Vietnam War 1967-1969, Martin G. Rebers
From MemoryArchive
Who: Martin G. Rebers What: Martin E. Rebers(father)war experience When: 1967-1969 Where: Vietnam
The first time I recall hearing about war and its negative effects both physically and mentally were from my father, Martin E. Rebers. My father grew up on a farm in rural southwest Minnesota and there he attended school through the tenth grade. He was the only child out of three children not to graduate from high school. His reason for not completing school was mainly geared behind the fact that he enjoyed adventure. After dropping out of high school he decided to fulfill his dreams of adventure and during the next couple of years he would definitely fulfill this wish. One particular incident sticks in my mind quite well. Soon after leaving school he and three friends decided to leave for the west coast in one of their cars just to see what it was like out west. To make a long story short, the trip ended up involving their car breaking down and the three of them deciding to split up and see who made it home first. As my father would summarize it, “I just started along the highway picking up rides from random people and by the time I made it back home I was the last one.” I asked him how he was able to afford these trips and he simply told me that he would go to random factories and pick up jobs for a day or so to earn extra cash.
After having his fair share of fun with his friends, my father would make one of his most important decisions in life. The year was 1967 and there was a war being waged in Vietnam. As a means for some direction in life my father decided to join the United States Marine Corps at the age of nineteen. Soon after his enlistment into the military was when he matured very quickly into an adult. He spent twelve weeks in basic training out in California in the Marine Corps training facility, Camp Pendleton. Shortly after completing his training and being placed into the artillery division, the United States government decided to send my father off to the dangerous and unfamiliar country of Vietnam. The following story is one similar in detail to the one my father told me during his first day and night in the jungle.
“We flew into the Da Nang airport and as our plane landed the VC were bombing the airstrip. We somehow got off our plane and all met at a safe location. There they assigned me to head near the village of Phu Bai. The first night there a friend and I slept on a .50 caliber machine gun both taking turns watching for the enemy. The next morning after the mess hall had opened for breakfast my friend asked if I would like to go with him to get some grub. I told him no, and that he could grab me a couple of sandwiches. A little while later the VC started advancing into our camp and they bombed the mess hall killing my friend. I had only been there for one day.”
After hearing this story from my father it really made me realize what type of a man he was at the age of nineteen. It was probably one of the most horrible situations my father and thousands of young men like him encountered throughout their entire life. I am proud of him and I am happy to have such a hero like him in my life. He will be turning sixty this May 20th and he is doing extremely well. Thank you dad for your service and I love you.
Martin G. Rebers
