This audio is an oral history interview conducted by The Army Heritage Center Foundation to preserve the memories of Soldiers’ and their Families, honor their service, and help educate the American public about the Army’s and its Soldiers’ contributions to the Nation.
“My grandfather fought in World War I. My father fought in World War II. I had many uncles who fought in the Korean War and it was my turn.”
David Watkins – Army 1966, Signals
Image courtesy of U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center
Even while holding his draft notice, David Watkins knew he didn’t want to enter the Army as a draftee.
He was 19, having just graduated high school in 1966, when the draft noticed arrived in August.
“Wonderful as it was … I didn’t want to go in as a draftee, I wanted to enlist,” he said. “My grandfather fought in World War I, my father fought in World War II, I had many uncles who fought in the Korean War, and it was my turn. Besides, I did not really want to be a grunt. So I enlisted in the Army as a 36K, Field Wireman.”
“Arriving was just like those World War II movies where they throw the net over the side of the ship: we climbed down, got into LSTs and came ashore in Chu Lai. We marched through the jungle (it was a secure area to our hooches. We crawled into bed at about 2 a.m. At about 5 a.m. they woke me and a several other folks, gave us three grenades and a case of ammo and said, ‘You’re going to the field for the next month.’”
(Read more stories from this veteran and others at: Voices of Service )