Bill Swift enlisted in the Army in 1968 at age 18. After basic training at Fort Bragg, and jump school at Fort Benning, Swift joined the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell before deploying to Vietnam in early 1969. He volunteered to be a tracker and was sent to dog handler school, visual tracking school, and finally jungle training in Malaysia. He then joined the 557th Infantry Platoon Combat Tracker team at Camp Eagle, which was “really an experience.” He was wounded in both legs, however, and returned to the Unites States. After recovering, Swift taught ROTC, “My job was to teach them to shoot properly, and also to dress properly.” In 1972 he returned to Vietnam, this time in military intelligence with the 1st Aviation Brigade. There he served with the S2 and also as door gunner for the aviation commander. Swift speaks fondly and in depth on the subject of dog handlers and their dogs, detailing his remarkable bond with his Labrador retriever, and with the others who handled mine-and-tunnel dogs, tracker dogs, and scout dogs. He also remembers Donut Dollies, Bob Hope, and a slew of celebrities from his second tour, including personally escorting Sammy Davis, Jr and his wife, and meeting James Brown.