Hastings Vietnam War vet Natick Veterans Oral History Project

hello this is February 10th 2009 we are in Natick Massachusetts and this tape is part of the Moores Institute library's continuing veterans oral history project my name is Joan Craig and our cameraman today is Dan McDermott from Natick Pegasus we are privileged to have with us today James Hastings better known as Jim welcome Jim thanks for coming thank you may I ask you when and where you were born I was born in a premium Massachusetts and watch in 1947 and you are currently living where in Bellingham mass and are you married I am do you have children have four children three girls a time and do they live in the area also three of them fairly close you know freemium not for compelling Hammond was been in the Marine Corps for 17 years so he hasn't been around much and judging by your shirt you were also in the marine clay was when and where did you enter the military I enlisted in March of 1966 in framing him and why well I graduate from high school in 65 and I was going to college for semester it didn't quite work out and you know I was you know working and I just job going nowhere so I figured you know I was probably gonna get drafted sometime soon and they just decided to enlist and when you enlisted you did you immediately enlist with the Marines yes and why did you choose the Marines you know being someone of small stature I guess I figured maybe there's some way I could you know prove myself you know you know all these great Marines with a you know they had the toughest boot camp and just want to try to prove you could do it I guess and you were willing to try to do that did any of your friends join with you or around the same time a lot of them do a lot of guys from Framingham but I didn't there was wasn't anyone I went in with and in joining as an enlisted me and how much time did you have to give to the Marines at that time you had an option of you know you could be a reservist you could go in for two three or four years and I enlisted for four years how does your family feel about you going in well it was pretty pretty interesting I would I you know we went downtown to frame him to enlist and I came home that night you know we were gonna have dinner and sitting down at the table and my brother father sitting went to the table I sit next to my sister and I mentioned how you know I said I got something to tell you today I said he joined the Marine Corps today and my father sitting to my right and he's he got kind of said he said like you know I waited they came and get me you know he was in a world-wide to my mother sitting the other end she started crying and my sister sitting next to me says can I have his bedroom it was kind of a mixed reaction so once you told them that you had enlisted shortly thereafter did you have to leave or how long after us you know I think it was to be truthful I it was probably in February imagine I left on the 21st of March and when you left where did you go to the Marines have a basic training yes well we took a train from South Station of Boston down to Parris Island and had you ever been in that area before no I haven't that's in the Carolinas right South Carolina and what was it like being in being outside of New England well was I remember after being there a few days Patriots Day was coming up and I said I kind of whispered this you know guide was next to me said gee you think he'll give his Patriots day off and he said what's Patriots Day which is is basically a Boston right you know and tell us what what basic training was like we we hear and we have a vision it through movies and other such areas of noticing tell us from your point of view what it was like well just like after a couple days there like thought first thought to go through - what the heck did I do you know just for the first few days year you know you're waiting for your drill instructors come and pick you up and it's just mass confusion they did just you know messing with you try to just keep you off guard and just constant movement and you know running everywhere to do anything everything you got it doing you know need to finally get after a couple days they get picked up by a drill instructors and you know that's when it really started they you know guys are just you know constantly screaming in your face and and and I so not being used to that type of atmosphere and you initially said what am I doing here did you learn that some of it might be a bit of a game or did you did you really know I think I was too scared to think in that game I just said you know this is you know you gonna you know make you a man they're gonna break it down and you know a couple months after I got out of boot camp and I realized it's finally hitting me I said they did it you know they they stripped you down it you know don't you back up again to think like like the Marine Corps want you to so they almost take you out of your core element of what you were like growing up true and as you said strip that all away and then and then reshape you exactly so how long were you in boot camp I when I went there was only 12 weeks I women it was eight weeks it was normally 12 weeks but uh we've everyone called we were quantitating Marines are quality cuz they needed you know somebody more people with Vietnam signing up and they wanted to try to get him in and out of Parris Island faster than what they were they normally did hey were you hearing anything about what was going on overseas no did you receive any advanced or specialized training beyond bootcamp well I was in you know the infantry that's what my MOS was and you know we go to Camp Lejeune afterwards for to Camp guy guy that was another month of infantry training and what was that like that was a little less you know a little more relaxed but it was still you know you had troop and loser not with the intensity of the drill instructors but yeah you know while doing you know field exercises to give you a little idea of what is expected maybe when if you happen to go into combat and you know training working with you know squad I was squad off of race and fire teams which is built up around you know a Marine Corps rifle company different elements of you know goes from a company took platoons and then squads and then fire teams and how what's expected of the Marines will operate in each you know one of those are in a company then you know what your jobs would be and what was your job I'm I drop you know was a rifleman that was everyone you know the Marine Corps is basically a rifleman and then they have you know they remember was like you know an infantry you have you know mortars and machine gunners and rocket men and you know then you have also radio operators and you know you learned a little bit about all that stuff and you know hopefully when you get you know to Vietnam you have you know a little bit of experience so from the time you started with boot camp going to infantry training etc how long before you knew you were gonna be shipped out well I was wanted a I don't know if I still to this day trying to figure out how you know how this happened but you know there's probably I I think we had about 85 