WEBVTT

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(stately music)

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- Most of the time we were
standing over enemy bodies.

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I led the initial assault company

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in that four-day battle

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and we took the position.

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I was wounded and then evacuated,

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so I was out on the first day.

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- For days and days and nights,
they were hit by mortars.

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The battalion commander was killed,

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the sergeant major was killed,

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and the forces went out to try
to save some of these folks

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that were in battle outside the wire,

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and we were so tired we
had trouble even engaging.

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It was a long grind, it was
much tougher in many respects

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because of the jungles and
the water and the leeches

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and the lack of American support.

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- It was not a popular war.

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The country completely
turned against the war,

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and that includes my friends,

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and they turned against anybody

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who had anything to do with the war.

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Consequently what we did, we
just shut up about the war,

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went about our business.

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- Returning to America was difficult

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because the anti-war
movement, up until that time,

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it was very bad.

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Unlike it is now, where
people are very pro-military.

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- There was a new line of patriotism

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that began with the country again,

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and Vietnam vets were finally
recognized and appreciated

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a lot more than they were.

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And Fifth Marine memorial,
I think it's great.

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It tells the other Marines
that are serving today

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and will serve tomorrow
that no man's left behind

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and that's either physically
or spiritually, never forget.

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We take care of our own,
we look after our own.

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I hope future generations
of Marines look at that wall

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and remember the guys that died.