Anderson, David, Cpl

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE MARINE CORPS.
I was a student in NROTC at Tufts University and was planning on becoming a Marine officer. I was bored with school and not particularly interested in my major at the time. I was spending too much time hiking and rock climbing and not enough studying and my grades were deteriorating. I finally came to the decision that I would enlist, do my time as an enlisted man, and then go back to school and decide if I wanted to go for a commission after graduation. Such is the convoluted thinking of a 19-year-old sophomore.

WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHERE DID YOU GO TO BOOT CAMP AND WHAT UNITS, BASES, SHIPS OR SQUADRONS WERE YOU ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?
If you want to dignify 18 months and 9 days of active service as a "career", mine was straight infantry. After boot camp at PI, I went camp Geiger for infantry training and then on for 2 more weeks of machine-gun school. Home on leave for 21 days, and then a trip to Staging Battalion at Camp Pendleton. I did a full tour in Vietnam and then flew back to the states and was discharged at Marine Barracks Treasure Island. 5 days later I was back in college at Tufts with a far higher level of motivation.

IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY?
As an 0331 machine gunner, I served from the beginning of August 1968 until the first week of December 1968 as a gunner with B 1/7. It was a mixture of operations, Search and Destroy missions, and day and night ambushes and patrols. After Combined Action Program school in Danang, I spent until the end of August 1969 with various CAP teams in the Tam Ky area of southern I Corps. I would say that I saw more than enough combat to get my fill, but it was never as continuous as the type of stuff seen by the grunts of the 3rd Marine Division up north. My war was characterized by a large number of short violent confrontations separated by periods of tedium and boredom.

The one situation which will stick forever in my mind was at Mobile Training Team 1-1 on the west side of the Tam Ky airstrip in February of 1969. Our CAP functioned as the boot camp and training facility for PFs (Vietnamese Popular Forces militia), Revolutionary Development cadre, and occasionally for the RF (Regional Forces). We had been given intel that an NVA heavy weapons battalion was in the area and was headed toward Tam Ky city via our compound. Since it was just after Tet, we did not have any platoon in training and the very large compound on flat ground was manned only by 11 Marines, a Corpsman, and a short platoon of Vietnamese training cadre. We were mortared half a dozen times during the day, one of our patrols made heavy contact, and our Vietnamese Sgt Maj Van Luat was killed along with 2 other PFs and 2 Marines were wounded. One Marine, Cpl Blake, was captured by the NVA, tied up, and left in a hut, but was freed by a patrol an hour later. Upon his return to the compound, he was almost immediately picked up by Intel weenies and helicoptered away. We never saw him again.

As the day wore on our apprehension grew and we knew that once nightfall fell we were going to be hit by a major ground attack that we were unlikely to be able to repel. We had both a 60mm and 81mm mortar, but no one with an 0341 MOS to teach us how to use it so we experimented and did a crash read of the manual. As the sun started to set we were all somewhat depressed and trying to keep each other's morale up and trying to hide our fear. None of us expected to live to see the next day with only 30 to go up against a battalion. We began to hear mechanical noises from the direction of the city and we took another few mortar rounds. Just as the light began to fade we saw the most beautiful sight in the world, a full squadron of armored cavalry driving up the airstrip and stopping at the compound gate. We now had 9 tanks and 27 armored personnel carriers with a half-company Army grunts to back us up. We were on top of the world and happy as all hell. We can all make jokes about the Doggies, but they saved our asses from almost certain death that night. The ground attack never materialized and the next day led by CAP Marine and PF guides the army went out and covered the ground with NVA dead. In reading the monthly command summaries from that time the battle west of our compound is not even alluded to, let alone mentioned specifically. I am particularly proud of the fact that the Marines, our Corpsman, and the PFs were never given any inkling that help was on the way and that while we all thought that for certain we were going to die that night no thought was given to bailing out. We were determined to exact a heavy price for our compound. We kept faith with our mission, ourselves, and our Corps and were willing to die for that faith.

On the more pleasant side of the ledger, one memory sticks out. I was fortunate enough to spend Christmas 1968 in CAP School on China Beach in Danang with a roof over my head, a cot, and 3 cooked meals a day. Christmas eve another Marine and I drew perimeter watch in one of the concrete towers at the 4 corners of the old French compound. Just before midnight, we heard footsteps on the stairs and Colonel Danowitz the CAP Program commander showed up. He gave each of us a nip of whiskey, a Merry Christmas, and a warning not to open them until we were off watching. It was an outstanding gesture from an officer to his men and was appreciated even more when we heard the purchase funds came out of his own pocket.

FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.
Going out on reactionary from MTT 1-1 on the night of February 8, 1969. A 2 Maine and 4 PF ambush met trouble and both Marines and a PF were wounded. Our reactionary was myself and "Deuce" Harwood and 4 more PFs. Cpl Dave Graham the patrol leader was hit badly in the lung and was rapidly losing consciousness. We tried to stop the bleeding and air loss from the lung but couldn't do it in the dark and without a Corpsman with us. He died in our arms just as the medevac helicopter arrived. Since it was night and they had other runs to make the dust-off wouldn't take the body and we carried Dave back to the compound in a poncho. The next morning I had to accompany his body to grave registration in Chu Lai. I saw many other Marines killed, but he was the only one who died while I was holding him. The closeness of CAP teams was even tighter than that of line company rifles squads because of our isolation, and every death was a major tragedy to us.

OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES YOU RECEIVED, OR OTHER MEMORABILIA, WHICH ONE IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
My 2 purple hearts signify to me that I laid it on the line for my country even to the extent of shedding my own blood.

WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
It would have to be Sgt Daniel W. Majors at CAP 1-1-6. Dan was my boss and CAP team commander when I went to 1-1-6 after I got out of the hospital in June of '69. As a new Corporal with 2 days' experience, I had no idea how to act as an NCO.

He counseled and taught me and led by example. A month later in July, I was transferred to 1-1-4 and when Sgt Miller rotated back to the world it was Dan's recommendation that got me the job as CAP commander. He was killed in action on August 31, 1969, a week to the day after I went home. Rest in Peace Marine.

CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR SERVICE, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Before I went into the Corps I had been a hiker, backpacker, and rock climber at a fairly serious level. I had picked up a copy of a book "MY WILDERNESS EAST TO KATAHDIN" by US Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas just before going overseas. Any time I wanted to bring back pleasant memories I would pull out his book and read a few pages about some of my favorite places in the mountains of New Hampshire and Maine. Some time in early September '68 I wrote a letter to Douglas thanking him for the book and telling him how much I enjoyed it. I promptly forgot about my letter.

Fast forward to late October '68. PFC Anderson comes in off a night ambush patrol with B 1/7 tired, dirty, and sleep-deprived. I promptly racked out hoping the Gunny or my platoon Sgt wouldn't pick me for a work detail and I could get a couple of hours more sleep. Minutes later, or so it seemed, someone is yelling my name and telling me to get up to the company office. I arrive and find I'm standing in front of my platoon commander, platoon Sgt, the gunny, 1st Sgt, the XO, and the company commander. At this point, I'm trying to think about what I was caught for or what I was supposed to do and didn't. Gunny Yanecki hands me a letter and on the return address in the upper left in bold blue lettering is "Supreme Court of the United States

William O. Douglas Associate Justice

Someone in attendance, I can't remember who, very politely asked me if I would open the letter and read it. I did, to myself. I folded the letter up and started to put it back in the envelope when I was stopped. I was asked if there was something anyone there should know and would I mind if they looked at the letter. Hindsight and decades of adult experiences now tell me I should have politely declined and kept them on the edge for a while. But being young, a Pfc, and having already had the satisfaction of seeing them all worried as hell I handed the letter over.

After reading the one-paragraph letter thanking me for my compliment and saying he was glad I enjoyed the book, palpable relief came over everyone's faces. To this day I get enjoyment out of thinking of that moment. If I had been a little more "with it", I would have written a letter to one of my high school classmates and had his father send me a letter too. His Dad was my Congressman and I can only imagine the concern and fear if a letter had arrived with a Congressional return address.

WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY?
I received a 6 month early out to go back to college after Vietnam. I went back to Tufts, changed my major to engineering, and got my degree in August 1972. After kicking around in a few jobs I wasn't happy with I settled on industrial sales and have sold custom manufacturing services in high tech non-metallic materials (primarily plastics and rubber) since 1976. I am currently the sales manager and main technical and engineering contact for my employer.

WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
I am a member of the CAP Marine Veterans Association and the 1st Battalion 7th Marines Association. The benefits are the intangibles, fellowship, and the ability to share experiences and thoughts with Marines and Corpsmen who shared similar times. I also belong to NH American Legion Post #108 in Chester where I live. I am the program administrator and one of the coaches for our American Legion Junior Shooting Sports Program teaching 11-17-year-old kids marksmanship and firearm safety with Olympic 10-meter air rifles.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER? WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE SERVICE?
How does one answer and sum up in a few sentences? I would have to say that having been a grunt has given me a positive attitude on life and an appreciation for life itself. A grunt has to be an optimist to face the challenges of every combat day and have belief in himself. It is an article of faith for me that every day is a good day though some are certainly better than others. I feel blessed that God has been good to me and looked after me. How many people can say they have stepped on a booby-trapped 175mm artillery round, only have had the blasting cap go off and slightly scorch their boot, and then be around to tell about it? The Marine Corps also taught me that the only limitations I have are those I place on myself, whether you think you can or you can't, you are right. Adaptability and perseverance in the face of adversity, difficulty, or uncertainty have been key to success in life for me.

BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE MARINE CORPS?
Always give your best and strive to improve your best. Never stop learning and never miss a chance to learn more. I also strongly disagree with the old saw about never volunteering. Being a volunteer can sometimes bite you in the ass, but more often than not it will open up new opportunities and give you valuable new experiences. I volunteered for CAP and it was the most rewarding part of my time in the Marine Corps.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.
I was out of the loop regarding veterans, the Corps, and those I served with for almost 40 years. In 2009 I was invited to join TWS. It has allowed me to reconnect with old friends and find many new ones. I have been able to discuss issues with folks who had similar experiences and who can identify with my viewpoint. Events and emotions buried for 40 years and hidden from the civilian world are understood here in context and not in the abstract. In other words, I'm among family.

KC 12.16.21