Marines in my platoon in boot camp and there was probably 65 to 70 70 of them that went right to Vietnam somehow you know I get picked along with two other Marines we went to a Marine barracks in New Jersey you know a few guys went to see duty and but for some reason I didn't go right to I want you know I was in New Jersey for nine and a half months and what did you do in New Jersey where were you stationed at Naval in addition naval ammunition depot Earl in Colts Neck New Jersey and you were there for nine months nine right nine and a half months every place I was was nine and a half months do you think it was because somebody liked you I like to think I was just squared away yeah but I still don't know why so you were there and what were your daily duties there we yeah we were a security detachment for the Navy they had a weapons facility there and you know we provided security for them rent convoys down to the piers with a load ships with you know weapons so while you were doing that over that nine and a half month period were you able to come home at all to Framingham oh sure yeah you know usually how to work every other weekend and on that off weekend either go to New York City uh you know come home to frame e/m when it was like you know flying into Logan it was I think $11 a one-way hasn't it changed now doing that with these few men from your original platoon did you establish some close relationships with these people oh it's you know there was when I was at at Camp Lejeune going through infantry training I ran in I was standing at chow line and I heard this guy across the street singing with some guys under the boardwalk and I'm and I'm looking I'm looking I'm saying she's that looks like Fred it was my buddy that I you know grew up with her frame him he had gone in a couple of months before me and I said you know I snuck out a line and I want to nice um I you know talking in it's nothing to go you know and talked well we're gonna be stationed he's I said where are you gonna go and he said someplace I'm going to a place in their Jersey quality I said Earl and he goes yeah we both wound up at the same place you know we just went up in the same section across the aisle from each other and we you know got Liberty together so are you at liberty to say his full name sure Fred Crowley and he grew up with you in Framingham right did he go over with you that's a long story is his connection with him and I it's just it's hard to believe it's like I told you how we met down there we wound up in New Jersey together for the whole nine and a half months he was there a couple weeks before me you know I had volunteered to go to Vietnam you know early in 1967 and you know I said Fred once you go you know you didn't want to go and all of a sudden you know I'm getting ready to get my god as I got my autos on my birthday and all of a sudden he volunteered to so they get rid of us together so we came home went on leave we're on Liberty to get any on leave together for I think we had 30 days and went out to California together because all the sister had just moved out there we stayed with her and her husband on a weekends and she got shipped out to Vietnam both went to the first Marine Division he was with 2nd battalion 5th Marines and I was a third battalion 7th Marines and it wound up that we were right across the river from each other almost and we're in Vietnam who are you about 25 miles southwest of the tank but after you know we've been if before the Tet Offensive started his his group fifth Marines was sent up to weigh City and I stayed down where I was and on February 13th we both get shot the same day he got home in about five five or six days he was back in Chelsea Naval Hospital and I wound up you know in the hospital ship and it took me almost a month and a half to get home we wound up across the aisle from each other in the hospital so it's almost like in another life maybe you were twins it was just you know I tell people that story and they look and they go you guys you know so tell us where you were stationed not far from Danang right and it was before the Tennyson offensive which was in 67 it was in 68 69 I get I get to Vietnam in June of 1967 June of 67 so tell us what it was like when when you landed there because it's such a different place right it was you know just the the weather was the first thing that hit you getting off the plane yeah that's like a you know it was more like a staging area for Marines waiting Otto's guys will come in to go home they have to go home and guys will come in country to go to their units and you know they're deciding you know the higher-ups we you're gonna go and so you're there for a couple days and you know then you get your orders to go to what of a company or regiment a battalion you're gonna be in and so it's just it's just you know waiting game there you know there's nothing to do really just wait till they some guys you know everyone is different they pray that they got there and been gone an hour I think I might have been there for a couple days and then before they sent me to my company for some reason they sent me to a demolition school for three days so that delayed me a you a little bit getting out to my company when you mentioned the weather talk about that it was just you know so humid and you know the weather would change in a second you know like every day at 4 o'clock it's even when you know what the hill that I was on you look out into the valley and rates through coming through the rice paddies and the mountains you'd see that big stream of rain photos just you know we got trenches going from a bunker to bunker and you know four feet deep and they'd be half filled in a minute just came down so hard did they call them monsoons at that time yes so you went to demo school it sounds to me like with all these little specialties that they saw there was some intelligence on your part that you could handle some of this do you think that's true yeah you know feels like a knucklehead like the rest you know I just you know everyone makes fun of us you know the grunts oh here come the grunts you know the knuckle has all the other guys they get different mos is you know and engineers and you know people in the air wing and said but they always look at the grunts as the dummies but you know hey you gotta get a lower grunt so you you after demo school where did they send you well I just went out to regiment the seventh Marine Regiment headquarters and you know I was going down to collect some pay and of course rate to every went down the bottom of the stairs to get my pay and there's a guy from premium working in the paymaster really likes our egos our Charlie Juanita and you know so I was the effort probably not even a day and they sent me out to battalion to the hill that I was my but you know the rear area for my four three seven what is three seven that's 3rd battalion 7th Marines when they sent you out on this hill were you with people you knew no well kind of when I you know they sent me to battalion they get you get pickup kid that you need you pick up your rifle whatever else you're gonna need and then they fly up a helicopter to wherever your company's