Interview with McArthur Moore, June 25, 1985

Partial Transcript: [Silence]

Segment Synopsis: A photograph is shown of McArthur Moore in Vietnam.

Partial Transcript: Mac, as I understand it, you're originally from Florida. Is that correct?

Segment Synopsis: Moore talks about his early life in Florida and Georgia. He relates how he was drafted after completing a college degree. He talks about his awareness of the Vietnam conflict and the possibility he would be sent to Vietnam. He speaks of his vague impressions of the conflict. He says his first choice of Army career assignment was helicopter pilot, but he failed the vision test. He says he asked for microwave repair but he was assigned to field communications instead. He speaks of learning of his deployment to Vietnam during his advanced training at Fort Polk and his nervousness about the assignment. He talks about his feelings about deployment and first impressions of Vietnam.

Keywords: Advanced training; Army; Camp Evans (Vietnam); Enlistment; Field communications; Fort Polk (La.); Helicopter pilots; Korea; Microwave repair; Moody Air Force Base (Ga.); Recruiters; Savannah (Ga.); Savannah State College; Service battery; Transit areas; Valdosta (Ga.); Vietnam; Warrant officers

Subjects: Draft; Military training camps; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American

Partial Transcript: What about the country itself? What, what kind of impressions did it leave on you, at--initial impression, you know when you looked around? What was the country like?

Segment Synopsis: Moore says his first impression of Vietnam was physical beauty, but that the country seemed underdeveloped. He talks about his assignment to Camp Evans working on communications installation and maintenance for artillery batteries. He speaks of getting along well within his unit and the living conditions meeting basic needs. He describes the accommodations at Camp Evans and "hooches," which were huts. He talks about the regularity of incoming fire.

Keywords: 155 millimeter howitzer; 1st Cavalry Division; Advanced training; Artillery battery; Artillery fire; Bunkers; Camp Evans (Vietnam); Communications; Marching orders; Mortars; Rockets; Rotation

Subjects: Attitude (Psychology); Basic training (Military education); Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Partial Transcript: Now in these types of, of conditions, uh--let's see, you, you were there in, in '68, '69. You were only 25 miles from the DMZ, is that, is that right?

Segment Synopsis: Moore says morale was low upon his first arrival at Camp Evans due to recent casualties. He says his officers were efficient and that he did not see much drug use or substance abuse. He talks about his naivete about drug use. He talks about improvements in the form of entertainment amenities at Camp Evans during his assignment.

Keywords: Camp Evans (Vietnam); Casualties; Convoys; Drugs; Entertainment; Memorial service; Movies; Officers; Racism; SP pack; Substance abuse

Subjects: Attitude (Psychology); Drug abuse; Military life.; Morale.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Partial Transcript: Now when you, uh, when you left the camp and went out in the field, you, you were out in the field about half the time, is that right? Uh...

Segment Synopsis: Moore talks about Chinook helicopters airlifting the artillery batteries to "hot" areas around Camp Evans. He describes his responsibility for installing communications systems in the field. He describes living accommodations in bunkers in the field. He says he only saw the enemy firing on him one time, and that he was never wounded by enemy fire. He talks about rarely visiting local villages and not having much contact with Vietnamese civilians. He describes the Vietnamese as "sneaky people" and recounts getting his pocket picked.

Keywords: Artillery battery; Bunkers; Cease fires; Chinook helicopters; Communications; Convoys; Demilitarized Zone (DMZ); Enemy; Flying cranes; Gas cans; Maneuvers; Shrapnel; Tunnels; Villages

Subjects: Civilians in war.; Combat.; Military life.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Equipment and supplies.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American

Partial Transcript: You, you said that, you know, before you went, you know, you were--you knew a little bit about Vietnam, not too much about the war.

Segment Synopsis: Moore talks about the distinction between a "war" and a "conflict" and his view that getting shot at meant war. He talks about his understanding of United States defensive strategy and criticizes its effectiveness. He talks about the U.S. military troop rotation policy and his agreement with the policy. He recalls his experiences with leadership and responsibility in Vietnam that helped him in later life.

Keywords: Borders; Cambodia; Conflict; Defense; North Vietnamese Army (NVA); Offense; Replacements; Rotation; Tour of duty; Training; War

Subjects: Leadership.; Military life.; Politics and war.; Tactics; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American

Partial Transcript: Now, now when you went out in the field on those, uh, types of missions, uh, how far was that away from your camp? Again...

