The Soldier's Home: A Short Story

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As I stepped out of my mom’s cream, worn-down Nissan my stomach erupted in butterflies. Talking to strangers has never been something I look forward to at all. The Soldier’s Home project had me biting my nails for days stressing about every possible detail and what I was going to ask. The day had finally come and I had only one thing on my mind: getting it done and over with. As I walked down the crunchy leaf strewn sidewalk I searched for anyone who could be a Vietnam veteran. I only knew the soldier’s first name and military branch, Lanny C. Clary, who served during the Vietnam War in the Navy. The Vietnam War was the longest war in which the United States ever took a part in, lasting from 1957 to 1975. Vietnam was divided into two halves, …show more content…
Clary was born and raised in Ault, Colorado. He had never been outside the state, in fact, he had never even ventured far from the northern area. The young twenty one year old man was drafted, but chose to take a slightly different path.“I didn’t want to go into the army so I got released from the draft and wanted to join the Navy,” he said matter of factly, taking another sip of the coffee (Clary). Drafting was one way the United States acquired manpower to send to Vietnam. Tom Valentine’s article, “Vietnam War Draft,” explains the drafting of men for the unpopular Vietnam War. Two-thirds of the American troops were volunteered, but the rest of these men were selected through drafts. Valentine writes,”In the beginning of the war, names of all American men in draft-age were collected by the Selective Service System. When someone’s name was called, he had to report to his local draft board” (1). The Navy seemed like a much better experience for Clary from what he had heard about the army. He recalls that this was all about one month after President John Kennedy was assassinated and the vice President, Lyndon Johnson, had to face the responsibility of the Vietnam War. “During this time there were more than sixteen thousand American advisers in South Vietnam and a hundred of them killed (Rotter 1). In his article, “Lyndon B. Johnson: Foreign Affairs,” Kent Germany also writes about the …show more content…
Lanny Clary was far from home and expected to defend his country while enemy aircraft flew across the skies with one goal: to destroy their enemy. Although it was not often, Clary and the rest of the men aboard the ship were called to general quarters, which are sometimes referred to as battle stations or action stations as well. When the announcement for general quarters is made aboard a naval warship all hands must go to battle stations as quickly as possible and prepare to join battle. “Enemy aircraft, which we called bogeys were on their way towards us, but our first line of defense on our carrier were other aircraft. [They] go up and they meet the enemy coming. It’s a scary situation. I was apprehensive I guess I have to say.” The aftermath of a successful bogey was devastating. Luckily for him, Clary never had to see the effects personally. Throughout the entire war the United States lost almost ten thousand aircraft and helicopters, while South Vietnam's army only lost two thousand five hundred aircraft and helicopters (U.S. Navy in Vietnam
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