gonna be and they were on they just came off this big operation and they were on this hill about 25-30 miles southwest of Danang do you remember the name of the hill hill 52 everything was a number and I got deer and I'm getting off the chopper I'm walking up the hill and here's this Marine standing up there with his hips hands on his hips and you know he mo strung over his shoulders I look up and it goes Mac I know why did you get here he he goes about two weeks ago he was stationed with me in New Jersey and he was in a different group though I never really saw him that much and I said well you know we wound up in the same platoon was he able to tell you what to expect or were you kind of yeah cuz Mac was you know it was one of your questions and your questionnaire was about this guy he's no it's about a character that you remember yeah it's a I mean just a you know a great friend and I gather from well no he wasn't killed in Vietnam there's a story that connects us forever and you know he died about seven years ago from cancer from Agent Orange he did did you find a lot of people in your battalion had any kind of after effects from Agent Orange besides Mac oh yeah we you know I belong to an association that's you know that's so much you know about what happened like it when you know when I left Vietnam may never get to say goodbye to anyone and 23 years later they got a phone call one night and my daughter's 16th birthday and my son answered they said some guy named Mac and I'm going on I just might body just went numb because you hadn't talked to I hadn't talked to anyone you know and backing up a little bit you never got to say goodbye to anyone because why because I was wounded Sam he was standing right in front of me there's little pieces shrapnel I had my face that came out of his back when he gets shots he got shot through the neck and I get shot my leg and we both went flying it you know I was one of deccan it was one of he gets shot that piece came out of his back into my face and you know that was the last time I saw him we were laying next to each we finally got out of there they got us to a battalion aid station and I was laying next to him on a on a gurney you know I said Mac hang in there you know and that was the last time I saw him and 23 years later he you know he called me he found me but you knew did you know after a bit of time that he did make it no so you even after you were injured you didn't know if he made it or not no so let's let's go back a little bit you you arrived in of 67 right and were you in combat right away or well we you know it was just our mission was just to run patrols and ambushes and to try to engage the enemy and did you right I'm sure and for I'm thinking what were you about 17 or 18 18 no I was I was 20 20 at the time there were 20 year-old and never having been faced with this type of situation but being trained for it what was it like for you the first time that you realized that this really is war well it was something you you know they trained you for but it's nothing that they could have a train your fault what happens you know in real life to only you know when you see people you know being killed or blown up you know they can tell you about it but when you see it it just overwhelms you you know and the first time you saw it versus the second time was there a difference I mean does something then you just kind of kind of have to put it in the back your mind and keep on going no to survive all right you stop and think about it you know you got a you know of course you do but you know you say you know hate to see it but uh you can't keep dwelling on it oh you'll be you know a basket case so tell us about some of the combat that you you did were you always on this Hill yeah you know for some reason you know a lot of guys in the Marine Corps and or the guy me even you know they will move from place to place while they were there for some reason my company stayed on this hill so I was there I was on that hill for nine months and uh we've ran patrols and ambushes and operations off that that uh neva the Tet Offensive we were evacuated from the hill because they knew that you know the NVA will come into doing something was going to go on and we were right in their path and they an NVA I know at me Tommy you know and they were obviously what happened they were on their way to Danang and they wanted to get us off of there because they knew we'd probably be annihilated if we stayed there so for the last thirteen days before I was wounded we were just kind of roam in the countryside but for the whole time I was he I was on that hill basically except for two weeks so when you talk about your company being on the hill approximately how many of you they you know 150 you know we had two platoons on one Hill and then we had second platoon was on a hill about two miles away at the end though we were all in the same Hill because they were overrun and they you know after about three weeks we went out there my platoon to take over for them there's so many guys who were killed that they came and we went there and about we were there for about three weeks and they finally you know gave up the hill and we went back to the other Hill now when you left Hill 52 to go to this other Hill did you know what you were getting into that there was so much going on and so many of the other soldiers had died well we didn't well we you know radio reports I can't remember exactly if we knew the night before but you know it was probably there wasn't another day there where I felt so helpless you know they get hit about 2:00 in the morning and I mean just all hell broke loose that place was every fireworks combined to have a saw in my life they had 28 Marines on the hill and I think there was about 200 NVA who attacked them and ten of them were killed I think eight were wounded and the rest came you know it's a white Hill and we had to go over there in the morning and relieve them and I mean just you know there were bodies everywhere from the NVA that were killed and we you know they've medevac in our Marines and you know lines are dead with the dead and the wounded how far away was that other Hill it was about two miles from us so you saw everything oh we could see it we you know right away when you see that happening you know everyone had that gear on they were ready to go and Battalion sent the word down that you're not going we're not gonna let you go because they figured that they knew we'd go out and they would have us waiting for us on an ambush if we came as soon as we came off a hill and they'd you know so they wouldn't let us do anything we just had to sit there for an hour and watch it so during that hour what was the conversation or were you all pretty stunned and quiet Oh everyone was you know everyone was mad as hell that you couldn't go so we couldn't go you know just full you know because my buddy Mac he was you know he was gone I had just come back from Okinawa I sent went to NCO school and then when I came back he went so you know while you were in Vietnam you went to NCO school right how long were you there for three weeks and then he went after me we would you know