Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
4:40 | Philip Rivers was assaulting a tree line across a rice paddy when a short mortar round came in just a few feet away. Fortunately, the mud and water absorbed the worst of the blast. (Caution: strong language)
Keywords : Philip Buddy Rivers Vietnam rice paddy 60mm mortar short round Purple Heart 50 cal machine gun Bob Hope
His father had served with Patton in Europe. Philip "Buddy" Rivers knew he couldn't match that but he felt it was his duty to serve. He didn't want to be drafted so he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Boot camp was a real awakening for him.
It stinks being the new guy. When Philip Rivers got to his unit in the field, some jokers stole his boots. The rookie Marine was just getting used to the heat and the humidity of Vietnam and life in the field when he got his first Purple Heart.
The intel was wrong. There was supposed to be no enemy in the area but Philip Rivers' platoon walked into a big ambush. For a day and a night they were pinned down and surrounded until Cobras chased away the bad guys. Then, inexplicably, it was off to China Beach for some R&R.
Your buddies are everything. Philip "Buddy" Rivers gives a shout out to his closest friends that he served with in Vietnam, many of whom he stayed in touch with after the war. (Caution: strong language)
The advice from his dad came too late. Philip Rivers could have taken a ship home from Vietnam but he opted for the flight. With no decompression time, he was wandering the streets of San Diego. Eventually, he shared a house with some buddies from his unit which made for a great ad hoc support group.
Philip Rivers went to Vietnam as an empty headed eighteen year old but he has learned a thing or two about that war and he draws parallels to the more recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Caution: strong language)
