T. Harry Williams Center for Oral
History Collection
ABSTRACT
INTERVIEWEE NAME: Stephen Thomas #
4700.0987
IDENTIFICATION: Vietnam veteran
INTERVIEWER: Jacob Oberman
PROJECT: Americans in Vietnam
DATES: 5/4/75
FOCUS DATES: Aug. 27, 1969-Feb. 29, 1972
ABSTRACT:
Tape 1441, Side A
Stephen's nickname; education, flunked out of college; enlisted
in June, 1969; why he chose the Army; psychological training at
Fort Polk; boot camp was rough, got shoved around, harassed;
training in Virginia; trained to work computer supply system; had
one of the few air-conditioned jobs in Vietnam; feelings about
being sent to Vietnam; cushy job in rear; never had to shoot at
anyone; arrival in Vietnam; stayed in Chu Lai for his year there;
orientation training in Chu Lai; training he never wound up
needing; limited contact with Vietnamese civilians; Vietnamese
were used to Americans; one-eyed maid they called
"Deadeye"; prevalence of drugs; heroin brought in on
Air America, soldiers bought dope from VC; use of military
payment certificates (MPC); bought dope with MPC; restrictions on
what soldiers could do, everyone felt like their hands were tied;
never left military base the whole time there, except while
flying; engine stopped on one flight to Saigon; worked long
hours; transferred to driving truck, operating fork lift; unit
moved to Quan Tre, Thomas left behind; felt like war was tapering
off; prostitution, letting prostitutes sneak onto base; picked up
dope at the dump, could buy sandbag full of marijuana for $10;
people used heroin while on duty; sometimes alert crew was too
loaded to go out and pick up downed helicopter; My Lai was a
trouble spot; reactions to massacre at My Lai; Americal division
nicknamed "Baby Killers"; black market; swapping parts
for helicopters; swapping for other supplies; stealing a
generator; got ripped off for half a day at Christmas; didn't
deal with Vietnamese on black market; Vietnamese people wanted
Americans to go home, preferred communism to war; every
Vietnamese male he knew had been shot; ex-NVA soldier who swept
his office; program where North Vietnamese could surrender to
South Vietnamese side, work for them; Kit Carson scouts; every
Vietnamese person has lost a family member; Danang had bigger PX;
only officers, not enlisted men, could buy beer at PX; could
drink liquor at enlisted men's club; Thomas didn't drink much;
opinions on Vietnamese; young Vietnamese woman who did
keypunching on their computer; name "Nguyen"; half
breeds, Vietnam lost its racial purity to war; friction between
black and white Gis; touring musical groups; armed race riot
during musical performance; tear gassed his major one time;
incidents of fragging commanding officers; major was badly burned
by tear gas; Vietnam war was a big fiasco; can't see any logical
reason for the whole thing; no motivation given during training;
Thomas almost court martialed on trumped up charges,
slovenliness; Thomas' promotions, eventually made E-5.
Tape 1441, Side B
Introduction; tape abruptly ends.
TAPES: 1
TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 45 minutes
# PAGES TRANSCRIPT: 2 page index
RESTRICTIONS: none