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Chapter 38
Leaving ‘The Corps’
In the Fall of 1968 I checked in with HQMC to find out my status re. a turnaround tour in Viet Nam—I knew it had been two years since I rotated back and I knew that many of my colleagues were receiving orders for return duty in Viet Nam. With my family situation and having had two moves in two years I didn’t want another ‘surprise’. Sure enough I was told that I could expect new orders any day. I had been wrestling with this decision for quite a while—knowing this day would come. My family meant everything to me—I was enjoying watching both our children play, grow and develop. We had even purchased a nice ranch style house near the apartments we had been living in. It had a great yard—nice neighbors and was in an upscale suburban neighborhood—we were happy! I had become comfortable in this ‘civilian’ world I was living in and that played heavily in the decision making process of whether to give up the commission I had worked so hard for. Kay was worried—she and I knew that if I went back overseas she would be raising two small children on her own—no family nearby to help. I also knew that this tour would bring a Company command post since I had already been a ‘staff officer’ as S-2 of 1/4 and most likely that would be in I Corps. where all our units were located. I knew I had been very lucky—blessed , during my first tour in ’65-’66—there had been too many ‘close calls’ and I
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