Jack Cloud:  

Even though I loved stagecraft, I turned down 2 scholarships in high school as I had joined the army when I turned 17. My goal was to make the army my career; becoming an officer and retiring after 30 years. More on this later. My Grandfather was in the Phillipines in the Spanish-American War, was part of General "Black Jack" Pershing's incursion into Mexico after Pancho Villa, saw action in "The War To End All Wars" and later served as an army recruiter in Joplin My Dad was stationed at Schofield Barracks Hawaii with the 25th Infantry, Tropic Lightning, on December 7, 1941, and fought through the South Pacific islands including Guadalcanal, earning three Bronze Stars as well as the CIB. Returning from WWII he made Sapulpa his home and joined the Oklahoma National Guard, 45th Infantry, Thunderbirds, Company H. He served as heavy weapons platoon sergeant and went to Korea in 1950. He told he I didn't have to serve, and I didn't. I was "only son and sole surviving son" meaning the last to carry on the family name but we both knew it was time for me to grow up and become a man. Electronics intrigued me and my career plan was to become a Signal officer in the army. The recruiter and I plotted a path of Basic training - Signal school in Ft. Monmouth NJ - Officer Candidate School. I even had a SIGNED CONTRACT; my goals were assured!!! Basic training was a little rocky but I graduated October 6, 1966 and that afternoon boarded a plane for Ft. Ord, Calif. for advanced INFANTRY training. (I think I have a problem). At Ft. Ord the Company !st Sgt asked if anyone felt they weren't supposed to be there. "ME ME." I was told to get the copy of the SIGNED CONTRACT and present myself the next morning to the company commanders office, I did. What I found out was that to go to OCS you have to have a combat arms MOS (Infantry, Armor, Artillary, etc) and that Signal wasn't combat arms. THE RECRUITER LIED TO ME!!! They said they would look into it and for me to "get the ____ out of there". I did. It wasn't a problem of my going to Vietnam, I had joined the army after the war started and figured if I had to go it was part of the Cloud legacy to go to war. Even though I was a kid from Oklahoma (though some may not agree with this) I wasn't a dumb one. I didn't keep asking about my SIGNED CONTRACT. I learned early in my military career to put as small a target on my back as possible Everyone was preparing for Christmas leave, I was about 30 minutes from my bus being called when called to the Orderly Room and told I had orders sending me to Ft. Monmouth NJ for my signal school. It was explained this had gone through the Judge Advocate General as it was a SIGNED CONTRACT and they HAD to send me to the school BUT they didn't have to guarantee that I would pass!! At the point I figured the hell with the goals, do my 3 years and get out of the army. I passed that school and another and went to Ft. Ritchie, MD. While there I got to go the Germany for 90 days TDY (civilian status, lived in a hotel in town, not bad duty for a PFC). I spent about 4 months back at FT Ritchie (making Sp4) before getting orders to SE Asia, being assigned to the 1st Signal Brigade, After a short stopover in Vietnam, I was assigned to USACCCCA in Korat Thailand. With just a month incounry and 8 months time in grade I went before a promotion board, made SP5, holding down an E8 slot, as a shift NCOIC. They gave me an early out (April 69)and I came back to the World and damn had it changed. I was one of the many that was called a "baby killer" and was spit on. I still thank the LA policeman that didn't arrest me that day, he sure could have; i understand many of my brothers did when they were "greeted" this way. Oh, and remember that "only son" "sole surviving son"? I was exposed to microwave radiation that sterilized me so it didn't make any difference after all. I also suffer from the effects of Agent Orange but thanks to God I'm not anywhere near the shape of so many of my Brothers and Sisters. I will say I am VERY proud to have served my country, and will continue to defend mine and your rights to freedom. To my brother veterans, I say "Welcome Home". To those that oppose our rights, our flag, and our country, GET THE HELL OUT. In 1972 I joined the Tulsa Jaycees and stayed as active as disinterested wives allowed. Finally drifting away while trying to save a marriage and later finding the Jaycee friends were still there 12 years later. They probably saved my sanity. And getting back involved with the Jaycees brought me to the love of my life, Nancy. I was honored in 1990 to become US Jaycees Ambassador 2534, their highest ...Expand for more