Interviewing Individual on Vietnam War

Oral History II

During the Vietnam War, Robert (Bob) A. Smith was in the navy. Although Bob did not fight in Vietnam, it did affect him a little. He knew fighters who've seen people die in the war, and he knew people who've died, themselves. During this time period, there was quite a bit going on in the United States: war, assassinations, even new trends- and Bob experienced it all.

About one or two years after the Vietnam War began, Bob enlisted in the navy. "The war caused me to a make a decision to enlist in the navy instead of the U.S. Army," Bob said, "because I didn't want to go to Vietnam and fight the Vietnamese. During that time, the army and the marines were doing most of the fighting there." After Bob's enlistment, he was stationed aboard a U.S. Navy ship but it wasn't deployed to Vietnam. Bob spent almost four years in the navy and made a number of trips around the world, but never to Vietnam. The ship that he was stationed in was responsible for gathering information used by air force pilots who were flying missions in Vietnam. "I had friends who were in the army who went to Vietnam and told me about their experiences, besides the ones who were killed." Bob explained, "They told me of how they were shot at and about the many deaths of comrades they saw." Bob explained how he did not fully understand the political rational for going to war and why he had to go. During that same time, there were a lot of war demonstrations back home in the United States. Even after the war was over, as a result of military obligation, Bob was able to go to school or college after he got out of the navy, under the G.I. Bill. Bob also added that Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968.

During this time period, Bob did different kinds of things for fun. He enjoyed going out to parties with his friends and played baseball and basketball as an amateur. "I bought my first car for only two hundred dollars and traveled with my friends to different cities I've never been to before," Bob said. In those times, Bob participated in the fashions such as: big hats, long coats, bellbottom pants, huge afros, and peace sign medallions. Obviously, Bob looked pretty hilarious.

When asking Bob what the political climate of his time period was, he replied, "People were very hostile towards the Congress