Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
8:51 | Fresh out of West Point, Freddy McFarren selected artillery and his first assignment had nothing to do with howitzers. It was a Nike Hercules missile site. When former classmates started becoming casualties in Vietnam, he volunteered to go. He was selected to be an advisor to a South Vietnamese Ranger battalion, which had a memorable commander.
Keywords : Freddy McFarren artillery missile battery Nike Hercules Milwaukee WI Vietnam Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) Rangers Vietnamese re-education camp Fort Leavenworth Da Nang North Vietnamese Army (NVA)
Over a 37 year career in the Army, Freddy McFarren learned that the strength of the Army is its people, from the cadets at West Point to the motorpool. That and the bond that exists between officers and NCO's.
He was glad he went to West Point, but those first two years were hard. Freddy McFarren was a long way from home but, with help from his fellow classmates, he got through those first two years and the last two were much better.
As an advisor to a South Vietnamese Ranger battalion, Freddy McFarren managed all air operations and supporting fire missions, as well as the resupply and Medevac. His Vietnamese counterpart liked to call in that fire real close. So close, it made the pilots nervous.
They got careless. American advisor Freddy McFarren and his Vietnamese unit were about to be airlifted out of the bush when the attack came. He was the tall guy so, naturally, he drew fire.
Freddy McFarren was fortunate when he returned from Vietnam. He experienced none of the disrespect suffered by so many returning veterans. There was no system yet in place to help with the readjustment from the battlefield, so he and his peers made do with the buddy system.
He never even thought about getting out. Freddy McFarren liked the Army because of the people, quality people at all levels. His long career eventually saw him return to West Point, where he helped prepare the next generation of leaders.
When Freddy McFarren assumed command of the 18th Field Artillery Brigade, he told his staff the entire brigade would never be deployed. It turns out that he was wrong, thanks to a Middle East despot named Saddam Hussein.
Freddy McFarren was interviewed by the media when he was in Vietnam and again during Operation Desert Storm. It didn't go well either time.
The 18th Field Artillery Brigade supported a lot of units during Operation Desert Storm, including the French Foreign Legion. Should the war have continued on into Baghdad? Going home was OK with Freddy McFarren. He had already been in the desert for eight months.
After being an advisor in Vietnam, Freddy McFarren returned to his first love in the military, artillery. As a commander with the 82nd Airborne, he fired some of his guns in Grenada. That operation convinced him and others that the military needed to increase joint operations training.
