Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
6:06 | Sanchez shares a story that takes him from his final days in Vietnam, through his career as a criminal investigator and into retirement, where he makes time to reunite with fellow CAP vets.
Keywords : Okinawa Japan Unauthorized Absence (UA) Major General Lew Walt Combined Action Program (CAP) Da Nang China Beach Camp Lejeune Criminal Investigator Criminal Investigation Command Vietnam Memorial
Sardo Sanchez always wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, a WWII marine veteran... but his combat experiences have profound and lasting effects on his relationship with his parents, his siblings and his wife.
Sanchez trains as a reservist until the age of 18, when he is shipped off to Vietnam. His first tour as an orderly aboard the USS Ticonderoga does not offer the combat experience he was trained for.
On his second tour, Sanchez is assigned to a CAP unit, where he develops a close bond with fellow soldiers, along with some of the villagers he protects. Under the leadership of a distant but dedicated sergeant, his platoon learns to survive day by day.
On his Third Tour, Sanchez is posted to a sweet position at 2nd CAG HQ, but longs to be back on patrol. He finds his place in a roving CAP unit, and is soon back in the bush with his brothers.
With great difficulty, Sardo Sanchez recounts critical events that prove both devastating and fortunate. After taking the life of a VC soldier, he is hit by a sniper and told he may never walk again. In a state of shock, he narrowly avoids a fatal miscalculation.
