Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

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Manning Stahl

Vietnam | 5th Battalion, 22nd Field Artillery

Manning Stahl ran into the same stewardess while flying before he went to Vietnam and after he returned. Her attitude had completely changed. The public had soured on the war and the Lt. Calley situation did not help. (4:53)
At the fire base in Kon Tum, the VC would fire rockets from the top of the mountain next to the base. Manning Stahl recalls how coordinated artillery took care of that problem. It was there that he saw the most macabre sight he would see over there and it was also there that the artilleryman nearly killed someone that he could see. (5:06)
Occasionally, you would get an intel target called in by an aerial observer. Manning Stahl's artillery battery let loose one lone shell which took out an NVA unit which had paused their march. They also destroyed some Russian artillery pieces this way. (3:45)
As Manning Stahl arrived at Quy Nhon, he was treated to the awesome sight of an F-4 buzzing the ship. He was in for some culture shock in Vietnam, like what the women would do for some K-rations and what would pass for a bathroom. (4:13)
It took a long time but, eventually, Vietnam veterans began to get the respect they deserved and they enjoyed the belated welcome home. Manning Stahl pays tribute to a friend from his hometown, Donald Rummel, who was killed by friendly fire and finds common ground with the soldiers dying now in Ukraine. (4:43)
He had done construction work, mostly, but Manning Stahl became an insurance agent after his Vietnam tour. It was a good career and he was good at it. He has a couple of favorite songs that remind him of those days and he has vivid memories of the strangeness of that foreign land. (5:05)
Manuel Vigil

Vietnam | 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment

Manuel Vigil had heard the Marines were the best fighters so, when he decided to enlist in the military ahead of the draft, he chose the Corps. He didn't know anything about Vietnam but he was on the fast track to go there. (4:56)
His first squad leader was court martialed for shooting up more than he should have in a village. Manuel Vigil would never have that problem because he liked the Vietnamese people and got along with them really well. (4:05)
The Marines rode around a lot in helicopters and it was always unnerving to Manuel Vigil when the door gunner would start shooting with no warning. For a while, he was based right on the China Sea, combined with a South Vietnamese unit in a camp they constructed themselves. (3:41)
He was the next man up. That's how Manuel Vigil became a squad leader in Vietnam. The first night ambush he ran was aborted due to what can only be described as poor siting. He also cost the government some money when he dealt with an obstinate water buffalo. (4:38)