Michael Rice:  

I have never sat down to write my story, and I guess now is as good a time as any. The summer of ’66 gave way to collage at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. I had majored in economics and was considering a switch to pure mathematics when a very uncomfortable number came up, my draft number. To circumvent becoming cannon fodder, I chose to enlist and planned on entering the officer ranks. The government had other ideas, and allowed me to reduce my enlistment from 3 years to 2, and gave me a choice of places to serve. Ultimately it was decided by the government that I should serve in Germany, in Patton’s Army, the 3rd Armored Division known as The Spearheaders. Dissatisfied with Europe, I transferred to Vietnam. This move took me from barracks duty, to active combat. The first 3 weeks has me trying to acclimate to the heat and humidity. Then, I needed to fit into the artillery unit where I was posted, and with 3 weeks training, the person I was replacing l...Expand for more