when I came back they made me a squad leader and then you know Mack he was already wondering it you know then I rather another guy he went to language school the three of us you know what squad leaders in a platoon but he you know not that he would have made any change anyone's mind but you know Mack was a real leader you know everyone because he was he was a predator he was a super when I came back from that school we had a new guy he was Chinese American blond Chinese and I got out to the hill and they said he said oh yeah Jim Hastings and I go guys I heard about you and he said well what about what's with this guy Mac because he keeps him watching me you know I I started laughs and I said you know I said you just gotta learn how to read him he said he's a great guy but he you know he was just mean as they come but you know the last from that day I get in touch with him you know we were just the best of frenzy you know now when when this new officer was he the Chinese no no he was just you know a squad listed Marine he was a when he said he heard about you been enough I've been enough I was walking point one day and you know there was a couple NVA I mean Vietcong down in this area and you know I came upon him and you know walking point meaning you were first right how far away were your other were the other Marines from you oh the next guy behind me was probably you know 8 10 feet and were you walking through trees jungle no this was an area called Charlie's Ridge you know we had one area on one side of the hill was called Charlie's Ridge and under the other side of a river was called the Arizona Territory you know we patrolled you know both areas and once I was just sheer mountains and explained I want to hear the rest of the story but expenses playing for those who are listening who will hear this video and see it Viet Vietcong versus NVA right TVA were not to be that means soldiers from North Vietnam who came down in to come down to South Vietnam you know to reclaim that part of the country Vietnam and the Vietcong where local South Vietnamese guerrillas who fought for the North Vietnamese and at the same time the u.s. also had Vietnamese fighting for them right correct they had you know they had Vietnamese Marines they had popular forces it was two or three different you know groups we worked with you know the popular forces PS they call them so you're walking point on Charlie's Ridge was it an actual Ridge though was Ridge to was you know valleys and then it was just a sheer mountain and you know the Viet the NBA when they'd come over this Ridge to go in night time across you know the valley to walk with to the Arizona Territory and the 7th Marines when I was there we were a blocking force for Danang and that there was a you know an area of an arc that we covered try to keep you know them out of Danang area you're trying to keep the brac right but you know of course not always successful so you're walking point though and it was nothing big it was just a couple you know Vietcong went down there and I came upon him and you know you know after I left and Gerry came on you know went to the company they were saying how you know knows whatever you know what happened so he just it was nothing really big but what was it well I just opened up on him because they were you know it was two enemy there it wasn't a big deal well you you had to also save your own life correct right well you know yeah you know yeah do what you supposed to do it like this so was this other Janet Chinese American gentleman a leader to both you and Mac or was he sort of he was equal okay he was an enlisted he was a we were all corporals at the time corporals and squad leaders right and how large was your squad yeah it depends you know it's usually 12 to 14 Marines but you know we're lucky if we had seven or eight nine Marines you know people coming at going and guys getting injured was that difficult for all of you that day by day you saw injury and death and and still had to continue on or or was there a sense that this is what I was broken down and built up for yeah develop a sense to just keep it in you in in the back II ahead you know that just put it out of your mind completely because if you like I said before if you keep dwelling on it saying well you know this guy happened this happened to him this happened to so-and-so you just you couldn't do it you know and I guess that's why you know a lot of problems people have the years later with PTSD you know that stuff post-traumatic stress you know deal with that you and Mack then were on a patrol were you on Hill 52 or were you want to know we've been evacuated already already event I know 21 years ago Friday same date Friday the 13th so you remember that so vividly oh tell us what happened every day uh oh we were like I said we were kind of roaming the countryside when and I didn't even know we you know I found out years later we were on an operation and we had you know I put tuned was at this area and we got a you know Mack squad was out the day before and they had killed an NVA nurse so that patrols over the next day another squad went out for some reason to the same area and what it turned out was as a staging area for the NBA and was you know in that immediately era area there was you know hundreds of night I'm not sure thousands of you know in a general vicinity within a couple you know few square miles but that's a lot for that one area so we had a squad went out and they get pinned down and then they sent out another squad as a reactionary to help them meaning back up back up to help them get out of you know for support no they were pinned down and at the same time they called from my squad to go out now we were still back in a seat camp and post area for our platoon my lieutenant was there and Mac because Mac didn't go out because he was supposed to go that day on our and I which is a vacation vacation mm-hmm the chopper comes in and it lands in our area lieutenant says Mac get on the chopper and he says lieutenant I'm not going wasn't my birthday he sounds like a very unique individual he said very Pro marine don't be my Marines I said I'm going I know where they I'm gonna I'm taking them going out cuz he had already heard right you know and he knew that you know where they were I had to get there he had a chance to go this way but that way the chopper flew off you know he could have been safe as you know you and I a sitting right here but so we went out we get to the first squad they had a couple of ki ace we call the medevac we got them in the chopper and there was an open field and we could see off in the distance where you know the firefight was going on and it turned out to with two Marines and Mac squad who are in this thicket to a pin down and it turned out that the NVA were in fighting holes they pop up they'd shoot these two guys they scream so a fighting hole is literally a whole hole in the ground when connected to tunnels yeah what they had you know and they had this probably who knows how four years in this area you know but they'd every once in a while you know they pop up and shoot these two Marines knowing that we come to get him so you were with Mack