“I found out when I would go to sleep, my body is here in our world in the United States. I'm in Chicago in my bed sleeping, but my brain is over in Vietnam.” (video interview, 15:38)

Arthur T. Baltazar

Arthur Baltazar [detail from video] War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Army Unit: 167th Signal Company, 1st Field Forces Service Location: Pleiku, Vietnam Rank: Specialist Four

When Arthur T. Baltazar arrived in Vietnam in 1968, he almost immediately found himself in the middle of a rocket attack that killed three servicemen. Though he had trained as a radio relay operator, he never operated a radio in Vietnam, instead serving as a perimeter guard. When he returned home, he found that he could not forget his experiences; but with the help of a VA counselor, he eventually learned to avoid bottling up his emotions. When asked if he would do it all again, he responds, "No, I already did it."