Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

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LtGen Ron Christmas

Vietnam | H Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division

As Ron Christmas fought to capture the Capitol building in the battle for Hue, the sight of an enemy flag angered him. Even though it was forbidden, as soon as he secured the site, he raised an American flag to boost the morale of his men. (6:42)
Always looking for a bit of humor for relief, Captain Ron Christmas and his men had some fun in a posh toy room in a captured mansion. What they found in another well appointed house was an eye-opening stash of brandy. Both were great morale boosters. (8:05)
Ordered to take ground across a bridge in Hue, Captain Ron Christmas used a barrage of smoke rounds to cover a dash across the span. After holding long enough to move across vital units, he found that his men were disappointed they had to withdraw. (10:10)
It was Friday the Thirteenth when a North Vietnamese soldier fired an RPG at Ron Christmas. Dodging a direct hit, his legs were wounded badly enough to cause his evacuation. Unfortunately, he became lost in the medical system. (6:31)
Ron Christmas tells the story of a Marine who kept getting wounded, and kept returning to battle because he couldn't desert the men that he considered to be his brothers. That, he says, is the true meaning of Semper Fidelis. (4:10)
Under the rules of the Marine Corps at the time, Ron Christmas should have been discharged after he was wounded in Vietnam. As he recovered his strength, he was able to avoid a medical exam until he got in line with some inductees. (5:24)
Marine Ron Christmas reflects on the basic principles of urban warfare, which he learned on the fly in the battle for Hue. He felt blessed in his later career as he received many rewarding assignments. (4:21)
Lucio Lopez

Vietnam | 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines

Lucio Lopez was from a large family and he already had two older brothers in the Marine Corps. One day he got up, went to town and enlisted as well. In just two hours, he was on a bus to boot camp. (5:14)
He wouldn't wish boot camp on anybody. Lucio Lopez recalls the DI's that made his life very interesting for a few weeks. When he got to advanced training, another Marine there who had been at Khe Sanh made sure he got the map and compass skills he was going to need. (2:52)
His first night in the field was memorable. Lucio Lopez sat down to a spartan meal and then the base came under attack with VC in the wire. He didn't even have a weapon yet. (3:55)