My Duty, as I Saw It

This book begins with my first enlistment in 1959-1963 which was somewhat of a disaster. I was a happy-go-lucky, carefree Marine, and was discharged as a private. In 1965, I reenlisted and went into the toughest outfit the Marine Corps had-Force Recon-specifically because of the war in Vietnam, and then was severely wounded in July 1966. I was subsequently retired as a result of the wounds. In My Duty, As I Saw It, I tell about Marine Corps boot camp training and explain the mystique of the brotherhood of the Marines, and why Marines are different from other branches of the services. I also describe the tough and demanding reconnaissance training. The parts about Vietnam cover several major operations in which I was involved, as well as the training, including amphibious landings. I describe in detail being wounded in combat, and then evacuated to a hospital ship, and my time in a stateside Navy hospital. I also write about being married to my girlfriend who drove 3,000 miles alone across the country to be with me when I was a patient in the Navy hospital. There are fascinating stories about my hospitalization and how my young wife adapted to her new life in the military. The remainder of the book focuses on how we survived after I was discharged, and how I overcame the handicap of being labeled a disabled Vietnam vet.Dillon Usmc (Ret), G. is the author of 'My Duty, as I Saw It', published 2005 under ISBN 9781413764093 and ISBN 1413764096.