Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

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Aaron Watkins

Vietnam | 179th Assault Helicopter Company

Chinook pilot Aaron Watkins reflects on the lessons of Vietnam and his own service there. His education and training at Tuskegee University gave him direction and purpose and he traveled with some of the original Tuskegee Airmen in retirement. He is encouraged by the improved treatment of today's veterans and he has some insightful words for those with a big dream (4:55)
Abel Garcia

Vietnam | 159th Aviation Battalion

Abel Garcia came from Mexico when he was two years old to live in south Texas. He remembers watching the Tet Offensive on TV but his mind was focused on chasing the ladies. It was refocused when his draft lottery number came up nine. (7:07)
The plane full of draftees from Texas thought they were going to Fort Polk but the bird took them to Fort Lewis, up in Washington where it was freezing cold. Abel Garcia was part of that group and he had a knack for attracting the attention of the DI. (6:24)
After basic training, Abel Garcia was on his way to Fort Eustis with the MOS 67U. Had no idea what it was but it turned out to be helicopter mechanic and flight crew. While he was in training, he would hitchhike into Washington DC and it was on one of these trips that he wound up in a scene straight out of Forrest Gump. (7:02)
Abel Garcia was in training at Fort Eustis when he was talked into going to a party. He was skeptical but he was promised beer so, hey. While there, his eyes fell on the prettiest girl he had ever seen. (4:37)
While waiting to board the plane to Vietnam, the green soldiers were waiting in a theater where they were playing Woodstock. Out came the joints. Once he got there, Abel Garcia began his in country training where he saw a guy shoot himself in the foot to avoid combat. Then he had his first guard duty, overnight in the monsoon rain. (6:36)
When he first got to his unit in Vietnam, he was asked, Cherry Boy! You a juicer or a head? Abel Garcia replied a juicer, I guess. So his billet was with the beer drinkers. His job was maintaining the Hueys and flying as a crew member. On missions, he tried not to think about what a big target that chopper was. (5:50)
After Abel Garcia started off on a massive operation he eventually found out where they were heading, Laos. It was Lam Son 719, an ARVN incursion that was ultimately unsuccessful. The enemy was prepared and determined and the prospects for Vietnamization of the war were severely hurt. (6:05)
Abel Garcia had a funny feeling that day. Wear your chicken plate. So he put on the heavy armor plate and the Huey took off. During the mission, ground fire hit the pilot's pedals, the fuel cell and the transmission. They were going down. (9:02)
The brotherhood of comrades in arms became a very valuable thing, but when Abel Garcia got back to the States after his Vietnam tour, he encountered anti-war protestors at the LA airport. When a Hare Krishna called him a baby killer, he broke his nose. It was personal to him because he had taken care of the locals while he was there. (7:35)