Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
1:56 | Kramer recalls his mentor at Khe Sanh, and his first experience with racism - in the shadow of Martin Luther King Jr's assassination.
Keywords : Ron Johnson Martin Luther King (MLK) racism 45 cal. friendly fire Khe Sanh Admin Chief .45 cal pistol
17-year-old Mark Kramer enlists in the Marine Corps despite his father's protests, and to fast track his enlistment, agrees to travel from Ohio to the west coast boot camp in San Diego - his first time west of the Mississippi.
As one of the smallest recruits in Boot Camp, Mark Kramer works hard to earn respect during combat training. He attends administrative school in Camp Pendleton and is shipped out to Da Nang. Kramer reflects on the training he received vs. the training Marines get today.
After only a few hours in Vietnam, Mark Kramer is sent to spend the night in a foxhole with 2 slightly more experienced soldiers. He soon learns he will be sent to Khe Sanh, where the Tet Offensive is already underway.
Kramer must rely on his resilience and inventiveness to overcome the challenges of Khe Sanh Combat Base. After a precarious landing, his unit spends several months under intense artillery fire in a dusty, war-torn camp with limited food, water and sleep.
After surviving the rigors of Khe Sanh, a hungry, filthy Mark Kramer returns to the seemingly safe Quang Tri base, where he is seriously injured in a freak vehicle crash. As he slowly regains the use of his senses, he volunteers to help wherever he can be useful. His service in Vietnam has come to an abrupt end, but he continues to make the best of his situation.
Now stateside, Kramer navigates the restrictions his injury has placed on his military career. Thanks to his administrative skills, he lands a government job and works his way up through the ranks, but becomes frustrated with the apathy of the reservists he oversees. He offers sober advice to future war vets.
After his injury in 1968, Kramer loses touch with a good friend from boot camp and Khe Sanh. 44 years later, the two find each other and reunite. Their friendship lasts to this day.