at that time well it was I went Mack and then myself and Tony Camacho he was a machine-gun squad leader on a platoon we probably shouldn't have done this all three squad leaders you know going out they have it you know then there was another marine behind Tony so we got you know we kneeled down in this narrow trail and tipped down and we looked off into the distance you know not distance it was like 10 feet we could see them there and Mac stopped turned around and said well you know we're gonna try to do this and drag him out we got up and took about two steps and I go flying through the mat guy think he got spun around and his face was as green I never forget as long as I live he he felt back my rifle went flying I get shot in my leg and we wound up for somehow God was there we were in this trench and he was in front of me I was behind him and then the other two guys behind me I don't know what what they were doing but I'm laying in a trench and I can't find my rifle and I'm trying to look up and all of a sudden you know like the grass is being cut down over my head they're popping out of the fighting holes again and trying to you know hit us with what's your rifles what yeah that's what they're guys so you know I don't know how long just happened I kept trying to get up and finally Tony Camacho was able to get to me and he put a battle dressing on my leg and then on the sudden I started pleading out of the side of my face and he goes look what the hell you do you know and so a sudden you know how this guy never was shot I just can't imagine but they said open up again and everyone told again and we're still laying there and then you know it just keeps going like I don't even know how long I was there but all of a sudden second platoon came second platoon came up as a reactionaries now prior to them coming was there any radio man that could see going on the whole company knew what was going on but they were other platoons were in at different areas by eventually at the end of the day the other two platoons were there too because one of the squad leaders from 2nd platoon all of a sudden I see him near me he's leaning over me and I said Wayne go get Mac he's worse than me so he came and picked up Mac ran out got him threw him over shoulder ran out got him into a little more secured area came back and got me got probably five steps and I'm flying through the air again he I got shot two more times in my leg and I get shot through my app I was over his Wayne's back and I took a round in through Miami and went into his back and you know we're both laying there again so he got hit also he get hit and then all of a sudden this guy's from 1st platoon came and I remember some guy carry me out this guy nickname was harsh big huge guy he carried me out to another area and then I remember looking up they had me covered with a poncho and I could look up and I could see I went at this I could see they had Wayne propped up against a tree was around I went into my I'm went into his back and we're waiting for choppers to come in to get us out of there and I never said so many Hail Marys in my life and they finally brought in a chopper and how long a period of time do you think I don't remember yeah could have been a couple hours that long I don't know I don't know I can't lie Karen oh did you stay conscious yeah I could feel I could feel myself starting to go in a shock and I asked for somebody give me I remember asking for somebody give me a stick to bite on they felt like it was swollen like tongue to me I'm when I have trach it was laying on the ground I looked down in my am from my elbow down it was going straight back that way and ice was a G's and I picked it up and it was like grabbing the Chia it was like wasn't even couldn't feel anything they laid it across my chest and then you know the other guy started coming and they finally brought in the chopper and they got his I think was about seven or eight of us they threw on the L which was way over weight and they put me on and they put Wayne on and taught me lasting he's laying that's five from me his face is like right and taught me and he's you know I gotta live am I gonna live and I said Wayne hang in there you gotta make it you'll make it and he died right in my face oh my that had to be so difficult for you and was Mac with you then too he was in the chopper the same tropi Wayne had eleven days before he went home was he also around 20 years old - he was you know he is later Mac and Jerry try and myself around California at a reunion and working through Chinatown and you know we start talking about birthdays and it turned out that Mac was born March 21st 1947 Wayne Speer who carried him and I out was born March 25th 1947 I was appointed March 31st 1947 so you're all one in spirit weren't you well 10 days a pat you know you know birth you know Wayne was awarded the Silver Star what he did did he have family that he had another story he's just you know we were down in Washington I think the first year Mac couldn't touch me in 1989 in that fall in April he's at anytime you want to go through a wall I'd never been there and he you know talking that I talked that Jerry was done in DC they couldn't touch everything on veteran day in 1989 and I talked him back you know for a couple hours and he said well Jerry is still down in DC so I talked to him called him and I was talking about stuff you know that happened on the 13th and you know I always thought Wayne Speer was from Alabama and he goes no he's from Baltimore it was a guy another guy that we were trying to get to do was killed he was from Alabama so I'd get confused yet but as soon as I got off the phone with him I get on information town of Baltimore trying to find a spear you know ii quali made it was this lady she was I know who you know I'm I was his on and I can give you put me in touch with his brother and I called you spoke to his brother was he younger or older he was younger he went in the Marine Corps he wanted to go in it to avenge his brother's death you know and there's just a line three they lived in a tenement block and Baltimore and I said I had you know I said I'd love to meet your mother you know and she didn't want to do it she couldn't open up the wounds mm-hmm but uh you know I said you know Kenya we'd like to meet you and he says no I can't do what I can't do it by the time we walked out from my hotel room down to the lobby to check out the clerk says Jim Hastings yeah that goes yeah that's me says there's a phone call here from you foil and it was Kenan and he said I'll meet you this was an 89 1990 1990 that's when you went to DC and we he told us where to go we going down the street and I see this guy leaning against a telephone pole I saw they saw a reincarnation that goes you got to be kidding look just like him he goes areas so I think about five of us we pulled in and there was a restaurant bag getting ready you know had an open and we walked in and the guy he was I'm not open and he said we told him you know we publish all you can you know you're more than welcome so you know we sat there for a couple hours talking and just telling him what happened mm-hmm it was important for