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Eleven high school friends in idyllic North Adams, Massachusetts, enlisted to serve in Vietnam, and one stayed behind to protest the war. All were from patriotic, working-class families, all members of the class of 1965 at Saint Joseph's School. Dennis Pregent was one of them. He and his classmates joined up--most right out of school, some before graduating--and endured the war's most vicious years. Seven served in the Army, three in the Marine Corps, and one in the Navy. After fighting in a faraway place, they saw the trajectories of their lives dramatically altered. One died in combat, another became paralyzed, and several still suffer from debilitating conditions five decades later. Inspired by his 50th high school reunion, Pregent located his classmates, rekindled friendships, and--together, over hours of interviews--they remembered the war years.
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Corps Tactical Zones
U.S. Armed Forces-Organizational Structure
Military Occupational Specialties xiii
Part I: My Vietnam
¿1.¿Introduction: The Boys of St. Joe's '65
¿2.¿When Memory Invades
¿3.¿A Boy's Life in the Berkshires
¿4.¿Boot Camp, Parris Island
¿5.¿First Tour: Okinawa/Vietnam, 1967-1968
¿6.¿Second Tour: Quantico/Vietnam, 1968-1971
Part II: Their Vietnam
¿7.¿Mike Gorman-Army Helicopter Crew Chief/Gunner
¿8.¿Russell Roulier-Marine Infantryman
¿9.¿Joe Daigneault-Marine Infantryman
10.¿Ron Racine-Army Mortarman
11.¿Pat Lupo-Army Mechanized Infantryman
12.¿Leo Chaput-Army Infantryman, Medic
13.¿Mike Chalifoux-Army Mechanized Infantryman
14.¿William "Bill" Buzzell-Army Artillery Unit
15.¿Gary DeMastrie-Navy, Brown Water Sailor
16.¿Jim Luczynski-Army Infantryman
17.¿Carol Bleau Boucher-War Protester
Epilogue
Appendix: Guide to Terms and Abbreviations
Index
About the author
Dennis G. Pregent is a retired vice president of human resources for Spalding, Evenflo, and ConAgra. He joined the Marines in his senior year of high school and served over the next six and a half years in a number of stateside posts as well as seventeen months in Vietnam during the years of 1967-68 and 1970-71. He lives in Garner, North Carolina.
