Larry grew up in and out of foster homes across the West and landed in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury during the Summer of Love — homeless, drifting, and certain he was headed nowhere good. He enlisted in the Army looking for structure. He got Vietnam instead. Assigned as a radio operator (RTO) with the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry, S2 Intelligence, Larry humped a 20-pound PRC-25 through the jungle near the DMZ, took part in the relief of the siege of Khe Sanh, moved into the A Shau Valley, and later shifted south to Tay Ninh near Black Virgin Mountain. He survived combat, multiple bouts of malaria (including the nearly fatal falciparum strain), and losing close friends in the field — then came home in 1969 to an Army that had no name yet for what he was going through, and no plan beyond antipsychotic medication. This is a conversation about all of it: the war, the radio, the friends he lost, coming home to a country in upheaval, addiction, 31 years of service as a VA employee, activism with Vietnam Veterans Against the War, recovery work that took him as far as Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the long, ongoing work of healing.Content note: This episode includes a firsthand account of an interrogation Larry witnessed in Vietnam. Listener discretion advised. ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:36 — Growing up in Salt Lake City, foster homes 01:06 — Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, 1966–67 05:22 — Enlisting in the Army 06:22 — Boot camp, Fort Lewis 07:48 — AIT at Fort Ord, orders to Vietnam 09:50 — Arrival in-country, Camp Radcliffe 13:19 — Joining the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry 14:45 — Becoming an RTO, first days in the field 17:08 — The interrogation 19:47 — Search-and-destroy patrols, snakes, helicopter insertions 21:49 — Relief of Khe Sanh and the A Shau Valley 22:19 — Moving south to Tay Ninh, Black Virgin Mountain 23:18 — First bout with malaria 26:36 — Radio relay duty, isolation on the mountain 33:54 — Losing a friend — the Claymore mine 37:01 — Coming home, May 1969 39:47 — PTSD before it had a name 42:07 — An interracial marriage in the Deep South 43:29 — Transfer to Germany 47:56 — Discharge and the search for work 50:31 — Hired at the VA — the start of 31 years 54:34 — Protest and activism in Salt Lake City 59:02 — Addiction and getting clean 01:02:05 — The birth of his daughter and a turning point 01:05:00 — Recovery work in Russia 01:09:55 — Family, aging, and loss 01:13:51 — Final reflections on Vietnam, enemies, and peace 🎖️ SUBSCRIBE for new veteran interviews every week. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UvdMjkOkOgoHM2yIckhlh Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ask-a-vet-podcast/id1854840136 Read the blog: https://curioushumanography.com/ Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/curioushumanography/ If you're a veteran with a story to tell, or you know someone who should be on the show, reach out at humanographyproject@gmail.com
