NEW VIDEOS

Bill Bates

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Bill Bates was a team lead and the unit's instructor pilot. One day he did something else for the guys they really appreciated. As a scout pilot, he flew his chopper real low and down among the trees, he spotted a huge pig rooting around. Barbecue tonight! (6:14)

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Bill Bates lied to his parents. The letters home contained none of the bad stuff he faced daily as a helicopter pilot or the misery of the rainy weather. And, yes, it could get worse. While supporting an artillery battery that was under attack, his engine was hit and he began to plunge through the trees to the jungle floor. (6:49)

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It was near the end of his tour when Bill Bates had a great idea. Hey, why don't we invite those nurses to this party we're having. Good idea! The nurses agreed so an hour before the party, he flew his helicopter over to the hospital and went inside. When he came out, he couldn't believe his eyes. They weren't going to make it to the party. (3:08)

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Helicopter pilot Bill Bates was made miserable by the rain and the mud when he was on the ground. In the air, the clouds often made navigation a real challenge. And they were short on scout pilots so he was always flying over the limit on hours that was the so-called maximum per month. (5:21)

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It was awful. He'd been flying all day and in the middle of the night, there was an attack. Helicopter pilot Bill Bates put on his steel pot and waited. He was scared on the ground. In the air he felt more at ease with people shooting at him. (5:47)

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Bill Bates has no desire to go back to Vietnam, even when his wife and her cousin planned a trip over. His return from the war didn't help. After his tour, he entered college where one of his professors called him a baby killer. He is grateful that the attitude toward warriors is different today. (5:33)

Alex Adkins

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Seventeen year old Alex Adkins was about to sign up for the Army when he got a call from a Marine recruiter. Son, are you about to make the biggest mistake of your life? (3:51)

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Desert Shield was kicking off when Alex Adkins reported to boot camp. His first unit was a reserve outfit that had been activated for the war and never deployed. But he was an active duty grunt so the Marines had another plan for him. (5:00)

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When Alex Adkins reported to 1st LAI, it was deserted. The unit had deployed to Desert Storm and when they did return, he instantly became an unworthy boot. The unit then combined with the DEA to search for drug traffickers in the California desert which made for some unusual interactions with the locals. (7:24)

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When Alex Adkins got to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, the first stop was Okinawa. There was a memorable incident involving a typhoon, a swimming pool and beer. His enlistment period was just about up when he extended to deploy to Somalia. (7:47)