him to know don't you think brought a little closure to him had to be tough for all of you ah now when you were injured and they took you out by helicopter where did they take you they took me to a battalion aid station in Danang and I was the only one that was really ambulatory most of the everyone else had stomach wounds and they kept him in a hospital in Danang they sent me out to this he was a sanctuary and I was you know they I was in traction for about three weeks and in traction both legs and your arms no just I just won't you know battle dressings on my legs and then I was in traction for my your arm you know that we eventually sail to the Philippines and get there sometime in the March I think March of 68 and you know from there I went to Guam and they had an operation there and then from Guam I went to Hawaii and I was in California Texas Illinois and was this all you were in all of those places because of treatment a couple of them you know some of them we would just you know we're dropping off other patients in some places we had a stay overnight my had my final orders were for Portsmouth Naval Hospital and I was ticked off they said you know all all the way home me and what I found out I was going to I said I she living free me I'm right outside at Chelsea you know so I could finally get to Andrew and I was in the hospital down there and you know it's usually a 24 hour turnaround I was there for five days and I turned 21 my booth the King was assassinated President Johnson announced he wasn't gonna run for president again and the guy the people you know doctors nurses that coming into cities no one's ever been here as long as you haven't finally the sale that came in from Gitmo Guantanamo Bay and he was going up to New Hampshire and they said you get here's your ride out of here cuz he's lose to you now they just didn't want to fly one person so I get up there nice the first thing I said that doctor says I live in here right yeah you know and he says yeah it doesn't make any sense so we got my orders put down Chelsea Naval Hospital and it was a climate corpsman over there he lived in a win and he says hey Doc don't you live near Boston he goes yeah he said say take this guy down at rusty Naval Hospital so they got me down there that night I didn't even have to stay there so with all of these orders you were still in the hospital oh yeah yeah so what was it like now back up a little bit what was it like for your family to get word about your being injured you know what they I don't think they even knew until I call they gave me a phone was in the hospital ship and I I don't think that even had that point at contacted my family I can't remember I know they you know they still have the telegrams that they sent my mother but they you know eventually sent you know telegrams that I was wounded and you know and then the next one you know prognosis is good and so on so between the telegrams and your phone call do you know how much time elapsed no I don't and you were on a hospital ship yes was that from the Philippines oh no it was a Navy naval ship naval hospital ship and that's and where did that take you it took me what it did was it it ago in Vietnam and it sail up and down the coast and they pick up casualties you know injured Marines US sailors you know cause I'm sure the guys you know are soldiers too and they get the ship full or whatever and they sail to either the Philippines to Japan and I happen to go that time that we're going to Philippines it's a Subic Bay and we were there for a couple days and then they got me a flight to to go on did you know anyone else no on the ship for so what was here stories even now about the care that you do or don't receive what was your medical care like both over the air and at Chelsea naval you know I swear that I'm just amazed that I have a Nam when I saw that I said you know there's no way you know I ran into a guy at a reunion one year and he said I I remember them carrying a welt and Iran was just hanging like a piece of meat in how them maybe how they you know you hear a lot of people you know badmouth you know Navy doctors and stuff but I wouldn't whenever I am if it wasn't for them are you at liberty to show us the scar or would you prefer not to that's nothing big it just and you have motion you have I've got you know I get limited motion of my wrists and my fingers you know it's come a long way and 41 years what was it like once you reached Chelsea to reunite with your family no just you know did you not that it was that long I was going not even a year but it just feels like you just had to wait taking off you shoulders you know that you're safe what was it also like for you knowing that it wasn't a popular war or was becoming a less popular war well I remember you know we used to get see tiger and it was a newspaper by the military in stars and stripes and it'd be you know stories in air like in the late 67 about people starting to protest against the war and you know guys were just well you know we were over here and these guys you get you know back there doing this and that and burning flags and draft cards and weren't a bunch of happy people you weren't know so how long were you in Chelsea altogether from April till November of 68 68 and how much time then did you have left in the Marine Corps after that I would have had no maybe blew over a year and did you did you finish up I was medically retired out of the Navy I didn't Charlestown so then what was it like coming home to was it still Framingham that you were coming home to yes and now you're 21 years old and you've been through hell what was it like for you to come home to frame him and start over well it was tough at first you know you know I mean at first it was great you know you see all your friends and no thought of drinking was involved you know you know was the last couple of months in the hospital was you know it was crazy some of this stuff we used to do you know we get there you know getting in trouble and stuff and you tell us about any of that yeah sure go ahead not as you know like we you know a lot of times we'd sneak out and not bathroom with Java go to you know go to Finley pack used to play $0.50 they sit out in right field never even met Eddie Kapowski one day used to be the third-base coach and I think he thought we fell off some planet you know we sit out there on right field Yellin and screamin it I think was a little Clinton and probably just have a great time you know they used to take us to different parties and all that stuff and you know one night unfortunately getting this huge altercation with a bunch of hippies and Boston Common and I like the Street Church and had a couple of guys and you know with a guy that was in New Jersey with Fred he him and another guy was stabbed you know so there's a lot of crazy stuff that happened they were ok though were they super well yeah they were ok well one guy actually is a guy from Long Island he was given last rites he had a five-inch wound in his back did they catch the kid guys yeah they got him and he eventually got off Geronimo that was his name was so when you came home then what happened what did you do you