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Gene Richardson

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The decision was made to withdraw from the area and call in air support. After his company commander was wounded, platoon leader Gene Richardson took over and told the group that they were going to walk back the way they came and then there would be a strike. There was just one problem, the pilot jumped the gun. Part 2 of 2. (10:32)

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Platoon leader Gene Richardson explains the Mad Minute, the process of shooting out all the ammunition in all the weapons at the end of an operation. Then, new ammo is loaded. In the environment of Vietnam, you always wanted to have new, dry ammo. (6:28)

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When Gene Richardson began his Vietnam tour, he kept a diary. It was a real struggle to keep the thing dry in the field, never mind the struggle with self expression. (2:59)

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We Gotta Get Out Of This Place was a song that every soldier in Vietnam could relate to. If that song started playing, invariably everyone would start singing along. And the VC never made the fellows so mad as when they blew up the stereo. (2:53)

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There was a sniper out there and Gene Richardson was shooting back at him when he thought he saw a rat. It wasn't a rat, it was a kitten. He cleaned it up and adopted it, though his men teased him about it. The chief of the village next to the base invited the officers to come for a feast where an unusual dish was served. (6:03)

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He had a leg wound that just wouldn't completely heal so Gene Richardson was sent to Saigon, then to Japan. He was wondering what was going on when the doctors finally told him what the problem was. At least he was in Japan instead of in the mud back in the Mekong Delta. (11:50)

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The war in Vietnam tore his generation apart. That's one reason Gene Richardson has come to the conclusion that we never should have gone there. He cautions that we should always question the reasons for getting involved in a conflict. (7:17)

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Gene Richardson could have re-enrolled at college but he felt it was time for some adventure so he entered the draft. The Army took him in 1966 and, like the men that came before him in his extended family, he would serve the country. (4:42)

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The Marine Corps usually didn't get personnel through the draft but in 1966, there was a big buildup for Vietnam. After Gene Richardson got his clothes and his shots, he watched as every third man was taken and sent to the Marines. He considered raising his hand but he suddenly thought of his dad and his uncles. (5:26)

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Gene Richardson was on a troop train on his way to Fort Lewis, Washington, for basic training. The train was halted in the Midwest and the men were told that there was no room for them at Fort Lewis. Their new destination was Fort Carson, Colorado, where the nights were below freezing. (9:31)