James Hill entered Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas in 1964. He received his commission out of ROTC upon graduation in 1968. After Ranger School and a short stint at Fort Hood, Texas, he deployed to Vietnam, where he joined the 101st Airmobile Division and helped move the division to Phu Bai in I Corps. He remembers having to commandeer a C-130. When told to get underneath a cot during a rocket attack he thought, ‘This is stupid.’ He recalls staying with a Seabee unit, Filipino stewards starching his jungle fatigues and shining his shoes, and smoking unfiltered Camels. He describes getting wounded and medevaced, rappelling into a hot LZ, and giving mouth to mouth resuscitation to a young trooper and “having him die on my lips.” He mentions the juicer's jungle (a bar), the Ruff Puffs, double eagles, body bags, getting spit on at LA airport, and a Russian pistol. Hill says, “my single greatest privilege in life was as an infantry rifle company commander in Vietnam.”
Key Words: El Paso, Texas, Trinity University, San Antonio, ROTC, Domino Theory, Fort Benning, OPD, Office of Professional Development course, Ranger School, Fort Hood, ADC (Assistant Division Commander), 101st Airborne Division, Tan Son Nhut, Phu Bai, Seabees, A Shau Valley, RIP, replacement in place, Camels, 5.56 ammo can, Catch-22, Stranger in a Strange Land, Once an Eagle, 2d of the O Deuce (2nd Battalion of the 502nd Infantry Regiment, or 2/502), grenade, Claymore, medevac, Camp Eagle, rappel, hot LZ, My Lai, drugs, cigarette, Ruff Puffs, lowlands, đại úy, nuoc mam, greens, double eagles, battle command training program, four-star general, infantry rifle company commander, secretary of defense, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the chief of staff of the Army, Fort Benning, support group, Russian pistol
Key Names: Lieutenant General Sidney B. Berry, Jim Hull, Robert A. Heinlein, Anton Myrer, Chuck Shea, Roy Young, Doc Borek, Beau Cain, Hal Moore, Ron Ridenhour, Killer Kilby, First Lieutenant Griffin Hill