continued on an outpatient basis at Chelsea though the VA after I was discharged on it was in November 30th 1968 and what was your rank I was a sergeant you came home you're you're on a medical disability yes trying to catch up with friends did you relax for a while did you decide to well I was you know I was hard for me to do anything I you know with my hand back then it took you know couples two or three years before I was able to really even start to write with it again you're right-handed yes you know and I went to a couple schools that didn't work out and it was just you know drinking too much and doing too much crazy stuff you know having a good time you don't like finally you know smiting up a bit like I went up to UMass Amherst right and did you finish school I just you know just an associate's degree I went to start Bridge School of Agriculture and how old were you at that point I was 24 what made you turn around your life at that point what made you realize that partying and drinking do they probably did mm-hmm so you did an associate's degree was that a two year program yes and then what did you do I I went to work for for a landscaper had issues you know someone telling me what to do you know it didn't really work out I started my own business for about three or four years you know and still having problems with probably you know I was married then they get married and put her still heaven you know problems with you know drinking and you know maybe in the back of my head you know trying to get it together did you have flashbacks at that point eyes yeah I used to dream that they were chasing me through my group enough and I must have feel thin frame Ian it was a great place back in the 50s and 60s but there's two have dreams at the they would chasing me through my neighborhood were you getting help back then no you mentioned earlier in this conversation about post-traumatic stress do you have you ever experienced her yep have you been treated for it yes are you still treated for it you know I do I get together with about four or five guys I used to go to this group with years and the lady will ran it retired unfortunately she's greatly and you know we still to get together so that helps a lunch all the time we you know the five of us talk we're all all of us were wounded you know and three of them are in actually in Chelsea Naval Hospital they are now well no anywhere I never knew them then oh okay yeah two of the guys were in like platoon in Vietnam when guys from Braintree another guy from Arlington we were there this other guy that guy from Arlington I didn't even know him when I was the first time I ever saw someone was killed he was with me but he was a mile each and I was in frame him they never even never connected I was on California the second reunion I went to when two guys come up to me and said you know a guy named Bob Collins from a leasing that goes no I said she's they live in Framingham - and he said well he was in third Platoon that goes in a daze I said why suggest I was there at the same time and they said well we just had the cops go out to his house we've tracked him down they said well I'll have to call him when I get home you know so like you know this was in July and I called him and you know talk to him enough tell him about this guy knock he says I know them guys he says I don't remember you though and it was like every time I call he used to tell me afterwards you said you tell his wife he says that that guy Hastings he said tell him I'm not here he was just creeping him out because I knew so many people he knows no but you didn't connect it was finally from July it was finally December before you agreed to meet me what year is that around 1991 and we've been the best friends very helpful too I'm sure what you've all great guy you know he's just giving the shirt off my back he's just well it sounds to me like in in spite of the horror or because of the horror that you've all witnessed that you have maintained relationships that are as close as a brotherhood oh yeah you feel don't want to really say it but sometimes you feel closer to those guys than you do your own family because they've been through something that you can all identify with don't you don't you think that could be the reason also oh don't definitely yeah all those guys were with me the day that I was wounded the guys who came home the thing is though they were all dead everyone that was there with me Wayne spear who got killed that day Mac who was in front of me he he died like I said at cancer Tony Camacho the guy who came up and bandaged my leg in 1996 he got killed in a boating accident the guy behind him who told me he had wrapped up my arm Jim Elliot he dropped out of a heart attack in 1998 it's very young my platoon commander who told Mac to get on the chop and go on our and I he was standing next to me in 1993 it's a woman's memorial that when the the day after they dedicated it closer than you and I right now standing right next me I'm taking a picture he dropped dead heart attack I used to talk to these guys every week yeah when you went to the memorial in DC what was that like you're with Mac and a few others there what was that like for you and did you also visit any the other memorials that were there no I mean we didn't visit Vietnam Memorial was the only one there at the time of Korean memorial wasn't there for the World War two the woman's you know it was just overwhelming to see Wayne Spears name there knowing how close you were no and the guy standing next to me was you know so much of a part of what he did you know giving his life to carry us out mm-hmm that's what we all wanted when you came home I know you mentioned partying and drinking you were still young did you discuss with your family or was there ever an interest in discussing what you had been through no they never really said much I think one night they told my mother father something I came home drunk they told him suppose something that happened did no did they ever talk to you about the drinking yeah you know they're concerned but having told them this story did they see realistically what you had been through they didn't say but I'm sure my father understood having been it wasn't know did you join any unit of the reserves oh you couldn't and did you join any veterans organizations you know the only thing I joined in 1968 was the disabled american veterans are you still a part of that yes i became a life member but it wasn't an act of or any active in it they just helped me go once are you active at all in it now or no other organizations women ma'am such as everything you're in all of those well i belong you know to here in premium Natick to the marine cool League you know to the Mike 3/7 Vietnam Association you know there's other organizations where you don't really you know the military art of the purple height and things like that but you know involved in in bellingham chairman of Memorial and Veterans Day committee so you're very busy with the veteran oriented programs where were you when you got the Purple Heart right that last day I was in Vietnam they gave it to you then do you all know I was in the hospital ship