I was born in Huntington, West Virginia in1948.
I was with the 101st Airborne, 1/506 and was trained in Artillery, transferred to Infantry and then trained to be a Forward Observer. The first picture shows me in Nam. Like many other soldiers, I was only 19 years old. My brothers joined the Navy. But I joined the Army and wanted to go Airborne. The training camp was kind of hard, as I was 18 and a little homesick. I came to enjoy all the guys in the unit with the stories of their hometowns. I was a hillbilly and it was my first time any where away from home. My training was in El Paso, Texas and Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. I attended Jump School in 1966 and the first part of 1967.
I have had anger issues due to combat for years. My wife has stayed with me and helps me. There were guys in our units that were jokers and did make it easier for us all. But there were many bad parts with my RTO (Radio Transmitter Operator) being killed. The way he was killed still haunts me to this day. I always told him, “You run and you die.” I carried my own radio after that. He was the only Buck Sgt. To carry his own radio.
The second picture is the Artillery FO that showed me what I could do by keeping the same call sign, Shifty Profit 3. I also carried a CAAT code with a secret clearance. As a Forward Observer, I witnessed one man in front and two behind me, all three getting killed. The third picture is of my RTO on the right and myself on the left. He was killed in a point attack soon after this picture. I started carrying my own radio and never trusted anyone after that. I was without a radio for a while after that happened and from then on was never without it. You survive but it weighs on your mind. I made many friends that are not around today. After awhile, you just quit trying to make friends. It was just best not to know them and then have them lost in battle. My call sign in Nam was Shifty Profit 3. I was in the jungle trying to contact a Motor squad that was playing tricks and not taking things seriously when an artillery FO (Forward Observer) was passing by. I told him about that being a problem for me. So he told me to keep one call sign and not change it and that I would be answered. At first, I was given a different call sign with every mission but I stayed with Shifty Profit 3 and the rest is History. I never called the Motors again no matter how much they came down on me. I was not an Artillery FO but an Infantry FO. I have a CIB but the Artillery FO’s were not awarded this special award. After Nam it was a different tale of confusion on the 82nd part, not mine. I called in Artillery only and was known by the choppers and door gunners as “Shifty.” I did earn the Bronze Star and the Army Commendation for Valor but a Artillery FO I was not but was answered any way like I was told as a Artillery FO.
Being in a country where they all want to kill you leaves you fighting your whole life afterwards not to hate them. My fear was to never see that again. I will never be the same. I may me a little nuts but I’m not crazy. There was mail call, but I did not write much. It was as though back home they thought we were on a camping trip. They never asked and I never told them.
As for the protestors of the war, there was nothing to say because their minds were made up to hate us. I am not sure that could be changed, even to day.
I was in Florida when the war ended. I felt betrayed and cast to the side like it never mattered. But ‘The Wall’ tells a different story. When I returned home there was no reception, and no “Welcome Home” only fear. I am retired now belong to the American Legion.
The last picture is of my daughter and myself on her wedding day.
~ John Price, Vietnam Veteran
STORY LINK: medium.com/@SoldiersWhisper/the-wall-tells-a-different-story-75e68fe4a40f#.u2waspm8c
Special thanks goes to John for sharing his story with us. We welcome you to share your family photos of those who served both past and present, so we may feature and honor them on our COMES A Soldier’s Whisper Veteran tribute page www.facebook.com/ComesASoldiersWhisper/
God Bless all who serve and keep us safe.
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