with open arms from friends and relatives. Then, because he'd been wounded, he returned to the military hospital for three more months before being allowed another 30 day leave. "It was a slow process, but I had no nightmares, no problems with adjusting," he said.

"Originally, I was scheduled to be drafted in February, 1969, so in December I went to check it out and wound up enlisting in the Army on Dec. 28, 1968," Johnson explained.

He was sent to Viet Nam July 4, 1969.

"I was injured twice while in combat. The second time, October 20, 1969, I was in a field hospital for two weeks, then sent to Tokyo for six week, and finally sent to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio on an airliner designed to move medical patients. I was in a body cast, strapped to a gurney. I was admitted to Brook Army Medical Center for treatment," he said.

"My right leg was broken - the right femur - and I had fragments all over both legs," he said. "I was confined to a bed in skeletal traction for months."

Looking back, Johnson said, "Being in the Army was rough on me. I came down with Spinal Meningitis while in basic training. Then I had tonsillitis while battling in Viet Nam. I was wounded twice and I came down with two strains of Malaria after I got back to San Antonio," adding, "I spent a lot of time in hospitals."

When Johnson was released from the hospital in September, 1970 he returned to Jones where he still makes his home. There, he met and married his wife, Kitty in December, 1970.

"Except for my relatives and close friends, most people were unconcerned. They treated me like I'd just gone fishing or something and now I was back," he recalled.

Thirty years later, Johnson said he has no regrets for defending our country. He has farmed for 20-plus years and has been supervisor of three water systems: Jones-McGinty Water System, Bonita Water Works and Wilmot Water System in Arkansas.

"Patriotism was real high in the Army. We thought we were doing the right thing and it did hurt us to see people protesting, going to Canada, and avoiding the draft. Our country told us what had to be done and we felt it was our obligation to do it," he said. "I got two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. Even though much about the war was political - something we realized once we were over there fighting - we knew we were defending people's rights and freedoms."

Clayton "Sonny" DeFreese

Clayton "Sonny" DeFreese arrived in Viet Nam March 23, 1968, a member of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 504 Airborne Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division.

Seven months later as he stepped off the plane at San Francisco International Airport he said, "A wad of spit hit me in the face and I was called vile names - Baby killer, and other choice words I won't repeat."

DeFreese said the demonstrators had gathered with the sole purpose of harassing incoming Viet Nam veterans, hating what they stood for. "In my mind they hated me and if they hated me, they hated the American way. They made sure we weren't given a hero's welcome."

Admitting that experience made him bitter he said, "It didn't matter to them if we'd enlisted or were drafted, they treated all of us the same. We didn't have a choice. It was cut and dried. If you were in the military, you were going to Viet Nam. I felt the American people let us down by not accepting the fact that we went over there to do our job. Our country called us to do our duty and we did it."

Speaking about when he arrived back home in Bastrop, he said, "For the most part people treated me like I'd never left, but there were a few who I perceived were ignoring me - avoiding me. I don't know if it was intentional or if I was basing my feelings on the San Francisco occurrence.

Because of a combination of experiences in Viet Nam and the attitude of many Americans toward the returning vets, DeFreese said he suffered from flashbacks, night sweats and nightmares. "I had the classic symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. When I got home, it was around Christmas and if someone shot off a firecracker, it made me jump, my skin crawled." He admitted to feeling paranoid for a long time.

"Some Viet Nam vets became antisocial, even homeless and turned to drugs and alcohol to forget, but the vast majority adjusted to the mainstream. I went 16 years not being able to talk about my experiences in Viet Nam. When I was finally able to, I started feeling better," he said.

"You have to admit a problem and get help. The VA has a tremendous recovery program that helps vets adjust and learn to cope."

DeFreese said he is not ashamed of doing his duty in Viet Nam, and most of the bitterness he harbored for a long time is now gone. He is currently the Louisiana State Surgeon with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, served as Post Commander at the post in Bastrop, is the current Post Quartermaster and the District 13 Commander. He was declared disabled in 1992 from an injury received in Desert Storm when deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990.

These are but three of the men who served their country 30 years ago in Viet Nam, who returned to walk down the streets of America with heads held high, each knowing he had made his own small contribution to the larger picture of securing liberty for all.

The Veterans of Foreign War has designated May 1 through May 7, VFW Viet Nam Veterans Recognition Week. VFW Post 2277 and Ladies Auxiliary is hosting a Pancake/Sausage Breakfast at 9 a.m., April 30 at the VFW Post Home at 8225 Old Monroe Rd. in Bastrop to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the end of the Viet Nam War. All Viet Nam veterans are invited to attend.

Thank you Viet Nam Veterans for your service.

©Copyright April 2005 by Barbara Sharik