Chi I was assigned to A company, 3rd platoon, 4th squad, based out of Dau Tieng at that time. Captain David Crocker was my company commander, Lt Dick Nash was my platoon leader, SFC Wade (“The Rock”) was my platoon sergeant, and SGT Lon Oakley was my squad leader. Our squad included Al Bridge, Larry Gallagher, Joe Esser, Dan “Doc” Michalec, Jim Walker, Kenneth “Pine” Heath, and Dave Nielsen.

On May 14 I was wounded by a bullet that ricocheted off the 50-cal turret and was medevacked to Cu Chi hospital. The next day I returned to Dau Tieng on “light duty”, which the first sergeant believed included filling sand bags and building bunkers. I tore out my stitches three times, which delayed my return to the field for several weeks. When I did rejoin the squad, I volunteered to be the platoon RTO. By this time our platoon leader was Lt Guiterrez, and the CO was Cpt Lightfoot.

In August I was called in to battalion HQ and “volunteered” to be the 2/22 intelligence liaison to the local South Vietnamese forces. I served in that position until the end of my tour, writing reports and keeping out of sight. I ETSed in late March, 1970, and returned home to Norman, OK. Then I got married, moved to Denver, had a daughter, and worked for 7-Eleven. In 1973 I rejoined the Army, choosing Intelligence, and was trained as a Russian linguist. I served three tours in Germany, two tours at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, and one tour at NSA. I also worked as an Arms Control Inspector, flying in and out of the Soviet Union to inspect missile bases. In 1991 I retired from the Army as a First Sergeant.

I got divorced around the same time I retired from the Army (her idea, not mine), so my daughter and I returned to Norman, where I went to work for the State Health Department, and where I met my current wife. In 1999 we moved to San Diego so I could take a job with United Healthcare. We moved here to Albuquerque in 2010, and in 2013 I retired from UHC. Since then I write Viet Nam war novels (available on Amazon), build model cars, go hiking in the mountains, and work on a hot-air balloon crew.

You can contact me:

6116 Thicket St. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87120
(505) 312-7228 (home)

(505) 410-9668 (cell)

dnjallin@comcast.net