Vietnam Voices: 'I did a lot of praying over there. A lot.'

[@slyflyby]

Thank you for your service Chuck.

[@catinthehat906]

I've listened to a few of these now, I am not American but he's not the first person to say that he thinks his local draft board had specially selected him. I had thought that the draft was based on a lottery but apparently that only started in 1969 as a result of criticisms of the local draft board process. So essentially if a member of the local board didn't like you or your family they could arrange for you be drafted, apart from eligibilty it seems no other justification was required.

[@wm3138]

Love Your Enemies
(Matthew 5:38-48) 27But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.

[@centralbears3010]

Welcome to vietnam! I really like this interview.Thank you Mr. Chuck. You are a Great AMERICAN. Watch for fast jeeps..........

[@Musabe009]

Such a shame that Vietnam Veterans were treated poorly back here. When I came home from Iraq we had women jumping into our arms kissing us! Hugs and cheers. That was kind of strange because just hours before it’s was a different world

[@irenedemarco1354]

Thank you for your service... 💞✌️🙏

[@marcuswhite3628]

Happy for Chuck for having a mostly uneventful VN tour. Prayers may have helped & he is obviously thankful that he didn’t have to run rice paddies. I was impressed that he went with the draft knowing if he didn’t his family would have suffered. Marcus from Chesapeake VA.

[@stoneblue1795]

Great interview Chuck, thanks!

[@richardlong8014]

Good job soldier. They called he went. As we age memories fade. You'll find out when you get old enough. Welcome home.

[@jimmyandkathyharrell]

Thank you Chuck. He was a lawyer but no mention of the JAG Corps. Wonder why he didn't apply.

[@CuHead1]

1:05, "you don't do these limited wars". Thank you sir.

[@lemuelyoungblood5756]

Thank to you and all vets

[@barentspringsted8392]

In the 1960's the US military was enabled to draft anyone who had not reached the age of 26. Once you were 26 you would be classified by the military as 1A (overage). This was a process accepted by all states without exception. An historical point is that no male individual who was 26 years old was ever "drafted" into military service by any of the various US military forces. This is an absolute fact. Any man could volunteer even if he was 26 in age and up but again no individual was "drafted" in this category. The military would draft men under 26 even if they had a family.

[@tomsmith2215]

respect for him and the town. couldnt show your face unless you served

[@mokeski2196]

I was a trained Ballistic Meteorologist 93F. Was drafted in 1970. Sent to Germany and when I got to my unit I was told "we don't need any 93Fs standing in formation early on one morning and the 1st sergeant asks if anybody can type. Nobody responded but me. I became the battery clerk. Best job in the army. No guard duty, played football , basketball and tennis. Traveled around Europe playing sports. Thanks for your service. No problem.

[@carlcampbell6827]

moleski - I was back home with 3A draft card; had very high respect for all you guys, regardless of your duties.

[@premierfuncasino]

Can type. Can't spell

[@LadyLakeland]

Thank you for your sevice sir.

[@jimhill4510]

I observed the same thing happen to a four year old. The kid was taken to one of our hospitals for treatment. He was eventually all right.

[@shadowwolf7622]

One of my uncles served as an Army truck driver in Vietnam in 1970. He told me sometimes the women there would throw babies in front of our trucks as they moved in convoy. He said all drivers were told not to stop, even if that happened. The family's received $50 for there lost baby.

[@byranbunn2773]

Thank you both.

[@jeffkerr4249]

THANK YOU CHUCK !

[@carlcampbell6827]

Chuck makes me proud to be American. The man is strong and patriotic; not thinking selfishly or complaining; he was a lawyer but not prideful about it.

[@Bob-fz7pd]

I hope Billings is still doing these interviews.

[@christopherrodriguez6545]

He should do vets from the wars in Iraq and all that.

[@derindathrift2757]

Billings has the best interviews.

[@kcmerced9512]

what a STUD! God bless you, Brother. BRAVO ZULU "...did a lot of praying". Intense heat, humidity, leeches, snakes, insects, mud, rain, elephant grass... if that's not enough, you look UP for snipers and DOWN for pungy sticks and booby traps. No win situation... 13 month nightmare...

[@yuvegotmale]

The flight into Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong was like a Disney E ticket ride.........

