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Mike Devine

Vietnam | 25th Infantry Division

It was a dangerous business being an infantry platoon leader in the Vietnam highlands. Mike Devine knew that the enemy would target him because he was always next to the radio operator's tall antenna. He was very close to his RTO and this led to the toughest moment he had to live through during the war. (7:12)
When they first got to Vietnam and were building a base camp, Mike Devine's unit was visited by Gen. William Westmoreland. That was good, but what was really great was when Robert Mitchum visited the base. (2:11)
Mike Devine was a new infantry platoon leader in Vietnam and he moved into an area of operation that was already notorious, the Ia Drang valley. It had been the site of a large battle which would one day be memorialized in the book, "We Were Soldiers Once...And Young" and subsequent movie, "We Were Soldiers." (3:58)
The NVA was not the only enemy in Vietnam. The elements and the wildlife were daily issues for Mike Devine, who developed an intense hatred of leeches. Then there was monsoon season and bad drinking water. (4:03)
The heavy weapons squad was a close knit group of guys that platoon leader Mike Devine could depend on. It was with a sergeant from that squad that he was detailed to go on missions with some 1st Cavalry units. His outfit was new in country and it was felt that they could learn from the guys who had been around a while. (7:20)
There was nearly constant contact with the enemy in the Ia Drang valley. Mike Devine remembers the close air support, which could kill you if the coordinates were just a little off. The napalm, especially, was a scary sight. For his last couple of months, he became the support platoon leader, which was only slightly less dangerous. (7:19)
Mike Devine had a second tour of Vietnam, this time as a logistical advisor to the Army of South Vietnam. He was based down in the delta, which was completely different from his first tour in the central highlands. (5:38)
It was an unpopular war, but the mood of the country following his return from Vietnam did not prevent Mike Devine from pursuing a career in the Army. For thirty years, he served in a variety of commands all over the world and never regretted one bit of it. (7:22)
Mike DiRocco

Vietnam | 5th Special Forces Group

Born into a family of Italian immigrants, Mike DiRocco had a strong, familial upbringing in New Jersey. His mother thought he should go to culinary school instead of joining the military, but he had already made up his mind. (Interview conducted at, and with the assistance of, The Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.- https://theveteransmuseum.org/) (4:36)
Mike DiRocco joined the Army specifically to join Special Forces, and if they weren’t going to take him, he didn’t want to stick around. As expected, they were looking for only the most serious individuals to fill their ranks, and the standards were set high. (Interview conducted at, and with the assistance of, The Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.- https://theveteransmuseum.org/) (3:01)