Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
4:56 | Manuel Vigil had heard the Marines were the best fighters so, when he decided to enlist in the military ahead of the draft, he chose the Corps. He didn't know anything about Vietnam but he was on the fast track to go there.
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His first squad leader was court martialed for shooting up more than he should have in a village. Manuel Vigil would never have that problem because he liked the Vietnamese people and got along with them really well.
The Marines rode around a lot in helicopters and it was always unnerving to Manuel Vigil when the door gunner would start shooting with no warning. For a while, he was based right on the China Sea, combined with a South Vietnamese unit in a camp they constructed themselves.
He was the next man up. That's how Manuel Vigil became a squad leader in Vietnam. The first night ambush he ran was aborted due to what can only be described as poor siting. He also cost the government some money when he dealt with an obstinate water buffalo.
When he returned to the States from Vietnam, they asked Manuel Vigil if he wanted to re-enlist. The challenge of being a Marine was something he could handle but the prospect of doing it everyday for years to come was just too much to think about.
