SEARCH RESULTS

Paul Van Riper

---

Marine Paul Van Riper explains some of the problems associated with the M-16 rifle and how they were addressed in Vietnam. His issued weapon was a .45 pistol, but he always carried an M-16 and advocated for all officers to do so. His advocacy of daily ice cream in the mess hall got him into a bit of trouble with his battalion commander. (3:43)

---

Marine Paul Van Riper had high regard for the Vietnamese people and he had no tolerance for abuse of civilians in his unit. Ironic that he was called a baby killer and his family was subject to abuse when he returned from each tour. He attributes his lack of PTSD to staying on active duty, where the Vietnam veterans talked it out regularly, effectively becoming counselors for each other. (4:48)

Paul Zuckerman

---

They gave Paul Zuckerman a choice when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, Biloxi or Detroit. Opting for the climate he knew, he finished his basic training and was thrust into an assignment as an MP without the benefit of any instruction. He soon convinced them to make him a cook, and since he was the only one in the kitchen who knew what he was doing, he became head cook. He then found time to make some apricot brandy and meet someone special. (6:15)

---

Army Air Corps cook Paul Zuckerman was reassigned to an Army Signal Corps outfit and shipped out to India. The danger was not great for the non-combat unit, but they were nearly done in by a typhoon. (5:59)

Percival Hanson

---

Percival Hanson reminisces on his domestic training in the Army and the things he took away from his time in the service. (1:48)

---

Percival Hanson discusses his trip overseas and his time as a radio operator on a B-19 conducting missions over Europe. One mission over Berlin really put him to the test when the bomb bay doors wouldn’t close. (3:18 )

---

Percival Hanson recounts his time in a B-25 over Japan, and describes how they would warn civilians about bombing raids. Witnessing the armistice on board the USS Missouri from above remains a particularly powerful moment for him. (4:57)

Pete and Susan Tancredi

---

There were definite education benefits to the Army, so, before they met, Pete and Susan Tancredi both had committed to service while pursuing a college degree. Neither of them was very concerned about going to Vietnam. If one had to go, maybe they could both go. (5:11)

---

Susan Tancredi hoped that she and Pete Tancredi would be married in time to defer him from going to Vietnam, but they were a little late. The wheels were in motion and, following her plan, they both deployed without knowing where they would be going. They were very fortunate to be assigned to the same facility, the 95th Evacuation Hospital. (6:36)

---

At the beginning of Pete Tancredi's tour, the Navy was the big power in I Corps, the northernmost part of South Vietnam. When the Navy withdrew, the evacuation hospital administrator had some problems with the Army supply chain. His wife, Susan, was a post-op nurse in the same facility. (4:49)