T. Harry Williams Center for Oral
History Collection
ABSTRACT
INTERVIEWEE NAME: Calvin Williams #
4700.0993
IDENTIFICATION: Vietnam veteran
INTERVIEWER: Bailey Vinson
PROJECT: Americans in Vietnam
DATES: 2/77
FOCUS DATES: Nov 1, 1966- April 14, 1973
ABSTRACT:
Tape 1449, Side A
Born in DeRidder, LA; occupations of parents; impoverished
childhood; lessons learned in childhood; education; decision to
join Marines; induction, training; arrival in Vietnam in
December; getting ambushed, losing men; explains
"Recon"; explains "force Recon"; description
of a day in Vietnam; altercation wherein Williams shot an
officer; punishment for shooting officer; found enemy's
underground hospital; weapons, M-16 with M-79 grenade launcher;
starlight scopes; contact with civilians; CUPP operation;
importance of water buffalo in Vietnam; battle on the 4th
of July; opinions on ARVNs and Vietnamese Marines; contact with
VC; VC tactics; VC trying to capture Danang air strip; VC
propaganda campaign; VC exploitation of black/white racial
friction; Hanoi Hannah on radio at night; Marines drinking,
leaking information into enemy hands; almost starved at Khe Sanh;
reduced to eating rats and lizards; would rather fight NVA than
VC; pungy pits, grenades; booby traps made from American garbage;
NVA fought more traditionally; VC snipers chained to trees;
dedication of enemy; contact with montagnards; Hmong people;
montagnards and the NVA; montagnards were cannibalistic; problems
with Vietnamese society; Vietnamese civilians needed leadership;
learning Vietnamese; prevalence of prostitution; prevalence of
drugs; prices of prostitutes; prostitution in the field; children
pimping their sisters and mothers; availability of drugs; going
AWOL; joining the enemy; gold in Hue City.
Tape 1449, Side B
Williams prefers alcohol to other drugs; drugs ruined the war;
racial friction; importance of good leadership; men divided into
cliques based on drug use; cliques divided by race; black market;
corruption; combating boredom; "donut dollies"; poor
opinion of his commanding officers; ridiculous expectations of
preserving military formality even in field; race relations;
racial friction threatens coherence of US; positive public
opinion about WWII; finding a soldier skinned by the enemy;
positive impression of the Vietnamese; US could have ended war in
three to six months; US war effort was failure, should have
declared war; Vietnam will be a lifelong nightmare; fighting a
limited war.
TAPES: 1
TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 1 1/4 hours
# PAGES TRANSCRIPT: 3 page index
RESTRICTIONS: none