Town: The Village of Palo Alto, The Villages

Branch of service and rank: I was not in a combat role, but was in Vietnam. I was in the Army, E4.

Enlisted or drafted? Both enlisted and drafted.

What did you do in the service? From August 1987 to August 1988, I was in public relations as the link between the U.S. and the Viet Nationals in Cam Ranh Bay. My job was to handle complaints from the Vietnamese against the U.S. I also handled security, as we had 3,200 civilian workers on base.

Why was it important? I provided necessary communication through my two interpreters assigned to me 24 hours a day.

What is your most important memory from service? Travel and the people I met.

What did you like least about service? Being told what to do 24/7.

What do you want people to understand about war? The Vietnam War was a very terrible waste of lives. We should have never been there.