Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
1:22 | Doug Garner describes why his company feared embarking on "Eagle Flights" in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.
Doug Garner talks about his first impression of Vietnam when he arrived there in early January of 1968, and how the environment was drastically different than what he had previously trained for.
Doug Garner details how his Army company was assigned to support a Navy Mobile Riverine Force aboard the USS Benewah, and the types of missions they would undertake patrolling rivers in the Mekong Delta.
Doug Garner recalls being ambushed by the Viet Cong on the Mekong Delta, and a firefight that lasted overnight and left him wondering how he could have survived.
Doug Garner shares a story about how closely he and his fellow soldiers had been interacting with Viet Cong and North Vietnamese officials without even realizing it, and how the Viet Cong would lie to the local population about the American soldiers.
Doug Garner talks about how prevalent booby traps were in the Mekong Delta, and how a Vietnamese scout unknowingly triggered one particular trap, giving Garner a grenade shrapnel injury for which he received a Purple Heart.
Doug Garner describes fighting in the urban environment near Saigon during the Tet Offensive, the process of sweeping Viet Cong out of the area, and how devastating a blow it was for Viet Cong troops.
Doug Garner recalls his first firefight in Vietnam, and how the memory of combat still haunts his dreams.
Doug Garner shares the painful memories of returning home after proudly serving in the Vietnam War, only to be told that he may not want to wear his uniform in public.
