Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
7:48 | Cooperating with local forces was very important to the success of Marines in Vietnam. Maintaining health while on the ground was also a necessity, as disease spread quickly among open wounds and less than ideal climates.
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After enlisting and going to basic at Quantico, John Harms left the States to go to Okinawa. From there, he served as a captain in Taiwan for almost 3 years. Serving there, he made great friends that lasted for many years after.
After getting his Master's degree at the University of Virginia, John Harms moved to the headquarters of the Marine Corps for the Assault Amphibian Vehicle command. Here he worked to get the tanks pattern painted for better reconnaissance, thanks a lot to his efforts.
After being promoted to colonel, John Harms gained a variety of new responsibilities that he was asked to take on. He learned to lean on the consultation of his staff, who he personally chose himself.
Racial tensions in Vietnam were very high between black and white soldiers, which John Harms was tasked with helping resolve. On one particular mission, he and his battalion came across a lost NVA company that they laid pretty heavy fire on.
The terrain of Vietnam made the job of John Harms and his battalion difficult. Trying to figure out the location of the Viet Cong was a constant challenge that they had to put up with.
According to John Harms, the Vietnam War was an unnecessary war that didn't need to happen. There were a lot of complications in America at the time that led to the war being a losing game.
