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Jay Gruenfeld

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During his time overseas, Jay Gruenfeld was given a battlefield promotion. At first, he was skeptical about leaving his group that he had bonded with, but it was ultimately demanded that he do it. He also talks about a total of 5 different injuries he got during his 5 months in combat. One of those injuries could have been very damaging, and he nearly got paralyzed from the waist down because of it. (This interview made possible with the support of JOAN NATELLE.) (6:18)

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Around the time of the end of World War II, Gruenfeld was sent back home following his last injuries. He remembers being in a hospital and hearing that the atomic bombs had been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many thoughts were going on in his head, but he and many of the veterans and nurses around him were silently happy that the war was finally over. (This interview made possible with the support of JOAN NATELLE.) (3:56)

Jeff Lippka

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It was slow going at college for Jeff Lippka. He was staring at the draft and, since he had an interest in the medical field, he enlisted in the Navy with the idea of becoming a Corpsman. (5:56)

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There was a lot more training after boot camp for Jeff Lippka. First stop was Hospital Corps School and then on to Fleet Marine Force, where he learned the field skills he would need to be a Corpsman in combat. (6:50)

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He was never supplied with the test he was suppose to take for promotion to E-4 so Jeff Lippka was a little steamed as he prepared to depart for his combat tour. He heard about the Tet Offensive on the news and it was still going on when he arrived in the sticky heat of Vietnam. (4:24)

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Newly arrived Corpsman Jeff Lippka had to wait at an outlying camp because the base at Con Thien was being shelled. It continued daily while he was there. He went out on patrols with the Marines and on one of these, a lot of noise in the brush got everyone's attention. Was it the enemy? (4:51)

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Corpsman Jeff Lippka went to firebase C-2 near Con Thien as Operation Pegasus was kicking off. The choppers were late and as soon as they arrived, so did the incoming. As he ran for cover, he stopped at a latrine which was already full of Marines escaping the fire. As he turned to head for a bunker, he heard the screaming of an incoming rocket behind him. (6:30)

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The living conditions were Spartan in Vietnam. Jeff Lippka talks about the lack of clean clothing and the variety of meals in the C-Ration boxes. At least they came with cigarettes. (2:22)

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The chopper was so full that Jeff Lippka was sitting on the laps of two Marines right next to the open door. As it came into the LZ, the pilot hovered just above the ground. He judged it to be six or eight feet and he stepped out. (3:15)

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Jeff Lippka listened intently as the platoon leader further up the line reported casualties. They needed another Corpsman so he got all his gear and set out alone. Later during this operation, the platoon suffered more casualties from friendly fire and heat stroke. (7:16)