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Corey Atkin
Professor Alec Thompson
HIST 153
6/16/17
M11 Assignment: A Day in the Life of a U.S Soldier in Vietnam
My name is Private David Espinoza and this is my story. I grew up in a small town in

southern New York, where I worked at a general store before I was drafted at the age of 19.

Having no military experience or intentions, it was a frightening experience being shipped across

the country to go to war with a group of people Ive never encountered. While getting to know

some of the other soldiers Im stationed with, Ive come to learn that many of them chose to

come to fight in the war over the choice of serving time in jail for crimes they committed back

home.

Ive been stationed at the Bien Hoa Air Base, in Long Bihn Vietnam since arrival. Ive

heard that this base is the largest American military base constructed on foreign soil, and Id say

thats pretty accurate. As far as the eye can see there are tents buildings and bunkers, and a

never-ending flow of aircraft takeoffs and landings. Ive just finished up my first month here in

Vietnam, and its been interesting to see the differing levels of morale and motivation. Many

other GIs who I arrived with were eager to get into battle and put a quick stop to the Viet Cong.

The more veteran GIs at our base have been very unmotivated and are just trying to find ways to

stay alive until their rotation is up to go back home. Ive come to learn that rather than rotate

entire units in and out of the battle, that rather, individuals are rotated almost randomly, on a

daily basis. One day you could have a strong leader, and the next day he could be rotated out and

replaced with a poor leader. It ruined our sense of leadership and teamwork with each other.
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For many of us, the interactions with the Vietnamese people were very uncomfortable.

Especially in the north, many of the Vietnamese didnt see us as liberators, but as people

bringing a reign of terror. While I only felt uncomfortable around them, other GIs absolutely

hated the Vietnamese people. For many of them, they felt like theyd traveled 10,000 miles to

save them from communism and the reactions and interactions they received for all they were

doing made them feel like theyre wasting their time here. Many of the guys here have resorted

to using drugs and drinking to try and get their minds away from the horrors of what theyre

seeing over the day on the battlefield. As far as myself, Im just trying to count down the number

of days I have left to be here, and try to make sure I go back home in one piece and with my

sanity still.