when they gave it to me Bob when I got it I mean what the German linkage that was on a hospital ship and do you remember what it was like or did you just forget a picture of it so a little black and white with this looking up like just you know and some general I found out his name years later I can't think of it now but he was you know pennant put it on my on my sheet or whatever was hospital Johnny or whatever whatever wasn't you know I left that I left out it - it's a vietnam memorial for Wayne's beer you did that's so touching I don't want to assume anything so I'm going to ask anyway you do receive veterans benefits and hospitalization benefits and did you use the GI Bill for your this you message you did yeah do you have family members or children who have gone into the service you mentioned that earlier your son my son's been at Marine Corps for 17 years how did you feel about him going in you know a lot of guys they said didn't want their kids to be any part of it you know some military but you know I was proud of them has he gone overseas at all he's been to Iraq three times and what is it like for a father who had serious injuries in Vietnam knowing that his son is going over to an area that is also has the possibility of injury now very very apprehensive you know but just a different feeling from my wife you know it's I don't know it's hard to explain knowing that's what it is that's what he does and and unfortunately if something happens I mean you pray to God it doesn't but you know there's always that possibility that's the marine talking isn't it whereas the mother is mother mmm do you you mentioned attending reunions do you attend continue to attend your reunions and is it difficult for you now to see so many of your good good friends passing away we have a memorial service and we read the names of all our casualties from each year you know one one Marine does its rate each year and now we have a list of guys who've died since we come home and that's almost as big as the ones that we lost in Vietnam you know guys you know average age is probably 61 or so now and there's so many guys that died it's just amazing how important to you was serving in the military you know back then it was you know I don't think it meant as much to me as it does now I you know especially since things started in Iraq in Afghanistan you know not one things to happen to Marines anyone anyone soldiers or anyone like the way that happened to Vietnam veterans and you know I just you know more proud of what I did now than I think I was back then because I was too crazy then I guess you know do you also feel that there is a sense of apology from people in the nation towards the Vietnam veterans because they they they were doing a duty they were doing a job you were doing a job and yet when you came home there was such negativity do you get a sense that opinions have changed I think a lot have I think it's still some high court people that think you know still think less of the Vietnam veterans i mean just the other day there was a quote above val kilmer you know that thought that Vietnam veterans were a bunch of losers and goons and jerks and he could better represent a Vietnam veteran and a movie to tell what this guy said yeah I mean you got to be kidding me you know so this I think there's a lot of people that still look down on them do you agree with the effort that's being made to say currently with Iraq Iran and Afghanistan you may hate the war but you don't hate the individuals that are over there helping doing their job do you feel that that is an occurrence and also that excusing the office and also that they want to make sure that there is this difference of opinion with those individuals men and women who are over fighting for a cause you know it's just the question being because of what has transpired with veterans who served in Nam versus current day I see at least in writing and I'm wondering if you see it personally that individuals may dislike what's going on there as far as being over there but are making every effort to say yet we're proud of our soldiers do you see that yes and you think it's happening because of the situation with your generation in Vietnam I think not a percentage of Vietnam veterans you know not sacrifice but we what happened - what happened to us when we returned not necessarily me because of the way I came home by the way a lot of guys came home you know guys well really you know you'd say it it was spit on and called you know baby killing everything else and you know it did happen but I think that we sacrificed that so now she's younger veterans who are coming home won't be subjected to that that's true that's very true yeah you know I think a lot of guys that do everything in their power to you know try to help that like in the Marine Corps League did I belong to you know we're involved and doing stuff like that and guys I know around the country part of you know organizations to support the troops and the Marine Corps League is not that old is it all it is in native in native it's ten years right but 1937 that's when it started okay do you feel in some way being in the military affected your later life sure what way well two ways like what I just was talking about you know I think I do a lot in you know the Marine Corps League trying to you know support range coming home today but you know a lot of unfortunately sadness tool with friends that I knew there was such good friends that have you know since passed away so having been in that service you establish friendships that you probably hadn't anticipated when you were first win in would that be true to the run by that friends that you became such close friends with through the Marine Corps and through your experiences that perhaps you wouldn't have had that type of friendship long lasting friendship guys you know I grew up what I've known since I've been five years old you know we're together every day when we were kids but these guys that I know for a few months they just you feel like so much closer to him it's a lifetime friendship it's a bond that you can't explain it you know someone once said is probably a cliche you know if you know about have to tell you but I have to tell you explain it to you you'll never understand have you ever opened up as much as you've had done with us today about this I do because you know to me everything I do really it's a Marine Corps League what those Marines did for me in Vietnam when I get wounded I do to keep their memory life you know what that wouldn't be here it wasn't for those guys is there anything else that you'd like to add a closing comment after this remarkable interview that you'd like to leave us with today for not only family and friends but others who will probably be watching this tape just sit you know I personally you know I'm so proud I can say that it served my country then you know that everyone respects everyone who ever does Oh James Hastings we want to thank you you

Channel: natvets1

Views: 25,946

Rating: 4.7021275 out of 5

Keywords: Hastings, Vietnam, veteran, YouTube, sharing

Id: 74Jmb3pvObw

Length: 73min 13sec (4393 seconds)

Published: Thu May 26 2011