Veteran Thomas J. Roberts

Thomas J. Roberts (Tom) had graduated from High School in Burlington, Wisconsin in 1967. He was trying to learn the trade of being a printer and working with photography. He was working for the people who managed the Burlington newspaper and had been with the firm over two years.

Tom was a serious minded young man who had a solid spiritual core. For some time he had some thoughts of entering a monastery order but concluded that it might appear to some that he was motivated by a desire to sidestep military duty. Though deeply troubled by many aspects of the war in Vietnam, as lots of young men are, he decided to enlist rather than be drafted.

Tom did not want to carry a weapon or kill any one, though he felt a patriotic responsibility to his country. Still, he didn’t want the label of being a “conscientious objector”. His draft notice stated he was going to be inducted on the 1st of August 1969. Tommy enlisted on July 31 that same year. He wanted to have the opportunity to serve as a medic.

Basic training for this young man was taken at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. This is the home base of the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army. Tom showed a lot of promise as a recruit. He was somewhat older than the other recruits and had noticed as one having a lot of promise for the Army. The basic training command and NCO’s encouraged him to get into Officer Candidate School (OCS). Tom was adamant that he did not want to lead men into battle where killing others was part of the job description.

Tom was sent on to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he would learn to be a Combat Medic. Following a ten week training curriculum, Tom graduated and received his assignment to the 196th Light Infantry Brigade (Americal Brigade). Following some leave time at home, Tom left for Southeast Asia on 8 Jan 1970.

On arrival and locating the Division he was to serve with, Tom settled into the life and situation before him. He went on lots of search and destroy missions as his skills were required. He remained close to the med-evac helicopters as well.

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