Segment Synopsis: Moore describes the typical missions to which he was assigned, including deployment by helicopter and receiving ground fire. He talks about the qualities of the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong, distinguishing them as regular army and militia respectively. He says he did not have much experience with the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN). He says he harbored a sense of hope for South Vietnam.

Keywords: A Shau Valley (Vietnam); A Sầu Valley (Vietnam); Airstrips; Ammunition; Anti-aircraft gun; Army of the Republic Vietnam (ARVN); Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter (Huey); Caves; Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam); Hospitals; Khe Sanh (Vietnam); Land observation helicopter (LOH); Line unit; Missions; North Vietnamese Army (NVA); Viet Cong (VC); helicopter

Subjects: Combat.; Military life.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American

Partial Transcript: Mac, uh, we've talked about the, the satisfaction and the positives things that you got out of the war, your experiences over there. Uh, when you think back on your experiences in Vietnam now, are there negative things that come to mind?

Segment Synopsis: Moore says he does not harbor animosity over his experiences in Vietnam. He talks about not being able to provide food to impoverished Vietnamese he met and how this impressed him not to complain about his own condition. He talks about his religious faith before, during, and after his Vietnam experience.

Keywords: Base camp; Bunkers; C-rations; Chaplains; Food; Ministers; Vietnamese people

Subjects: Civilians in war.; Religion; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American

Partial Transcript: When did you start counting the days thinking that you were short, that you were going to get out of there?

Segment Synopsis: Moore talks about the phenomenon of "short timers" which were troops with less than 90 days remaining in their tour of duty. He speaks of his own sense of relief at the end of his tour. He talks about the mail he received and sent during his tour in Vietnam. He talks about his last days in Vietnam before returning to the United States and his relief upon leaving. He describes his arrival at Fort Lewis to be treated with a steak dinner. He says he did not notice any negativism upon his return.

Keywords: "Hooches"; "Short timers"; Fort Lewis (Wa.); Letters; Mail; Monsoon season; Steak dinner

Subjects: Attitude (Psychology); Correspondence.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American

Partial Transcript: After, uh, after returning to the States, then you had, uh, what, another year and a half or two to go in the, in the Army?

Segment Synopsis: Moore talks about returning to the United States after his tour in Vietnam with two years remaining in his military service. He talks about his assignments to Texas and Germany during that time. He says the anti-war movement did not bother him even though he did not agree with it. He says it was not difficult to adjust to military life away from Vietnam.

Keywords: Anti-war movements; Base camp; El Paso (Tex.); Germany; Vietnam

Subjects: Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Protest movements; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Public opinion; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Social aspects.

Partial Transcript: Once you were finally out of the military, did you find it difficult to adjust to civilian life?

Segment Synopsis: Moore talks about the difficulty of adjusting to civilian life after the Army and his desire to be left alone. He describes his aversion to sirens and loud noises after his Vietnam experience. He talks about an incident when he was awakened by a man with a darker complexion that he mistook for Asian which alarmed him and caused him to try to hit the man. He says after a period of adjustment, his difficulties resolved. He expresses sympathy for veterans who experience post-traumatic stress. He talks about continuing his education after leaving the military, but not having lasting difficulties related to his military experiences.

Keywords: Backfire; College; Design engineering; Fireworks; Noise; Psychological disorders; Sirens

Subjects: Health issues; Post-traumatic stress disorder.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Psychological aspects; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Veterans--United States

Partial Transcript: Mac, what do you think generally then of the treatment Vietnam veterans have received in this country since they've returned?

Segment Synopsis: Moore says that in general, Vietnam veterans have not been treated as well as past returning veterans. He says that the United States did not prevail in the Vietnam conflict because of strategic flaws, and the unconventional type of war the U.S. was not prepared to fight. He says he would have managed the conflict differently, and characterizes it as a "learning experience." He says that his service in Vietnam was in support of his country and wants to be remembered that way.

Keywords: Conventional war; Enemy; Foreign policy; Maneuver; Patriotism; Terrain; Tunnels

Subjects: Strategy.; Tactics; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Public opinion; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Social aspects.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Veterans--United States