GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – 4 days now to departure to Vietnam for 53 NE Wisconsin veterans on a very special Old Glory Honor Flight. We’re finding several themes emerging as motivation for these men to make the return trip to a place that they experienced so much violence and bloodshed.
Green Bay’s Randy Barth spent a lot of time in the jungles and backcountry of Vietnam and the images are still vivid. He’ll bring a lot of memories in his ‘Return To Nam’.
Randy Barth is a proud U-S Marine. His time in Vietnam covers parts of 1967 and 1968.
“I got there in November of 67. I was an infantryman or grunt is what they called them in the Marine Corps. Most of the time I did a walking point. I led the men into battles.”
And he became part of the some the most well-known battles with the enemy during those years.
“I spent a little time in the hospital. There was a big article written about the battle where I was wounded. Couple of men received a Medal of Honor.”
Randy Barth says you had to learn how to adapt quickly….if you wanted to live.
“Learned whatever you could from your squad leader, your guys that have been there before you. The saying was if you could make it four months you’d make it home.”
But sometimes the learning wasn’t just listening to advice…..sometimes, it was just what you saw.
“I had a squad leader that only had 10 days to go in Vietnam. Platoon commander told him he didn’t have to go out, but he said he’d go out. He got wounded that day.”
And that squad leader….
“He died that day. He got shot right in the jugular vein. 2nd day in Nam made a believer out of me.”
He saw a lot of death during that time, but Randy Barth tries to stay positive.
“I just want to see how much it’s changed. I know there’s going to be a lot of different things.”
He’s looking forward to seeing what those nightmare settings more than 50 years ago look like today.
“I think I’ll be able to handle it pretty good. I don’t know, I’ll have to find out that’s for sure. But I think I can handle it pretty good.”
Follow the stories, interviews, pictures, and videos of this Old Glory Honor Flight over the next few weeks by the checking out the ‘Return To Vietnam’ hub at wtaq.co.