[@colemcclain7319]

Thank you for your service

[@Truthseeker1515]

Damn, this strikes so much home. My military service in France was of a very similar nature, albeit reduced to 10 months in 1992 and not in a war-like situation. But conscription is exactly that. And that was back in the 90s. Basically, if you achieved a certain level of education, you always ended up in "Les bureaux" or offices as secretaries etc in Supply and logistics regiments.....and never, EVER in Infantry regiments. And even in the unlikelihood it was as Chuck says, attached as a clerk to some office. Hardly any guard duties. Terrible thing to say but there was more than one Vietnam experience for those drafted in the US military.

[@adrinathegreat3095]

Well put, the public at large seem to be under the impression that everyone in the military during conflicts are on the ground killing enemy when in truth most of the time it's not the case.

[@tunafish8769]

@@adrinathegreat3095 85-90% were in support jobs. I guess Hollywood doesn't make movies about that.

[@stephendodson5230]

I did a lot of praying over there..... well said

[@Syrinx1987]

Chuck Gilje, U.S. Army Artillery - Fire Direction Control (Batallion Clerk). Served from 1968 to ????

[@simonheaney8721]

Austin Panziera 1969

[@teddysalad8227]

If his small town draft board lady had given him a heads up he could have made a deal with a recruiter to get in to better job. Even OCS. He’s not the first lawyer to serve in the enlisted ranks. But it just seems like dirty pool the way it happened.

[@adrinathegreat3095]

He did the right thing, didn't request or expect special treatment, so you gotta hand it to him for that.

[@neemtreebark]

Chuck G looks so much like Martin Tuner of Enoch Wildlife Rescue in Utah. They mainly rescue predatory birds.

[@shadowwolf7622]

13Bravo- 1982-105 howitzer-Ft Sill,OK. Thank you sir. Welcome home.

[@lancehaynes448]

I think he ment to say Foocet not Bear Cat.

[@Joe-l7p8k]

🙏🙏❤️🇺🇸❤️

[@r2gelfand]

I'm surprised that they didn't make this man with 6 years of higher education an officer.

[@SandfordSmythe]

Don't happen.

[@valentinovale5338]

This guy is cool , very honest portrayal , not a front line guy but very interesting story. , the sleve came off , HAHAHAHA ! thank you for serving sir.

[@pfossful]

Sounds exactly like Newt Gingrich

[@Cmoe-fj6uy]

The only Bush he saw was between mama-sans legs...🤣🤣

[@KimberlyBarkdoll]

It's pretty cool to see someone who was just so grateful, the expectations of how things should be, was not overinflated. And, he described it as if the chow was chow, if you expected it to be exactly what it was, you weren't disappointed. lol

[@laurence1643]

With a college degree and law degree, why wasn't he an officer ? Or in the judge advocate general office ? Clerk typist is a bottom of the barrel job . Lots of questions you didn't ask. He doesn't remember much at all about his life and didn't do hardly anything, before, during, and after ???????????? Pretty vague over all ????

[@pfossful]

Hear him slurp the coffee ? lol

[@brandonthomas303]

SALUTE!!

[@ocam988able]

Oops

[@chrisjanzen6082]

Capitalism at work, Chuck. Isn't that the American Way?

[@thomasgiles1714]

Mm Making

[@techlife9853]

These old timers banging on about being in Vietnam .... this guy was an office clerk .... he didnt do any fighting ... all he did was type letters ...pretty lame interview tbh

[@tyroniousyrownshoolacez2347]

Summer Camp silver spoon hero me thinks.

[@carlcampbell6827]

Fleetwood McDuecen25 - He was available for combat and could be called into action on short notice; I do not see any basis for degradation.

[@jacobsladder6715]

FDC is part of field artillery receive information from FO what rounds to shoot and where. FDC computes information into artillery information for guns to get Coordinates to shoot rounds to where they need to go. Artillery cannot be used without FDC.

[@simonheaney8721]

This guy has mediocre memory

[@simonheaney8721]

Most boring vet so far in these interviews

[@flynnlivescmd]

The fact that he doesnt care for music and the thing he missed the most was playing golf bummed me out. Totally describes what type of person he is :/

[@jackyandell2489]

After 52 yrs.what kind of memory would you have...you take a lot a just put it away...Get a life asshole

[@mannytrainor7620]

This guys memories are just as important as any other vet who went to VN. Just because he didn't pull a trigger doesn't make him any less interesting. Well done from the UK, ex-Royal Navy, thanks for telling your story.

[@Bob-fz7pd]

@@flynnlivescmd the fact he wasnt conforming to the in crowd as you saw it says, as you claim, more about your own empty thoughts then his.