“There's nothing glamorous about it…there's no heroes. There's just scared boys with tough sergeants spurring them on.” (audio interview, 56:48)

Oscar James Gary

War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Marine Corps Unit: Company M, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force (FMF); Company D, 1st Battalion and Company H, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, FMF Service Location: San Diego, Camp Pendleton, and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro, California; Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan; Da Nang, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam Rank: Corporal

Oscar James Gary enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1964, thinking it would be a great adventure, and early in his deployment to Vietnam, he described himself as “gung ho, like John Wayne.” But his combat experiences and news of riots in the United States made him rethink his role in a conflict so far from home. Though his service left him with PTSD and questions about the utility of war, in his VHP interview he expresses no regrets, saying, “I didn't even have to go. But I'm kinda glad I did.”